PAGE 18 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES NOVEMBER 9, 2009
Journal Page 13670
CITY OF SHAWNEE
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
NOVEMBER 9, 2009
7:30 P.M.
Mayor Meyers called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Shawnee City Hall Council Chambers. He welcomed the public and led everyone in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence.
Councilmembers Present / Staff PresentCouncilmember Scott / City Manager Gonzales
Councilmember Pflumm / Assistant City Manager Charlesworth
Councilmember Sawyer / City Clerk Powell
Councilmember Goode / City Attorney Rainey
Councilmember Kuhn / Assistant City Attorney Rainey
Councilmember Straub / Planning Director Chaffee
Councilmember Sandifer / Police Chief Morgan
Public Works Director Freyermuth
Councilmembers Absent / Parks and Recreation Director Holman
Councilmember Distler / Information Technologies Director Doherty
Finance Director Kidney
City Engineer Wesselschmidt
Fire Chief Hudson
Intern Scanlon
Human Resources Manager Crawford
Human Resources Specialist Dawald
Members of the public who spoke: (Mayor’s Items) LINDSAY MCDONALD; Item 18) DAVID MORRIS, RAY ERLISHMAN, RODNEY HOUCK; (Miscellaneous) State Representative MILACK TALIA.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. APPROVE MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 12, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
2. REVIEW MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 6, 2009, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING.
3. REVIEW MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 20, 2009, PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.
4. REVIEW MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 5, 2009, PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
5. REVIEW MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 19, 2009, PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
6. CONSIDER ACCEPTANCE OF DEDICATIONS OF LAND, OR AN INTEREST THEREIN FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES, CONTAINED IN FP-16-09-10, THE FINAL PLAT FOR JOHNSON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES, LOCATED AT 6440 NIEMAN ROAD.
7. REVIEW OF SUP-11-08-08, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TO DANDELIONS AND MUD PUDDLES CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, FOR A COMMERCIAL DAYCARE WITH UP TO 82 CHILDREN, IN THE CN (COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD) ZONING DISTRICT, LOCATED AT 13811 WEST 63RD STREET.
8. REVIEW OF SUP-13-08-10, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TO DEFFENBAUGH INDUSTRIES, FOR JOHNSON COUNTY LANDFILL, TO ALLOW THE OPERATION OF A MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL IN THE PI (PLANNED INDUSTRIAL) ZONING DISTRICT, LOCATED ON THE SW CORNER OF I-435 AND HOLLIDAY DRIVE.
9. REVIEW OF SUP-14-08-10, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TO T-MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TO ALLOW A 120-FOOT MONOPOLE CANISTER TOWER IN THE AG (AGRICULTURAL) ZONING DISTRICT, LOCATED AT 21500 W. 47TH STREET.
10. REVIEW OF SUP-11-96-9, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TO T-MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TO ALLOW A 90-FOOT MONOPOLE TOWER IN THE AG (AGRICULTURAL) ZONING DISTRICT, LOCATED AT 17360 W. 53RD STREET.
11. CONSIDER S-215-09-10, A SIGN VARIANCE FOR LOCATION FOR ROTH ORTHODONTICS AT 6852 SILVERHEEL STREET.
12. CONSIDER INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT (ILA) FOR THE 52ND TERR AND BARTON DRIVE STORM DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS WITH JOHNSON COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, P.N. 3354, (SMAC TC-21-060).
Councilmember Goode, seconded by Councilmember Sandifer, moved to approve the entire Consent Agenda. The motion carried 7-0.
MAYOR'S ITEMS
13. PROCLAMATION FOR PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
Mayor Meyers presented a proclamation proclaiming the month of November 2009 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Shawnee.
LINDSAY MCDONALD thanked Mayor Meyers for recognizing November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
14. VETERANS' DAY PROCLAMATION.
Mayor Meyers presented a proclamation proclaiming Wednesday, November 11, 2009 as Veteran’s Appreciation Day in the City of Shawnee.
15. PRESENTATION OF SERVICE AWARDS.
Mayor Meyers and City Manager Gonzales recognized the employees and volunteers for municipal service in the State of Kansas and the City of Shawnee.
16. THE MAYOR MAY PRESENT OTHER ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION.
There were no additional Mayor’s items.
PUBLIC ITEMS
ITEMS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 19, 2009
17. CONSIDER SUP-10-09-10, A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR CANTERBURY ACADEMY, TO ALLOW A COMMERCIAL CHILDCARE FACILITY WITH UP TO 127 CHILDREN IN THE CH (COMMERCIAL HIGHWAY) ZONING DISTRICT, LOCATED AT 22900 MIDLAND DRIVE.
Councilmember Sandifer, seconded by Councilmember Kuhn, moved to approve SUP-10-09-10, a special use permit for Canterbury Academy to allow a commercial childcare facility with up to 127 children in the CH (Commercial Highway) zoning district, located at 22900 Midland Drive. The motion carried 7-0.
COUNCIL ITEMS
ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS & SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING OF OCTOBER 20, 2009, CHAIRED BY COUNCILMEMBER SANDIFER
18. CONSIDER DRAFT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR EFFICIENCY STUDY/PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
Councilmember Sandifer stated that the Committee recommended 4-0 that the City Council approve the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for Efficiency Study/Performance Review.
Councilmember Goode, seconded by Councilmember Pflumm, moved to approve the draft request for proposal (RFP) for the Efficiency Study/Performance Review.
Councilmember Straub thanked the Council and staff because he feels they are moving in the right direction.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she was waiting to hear the audience’s feedback before she shared her thoughts. She stated she is okay with moving forward on this project, although she thinks it is something they should do slowly with some care and consideration.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she thinks the numbers they have had and have had brought forth through to through all the budgeting and committees show and demonstrate that they, as a city, are already extremely efficient both as their lower employee per capita, their lower spending per square mile, and their lower everything in comparable cities.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she believes there are always efficiencies that can be gained, however at this point she does not think much of those savings are going to come without any additional reductions in services. She stated it is kind of the same things that have been presented to the Council through the budgets. She thinks it is services and programs they are going to have to be looking at and that is where, if there are any efficiencies to be found, will be.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she wishes she did actually have better information, not just about how their city is doing in each of their individual departments, but about what the residents actually believe are the important services they provide and what they might possibly be willing to live with less of, for instance, or what they really need and feel is a necessity for the City of Shawnee to provide.
Councilmember Kuhn asked if it is more important for them to address the various stormwater drainage issues, the puddling in yards and the drain-off issues more so than it is to worry about additional street maintenance as additional potholes, curbs, and gutters. She thinks without that information, it is very hard for them, as a Council, to find a balance.
Councilmember Kuhn stated in the past, the staff has presented them with information about community surveys that many other cities do and she has had an opportunity to visit with some councilmembers from other cities about those kinds of surveys and about some efficiency studies that have been done in those other cities as well.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she thinks that the comparable community-based surveys have been a very valuable tool. She stated Shawnee, for example, has used one regularly with their Parks and Recreation Department, but she would also like them to look at doing a survey that is much broader based and a more comprehensive look at city services and departments as a whole.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she thinks looking at the RFP is one thing, but getting ready to spend the City’s and taxpayer’s money on whether or not they are efficient in departments is putting the cart well before the horse when they do not even know what it is that their constituents want them to prioritize in that spending.
Councilmember Kuhn stated she thinks there is a good feel from most of the Council and thinks she has a good sense of what her ward thinks is important, but during the next budget process, it is extremely likely that they are going to have to continue looking at much bigger reductions in all areas. She stated she would like to see a validated comprehensive survey done that would give her good data on what the people and taxpayers are truly thinking, and from a lot more people than she would ever have an actual likelihood of having to talk to on a day-to-day basis, or in a very in-depth conversation about this.
Councilmember Kuhn stated that being said, she had an opportunity to talk with City Manager Gonzales and get her thoughts on this. She asked whether or not she felt it would be worth staff’s time to further look into these kinds of surveys. City Manager Gonzales told her based on not only the information they have received, but some other things in the past, they actually recommended doing those kinds of things during previous budget processes. She stated she vaguely remembers having had that conversation and thinks Assistant City Manager Charlesworth actually mentioned it to them two budget cycles ago, before they would start seeing quite the drastic changes to their budget process than they have in the past couple of years.
Councilmember Kuhn stated City Manager Gonzales also indicated that during the past budget season, they had talked to the City of Olathe who used this survey tool quite extensively and they were willing to come here and give presentations to the committees, but City Manager Gonzales needed to keep pushing back that presentation due to the meeting schedules, very limited staff timing, and other issues. She greatly respects that and knows that just because she as a councilmember asked about it, does not mean that it immediately is going to be placed on an agenda, as there is a lot of background work that goes into those, so she had no immediate expectations.
Councilmember Kuhn stated because that had been something they had been working on prior to her question, City Manager Gonzales actually has that presentation slated for one of the January Finance and Administration Committee meetings. Her thought on this that she wanted to share with the public and other councilmembers for their thoughts and feedback, was her inability to really proceed further with this project, not necessarily the RFP, but actually voting on or moving forward with spending taxpayer dollars on an efficiency study until after she had more information about actual community surveys, what kind of information they can actually get from them, and how much they cost to get them. She stated she would really like some feedback from those kinds of surveys about how accurate it would be, what the community feedback would be, and how representative it is.
Councilmember Kuhn stated mostly what she wanted to do, was let the other councilmembers be aware, as well as the folks, if they did decide to move forward with an RFP that might be interested in presenting one to the Council. She did have those concerns and those thoughts well before it was presented and would certainly love to have other councilmember’s feedback or feedback from anyone in the audience who has thoughts on it as well.
Mayor Meyers asked City Manager Gonzales to give them an estimated timeline on what she thinks about them receiving information back from this RFP going out.
City Manager Gonzales replied the draft is pretty good. She stated the staff will probably take another week to comb through and finalize it. She has the list of vendors about ready, although she received another call this week from someone who might be interested, so it will take a week or two to get it out. She stated they usually allow a 30 day period for a consultant to develop a proposal and get it back, so that would put them into the week of December 20th. She stated it will take a little time to get through it and bring back a recommendation to the Council.
City Manager Gonzales stated she would anticipate having a recommendation at either the first or second meeting in January.
Councilmember Straub stated he is all for a survey if that is what they want to do, but an efficiency study. He stated he does not know if one of the questions on the survey could be, ‘Would you want our City to be efficient and would you be interested in our City doing an efficiency study”. He stated he supposes if they want to ask the public, that could be one question to ask on the survey to find out.
Councilmember Straub stated most big cities do efficiency studies and there are many things that have been going on for years. It is hard to change when they are looking too tight and close at it. He stated it is good to have someone who knows what they are doing that does just the efficiency like the RFP says and look at it from an outsider who could tell them they could save money here or there, so he is definitely in favor of moving forward.
Councilmember Straub stated he has been asking for this for quite a while and thinks this is an important thing. He stated if the City wants to do surveys, that is fine, but he is uncertain as to the cost of a survey and asked if anyone knows.
City Manager Gonzales replied from the work the staff did a few years ago, she thinks it depends on the population base. She thinks $15,000 to $20,000 is about where they fell at that time, but the staff can certainly get some new information.