WAPAKONETA CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 19, 2015
President Steve Henderson called the meeting to order at 7:30pm on January 19, 2015 at 701 Parlette Court with the following members present: Jim Neumeier, Daniel E. Lee, Bonnie Wurst, Chad Doll, Randy Fisher andRachel Barber.Also present were Mayor Rodney Metz, Service Director Bill Rains and Law Director Dennis Faller. There were 10visitors present.Dan Graf was absent.
Motion by Lee, second by Doll to approve the minutes of the January 5, 2015 Council Meeting as submitted. Vote – 6 yeas, 0 nays.
Finance Committee – a meeting was held on 01-13-2015 and the following was discussed:
Rains presented several proposed budgets to the committee. Worksheets for these are available from a committee member, Rains or Walter.
- Rains reminded the committee that there is $18,000 budgeted for WAEDC.
- 650 and 653 – Refuse and Recycling – there is a need to replace a refuse truck which will cost about $200,000. This will be purchased on a lease to own agreement. The last truck is paid for, so the new lease will continue the $32,000 per year payment.
- 620 and 623 – Electric and Electric Expansion – there will be expenses in the contract services/contract engineering lines as work is still needed on a substation.
There is an increase in the tree trimming line as several trees need work.
New radios will be purchased.
The building needs new downspouts.
Wire upgrades are needed since the substation upgrades.
A contractor will be hired to bore under SR 33 for an electric line.
A new pickup truck is needed; the old truck will go to another department, probably Parks.
The debt principal and interest are now $0.
The meter replacements will be completed by 2016.
- 640.640 – Sewer – worksheet is not accurate, a new sheet showing debt will be done.
- 640.641 – Sewer Collection – salary reflects staff changes. A staff person needs to be promoted to assistant superintendent to work on Class 4 certification. The union will be consulted about this change.
- 642 – Sewer Replacement – no significant changes from 2014. The screw pumps need repairs, preferably to be replaced.
- 643 – Storm – no significant changes. No projects are scheduled, but there may be tiling of the Wheeler Lane ditch.
- 701 – Engineering – there is an increase in salaries.
The gas company will be replacing gas lines on Pearl St. and the city will need to fix the street and curbs. $150,000 in funds for this are in 203 – Permissive Tax.
N Wager and N. Rauthland need grind and pave, but sloped yards make it a problem.
- 204 – Community Block Grant – no change from 2014.
Rains will send budget changes and worksheet corrections to the committee members for review before Council votes on the 2015 budget proposal.
Walter will send the committee the 2014 YTD report and the 2015 proposed revenue report which are not completed at this time.
Rains and Walter plan to have the budget ordinance prepared by the first council meeting in February.
Parks & Rivers Committee – a meeting was held on 01-15-2015 and the following was discussed:
This was to be the date by which the Auditor and Treasurer were to report back to this committee with option for investing the $732,371.95 of inactive funds that help support the recreation fund. Neumeier reported that no options had been reported so Auditor Walter was asked to join the meeting to explain why this was so. She stated that she wanted to wait closer to the maturity date to get quotes. A discussion followed on what restrictions she perceived as to how the money could be invested. Council action may be required to declare officially that these funds are “inactive” so that additional investment choices can be investigated. The auditor is to look into this possibility. The auditor was then asked if she would proceed with obtaining option for the money and do so in the next 7 days. She agreed so Neumeier scheduled a meeting of this committee for January 23, 2015 at noon to review the options.
Other discussion items were:
- When and what to place before the voters in regards to the recreation levy was discussed. No recommendation was made at this time.
- The possibility of enlarging our park district beyond the city limits and how this is done was discussed. SD Rains will follow up with our law director and report back to this committee.
- A beginning of the formation of a vision statement for our parks was addressed. Barber pointed out that the city’s comprehensive plan already had the beginnings of this vision. She also discussed the need for better landscaping with an emphasis on shade in our parks. This discussion and formulation of the vision statement will be continued at subsequent meetings of this committee.
Lands & Buildings Committee – a meeting was held on 01-14-2015 and the following was discussed:
The committee first discussed the possible rezoning of the property at 500 Willipie Street from B-3 to M-2. The issue had come to the attention of Council at its previous meeting, when several citizens spoke against the rezoning, which the Planning Commission had recommended. The Planning Commission had not, however, made its official recommendation to Council. At the January 5 meeting, Council president Steve Henderson had placed the issue in the hands of Lands and Buildings.
Committee members expressed the hope that the formal recommendation for the rezoning from the Planning Commission would be presented to Council at its next meeting, inasmuch as this committee was discussing an issue that had not actually been presented to Council through the normal chain of events.
Barber distributed materials provided by the Engineering department, including a map showing the current zoning of the area, as well as a copy of the ordinance documenting when the zoning for 500 Willipie had previously been changed from M-2 to B-3 (at the request of a local church). Materials also included use categories for the two zoning designations. The group discussed that the Planning Commission has three options when reviewing a request for a zoning change: a recommendation against the change, a recommendation for a modification to the request, and a recommendation for the change.
The owner of 500 Willipie Street had indicated at the Planning Commission meeting that the zoning change was requested to allow off-street parking for trucks/trailers. Rains stated that one-dozen trailers are currently parked at the 500 Willipie Street site.
Residents attending the Lands and Buildings meeting spoke about their concern about what might be stored in said trailers on the site. Rains noted that the City was checking with other municipalities re policies about hazardous materials in the corporation limits. Committee members noted that, at this time, the subject of the contents of the trailers or the handling thereof was beyond the scope of the Lands and Buildings committee.
Barber also relayed that Mary Ruck of the Engineering Department had indicated that possible alternative to rezoning the property: a Conditional Use permit. Having wisely brought his laptop with him, Doll confirmed that off-street parking was allowed in a B-3 with a conditional use permit.
After additional discussion about wording, Dan Graf made a motion to recommend that the property at 500 Willipie Street have a Conditional Use Permit for off-street parking, with the property's zoning remaining B 3. Chad Doll seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.
The committee then discussed the request by investors working with the Eastern Shawnee tribe for City support for a designation of land in Logan County as "Restricted Indian Country." Action on this issue had previously been tabled by the committee and by council at large, but one of the investors had again returned to Council with a request for support.
Barber explained that she had spent an extensive amount of time in phones calls to various offices of the Bureau of Indian affairs, inquiring about the status of the Eastern Shawnee's request.
In her latest conversation, the superintendent of the BIA Field Office in Muskogee, Oklahoma (which serves the Eastern Shawnee), stated that no application had been submitted to the BIA. Shortly before Christmas, a "packet of information" had been dropped off at the field office. The superintendent further explained that there had been much back and forth with the Eastern Shawnee about what was actually going to be requested. He noted that these conversations had generated "more questions and no answers," and that the issue had "jumped out in the public eye" prematurely.
Some question also exists about the decision-making body, as the Eastern Shawnee are based in Oklahoma, but the property in question is in Ohio.
He explained that, should the process move forward at any point, "subdivisions will have the opportunity to comment."
The committee therefore declined the opportunity to make a recommendation at this time.
Having no further business, Doll made a motion, seconded by Graf, to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Doll asked if an official recommendation had been supplied by the Planning Commission. Mayor Metz replied, no. Mr. Faller advised that it may not be considered a formal recommendation until the meeting minutes in question are officially approved.
Ms. Barber then read an email from Ray Williams, a representative for the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, regarding ‘land into trust’ applications.
Guest Petitions -
Laura Swartz of 808 Glynwood Road, requested Council’s approval of a Women at Risk 5k run scheduled for March 29th at 2:00pm. Ms. Barber asked how many people participated in the event last year. Ms. Swartz answered, 150. Ms. Barber asked if the race route had changed from last year. Ms. Swartz advised that the route is the same as before. Mrs. Wurst asked if insurance is provided for the event. Ms. Swartz replied, yes. Ms. Swartz also noted that the group will be using signage and will not be using any paint or chalk on the roadways.
Motion by Fisher, second by Lee to approve the request. Vote – 6 yeas, 0 nays.
Josh Little and Josh Hines, coordinators for the Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival, requested Council’s approval to hold the event on July 16, 17, and 18. Mr. Little distributed maps of the proposed event details, and explained the differences in set up and executing the event this year due to the South Interceptor Sewer Project.
Motion by Fisher, second by Doll to approve the request. Vote – 6 yeas, 0 nays.
President Henderson asked Clerk to read Ord 2015-01 for the second time re: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SERVICE TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS AND ENTER INTO CONTRACTS FOR CERTAIN MATERIALS, SERVICES, AND EQUIPMENT RENTAL REQUIRED FOR THE OPERATION OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF WAPAKONETA.
President Henderson asked Clerk to read Ord 2015-02 for the second time re: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SERVICE TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DUCHOUQUET TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES FOR FURNISHING OF FIRE PROTECTION AND AMBULANCE SERVICE.
President Henderson asked Clerk to read Ord 2015-03 for the first time re: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SERVICE TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MOULTON TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES FOR FURNISHING EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE.
The Mayor gave the following report:
- Participated in monthly Wapakoneta Economic Development council meeting.
- Participated in Wapakoneta Fire Department Christmas/New Year’s party.
- Attended Wapakoneta City Council’s finance meeting.
- Participated in SpecBuilding Committee. This new committee is part of EDC. The committee is looking at ways to offer yet another option for clients.
- Participated in monthly Tree Commission meeting. We are looking at spring planting and tree trimming.
- Attended part of Wapakoneta City Council’s Rivers and Parks Committee.
- Met with resident at 917 Springfield Lane in regards to frozen water in street which was caused by a water line break. Met Public Works on site. They removed it so she could get in and out of her driveway.
Ms. Barber asked for an update on the Waste Minimization Committee. Mayor Metz replied that a chairperson is needed.
Mayor Metz advised Council that he would like to appoint Phil Valentine and Mary Vorhees to the Tree Commission. Motion by Fisher, second by Wurst to approve said appointments. Vote – 6 yeas, 0 nays.
The Service Director gave the following report:
The auger crew working under Hamilton Street have reported problems due to something deflecting the auger. Mr. Neumeier asked how much the crew has completed so far. Mr. Rains replied that the crew is approximately at the curb edge of Hamilton or underneath the street itself. Mr. Neumeier asked if the street may need to be cut open. Mr. Rains replied, no.
Mr. Neumeier stated that he has received questions from citizens on Silver Street regarding surveyors working there. Mayor Metz advised that he will find out, but that it may have been real estate related.
SCHEDULING OF MEETINGS:
Finance Committee will meet on January 20th at 4:00pm at City Hall.
Parks & Rivers Committee will meet on January 23rd at 12:00 noon at City Hall.
Miscellaneous Business –
Ms. Barber invited Council to attend a Poverty Simulation on February 23rd that is being hosted by local churches in the area.
Mayor Metz advised Council of the Tree Academy graduating class ceremony being held on January 21st in New Bremen at the Lockkeeper’s House.
Motion by Fisher, second by Doll to adjourn at 8:08pm. Vote – 6 yeas, 0 nays.
PresidentClerk of Council