The Weekly Informer (6/6/16)
On Tuesday, May 31st, 2016, at 5:30pm, the following transpired:
Committees:
Finance (Floyd, Fraizer, Rath, Bubb, and Cost):
Resolution No. 16-50: spending money.
$4,850 (appropriation of funds) for General Services (out of federal dollars) to replace a union custodian who is on leave with a non-union contractor (reportedly with permission of the union). Passed unanimously.
$4,850 (disappropriation of funds) for General Services. Note: this is for the “same thing”. Passed unanimously.
$1,550 for Termination/Paid Vacation. Passed unanimously.
Resolution No. 16-51: spending money.
$500 (flower donation for City Hall beautification). Passed unanimously.
$300,000 for Street Maintenance. Service Director Rhodes reports that the City Auditor says this amount has to go from the Budget Stabilization fund to the General Fund and then to the Capital Improvements fund because this is the “proper” way. Tax “over-collection” allows us to have a “paving program this year”. Passed unanimously.
Same amount to the general fund. Passed unanimously.
Same amount to the capital improvements. Passed unanimously.
Ordinance No. 16-14: with an emergency clause, allowing “$1,100,000 of bond anticipation notes” to refund “outstanding bond anticipation notes” used for the following: fire station #1 improvements (including demolition, professional design and property acquisition), city hall parking improvements, service complex construction improvements, and south second street bridge repair, together with additional fire station #1 improvements (phase one)”, and permitting more money to be spent on “fire station improvements”.
We have a 6.6 Million dollar bond anticipation note, with 5.5 million for the fire station, and 1.1 million for “various capital needs”. This renews the latter allocation for another year. Next year’s bond depends on the election. Passed unanimously.
Ordinance No. 16-15: with an emergency clause: allowing “the issuance of $5,620,000 [in] capital improvement bonds” to refund some of our “outstanding bond anticipation notes” that were used for the following: “fire station #1 improvements (including demolition, professional design and property acquisition),($1,100,000), city hall parking improvements,($300,000), service complex construction improvements, ($200,000), and south second street bridge repair, ($600,000)”. Also, this will permit borrowing another “$1,000,000 to pay part of the cost of fire station #1 phase one construction improvements, and additional funds for fire station improvements ($3,400,000)”.
Bond issue for 25 years, eliminating fire station debt. Passed unanimously.
.
.
Capital Improvements (*):
.
Service: (*)
.
Safety (Fraizer, Rath, Blake, Johnson, and Floyd):
Ordinance No. 16-16: making further amendments to the vicious dog law.
Changes classification of dogs which kills other dogs from “dangerous” to “vicious”. Changes vicious dog permit requirements from annually without specific deadline to make it annually every January 31st. Cost expressed that he supported two of his three concerns – classification and penalties -, but felt that his final concern of “enforcement” remained unaddressed. He prefers having an additional animal control officer. Passed unanimously.
Personnel:
Recreation:
No business. Result: *
Street (Hall, Blake, Rath, Rolletta, Floyd, Johnson, and Fraizer):
A “discussion” about vacating an alley “between Fairlawn Ave and Woodlawn Ave”.
A number of citizens arrived both for and against the proposed vacation; which was supported by a petition. Those opposed to such seemingly presented the strongest and most persuadable case saying such things like those wanting the vacation of the alley built their home or moved in a home near the alley, not the other way around and that vacating this alley would “set a bad precedence for the city”. At one point, the debate got a little heated between the two camps, especially as a number of those supporting the action pointed out how poorly maintained the alley is by the city. It was noted that the City Engineer was opposed to this proposal, even as the Fire Department switched from opposition to being okay with it. Councilman Cost stood up, pointed out that he visited the area, suggested the citizens circulate their petition, and even remarked that he doubted anyone should want to use the alley. Ultimately, the committee unanimously decided to take no action.
Rules (*):
Economic Development:
No business.
Ways and Means:
No business. Result: *
Further thoughts:
Meeting lasted just shy of an hour; largely because of the alley issue. Additionally, citizen attendance was boosted by the street committee meeting with as many as 12 citizens attending at that point. After that committee, seven citizens took their leave. The only absent member was Councilman Marmie.
What to expect at the next Council Meeting at 7pm:
1) Appointments: None.
2) Public Hearings: None.
Any Resolutions or Ordinances on the First Reading – except those brought forward using Rule 11 – were already covered at the recent committee meeting as seen above.
3) Ordinances on the Second Reading:
a. Ordinance No. 16-13: making changes to the Safety Department’s (specifically in the Police Division) “position classification, pay range and department authorization tables” in replacing one police officer position with an Information Technology Specialist.
4) Resolutions on the Second Reading:
a. Resolution No. 16-48: spending money.
* $500 for a deductible in damage claims on a command vehicle that was recently involved in an accident.
b. Resolution no. 16-49: allocating revenue collected from the hotel lodging excise tax (the “bed tax”).
c.
d.
See you all next week. Thanks for reading.