GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY, HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND AT HOME ON THIS BEAUTIFUL EVENING.
[1. Call to Order ]
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I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY SAYING, GIVEN THE INCREDIBLE WEATHER OUT THERE, I HAD SPOKEN WITH THE CLERK OF COUNCIL AS TO WHETHER WE COULD HAVE A MEETING OUTSIDE TONIGHT.SHE TOLD ME NO, NOT YET, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, HERE WE ARE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT MEETING.
SO I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE MONDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF WORTHINGTON, OHIO.
MS. BROWN, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
[2. Roll Call]
YES.WILL YOU PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR
[3. Pledge of Allegiance]
WHICH IT STANDS IN ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TO CALL ATTENTION TO AN ARTICLE IN THIS MONTH'S SPOTLIGHT ON PAGE FOUR WHERE CLIFF WILTSHIRE, THE PUBLISHER, RECOGNIZES A COUNCIL MEMBER, KATIE BREWER'S DONATION OF A KIDNEY AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE AND GENEROUS ACT OF GIVING AND SACRIFICE THAT IS AND SO KUDOS TO YOU, KATIE BREWER, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BEING HERE AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
BUT I WANTED TO CALL ONE'S ATTENTION TO THAT AND THE FACT THAT KATIE FOUND IT IN HERSELF TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT IS QUITE INSPIRING TO ME.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE BEGIN EVERY MEETING HERE IN WORTHINGTON WITH A VISITOR COMMENT
[4. Visitor Comments ]
SECTION.SO TONIGHT, IF YOU WISH TO ADDRESS COUNCIL, PLEASE FILL OUT A YELLOW SPEAKER SLIP.
IF IT IS AN AGENDA ITEM, WE WILL CALL YOU TO COME TO THE DICE AT THE PROPER TIME DURING THE MEETING.
IF IT IS A NON-AGENDA ITEM, THEN WE WILL CALL YOU UP NOW AT THE OUTSET OF THE MEETING.
AND I DO HAVE ONE NON-AGENDA ITEM SPEAKER SLIP.
SO MR. GIDEON, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORTH AND YOU KNOW THE RULES OF FULL NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE UP TO FIVE MINUTES AND DO YOU WANT A WARNING AT ONE MINUTE? SURE.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, CITY OFFICIALS, YEAH, MARK GIDEON, 91 CHAUCER COURT.
TONIGHT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME PAST CURRENT AND PENDING DECISIONS BY THE CITY, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CITED BETTER, IN MY OPINION, IN ONE VERY EXCELLENT DECISION MADE BY THE CITY.
NUMBER ONE, IN THE LATE 1980S, A DEVELOPER APPROACHED THE CITY WITH A PROPOSAL TO BUILD 15 HOMES ON 9.6 ACRES IN KENYA BROOK.
THERE WAS ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT KENYA BROOK, THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T LIKE.
NUMBER ONE, THE SITE IS IN A FLOODPLAIN, THE CITY ENGINEER STATED THAT THE FLOODING WOULD BE A PROBLEM.
CITY COUNCIL DECIDED TO PROCEED ANYWAY.
NUMBER TWO, THE CITY ENGINEER STATED THAT THE STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR THE STREET BE 26 FEET WIDE WITH CURBS AND GUTTERS AND SIDEWALKS, CITY COUNCIL WAIVED ALL CITY STANDARDS AND FURTHER AGREED THAT THE STREET COULD REMAIN PRIVATE AND NOT A PUBLIC STREET.
NUMBER THREE, THE CITY ENGINEER REPORTED SOME HOUSES WOULD REQUIRE LIFT STATIONS AND THE SEWER WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE IN ADDITIONAL 15 HOMES.
THE DEVELOPER FIRST A $100,000 LETTER OF CREDIT TO INDEMNIFY THE CITY IN REGARDS TO THE SEWER SYSTEM.
IF HE COULD START BUILDING THE CITY COUNCIL LATER ENDED THE INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT AS UNNECESSARY.
NUMBER FOUR, ON FEBRUARY 11, 1987, COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCES APPROVING KENYA BROOK SOUTH DIVISION LEADING DIRECTLY TO THE NEED AND URGENCY FOR THE FOLLOWING SEWER PROJECTS, KENYAN BROOK SOUTH DIVISION IMPROVEMENTS IN 1987, SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT IN 1988, KENYAN BROOK TRUCK SANITARY SEWER REPLACEMENT IN 1990 AND FINALLY NORTHBROOK SANITARY RELIEF SEWER IN 1991.
THE NORTHBROOK SANITARY RELIEF SEWER WAS ENGINEERED AS A NEW SEWER 10 FOOT DEEPER THAN THE EXISTING SEWER SO THAT SEWAGE FROM THE HOMES BUILT ON THE FLOOR OF THE KENYAN BROOK FLOODPLAIN COULD BE SERVED WITHOUT LIFT STATIONS.
ULTIMATELY, THE COST OF PROVIDING SEWER SERVICES TO KENYAN BROOK SUBDIVISION HAS BECOME A SUBSTANTIAL LIABILITY TO MORE THAN 10 TAXPAYERS.
NUMBER TWO, EVERYONE LIVING IN WOODINGTON WOODS AREA IS FAMILIAR WITH A WARNING SIGN PERIODICALLY ERECTED BY THE CITY ON WEST SUBEY BOULEVARD ANNOUNCING THE DANGER FROM SEWAGE CROSSING
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OVER THE SIDEWALK ONTO SUBEY BOULEVARD.THE SEWAGE ORIGINATES TO A BROKEN SEWER PIPE IN THE BACKYARD OF MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.
THE SEWAGE IS NOT CAUSED BY OVERFLOW THROUGH A MANHOLE COVER BUT FROM A BROKEN SEWER PIPE.
THE SEWAGE FLOWS FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND ABOVE THE SEWER ACROSS THE TOTTIE PROPERTY AND OVER TO SUBEY BOULEVARD.
THIS SEWER PIPE HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
A NEW SEWER IS NOT REQUIRED, RATHER THE SEWER CAN BE FIXED BY REPLACING THE SECTION OF BROKEN SEWER PIPE.
WHEN THE SAME SEWER ACROSS MY BACKYARD WAS IN DANGER MANY YEARS AGO, THE CITY IMMEDIATELY CAME IN AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE SEWER, IT WASN'T EVEN LEAKING.
IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THE CITY HAS ALLOWED THIS BROKEN SEWER TO PLAGUE MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AND INCONVENIENCE RESIDENTS ALL THESE YEARS.
NUMBER THREE, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO CONSTRUCT A SANITARY SEWER THROUGH WOODINGTON WOODS IN 2023, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ISN'T AN EXCELLENT ALTERNATIVE.
YET, THE CITY HAS CHOSEN TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
THE CITY MADE AN EXCELLENT DECISION IN 1991.
CITY ENGINEER BILL WATTERSON APPROVED NORTHBROOK SANITARY RELIEF SEWER AND DECIDED NOT TO ROUTE THE SEWER THROUGH BACKYARDS OF 12 HOMES ON WEST SUBEY BOULEVARD WHERE THERE WAS AN EXISTING SEWER.
HE ROUTED THE SEWER ON PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY, NORTHBROOK DRIVE EAST, WEST SUBEY BOULEVARD, NORTHBROOK DRIVE WEST AND MELBOURNE PLACE.
THE CITY SHOULD USE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY IN PHASE 2 AS CITY ENGINEER BILL WATTERSON DID IN PHASE 1.
AGAIN, IN 2019, WHEN FACED WITH DIFFICULTIES RUNNING NORTHBROOK SANITARY SEWER PHASE 2 WOODINGTON WOODS, MARCIA BLAND, PROJECT MANAGER WITH EMH&T, RECOMMENDED WITHOUT HESITATION TO EXTEND THE SEWER TO SUBEY AND NORTHWEST INTO NORTHBROOK INSTEAD OF THROUGH WOODINGTON WOODS.
THE CITY SHOULD USE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY IN PHASE 2 AS RECOMMENDED BY EMH&T.
NUMBER FOUR, AND FINALLY, DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND BY EXTENSION BETWEEN A CITY AND A RESIDENT AREN'T OFTEN RESOLVED WITH ONE EFFORT.
IT OFTEN TAKES MORE THAN ONE MEETING TO ACHIEVE UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY RUSHED TO FILE A LAWSUIT AFTER ONLY ONE MEETING.
I REACHED OUT TO ALL CITY OFFICIALS AND TO ALL MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THIS SITUATION.
YOU WON'T TALK WITH ME SO I COME HERE TO TALK WITH YOU.
IT HAS NOW BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THAT FIRST AND ONLY MEETING.
I WONDER WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IF DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE CITY AND A RESIDENT HAD BEEN GIVEN THAT CHANCE.
AGAIN, I MAKE THE FOLLOWING REQUEST.
NUMBER ONE, THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT UNNECESSARY AND AVOIDABLE COST AND LIABILITY TO WOODINGTON TAXPAYERS.
THE NORTHBROOK SANITARY SEWER SHOULD BE MOVED OUT OF THE RUSH CREEK WATERSHED AND INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY.
NUMBER TWO, THE NORTHBROOK SANITARY SEWER PHASE 2 SHOULD BE RE-ENGINEERED TO INCREASE CAPACITY SO THE FUTURE SURGES AND OVERFLOWS MAY BE ELIMINATED.
THANK YOU, YOU WRAPPED UP JUST SLIGHTLY OVER THE FIVE-MINUTE MARK JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION JUST IF YOU WANT TO TIME YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY IN THE FUTURE.
[5. Ordinance No. 10-2023 – Capital Transfer and Appropriation for the Purchase of Fire Apparatuses ]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON LEGISLATION.WE HAVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 10-2023, CAPITAL TRANSFER AND APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF FIRE APPARATUSES.
THIS ORDINANCE WOULD APPROPRIATE FUNDS IN THE GENERAL FUND TO TRANSFER INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND AND APPROPRIATE FUNDS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF A LADDER TRUCK AND ENGINE RESCUE IN THE DIVISION OF FIRE.
THIS ORDINANCE WAS INTRODUCED ON MARCH 20TH, 2023.
IT WOULD BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
MS. STEWART, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE COMMENTS AND CONTEXT? YES, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ROBINSON AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
MR. BARTER, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS WHEN HE GAVE HIS FINANCIAL REPORT LAST MONTH, BUT GENERALLY THE CITY HAS SCHEDULED THE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH A LADDER TRUCK AND AN ENGINE IN OUR DIVISION OF FIRE AND EMS. THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE AND TOGETHER ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WE ARE PREPARED TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE AND IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME WE SIGN THAT PURCHASE AGREEMENT EVEN THOUGH THE ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIMELINE IS EITHER THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS DEPENDING ON THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT GIVEN THAT THEY ARE CUSTOM BUILT AND THAT THERE ARE MANY SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES RELATED TO THIS INDUSTRY.
SO WHILE WE ARE SETTING ASIDE AND APPROPRIATING THOSE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, WE WON'T ACTUALLY EXPEND THE FUNDS UNTIL THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ARE DELIVERED.
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SO WE'LL ESSENTIALLY BE SEGREGATING THESE FUNDS WITHIN OUR ACCOUNTS TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE EQUIPMENT WHEN IT IS DELIVERED, AT WHICH TIME WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER TO USE THOSE FUNDS AS PREVIOUSLY SET ASIDE OR WHETHER TO REIMBURSE OURSELVES THROUGH BOND ISSUANCE, WHICH IS CONTEMPLATED IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM.SO I WILL INVITE FIRE CHIEF MARK ZAMBITO TO ADD ANY COMMENTS HE HAS REGARDING THESE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD TO THAT IS THAT WE DID EXPLORE THIS DELIVERY TIME ISSUE AND ALL THE MANUFACTURERS ARE HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGES.
SO IT'S NOT A PARTICULAR MANUFACTURER, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPLY THE AXLES OR THE SPEEDOMETER OR THE HEADLIGHTS.
IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD THROUGH THE INDUSTRY.
SO WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND RESEARCHED IT, BUT WE FEEL PRETTY SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I'VE GOT ONE CHIEF.
I'M HOPING YOU CAN GET US JAZZED UP ABOUT THIS.
TWO AND A HALF MILLION BUCKS IS A LOT OF MONEY, AND I'M SURE IT'S A WISE PURCHASE.
BUT THE LATTER TRUCK, IS THIS THE 101 THAT WE SEE AROUND TOWN? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
ESSENTIALLY, A IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT, OR IS THE NEW MODEL GOING TO HAVE SOME NEW FEATURES THAT WILL BE PRETTY COOL? ACTUALLY, THE NEW MODEL IS GOING TO BE SCALED DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO GET AT A BETTER PRICE.
SO YEAH, THE COST OF THESE VEHICLES HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF AS WITH EVERYTHING.
AND THERE'S MANY REASONS WHY, BUT FIRE APPARATUS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE.
WE WILL STILL DO THE SAME FUNCTIONS.
TECHNOLOGIES KIND OF HELPED US OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE LIGHTING THAT THE CURRENT TRUCK HAS A LARGE LIGHT TOWER THAT'S HALOGEN LIGHTS.
WE'RE ABLE TO USE SMALLER LED LIGHTS THAT TAKE UP LESS ROOM, COST LESS, BUT ALSO GIVE OUT MORE ACTUAL CANDLE WATTAGE IF THAT'S THE CORRECT TERM.
SO YEAH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A FEW SMALLER, A FEW LESS UPGRADES, BUT WE'LL HAVE, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WORD THIS.
SOME EXCITING UPGRADES THAT WILL MAKE IT MORE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS ASSEMBLED HERE IN THE STATE SIZE SOON? IT IS.
IT ACTUALLY IS GOING TO BE BUILT.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE BUILT HERE IN OHIO.
IF WE GO WITH THIS MANUFACTURER, IF YOU FOLKS VOTE ON IT TONIGHT, IT IS OVER IN DUBLIN IS WHERE THE COMPANY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHERE THEY'RE BUILT.
THEY WERE ON A NINE MONTH BUILD CYCLE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
BRING THE UNCOUNSEL WILL NOW RENDER A DECISION ON THE ORDINANCE NUMBER 10-2023.
ORDINANCE NUMBER 10-2023 IS HEREBY PASSED.
[6. Resolution No. 17-2023 Appointment to Board of Zoning Appeals ]
NEW LEGISLATION.ITEM SIX ON THE AGENDA RESOLUTION NUMBER 17-2023 APPOINTMENT TO BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.
THIS RESOLUTION MAKES AN APPOINTMENT OF BETH BENZENBERG TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.
WOULD A COUNCIL MEMBER LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION? MR. STEWART, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS REALLY TAKEN THE LEAD IN EVALUATING THE APPOINTMENTS TO THIS BOARD.
AND SO I DEFER TO COUNCIL ON THIS ACTION.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT HERE IN WORTHINGTON, IT IS A ENVIABLE AND COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR COUNCIL TO RECEIVE APPLICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC WHERE IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES, WHERE THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED AND PASSIONATE AND EXPERIENCED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS JUST CONSTANTLY IMPRESSIVE AND AFFIRMING.
AND SO WE HAD A DIFFICULT DECISION.
WE RECEIVED THREE APPLICATIONS.
EVERY ONE OF THE CANDIDATES WAS STELLAR IN THEIR OWN WAY, AND IT WAS NOT EASY.
BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE THRILLED WITH THE APPOINTMENT, AND WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO WERE NOT APPOINTED TO PLEASE REMAIN TUNED IN TO CITY HAPPENINGS, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU
[00:15:03]
CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC IN SOME OTHER MANNER SOON.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? HEARING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 17-2023? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, A VOICE VOTE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 17-2023, PLEASE SAY AYE.
HEARING NONE, THE AYES HAVE IT.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 17-2023 IS HEREBY PASSED.
CONGRATULATIONS, MS. BENZENBERG.
ITEM SEVEN RESOLUTION NUMBER 18-2023.
[7. Resolution No. 18-2023 New Telecommunication and Utility Permit (City of Hilliard) ]
NEW TELECOMMUNICATION AND UTILITY PERMIT, CITY OF HILLIARD.THIS RESOLUTION APPROVES A NEW TELECOMMUNICATION AND UTILITY PERMIT FOR THE CITY OF HILLIARD TO INSTALL FIBER WITHIN WORTHINGTON'S RIGHT OF WAY.
WOULD A COUNCIL MEMBER LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION? SENATOR DEUCE.
MS. MICHAEL, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE BACKGROUND FOR COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC? WHAT DID I SAY? I'M SORRY.
WELL, COME ON, BONNIE, YOU THINK? YEAH, I'VE GOT A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M NOT A CITY MANAGER, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
MS. STEWART, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE BACKGROUND ON THIS RESOLUTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC? THANK YOU, ALTHOUGH COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL HAS BEEN ON COUNCIL LONG ENOUGH, YOU COULD PROBABLY EXPLAIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMITS, PROBABLY ALMOST AS WELL AS I CAN.
BUT OUR CITY CODIFIED ORDINANCES REQUIRE THAT IF A TELECOMMUNICATIONS OR UTILITIES COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION WANTS TO HAVE FACILITIES IN THE CITY'S RIGHT-OF-WAY, THEY NEED TO HAVE A PERMIT WITH THE CITY IN ORDER TO DO SO.
IN THIS CASE, IT IS ANOTHER CITY GOVERNMENT, THE CITY OF HILLIARD, ACTUALLY THE CITY OF DUBLIN HAS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HOW TO PERMIT TO BE IN OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY RELATED TO THEIR CITY-OWNED FIBER SYSTEM, AND IN THIS CASE, THIS IS A CITY OF HILLIARD WHO WAS LOOKING TO INSTALL FIBER, I BELIEVE IT IS TO CONNECT TO A NEARBY DATA CENTER AND TO JUST EXTEND SOME OF THE CONNECTIVITY THAT THEY HAVE FOR THEIR FIBER SYSTEM IN THE REGION, WHICH THEY FEEL BENEFITS THE CITY OF HILLIARD.
SO THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR A NEW PERMIT, MANY TIMES YOU'RE SEEING A RENEWAL, BUT THIS IS A NEW PERMIT FOR THE CITY OF HILLIARD TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY.
ONCE AN ENTITY HAS THIS TYPE OF PERMIT, THEY THEN HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR SERVICE AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR A RIGHT-OF-WAY WORK PERMIT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE THEY'LL BE WORKING JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOT ANY CONFLICTS OR ISSUES WITH OTHER USERS OF THE RIGHTS-OF-WAY.
SO I'LL INVITE EITHER MR. BARNHART OR MR. MOORHEAD OR ANYBODY WHO HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO MY OVERVIEW OF THIS ITEM.
I THINK YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB THERE.
FURTHER TO ADD, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PERMIT ITSELF.
ONE BASIC QUESTION, WHERE IN OUR RIGHT-OF-WAYS IS THERE GOING TO BE LAYING THE FIBER OR ACCESSING IT? THE THIRD SEEMS RELATIVELY FAR AWAY, SO I'M CURIOUS WHERE IN OUR CITY THEY'RE TAPPING INTO.
SO THE CITY OF HILLIARD IS SENDING THIS FIBER ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGHER REGION, AND WE'LL ENTER THE CITY'S LIMITS DOWN AT LINWORTH AND GO DOWN, TRAVEL TO 161, GO DOWN 161, AND THEN PROCEED NORTHEASTERLY UP TO SANKIS.
THERE'S A DATA CENTER OFF OF SANKIS BOULEVARD THAT THEY ARE CONNECTING TO, BUT THAT IS ALSO A HUB WHERE THEY CAN ALSO TIE INTO, I BELIEVE, THE CITY OF WESTERVILLE'S FIBER NETWORK.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER PRIVATE FIBER PROVIDERS WHO TRAVEL A COMMON ROUTE THROUGH THE CITY, AND HILLIARD IS TAKING A POPULAR PATH.
HEARING NONE, A COUNCIL WILL NOW RENDER A DECISION ON ORDINANCE NUMBER 10-2023, EXCUSE ME, SORRY, LOST MY PLACE, MY APOLOGIES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 18-2023? SECOND.
HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 18-2023, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED SAY NAY? I GUESS THAT WAS ALL OF US, SO THERE CANNOT BE A NAY, SO RESOLUTION NUMBER 18-2023 IS HERE BY PAST.
ITEM 8, RESOLUTION NUMBER 19-2023, NORTHEAST AREA PLAN, CONSULTANT SELECTION.
[8. Resolution No. 19-2023 Northeast Area Plan - Consultant Selection ]
THIS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES THE ACTING CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH NBBJ FOR CONSULTING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHEAST AREA PLAN.WOULD A COUNCIL MEMBER LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION?
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ALL RIGHT, MS. STEWART, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE COMMENTS AND CONTEXT FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT RESOLUTION? WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW ABOUT FOCUSING ON OUR NORTHEAST AREA, SOME PEOPLE REFER TO THIS AS OUR INDUSTRIAL AREA, IT'S REALLY THE AREA AROUND OUR RECENT NORTHEAST GATEWAY PROJECT AND HUNTLEY ROAD AND PROPRIETORS ROAD, AND WE'VE WANTED TO STUDY THAT AREA AND IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES IN THE FUTURE THAT WE AS A CITY MIGHT WANT TO UTILIZE IN THAT CORRIDOR.SO WE ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO IDENTIFY A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THOSE SERVICES, AND WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT SELECTION PROCESS AND HAVE BROUGHT BACK THE RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL INVITE MR. BROWN AS THE LEAD STAFF MEMBER ON ISSUING THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO ADD ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
ONE THING I'LL ADD IS, AS YOU MAY RECALL IN OUR DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, WE WENT BACK TO THE 2005 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WORTHINGTON, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT PLAN WAS IN 2005 WAS TO DO A CORRIDOR PLAN.
I THINK WITH COUNCIL'S LEADERSHIP AND OUR DISCUSSION LAST YEAR, IT LED INTO WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTEL AND ALL THE OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR REGION THAT NOW IT WAS TIME, IT WAS A CRITICAL NEED FOR US TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN OUR REGION SINCE WE RELY HEAVILY ON INCOME TAX OF WANTING TO SEE WHAT THIS CORRIDOR COULD BECOME IN THE FUTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, AS MS. STEWART MENTIONED, AS WE DID DO THE RFP, RECEIVED FIVE RFPS, WENT THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, AND STAFF SELECTED MVVJ TO MOVE FORWARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MONTEROS GROUP AS PART OF THE MARKET STUDY.
I DO HAVE KIM WEI ON, WELL, VIRTUALLY ATTENDING THE MEETING IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY LIKED ABOUT THEIR APPROACH WAS ONE WITH THE MARKET STUDY AND HOW THEY WERE APPROACHING WHAT THIS CORRIDOR COULD BE, REINVENTING ITSELF.
AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE NORTHEAST GATEWAY, SCHROCK, PROPRIETORS, HUNTLEY ROAD, IT'S SUCH A UNIQUE MIX, SUCH A UNIQUE MIX OF ZONING THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO WORK WITH THEM, AND OUR PROPERTY OWNERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, ON WHAT THIS COULD BE WHEN IT GROWS.
WELL, REIMAGINING WHAT IT CAN BE WHEN IT GROWS UP AGAIN.
ONE, LOOKING AT UPDATED MARKET ANALYSIS, FOLKS CAN UPDATE OUR GOALS AND POLICIES AND CREATION OF IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY.
AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE THIS VISION TO MOVE FORWARD, AND NOTHING HAPPENS.
I'M WORKING WITH THEM TO ALSO LOOK AT OUR EXISTING PLANNING AND ZONING CODE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW WE SHOULD MAKE CHANGES TO THAT CODE FOR THE CORRIDOR SUGGESTIONS FOR AREAS THAT MAYBE NEED TO BE REZONED.
AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS GOING TO BE AS PART OF THIS PROCESS WILL BE THE PUBLIC OUTREACH.
STEERING COMMITTEE WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT IS MADE UP OF PROPERTY OWNERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, CITY STAFF, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
USUALLY, WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS, A MEMBER FROM THE CIC TO CREATE THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THEN WORK WITH THE CONSULTANT TO DO STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR TO SEE HOW THIS CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO ZIP IT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, OR I DO KNOW KIM'S ON THE LINE TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ALSO.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? I HAVE ONE THOUGHT.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THE OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, ARE EVIDENT TO ALL OF US WHO THINK ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CORRIDORS.
AND SO AS I READ THROUGH THE RFP, MR. BROWN, AS I MENTIONED TO YOU IN EMAIL, I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE FACT THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR A VISION OR VISIONS FROM THE CONSULTANT IN THE PLAN AND THEN AN IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE VISIONS.
AND I GUESS, COULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK TO THIS SORT OF CHICKEN EGG DYNAMIC AND MAYBE WHY THE NBBJ WAS SELECTED? WHAT DID THEY SAY OR DEMONSTRATE TO THE ASSESSMENT TEAM ABOUT THEIR CAPACITY TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR THIS IMPORTANT CORRIDOR? SURE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY UNIQUE IS WHEN YOU PUT AN RFP OUT, YOU'RE NEVER REALLY SURE WHO'S GOING TO RESPOND.
I THINK ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS WHEN WE RECEIVE THE FIVE APPLICATIONS OR THE FIVE RFPS, WHEN WE RANK THEM, NBBJ CAME OUT ON TOP, JUST THE PROJECTS THEY'VE DONE, THE WAY THAT THE RFP WAS PUT TOGETHER AND REALLY ADDRESSING, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK WE WANT.
HELP US GUIDE WHAT WE REALLY ACTUALLY NEED VERSUS JUST PUTTING EVERYTHING IN THERE.
I THINK THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, IT BECAME APPARENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR TEAM
[00:25:03]
AND THE MARKET GROUP, THE MONTRES GROUP, THAT IT WAS REALLY, THEY COULD HELP US GET TO THAT NEXT PLACE WITH THEIR CONNECTIONS IN THE REGION AND IN THE STATE OF WHERE THIS COULD BE, WHERE THIS CORRIDOR CAN BE, AND NOT BE AND BRING US SOME NEW IDEAS FOR THE CORRIDOR.I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME LARGE OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT CORRIDOR OF LARGE PROPERTIES THAT COULD HAVE POTENTIAL, A LOT OF SMALL PROPERTIES THAT PROBABLY NEED ASSEMBLED.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES AND USES THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE EVEN THOUGHT OF YET.
AGAIN, I THINK OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO HELP MAINTAIN OUR TAX BASE, BUT ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO OTHER THINGS IN THAT CORRIDOR? I THINK WE'RE OPEN TO THAT, BUT THAT THEN CREATES THAT VISION THAT'LL THEN GET WHITTLED DOWN BY THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE ULTIMATELY TO COME TO YOU AS A RECOMMENDATION FOR A FORMAL APPROVAL.
BUT WE'RE JUST REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR TEAM AND THEIR APPROACH TO HOW THEY WANTED TO DO THE PROJECT WITHIN A BUDGET.
I JUST THINK IT'S WONDERFUL, I MEAN THIS IS AN AREA THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN DO MORE, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THINGS HAPPENING IN CENTRAL OHIO AND US BEING SO CLOSE TO THE NEW ALBANY LICKING THE CHIP MANUFACTURING THAT MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME NEW BUSINESSES THAT COME INTO OUR CITY THAT COULD ALSO HELP SUPPLY OVER THERE, BE PART OF THE CHAIN.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AND MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A LONG DISCUSSION AND I THINK STARTING THIS AND THEN THE OTHER PROJECTS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BUSY YEAR BUT A FUN YEAR.
BUT WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS? WE ASKED THE APPLICANT TO PUT TOGETHER A 12-MONTH TIMEFRAME, SO THERE'S A 12-MONTH PROCESS TO GO THROUGH ONCE WE GET THE SCOPE SIGNED WITH MS. STEWART AND THEN TO BRINGING A DOCUMENT BACK TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AND CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING SELECTED.
IF YOU CARE TO SAY ANYTHING TO US AND KIND OF GET US EXCITED ABOUT YOUR PROCESS, PLEASE DO SO AT THIS MOMENT.
YEAH, THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
WE REALLY LOOKED AT THIS OPPORTUNITY AS SOMETHING TO CREATE A NEW VISION OR AN AREA THAT MAYBE HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT FOR A WHILE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S INVESTMENT GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN THAT CORRIDOR AND THE CITY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE THINGS BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN THAT WOULD TRANSFORM IT, THAT WOULD REPOSITION IT IN THE REGION, BUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THIS AREA, I THINK THIS CORRIDOR IS RIGHT FOR CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY AND WE SAW IT AS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS TO REALLY CREATE A VISION THAT IS NOT ONLY EXCITING BUT IS ACHIEVABLE AND THERE'S AN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY THAT GOES WITH IT THAT CAN HELP TO REALIZE THAT VISION.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? MR. WEBB? ONE, IF I COULD, WHETHER IT BE FOR YOU MR. BROWN OR MR. WAY, BUT EACH STEP IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE SCOPE HAS AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS YET OF HOW THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED? WILL WE TAP INTO EXISTING MEETINGS, HOLD STANDALONE MEETINGS, WHAT DO WE THINK WOULD BE THE BEST PRACTICE? I THINK WE WERE BRAINSTORMING DURING THE INTERVIEW, IT'S THE DAYS OF HAVING IN-PERSON MEETINGS VERSUS A VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITY VERSUS STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, IT'S KIND OF PIVOTED FROM GOING TO EACH STAKEHOLDER INDIVIDUALLY TO DOING MORE OF THAT VIRTUAL COMPONENT SO WE'VE KIND OF EMBRACED FROM IT ALREADY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THERE AND GET THE OUTREACH AND GET THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'LL JUST ALSO NOTE HE'S NOT HERE THIS EVENING, BUT MR. MCCORKLE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND WILL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED SINCE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC CORRIDOR FOR US AND HE HAS MANY CONTACTS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THERE GIVEN HIS ROLE AS OUR LEAD FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SO HE WILL ALSO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 19-2023? SECOND? SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 19-2023, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY, HEARING NONE, THE AYES HAVE IT, RESOLUTION NUMBER 19-2023 IS HEREBY
[00:30:04]
PASSED.CONGRATULATIONS, ALL STAFF WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS PROCESS AND MR. WAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND SEEING WHAT YOU CAN ENVISION AND PROPOSE.
AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, ITEM 9, RESOLUTION NUMBER 20-2023, JOB DESCRIPTION, ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER.
[9. Resolution No. 20-2023 Job Description - Assistant City Engineer ]
THIS RESOLUTION AMENDS THE POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER, AMENDS THE CLASSIFIED PAY RESOLUTION TO MOVE THE POSITION FROM RANGE 24 TO RANGE 25, AND AMENDS THE STAFFING CHART TO ACCOMMODATE THIS POSITION.WOULD A COUNCIL MEMBER LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION? SO IT IS.
MS. STEWART, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR BACKGROUND? YES, THANK YOU.
WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE TRANSITION IN ONE OF OUR KEY POSITIONS IN THE CITY OR ENGINEERING AND GIS MANAGER RESIGNED AND TO TAKE ANOTHER POSITION.
AND SO A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE SHARED THAT INFORMATION WITH CITY COUNCIL.
OBVIOUSLY, GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT POSITION, IMPORTANT POSITION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE'RE LAUNCHING INTO CONSTRUCTION SEASON.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT NEXT STEPS WITH THIS POSITION AND TRYING TO GET MOVING SO THAT WE CAN GET IT FILLED AND BE BACK TO FULL STAFFING.
SO MR. MOORHEAD HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS AND IS ACTUALLY PROPOSING TO SLIGHTLY REVAMP THE SCOPE THAT POSITION, HENCE THE DESIRE TO HAVE YOU ACT ON THESE ITEMS THIS EVENING.
SO MR. MOORHEAD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? YES.
MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY BROUGHT ON BY AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT IN OUR STAFFING STRUCTURE HERE IN THE SERVICE AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
OUR PREVIOUS ENGINEERING AND GIS MANAGER HAD BEEN WITH US FOR 27 YEARS AND IN THAT DURATION OF TIME, HAD WORKED WITH BILL WATTERSON WITH OUR PREVIOUS ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER, RON CURRY, AS WELL AS DAN WHITEHEAD AND OTHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT TO REALLY DEVELOP THE SKILLS THAT HE WAS APPLYING TO THIS POSITION DURING HIS DURATION HERE.
AND WHILE HE WASN'T AN ENGINEER BY TRAINING, HE WAS DOING ENGINEERING WORK THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT HE SPENT WITH US AND LOOKING AT THE DUTIES THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AND REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW CAN WE STAFF THIS DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE THOSE DUTIES AND BUILD UPON THEM TO PREPARE US FOR A FUTURE.
IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION BETTER FIT SOME OF THE OTHER REGIONAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEERS, ENGINEERING MANAGERS, SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEERS.
AND SO WORKING WITH HUMAN RESOURCES, WE PREPARED THIS DRAFT JOB DESCRIPTION THAT REVAMPS THE PREVIOUS ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER DESCRIPTION TO HELP STRUCTURE US FOR THE CURRENT NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY AND HELP PREPARE US TO ADD A FEW FEATURES THAT WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY PART OF THAT, SUCH AS GRANT FUNDING PURSUIT, ADDITIONAL LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN PERMIT REVIEW AND PLAN REVIEW.
SO I FEEL THAT THIS FITS THE REGIONAL JOB MARKET FOR THIS TYPE OF POSITION AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD SERVE OUR CITY WELL TO MOVE FORWARD AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE FOR ME.
WE HAD ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YOU WERE VERY PERSUASIVE APPARENTLY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20-2023? SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 20-2023, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? WE HERE NONE, THE AYES HAVE IT.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 20-2023 IS HEREBY PASSED.
NEXT ITEM 10, RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-2023.
[10. Resolution No. 21-2023 Staff Memo - Fire Contract Negotiations with Sharon Township ]
FIRE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH SHARON TOWNSHIP.THIS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH SHARON TOWNSHIP RELATED TO THE PROVISION OF FIRE AND EMS SERVICES TO SHARON TOWNSHIP, BUT ACCOUNTS OF MEMBER LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION.
GOT A GOOD SYSTEM GOING TONIGHT.
MS. STEWART, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, PLEASE? THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ROBINSON.
SO THE CITY PROVIDES FIRE AND EMS SERVICES TO SHARE IN TOWNSHIP THROUGH A CONTRACT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED AND WENT INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY OF 1994.
THIS IS THE TIMEFRAME WHEN THE FIRE DIVISION MOVED FROM THE TOWNSHIP TO THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON.
AND UNDER THAT CONTRACT, THERE IS A TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT, WHICH CAPTURES THE UNINCORPORATED PORTIONS OF SHARON TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEY.
[00:35:02]
AND WITHIN THAT TOWNSHIP, THERE IS A PROPERTY TAX THAT IS LEVIED TO PAY FOR FIRE AND EMS SERVICES, WHICH IS THEN THOSE REVENUES ARE THEN TRANSMITTED TO THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON IN EXCHANGE FOR US PROVIDING THE SERVICE.SO THE AMOUNT COLLECTED UNDER THAT LEVY HAS REMAINED ESSENTIALLY THE SAME SINCE 1994.
SO FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, HOWEVER, THE CONTRACT DOES PROVIDE A SYSTEM IN WHICH THE CITY CAN REQUEST AN INCREASE.
AND WE DID SO LAST NOVEMBER AND REQUESTED AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT THAT THE TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT PAYS FOR SERVICE.
SO WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE CONTRACT.
WE MADE A REQUEST FOR AN INCREASED AMOUNT.
THE TOWNSHIP TRIGGERED A NEGOTIATION PERIOD AS INDICATED UNDER THE CONTRACT IN WHICH WE CAN HAVE NEGOTIATIONS AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT REQUEST FOR AN INCREASE.
AND IT'S A 45-DAY NEGOTIATION PERIOD, WHICH STARTED ON FEBRUARY 9TH, WITH DUE TO EXPIRE MARCH 24TH, HOWEVER, THE PARTIES MUTUALLY AGREED TO EXTEND IT FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS BECAUSE WE FELT LIKE WE WERE CLOSE ON AGREEING TO THE TERMS RELATED TO THE INCREASE.
SO THIS ALLOWED US TO FINALIZE THOSE TERMS AND BEGIN WRITING A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT RELATED TO THE NEGOTIATED TERMS. SO NEXT I WANT TO WALK THROUGH AND WE'VE SHARED ON THE SCREEN AND I PLACED IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU AT YOUR PLACES A PRINTOUT THAT DESCRIBES THE INCREASE AND IT'S MULTIPLE PHASES.
SO BEAR WITH ME AND I'LL TRY TO TALK THROUGH WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
FIRST OFF, THE CURRENT FIRE LEVY, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED IN THE AMOUNT OF THREE MILLS BUT IS AN EFFECTIVE MILLAGE OF ONE MILL NOW, WILL STILL BE COLLECTED.
IT GENERATES A LITTLE OVER 140,000 A YEAR CURRENTLY.
BEGINNING IN THIS NOVEMBER, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE INCREASE WILL BEGIN AND THE TOWNSHIP UNDER THIS NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT AGREES TO PLACE ON THE BALLOT A LEVY THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR AN ADDITIONAL PAYMENT AMOUNT OF 500,000 A YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A PHASE 1A AND 1B IF OR IF THEY ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN HAVING THE VOTERS APPROVE THAT INCREASE, THE INCREASE THEN GOES BACK ON THE BALLOT IN MARCH IN THE SPRING TO FOR ANOTHER CONSIDERATION OF THAT.
IF THAT FAILS A SECOND TIME, THEN YOU CAN SEE IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN THAT WOULD BE A BREACH UNDER THE AGREEMENT WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO THEN PULL OUT OF THE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE FIRE AND EMS SERVICES AND WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK WITH THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT WHAT NEXT STEPS FROM THERE.
PROVIDED THAT THAT PASSES IN THAT PHASE 1, THEN WE MOVE ON TO A SECOND PHASE WITH ANOTHER STEP UP IN THE AMOUNT THAT IS INCREASED OR THE AMOUNT THAT IS PAID.
AND SO YOU SEE PHASE 2 HAS REALLY A THREE YEAR TIME FRAME IN WHICH AN INCREASE COULD BE PUT INTO PLACE AND THE AMOUNT OF THE INCREASE IS DETERMINED BASED ON THE CALENDAR YEAR IN WHICH IT'S ON THE BALLOT.
THE CONCEPT HERE IS THE CITY'S COST TO PROVIDE SERVICES INCREASES FROM ONE YEAR TO ANOTHER.
TO THE FARTHER YOU GO INTO THE FUTURE, THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT IS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
AND SO YOU SEE THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT DOLLAR AMOUNTS IF IT IS ON THE BALLOT AND APPROVED IN 26, IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 370,000 IN 2027, IT'D BE 450,000 AND IN 2028 IT'D BE 550,000.
IF BY THE END OF 2028, NONE OF THOSE PHASE 2 ITEMS ARE VOTED ON AND APPROVED AND IN PLACE, AND AGAIN THE CITY COULD DETERMINE THE TOWNSHIP AND BREACH OF THE AGREEMENT AND WE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES UNDER THE CURRENT CONTRACT.
IF YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN ON THE DOCUMENT, THERE IS A KIND OF INFORMALLY A THIRD PHASE BUT IT'S WHAT HAPPENS BEYOND PHASE 2 AS IN THAT TABLE.
AND IN THIS CASE, THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT'S THERE AND STRUCK THROUGH AND UNDERLINED IN THE BOTTOM PART OF THE PAGE AND CURRENTLY THE CONTRACT INDICATES THAT THE CITY CAN ONLY REQUEST AN INCREASE WHEN IT HAS RAISED ITS TAX RATE.
IN UNDER THIS NEW MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT, IN PLACE OF THE NEED TO RAISE ITS TAX RATE, IT REPLACES IT WITH A TIME FRAME AND IN THIS CASE, THE CITY CANNOT ASK FOR AN INCREASE ANY SOONER THAN FIVE YEARS FROM THE LAST SUCCESSFUL LEVY.
SO IT ESSENTIALLY GETS US ON A PERIOD MOVING FORWARD WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THIS EVERY FIVE
[00:40:03]
YEARS.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP IS WHY 30 YEARS WITH NO CHANGE, IT LED TO A LARGER INCREASE OVER WHAT WAS PUT IN PLACE IN 94 VERSUS TODAY BECAUSE IT WASN'T REVISITED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO THIS SETS UP A SYSTEM WHERE EVERY FIVE YEARS OR MORE, DEPENDING ON THE DYNAMICS OF THE TIME, THE ISSUE CAN BE REVISITED AND THERE CAN BE A REQUEST FROM THE CITY TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT PAID IN LINE WITH THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED AND THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES.
YOU SEE THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER LANGUAGE THAT STILL STAYS IN PLACE REGARDING FACTORS SUCH AS THE AREA SERVED, DEMANDS FOR SERVICE, DELIVERY, ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUATION, AND THE POPULATION.
SO THERE ARE FACTORS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE CITY'S REQUEST FOR AN INCREASE.
THOSE FACTORS WERE INCLUDED, YOU'LL RECALL, IN OUR INCREASE THAT WE MADE IN NOVEMBER, WE LOOKED AT THE PERCENT THAT THE TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT IS FOR EACH OF THOSE FACTORS OF THE OVERALL SERVICE AREA AND OUR COST TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
SO IT WAS A VERY DATA-DRIVEN, NUMBERS-DRIVEN CALCULATION FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE REQUESTED OF THE TOWNSHIP.
SO ONE OTHER ITEM I'LL NOTE, ANOTHER CONCEPT THAT WE'LL BE CAPTURING IN THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT IS THIS CONTRACT IS ALMOST 30 YEARS OLD.
IT WAS PUT IN PLACE AT THE TIME THE FIRE DIVISION WAS TRANSFERRING FROM THE TOWNSHIP TO THE CITY SO THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT AN INTEREST IN LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT DOCUMENT AS A WHOLE TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY OTHER LANGUAGE WE MIGHT WANT TO STREAMLINE OR CLARIFY OR TWEAK RECOGNIZING WE'RE 30 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE FOR WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS PUT INTO PLACE.
GIVEN THE FAIRLY SHORT TIMELINE, THE 45 DAYS, WE NARROWED OUR FOCUS FOR THESE NEGOTIATIONS ON THESE ISSUES BUT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS ENTERING INTO BROADER DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE CONTRACT TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CHANGE AND SO YOU MAY SEE SOME CHANGES COME BACK IN THE FUTURE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE ON THAT BUT THIS IS KIND OF THE, THESE ARE THE TERMS THAT WERE NEGOTIATED WITH THE TOWNSHIP AT THE CURRENT TIME.
SO WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE ME AS A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWNSHIP CONSISTENT WITH THESE TERMS AS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING THAT I WOULD EXPECT THAT WOULD BE EXECUTED LATER IN THE WEEK.
I KNOW THE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES ARE DISCUSSING THIS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING SO WE'RE TALKING TONIGHT, THEY'RE TALKING ON WEDNESDAY AND HOPEFULLY BOTH PARTIES WILL BE IN THE POSITION TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THESE ARE PROPERTY TAX WHEN THEY'RE TALKING, THIS IS ALL FUNDED THROUGH PROPERTY TAX, CORRECT? YES IT IS, YES THEY, IT IS TIED TO THAT FIRE LEVY THAT IS IN PLACE IN THE TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION WITH THE MENTION OF PROPERTY TAXES, THIS WOULD BE, IF IT GOES THROUGH, IT WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN TAXES FOR WHOM, PLEASE.
IT WOULD BE IN THE FIRE DISTRICT WHICH COVERS UNINCORPORATED SHARON TOWNSHIP AND THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEY.
RIGHT, THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON, WE FUND OUR FIRE AND EMS SERVICES THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND SO THROUGH THAT THE FUND HAS A BLEND OF INCOME TAXES AND OUR PROPERTY TAX ISN'T SO FORTH BUT PRIMARILY INCOME TAX SUPPORTED.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? MR. BOOKER? HE SAID A GENERAL COMMENT JUST TO GIVE THANKS TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND TO MODERNIZE THIS CONTRACT, I KNOW IT'S BEEN MANY MONTHS IN THE MAKING AND THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY FAIR DEAL FOR BOTH SIDES TO MAKE SURE THE SERVICES REMAIN IN PLACE THAT I KNOW THEY VALUE A LOT.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I'D LIKE TO ADD A THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF, OF COURSE, WHO NEGOTIATED THIS AND ALSO TO OUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE SHARON TOWNSHIP, PARTICULARLY MR. OBERLE AND FARLEY, THANK YOU AND WE HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE OUR PRODUCT PARTNERSHIP, I'M SURE WE WILL, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. BARTER, CHIEF ZAMBIDO WERE BOTH VERY ACTIVE AND INVOLVED WITH THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
THEY WERE ABOUT ONCE A WEEK OVER THAT 45 DAY PERIOD AND MR. GUTMAN ALSO PROVIDED LEGAL ADVICE TO US SO THEY WERE ALL A GREAT BENEFIT TO ME.
I WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS BUT IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT.
NEXT RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-2023.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-2023, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[00:45:01]
AYE.HEARING NONE, THE AYES HAVE IT.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-2023 IS HEREBY PASSED.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, NEW LEGISLATION ORDINANCES ITEM 11, ORDINANCE NUMBER 11-2023, EXTENSION
[11. Ordinance No. 11-2023 Time Extension – Food Waste Curbside Collection Program ]
OF FOOD WASTE CURBSIDE COLLECTION PROGRAM.THIS ORDINANCE WILL EXTEND THE TEMPORARY WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 945-02 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES TO PERMIT THE CURBSIDE COLLECTION OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE BY THE WORTHINGTON PARTNERSHIP AND COMPOST EXCHANGE.
IS THERE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NUMBER 11-2023 FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 17TH, 2023.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA REPORTS THE CITY OFFICIALS, ITEM 12, DISCUSSION ITEMS.
[a. Worthington Pools Task Force Update ]
NEXT COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE WORTHINGTON POOL'S TASK FORCE UPDATE.STAFF WILL PROVIDE A STATUS UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE WORTHINGTON POOL'S TASK FORCE.
COUNCIL MEMBERS MICHAEL SMITH AND HERMAN, ALONG WITH STAFF MEMBERS DARREN HURLEY AND SCOTT BARTER ARE PART OF THIS GROUP.
I HAD SPOKEN WITH MS. STEWART ABOUT GETTING THIS ON THE AGENDA, REALLY IS A SORT OF PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION BECAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE GATHERED BUT TO GET US TO THINK ABOUT AND TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UNLIKE MANY ITEMS, THIS TOPIC I THINK WE ALL REALIZE HAS SOME SENSE OF URGENCY OR AT LEAST TIMELINESS TO IT AND SO HENCE THE EFFORT TO MOVE THINGS ALONG IN THIS MANNER.
WOULD ANY MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE PRESENT LIKE TO PROVIDE OPENING COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE PUBLIC? WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS AND THE FIRST MEETING WE STARTED OUT WITH WAS WHAT WE CALL THE INTERNAL CITY TEAM TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT IS, WHERE'S THE CITY, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT TO DO AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS.
THEN WE HAD A SECOND MEETING IN WHICH THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES AND SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES, THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION REPRESENTATIVES AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WHAT WERE SOME OF THE SCHOOL'S VIEWS, THOUGHTS, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SOME OF THE CITY FOLKS LIKE THE JET RECREATION DISTRICT, WHY THE SCHOOL BOARD DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION FELT THAT WAS NOT ONE OF THEIR TOP GOALS, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ROTATED AROUND HAD TO DO WITH WHO OWNS THE POOL AND EVERYTHING ON IT, ALL THE FIXTURES AND FROM ONE OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE REVIEWED, IT STATES THAT THE SCHOOLS OWN THE PROPERTY AS WELL AS ALL THE FIXTURES, SO THEN THAT BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY COULD USE CITY BONDING MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T OWN AND WE DON'T HAVE AN OWNER RELATIONSHIP AND WE'RE NOT WORKING WITH HOW TO DO IT, SO THIS BECAME SOME OF THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AT AND WE DIDN'T COME TO ANY FINAL CONCLUSIONS ON ANY OF THIS.
AND THEN THE THIRD MEETING WAS WITH SWIMMING MEMBERS AND GOT TO AN UPDATE OF WHERE THEY ARE, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO ON PLANNING AND BETWEEN THOSE LAST OF THE SCHOOL AND THE CITY MEETINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR POOL AND THE SCHOOL'S COMMITMENT IS TO THE INDOOR POOL BECAUSE IT TAKES CARE OF THEIR SWIM TEAMS, IT TAKES CARE OF THEIR PROGRAMS, IT TAKES CARE OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND THE ATHLETIC COMPONENT THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE WHERE THEY FEEL THAT THE OUTDOOR POOL IS SOMETHING MORE OF A RECREATION AND IN MOST COMMUNITIES THE OUTDOOR POOLS ARE OWNED BY CITIES AND WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING FOR CITY PARTICIPATION OF SOME SORT.
WE HAD ASKED ABOUT THE IDEA IF THERE WAS A WAY TO DESIGN OR REDESIGN PART OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE DONE SO THAT BETWEEN THE INDOOR AND THE OUTDOOR POOLS THERE COULD BE SHARED FACILITY IN THE SENSE OF RESTROOMS, CONCESSION SO THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO HAVE JOINT USE OF SOME FACILITIES AND THAT'S STILL UP IN THE AIR BECAUSE OF HOW FAR ALONG THEY ARE ON THE DESIGN OF THE FACILITY AND WHETHER THEY WANT TO REARRANGE THE DESIGN.
THE CHALLENGE IS THAT THE NATATORIUM IS DOWNHILL AND SO THE OUTDOOR POOL IS UPHILL SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE JOINT USE FACILITY THEY HAVE THE RESTROOMS AND THOSE ITEMS DOWNSTAIRS THEY WOULD HAVE TO FLIP AND WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN EVEN, HOW THAT CAN BE DONE OR WHAT IT
[00:50:01]
WOULD COST OR IF YOU KNOW WHO WOULD PAY FOR MAKING THOSE CHANGES.SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE RAISED AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGE AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AT LEAST THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF THE CITY AND SO NORMALLY A RESIDENT WHEN WORTHINGTON IS FUNDING SOMETHING THE RESIDENT IS SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON AND A NON-RESIDENT IS ANYBODY WHO LIVES OUTSIDE AND PAYS A NON-RESIDENT FEE AND THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT DO YOU NEED TO HAVE A THREE TIER STRUCTURE THAT'S WHO LIVE IN THE CITY, THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ANYBODY ELSE.
SO A LOT OF THIS HAS NOT GOTTEN INTO DISCUSSION MODE BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS AT ALL BUT WE'VE REALLY HAD SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS, GREAT INSIGHT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE THAT THE THREE DIFFERENT PARTIES AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME WAY WE CAN, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME WAY THAT WE WORK IT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR FACILITY AND IN THE SUMMER MONTHS THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR COMMUNITY CENTER WE INTENTIONALLY DID NOT PUT AN OUTDOOR COMPONENT TO IT IN ORDER TO HAVE IT OPEN, NOT HARM SWIMMING AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OUTDOOR POOL BE THE POOL OF THE SERVICE OUTDOOR SWIMMING IN WORTHINGTON.
SO THAT'S KIND OF ALL THESE LITTLE FACTORS ARE ALL WEIGHING IN AND WE HAVE MORE MEETINGS TO GO BUT THAT'S KIND OF, DO I HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? VERY GOOD SYNOPSIS.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS I THINK WE ARE WAITING FOR THE SWIMMING CONSULTANT TO COME UP IN END OF MAY IS WHAT THEY KEEP SAYING AS FAR AS CALENDAR AND TIMELINE FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OR WHATEVER THEIR REPORT IS ON HOW MUCH IT'LL COST.
I THINK WE PUSHED INTERNALLY AND I THINK THEY WERE DOING THIS ANYWAY BUT TO GET A BARE BONES, WHAT A BARE BONES MIGHT LOOK LIKE, A MEDIUM AND A CADILLAC VERSION OR MAYBE WE CALL IT THE TESLA VERSION NOW, I DON'T KNOW BUT A FEW DIFFERENT VERSIONS TO LOOK AT WITH PRICE POINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE VERSIONS AND SO THE ONLY THING I WOULD ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT IS AT SOME POINT IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO BRASS TACKS NUMBERS.
WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT TO DO? WHETHER THERE'S AN OUTSIDE ENTITY LIKE A JRD OR THE SCHOOLS OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO MIGHT GET INVOLVED FINANCIALLY, WHAT'S OUR RANGE OF COMFORT AS FAR AS FINANCES GO? I DO HAVE AN OPENING QUESTION.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO GET THE BALL ROLLING PRETTY QUICKLY FROM THE COUNCIL SIDE IS BECAUSE SWIMMING WAS ALREADY ENGAGED IN A PLANNING DESIGN PROCESS AND IF IN FACT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE ENGAGED IN SOME WAY INVESTED IN THE FUTURE OF THE POOL, IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE ARE INVOLVED WITH THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PROCESS AS WELL.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL WRAP UP BY THE END OF MAY.
BY THE WAY, WE HAVE DOUGLAS SOUTHGATE IN THE AUDIENCE HERE AND CHAIR OF THE SWIMMING BOARD.
IS THAT THE TITLE? CHAIR OF THE BOARD? YEAH.
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU.
THAT'S WHY I WAS LOOKING OUT THERE FOR AFFIRMATION.
MAY IS WHEN THE DESIGN WORK IS SCHEDULED TO BE DONE, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
SO, WHAT IS THE POSTURE AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS RIGHT NOW REGARDING THE DESIGN? WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THE DESIGN AND WE'VE ASKED FOR MORE THAN ONE DESIGN SO WE HAVE THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK FROM.
THE BIG CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE CAN'T EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT OF THE SPACE, BUT IF WE CAN GET SOME JOINT USE OF MY PERSONAL VIEW AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE COMMITTEE, BUT IF WE CAN GET THAT JOINT SPACE FOR THE RESTROOMS AND THAT, THEN THAT MIGHT GIVE US THE AREA THAT'S NOW THE RESTROOM CONCESSION AS AN AREA OPEN OR RIPE FOR SOME OTHER DESIGN.
BUT IF YOU HAVE TO USE THAT FOR RESTROOM AND CONCESSION, THEN WE'RE REALLY, THEY'RE VERY LIMITED ON HOW MUCH CAN BE DONE WITH THE EXISTING SPACE.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ONE OTHER.
I JUST MIGHT MENTION THAT AND MR. SOUTHGATE MAY HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION OF THIS.
I THINK PART OF WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON BETWEEN NOW AND MAY IS MAYBE MORE OF A SKILL, MAGNITUDE AND NOT ALL FINAL DESIGN ELEMENTS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A POTENTIAL COST WOULD BE TO FIGURE OUT OUR LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT.
SO I WOULDN'T CHARACTERIZE IT AS MUCH AS A FINAL DESIGN, AS MUCH AS APPROACHES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN.
YOU KNOW, MR. SOUTHGATE, I'M SORRY.
I'M DOUGLAS SOUTHGATE, PRESIDENT OF SWIMMING, WHICH DEVELOPED AND MANAGES WORTHINGTON
[00:55:04]
POOLS.I RESIDE AT 455 LONGFELLOW AVENUE.
I'M JUST CHECKING THE TABLE HERE.
NO, I DIDN'T SCRATCH THE TABLE DURING MY LAST PRESENTATION HERE WITH A PIPE, I'M PLEASED ABOUT THAT.
THE DESIGNS THAT BROWN CENTER AND CAROL WILL HAND OVER WILL BE FAIRLY DETAILED.
AND THANKS IN PART TO THE INPUT FROM MEMBERS OF OUR FACILITIES COMMITTEE, LED BY OUR VICE PRESIDENT, WHO ALSO SPOKE HERE ON FEBRUARY 6.
THAT'S MARIA ANDERSON, AND SHE'S A LOCAL ARCHITECT WITH EXPERIENCE IN RELEVANT PROJECTS.
SO SHE'LL BE PROVIDING INPUT, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KURT CARMAN, WHOM YOU KNOW, WHO'S A RECOGNIZED EXPERT, NOT JUST FOR THE STATE, BUT FOR THE REGION, THE LARGER REGION, AN EXPERT ON AQUATIC FACILITIES.
WE HAVE CHAD DAVIS, OUR CHIEF ENGINEER, AND THEN RANDY MOSES, A FRIEND OF YOURS, WHO SERVED ON THE BOARD FOR SIX YEARS.
AND RECENTLY RETIRED FROM OHIO STATE, HE WAS A PROFESSOR OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, AND HE HAD ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS AND WAS INVOLVED IN MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
SO WE HAVE A STRONG ADVISORY TEAM FROM SWIMMING'S SIDE, AND WE ARE PRESSING SWIMMING, OR EXCUSE ME, BRAM STETTER AND CAROL, OUR CONTRACTOR, TO PROVIDE AS MUCH DETAIL AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
LOOKING AT LOOKING AT THREE OPTIONS, AND ONE BEING USING THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT, AND THE BIG SAVINGS THERE, I AGREE WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN, IF WE COULD CONSOLIDATE SOME FACILITIES WITH AN AUDITORIUM, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THAT'S POSSIBLE OR NOT.
THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT SIMPLY BEING ABLE TO USE THE EXISTING HOLES IN THE GROUND ON AT LEAST A COUPLE OF THESE POOLS.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A SAVINGS.
IT'S A SAVINGS OF LONG-TERM SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE AS WE THINK TOWARD THE FUTURE, IF WE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDEVELOP THE EXISTING SITE USING AS MANY OF THE FACILITIES WE HAVE, I'M QUITE CERTAIN THAT DEVELOPING A NEW POOL COMPLEX FROM SCRATCH WILL BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS.
ONE, I GUESS I'LL CALL IT THE LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION THAT RESULTS IN A FACILITY THAT CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY WILL ENJOY, APPRECIATE, BE SATISFIED WITH.
THAT IS GOING TO BE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN DEVELOPING A NEW FACILITY FROM SCRATCH, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INTERMEDIATE OPTION AND THEN A TOP OPTION, BASICALLY A DEVELOPED FROM SCRATCH FACILITY.
JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS I WANT TO MENTION.
ONE IS I'VE ATTENDED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WITH PIPES, THE FEBRUARY 6TH MEETING, THEN WHEN WE SHOWED UP WITH THE TASK FORCE, THE COMMISSION, HAD ANOTHER PIECE OF RUSTY PIPE THAT WE'VE DUG UP.
IT WAS LOOKING AT THE SEVEN-YEAR-OLD THIS WEEK ARTICLE ABOUT THE CAPITAL GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED TO US, THE MILLION-DOLLAR GRANT, AND THERE WERE COMPLAINTS THERE ABOUT THE POOR STATE OR CONDITION OF THE CHANGING AREAS AND THE CONCESSIONS AND ALL OF THAT, AND THOSE HAVE NOT GOTTEN BETTER.
THE NORTH POOL HISTORICALLY HAS HAD LEAKS.
IT'S NOT LEAKING DOWN, BUT TIME IS SLIPPING BY ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN OUR MECHANICAL FACILITIES, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ONE THING THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME IS, AS AN OLD MECHANICAL FACILITY, I CALL AN OUTDOOR POOL LIKE OURS, A PLUMBING PROJECT OF BIBLICAL DIMENSIONS, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT OURS IS AN ANCIENT BIBLICAL PROJECT, AND IT'S BEEN GRANDFATHERED IN TERMS OF REPAIRS AND SO FORTH.
ONE OF MY RECURRING WORRIES, AND KIRK CARMEN HAS INFORMED ME ABOUT THIS, IS THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME SORT OF BREAKDOWN THERE.
AND THE RELEVANT REGULATORY AUTHORITIES COME IN AND SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T JUST REPLACE THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A REPAIR THAT WILL TAKE YOU BEYOND GRANDFATHERING.
AT THAT POINT, WE COULD BE FACED WITH SHUTTING THE FACILITY DOWN FOR AN APPRECIABLE PART OF THE SUMMER, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE CUSTOMER REFUNDS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WON'T SPECULATE
[01:00:06]
ABOUT WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT WOULD BE, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS THERE AT THE POOL, AND THAT BRINGS ME TO SOMETHING ELSE I WANT TO MENTION.THE INVITATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, BUT WE ARE ANXIOUS TO HOST ANY AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, SCHOOL BOARD, DEPARTMENT HEADS FROM THE CITY.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME AND SEE THE PROJECT, THIS IS LIKE AT THE BEGINNING OF A CRIMINAL TRIAL, TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME, MAKES SENSE, DOESN'T IT, AND JUST TO GET AN APPRECIATION OF ALL THAT'S GOING ON THERE, ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT WOULD INVOLVE CHAD DAVIS, AGAIN, OUR ENGINEER, KURT CARMEN, JUST TO GET US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THE DIMENSIONS OF THIS PROJECT, AND THEN I'VE ASKED OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE COSTS OF A COUPLE OF RECENT PROJECTS AND IDEALLY IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES, PROJECTS THAT WERE BEGUN FROM SCRATCH. KURT SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INEVITABLY AN APPLES AND ORANGE COMPARISON TO THE TWO POOLS VERSUS OUR THREE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT, ALONG WITH OTHER DETAILED ANALYSES OF REDEVELOPMENT OPTIONS IN THAT REPORT AT THE END OF MAY FROM BRANSTADTER AND CAROL. SO LESS THAN FEWER THAN TWO MONTHS FROM NOW, WE WILL HAVE THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST HAVE ONE, WILL THE TASK FORCE CONTINUE TO MEET BEFORE THE REPORT'S DONE? ARE THEY ONGOING? OKAY. THANK YOU.
AND I'LL ADD MR. CARMEN AND I WERE JUST EMAILING TODAY ABOUT A TOUR WE WE'VE DISCUSSED HAVING OUR FIRST MEETING WITH SWIMMING AT THE POOL, BUT WE WANTED TO REALLY FOCUS ON THEIR PRESENTATION AND SOME OF THEIR INFORMATION. SO WE HOSTED THAT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, BUT WE DO PLAN TO PRIOR TO THE REPORT COMING OUT, SCHEDULING A TOUR AS ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, SO WE CAN GET A BETTER LOOK AT THINGS TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S THIS WEEK.
I WANT TO THANK THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
AS YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING THE HARD WORK AND YOU'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH INFORMATION AND OPTIONS THAT THEN THE FULL COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT.
AS MR. SMITH POINTED OUT, IN SOME WAYS IT'LL COME DOWN TO FACTS, THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THINGS WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR. I WOULD ASK THE TASK FORCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO COME BACK TO US WITH INFORMATION ON THE ESTIMATED COSTS AND VIABILITY TIME-WISE AND ALL OF MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE TWO PRIMARY OPTIONS BEING LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW ARE A JRD AND CITY BONDING AND JUST BASIC NUMBERS ABOUT IF WE WENT THE JRD ROUTE, WHAT WOULD ESTIMATED COSTS BE FOR THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD FOR DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND THE SAME THING WOULD PERTAIN TO BOND FUNDING AND THEN SPECIFIC TO THE JRD, WHAT ARE THE TIMING FACTORS THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE IN MIND, BOTH IN TERMS OF FORMATION OF THE JRD AND THEN BRINGING IT BEFORE THE VOTERS AND WHEN COULD THAT TAKE PLACE, WHICH WOULD I THINK WOULD BE PART OF COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION AS TO WHICH ROUTE IS MOST DESIRABLE FOR US. SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING A REPORT AS SOON AS IT'S POSSIBLE AND AGAIN THANK YOU MR. SOUTHGATE FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC OF THE POOLS? OKAY, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, REPORTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[Reports of Council Members ]
MR. BOOKER? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT, LIKE MANY IN THE ROOM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO THE MORP SEA STATE OF THE REGION EVENT ON FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FOLKS FROM WORTHINGHAM THERE AND THANKS FOR THOSE THAT ORGANIZED US TO HAVE ABOUT A TABLE AND A HALF REPRESENTING IN THE REGION BUT IT WAS VERY TRANSPORTATION FOCUSED, ABOUT A THOUSAND PROFESSIONALS IN THE REGION WERE THERE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER BUT ALL IN ALL IS A TERRIFIC EVENT. THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY COMING, THE AMTRAK PROPOSALS, THEY SHOULD BE DECIDING IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER IS WHAT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL INDICATED. THAT'S IT FOR ME.[01:05:06]
SOMETHING THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD RECENTLY AND THAT'S MORE TOWARDS MR. LINDSEY, THROW IT AT YOUR WAY, IS THE CHARTER COMMISSION AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN SOME TIMES AND COVID BLURS EVERYTHING TOGETHER WITH THE PANDEMIC SHUT DOWN AND I THINK WE'RE COMING UP ON IT SOMETIMES SOON, AT LEAST WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HALFWAY THERE AND IF MY MEMORY SERVES, IT'S IN THE SIXTH AND 2026, EVERY 10 YEARS AND I THINK IT WAS 16 WAS THE LAST ONE.SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE I KNOW IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING AND FIGURE IT OUT FOR A VOTE SO I DON'T NEED A RESPONSE OR ANYTHING, JUST THOUGHT OF IT. THERE YOU GO. IT'S LOOKING QUITE AHEAD THERE, MR. SMITH.
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. I'LL THINK ABOUT THAT THIS EVENING. THREE YEARS HENCE. ANYTHING ELSE, MR. SMITH? NO THANKS. MRS. MICHAEL? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TONIGHT.
MS. BREWER? MR. ROBINSON. MS. BREWER DID ASK ME TO KIND OF FILL YOU IN ON WHAT WENT TO THE ARCGEST REVIEW BOARD AND MS. WILL PLANNING COMMISSION AT OUR LAST MEETING? SOMEONE WHO'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF HER THUNDER. WE DID HAVE FIVE RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS THAT WENT BEFORE THE BOARD. IT WAS KIND OF A MIX OF STEPS, DOORS, WINDOWS, FENCES, ROOM ADDITIONS. WE DID HAVE THE THIRD BANK DOING A REBRANDING THROUGHOUT THE REGION SO THE BOARD DID REVIEW A NEW SIGN FOR THE FIFTH THIRD ON HIGH STREET. THAT SIGN WILL MOVE A LITTLE BIT SOUTH AS PART OF OUR GATEWAY IMPROVEMENTS ARE KIND OF BLOCKING SOME OF THEIR VISIBILITY. WE DID HAVE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE THOMAS WORTHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL. A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION. WE'RE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A VOTE AT OUR NEXT MEETING. THE BOARD APPRECIATED ALL THE WORK THAT THE SCHOOL'S BEEN DOING AND MAKING THE ADDITIONS WITH THE PATHS AND THE RECREATIONAL PATHS ALONG 161 BETWEEN FARRINGTON AND EVENING STREET, CROSSWALKS AT SEABERRY AND 161 AND TREES AND LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING. ALSO THE BOARD KIND OF GAVE AND STAFF GAVE THE SCHOOL SOME DIRECTION TO START TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE RESIDENTS TO THE NORTH ON MEDICK. A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING COULD IMPACT THE RESIDENTS ON MEDICK SO THEY HAVE THAT TIME FRAME TO START DOING SOME WORK. SO EXPECT ON THE APRIL 27TH AGENDA THAT THE SCHOOLS WILL BE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO HAVE A NATURAL VOTE. AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING TO ADD IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN APRIL 13TH ARB YEAR MPC MEETING. SO I DON'T KNOW IF MISS BREWER HAS ANYTHING ELSE SHE WANTS TO ADD BUT I TOLD HER I'D FILL YOU ALL IN ON THAT. QUESTION MR. BROWN, WILL THE SCHOOL PROPOSAL COME TO COUNCIL AFTER THE MPC OR NOT? IN THE ARCHER REVIEW DISTRICT, THE ARCHER REVIEW BOARD HAS THE THE FINAL SAY UNLESS IT'S APPEALED TO COUNCIL SO IT WOULD STOP AT THE ARCHER REVIEW BOARD. MIGHT BE NICE TO HAVE A QUICK VISUAL SUMMATION.
BREWER ANYTHING ELSE? NO THAT'S GREAT. I DIDN'T WANT THERE TO BE A LOT OF FEEDBACK SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED MR. BROWN TO UPDATE YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. TAKE CARE.
ON MY END, TWO THINGS BRIEFLY. I TOO HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING THE MORPSEY LUNCHEON AND HAS THIS FOR A LONG TITLE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF CHARLES SMALL, VERY IMPRESSIVE GENTLEMAN.
HIS TITLE IS DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. BUT HE SAID ONE THING WAS SAID A LOT OF THINGS BUT ONE THING THAT REALLY STUCK WITH ME TOWARD THE END OF HIS PRESENTATION AND HE SAID IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND PLANNING AND BUILDING TO REALIZE THAT TRANSPORTATION POLICY TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS ARE ALSO CLIMATE POLICY, CLIMATE DECISIONS. THEY ARE ALSO HOUSING POLICY, HOUSING DECISIONS AND THEY ARE ALSO I THINK THE THIRD WAS RELATED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DECISIONS AND I JUST STUCK WITH ME ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALL THOSE BIG POLICY TOPICS. I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT HE SAID. SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY MENTION, ACTING CITY MANAGER MS. STEWART AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING DOWN TO GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS LAST
[01:10:07]
WEEK. THEY INVITED US DOWN THERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR AGGREGATION PROGRAM. THEY ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING THEIR OWN PROGRAM AND IN ADDITION TO THE TWO OF US FROM WORTHINGTON THEY INVITED THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FROM HILLIARD TO ATTEND THE HILLIARD I THINK AS YOU ALL KNOW THEY APPROVED THEIR AGGREGATION PROGRAM LAST FALL PARTLY THROUGH THE HELP OF WORTHINGTON BY GIVING THEM A BUNCH OF INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS ENJOYABLE AND I THINK IT WAS HELPFUL TO THE GRANDVIEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, TASK FORCE MAYOR AND STAFF AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THEM HAVE IT ON THEIR BALLOT THIS FALL. MS. STEWART COULD YOU SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE BUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS IT WITH BRETT? I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS THAT TIMELINE ALTHOUGH THEY SEEM LIKE THEY'RE FAIRLY FAR ALONG IN THE PROCESS BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THEY ASKED CLEARLY THEY'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AND TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR A WHILE SO I THINK THEY WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL. I THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A SPECIFIC DECIDED-UPON-TIME LINE OR NOT BUT I AGREE IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION. IT WAS ENJOYABLE TO HEAR HILLIARD WHO'S GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS MORE RECENTLY IN THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THEY LEARNED AS THEY WENT ALONG AND I THINK THEM PAIRED WITH OUR PERSPECTIVE WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE HAS A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH IT AND CAN SPEAK TO SEVERAL NOW CYCLES OF HAVING SUPPLIER AGREEMENTS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION. I MEAN THAT IMITATION WAS WAS PERFECT HAVING JUST SECURED THE TERMS OF OUR NEXT CONTRACT WHICH AT LEAST AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONTRACT TERMS ARE VERY VERY FAVORABLE FOR US SO I THINK THEY WERE THEIR EYES WERE POPPING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS FOR THE FOR THE COMMUNITY IF THEY MOVE FORWARD. SO WITH THAT SAID MS. STEWART IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS THIS EVENING? I HAVE A[Other Business ]
COUPLE OF ITEMS OF NOTES WE IN YOUR WEEKLY INFORMATION PACKET THAT WE PROVIDE TO CITY COUNCIL WE INCLUDED THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE HOUSING ASSESSMENT WE MODELED THAT VERY CLOSELY ON THE LANGUAGE INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT DOCUMENT WITH YOU SO YOU COULD SEE THAT IN ADVANCE OF IT GOING OUT STAFF PLANS TO BEGIN DISTRIBUTING THAT TOMORROW SO THAT WE CAN START GETTING FIRMS WORKING ON THOSE PROPOSALS. I'LL ALSO NOTE WE ALSO SHARED INFORMATION WITH YOU AND WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE UPCOMING BRIDGE CLOSURE ALONG WEST WILSON BRIDGE ROAD. THIS WILL BE VERY NOTABLE AND IMPACTFUL FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN PROXIMITY TO WEST WILSON BRIDGE ROAD WHETHER THEY'RE RESIDENTS OR BUSINESSES OR EMPLOYEES THAT WORK AT THE BUSINESSES ALONG WEST WILSON BRIDGE ROAD BUT THE ANTICIPATED CLOSURE IS PLANNED TO BEGIN ON APRIL 17TH IT'S ABOUT A 90-DAY CLOSURE AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO ACROSS THAT BRIDGE OVER THE OLENTANGI RIVER AND STATE ROUTE 315 SO THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A MARKED DETOUR BUT PEOPLE SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THAT AREA IT WILL ALSO HAVE INTERMITTENT IMPACTS ON THE OLENTANGI BIKE TRAIL GOING UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE THERE WILL BE SOME CLOSURES ON OCCASION BECAUSE OF THAT PROJECT. MR. MOREHEAD OR MR. HURLEY DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD SINCE YOU ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND WITHOUT YOU COVERED MOST ALL EVERYTHING THAT THEY POSTED THERE BUT I WOULD ADD THAT RESIDENTS WILL BEGIN SEEING SIGNS GO UP ALONG THE WILSON BRIDGE CORRIDOR NOTIFYING THEM OF THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE CLOSURE AND ATTENTIVELY THE CLOSURE IS SCHEDULED FOR A MONDAY AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS DETOUR TO REMIND THEMSELVES ON SUNDAY THAT THEIR ROUTE TO WORK WILL BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. I ALREADY HAVE SIGNAGE UP ALREADY AS OF THIS AFTERNOON. I WILL WILL NOTICE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THAT POTENTIAL FRUSTRATION FOR HAVING TO GO AROUND THE CLOSURE IF YOU HAPPEN TO DRIVE OVER BETWEEN BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSED AND YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR REPAIR. IT WILL GET A NEW ROAD SURFACE AS WELL AS REPAIR TO THE THE CONCRETE BARRIERS ON THE EDGES. I'M BLANKING ON THE TERMS OF THEM THE NAME OF THIS.THIS BRIDGE CLOSURE WILL RESULT IN NOT ONLY A REDONE BUT AN IMPROVED BRIDGE. IS THAT NOT CORRECT IN TERMS OF EXPANDED PEDESTRIAN BIKE ACCESS? YES IT WILL. THE BRIDGE DECK ITSELF IS BEING WIDENED SLIGHTLY SO IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO RIDE A BIKE ACROSS THAT BRIDGE NOW YOU KNOW THAT THE CONCRETE PARAPET WALL THE THE GUARDRAIL WALL THAT EXISTS THERE IS NOT VERY FAR OFF THE TRAVEL LANE AND THERE ARE DRAINAGE SCUPPERS THEY'RE CALLED IN THE PATH THAT YOU WOULD RIDE A BICYCLE. SO IT'S NOT THE FRIENDLIEST BRIDGE TO CROSS AND IN THE NEW DESIGN
[01:15:04]
IT'S GOING TO BE WIDENED A BIT TO GIVE YOU A BETTER FLATTER CYCLING LANE AND THEY'LL BE FENCING OVER THE 270 PORTION. I'M SORRY THE 315 PORTION OF THE BRIDGE AS WELL.OKAY. OH I HAVE. MR. IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO BRING BEFORE COUNCIL THIS EVENING? HEARING NONE. SEEING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN?
[13. Motion to Adjourn]
SENATOR.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE.
THE AYES HAVE IT. THE APRIL 3RD, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS HEREBY ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.