The following represents an unofficial account of the significant items discussed and/or voted upon during the September 8, 2014 City Council Regular Meeting. The complete agenda packet as well as a video of the meeting can be viewed here and here. Draft meeting minutes will be posted at the city website as part of the October 2014 Regular Meeting Agenda packet.
VI. SPECIAL REPORTS
City Attorney employment agreement to provide for a 2% salary increase (in line with the same increase given to all city employees). This raise will set his annual salary at $109,325. At the attorney’s request, contract was not extended beyond current terms, when end March 2017. Motion passed 7-0
VII. CONSENT AGENDA 7 items passed by unanimous vote
f. Resolution awarding a contract to Ross Meter Service, Morristown, TN for services to oil-filled equipment and substation systems not to exceed $60,000.
g. Resolution approving an agreement with the US. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance to become member of the purchasing cooperative.
VIII. RESOLUTIONS
Garcia Garland requested that item e be moved to the top of the resolutions
e. Resolution creating a budget and finance committee; establishing a monthly activity reporting requirement of the city manager; a quarterly finance report; and access by council to the mayor’s calendar of city-related activities and events.
Hensley moved to divide the question:
- Creation of a budget & finance committee Motion Passed 6-1 with Beehan voting “Nay”
- Policy requiring the city manager to provide a monthly activity report and quarterly financial reports to council Motion Passed 5-2 with Beehan & Hensley voting “Nay”
- Policy requiring that the mayor’s calendar of activities be shared with the rest of council Motion Passed 6-1 with Beehan voting “Nay”
a. Award to multiple staffing firms for temporary staffing needs in the estimated amount of $175,000. Note that this line item (Personnel Services) 5120)decreased from $225,000 last year. The city manager asked that the item removed from agenda so that he could find the answer to my question (This line item is down from $225K from last year, where did we allocate the other $50K?) Council voted 6-1 (Hensley voted nay) in favor of the city manager’s request
b. Approval of a right-in/right-out access to Illinois Ave for parcel adjacent to Aldi/Woodland Town Center Motion passed 7-0
c. Authorization for city to apply for a grant from the Japan World Exposition Fund for matching funds to rebuild the Friendship Bell House 50/50 match. ($100K from the grant, $50K from the city capital fund and $50K from private contributions)
Note: The city manager explained that staff learned that the grant would not allow for private contributions to be part of the match to the grant and that due to that and time restrictions, staff would likely not pursue the grant this year but would wait until next year. He requested that council approve the resolution anyway so they could set aside $50K in funds for 2016. Garcia Garland motioned to amend to stipulate that the city would set aside “no less than $50K for this project) Amendment passed; I inquired further about obligating funds so far in the future and the fact that the resolution, as written, was invalid given the language about private contributions. I objected to the amended resolution because we were committing to an unknown, uncapped financial obligation. Amended resolution passed 6-1 with Baughn voting “nay”
d. Award of contract to Morgan Contracting, Baker, FL for construction of (3) new Equalization Baisns, etc. for the amount of $6,472,000.
Motion passed 6-1 with Baughn voting “Nay”This spending is directly tied to the city’s multiple failures which led to the EPA administrative order(read here) which has resulted in wastewater rate increases thus far between 102% to 135%. Until the city takes responsibility for its failures and pursues alternative funding that does not further burden our ratepayers, I will not support spending without accountability.
IX. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance amending title 2, “Boards and Commissions” EQAB Motion passed 7-0
X. FINAL ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES (first reading results found here)
a. Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan’s Land Use plan to convert a parcel adjacent to Aldi/Woodland Town Center from residential to general business. Motion passed 7-0
b. Amendment to rezone parcels and approve PUD master plan for parcels adjacent to Aldi/Woodland Town Center Motion passed 7-0
c. Amendment to zoning ordinance impacting indoor and outdoor shooting ranges Motion passed 7-0
Trina Baughn 