President of Council Kathy McNear called Council to order on September 19, 2007, at 7:00 p.m.

    The governmental body and those in attendance recited the pledge of allegiance. Mr. Knox gave the invocation.

    Mr. Knox took roll call. Present were Council members Danbury, Galster, Harlow, Squires, Vanover, Wilson and McNear.

    The minutes of September 5, 2007 were approved with seven affirmative votes.

RESOLUTION NO. R15-2007 “COMMENDING ELIZABETH WEBB FOR HER DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO THE SPRINGDALE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, THE SPRINGDALE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE SPRINGDALE CITY COUNCIL”

    Mr. Vanover made a motion to adopt and Mr. Galster seconded.

    Mr. Vanover said Betty’s face is the only face I remember seeing walking into the Building Department many years ago.

    Mr. Galster said it’s been a pleasure knowing Mrs. Webb for thirteen years. She always has a smile on her face. She has long hours in BZA some nights. It’s a tough job.

    Mayor Webster said little did I know when I hired Betty as recording secretary for Council thirty-two years ago. . . She is an exemplary employee.

    Mr. Osborn stated there is some irony that we have the Superintendent of Schools in attendance tonight because we hired you away from Rellis.

    Mr. Knox, Mrs. Harlow, Mr. Danbury, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Squires all expressed their thanks and best wishes to Betty.

    Mr. McErlane said her retirement date is September 28. We stole her from the Finance Department. She has been an asset to our department and the community as a whole.

    Mrs. Webb said I appreciate all your kind words. I’ve had a wonderful time here. I thank Cecil and Doyle for hiring me all those years ago. I appreciate working in Finance all those years ago and I’ve enjoyed the last fifteen years in the Building Department also. I will be back in a couple of months doing part-time work for the Health Department.

    PRESENTATION        – Princeton Schools        – Aaron Mackey

    Mr. Mackey introduced Tom Lindsay and Jeff Dodge from Cole & Russell Architects. Mr. Mackey gave a State of the District presentation.

Mr. Danbury said I think it is unbelievable what you’ve done. If anybody is concerned about whether this is worth it, they should go into one of the new schools and see what we offer our kids.

    Mr. Galster stated it doesn’t make sense to upgrade the elementary schools, then fall back in middle school.

    Mr. Dodge gave a slide presentation on the middle and high school building proposal.

        Mr. Knox asked are you expecting changes to the traffic signals on Chester Road?
    Mr. Dodge replied that is a good question. We will meet with the local authorities to discuss that.

    Mr. Osborn said there will be a period when you are without use of the ball fields. Have you considered approaching the jurisdictions to help you out during that period? I would think we would have the capacity to help you out during that time.
   
    COMMITTEE AND OFFICIAL REPORTS
    Civil Service Commission – Mr. Parham reported the September meeting was canceled. This past Saturday the physical agility fitness exam for the Fire Department was held. Ninety-seven candidates were invited and sixty-five showed. Thirty-six of the candidates passed and will be moving on to the next part of the process. This Saturday we will be having the written examination for patrol officer to establish a new eligibility list. I think to date we have a little over one hundred applications. For some reasons it’s a little slower than usual. We had over four hundred applicants for the fire position. We’ve done a lot of the same advertising and recruiting efforts to get people to come out and take the examination. I’m not sure why we’re not seeing the same numbers at this point. Tomorrow is the deadline to submit an application.

Rules and Laws        -    no report
Public Relations        -    no report
Public Health, Safety & Welfare        -     no report

Public Works – Mr. Wilson said the Northland Boulevard sidewalk concrete work is complete with only the final grading, seeding, mulching yet to take place. The Police Department/Fire Department expanded parking lot is complete and resurfacing is expected to take place the week of September 24.
   
Public Utilities        -    no reports
   
Capital Improvements – Mr. Danbury said for the SR 747 grade separation, Duke has begun the installation of twenty-five street lights along a portion of SR 747 and the request for $1.3 million in additional funding has been approved by OKI. Right-of-way acquisition is underway for the SR 4 improvements at Crescentville. This should be concluded by October this year. The design will be submitted by November and construction will start next year and be completed in the fall of 2008. The construction on the bridge for Kemper Road Phase III is underway. Right now the grinding and resurfacing of Kemper Road west of Tri-County Parkway and Tri-County Parkway is scheduled to take place next Monday. The stage III plans for the Crescentville Road improvements at SR 747 have been reviewed by City staff and discussed with ODOT. The maintenance of traffic plans has been modified to maintain a southbound and northbound left turn lane on SR 747 during construction. We will award the construction contract in the fall of 2008. Construction should be in the spring of 2009. The new traffic signal by Tri-County Mall is substantially complete and operating on flash. The new Tri-County Mall driveway is open to right in, right out traffic only and the pool signal intersection movement operation is expected to be operational by October 5. The Veteran’s Memorial project is out for bid with a bid opening for October 12. It is anticipated that the project will be under construction by late fall of this year with construction substantially complete by early fall 2008. The Church Street parking project was awarded to Mt. Pleasant Blacktopping. We held the pre-construction meeting today and construction should start in late September and be complete in late November. The Fire Department HVAC contracts were awarded to De Bra Kuempel for mechanical and Banta Electric for the electric work. A pre-construction meeting was held September 7 and construction is anticipated for early October with substantial completion of the heating by mid January and final adjustments for air conditioning in the spring of 2008. A funding application through OPWC has been submitted for the SR 4 southbound lane addition to I-275 and the project is under design. Construction should start in August 2008.

Finance Committee         -    no report

Planning Commission        -    no report
   
Board of Zoning Appeals –Mr. Squires said the first item was a request for approval to allow a deck to extend ten feet into the front yard at 507 Smiley Avenue. The homeowner built a walkway from the driveway to his home and the only way the steps could line up with that existing walkway would be with a ten foot projection into the front yard. This was approved. The next request was for a variance to allow a sign to be placed outside the required setback at 11503 Springfield Pike and a variance to allow a sign eight and a half feet high. We asked the owner to accept the setback variance and work within the code on the size. A 160 square foot shed was approved at 613 Glensprings Drive. The last request was for a seven foot six inch ground sign constructed without a permit at First Baptist Church. That was approved 4-1.
   
Board of Health – Mrs. Harlow said the Health Commissioner reported on the mammogram van that visited the Community Center this summer. There was a also summer program at The Willows for six weeks with fifteen kids attending each week. They had crafts, health and safety programs and snacks. The sanitarians did the food handling inspections for the Taste of Springdale. The Medical Reserve Corps is looking for volunteers available to help during emergencies. The Health Department will conduct a flu vaccination clinic at the Community Center on November 1st.
   
Veteran’s Memorial Committee – Mr. Wilson presented the annual contribution of $500 to the Veteran’s Memorial Fund from AllState Insurance Company.

O-K-I – Mr. Knox reported that OKI is holding four open houses for exhibit studies, maps and reports related to the long-term transportation master plan. They will hold a meeting on September 25 at the Butler Tech Regional Public Safety Education CompIex and on September 26 at the Union Township Administrative Complex in Union Township. I have seen the plan and think it’s reasonable. I urge people to go and see it.
   
Mayor’s Report – Mayor Webster said September 15th was our second annual Taste of Springdale. It was an outstanding event. There were twenty food vendors and beverage vendors. There was a steady crowd all day and several vendors have already contacted us. We’re looking forward to doing it again next year. I’d like to express my thanks to Greg Karle and his entire staff, Julie Matheny, the Health Department, Police, Fire and Maintenance for their contributions to the event.
   
Clerk of Council/Finance Director         -     no report
   
Administrator’s Report – Mr. Osborn said you probably recall that back in November 2003 Council adopted a resolution adopting the Hamilton County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. We were compelled to do this in order to be qualified for federal funding in the event of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, some of the jurisdictions did not get their resolutions in in a timely manner. It was recently discovered that the County is going to have to go through this process again and get these resolutions. We will have to adopt that resolution again and I will bring it before you at the next meeting.

Mr. Osborn stated we were advised about 4:30 p.m. last Friday that the interstate ramps to SR 4 and SR 747 were going to be closed to traffic from midnight until noon Saturday. The last ramps were not reopened until 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Springdale was significantly cut off from the world on Saturday. We have had some communication with the Ohio Department of Transportation since then in order to get more advanced notice on these types of events. I pointed out that had we had advanced notice we could have added on additional police officers to handle the secondary routes where the traffic became very congested. We could have sent out a notice to our business community apprising them of the situation. As a result of that we are getting good communication. On October 8 CSX will be closing the railroad crossing on Crescentville Road for two weeks to rebuild that crossing and repave the road in the area of the crossing. Under transportation laws that were established decades ago, they can choose to close a crossing when they decide to and the local jurisdiction is responsible for maintenance of traffic. The local detour eastbound would be Centron Place to Progress Place to SR 747 and the opposite for westbound. Folks who know the area will find other routes to avoid the closure.

The Springdale Fire Department is having their seventeenth annual open house on October 6. There will be a fire extinguisher demonstration and training, University Air Care Helicopter, auto extraction demonstration, demonstration on how to put out a vehicle fire, food and beverages.

Mr. Osborn continued the State of Ohio legislature recently adopted H.B. 694 which changes the public contracting laws. It sets a higher standard as to what kind of contract can be awarded or when a contract can be awarded to a vendor or contractor who has made a political contribution to the people or authority that award the contract. In Springdale that’s City Council. If anyone has contributed $1,000 to you in the two years prior to the date of a bid opening or one year following the date of a bid opening awarding the contract, they would be in violation of the law and we would be in violation of the law. I don’t think it’s much of a factor here because our campaigns aren’t that big.

Mr. Osborn stated we do need an ordinance at the next meeting ratifying the contract with the IAFF. We have reached a point where the arbitrator has ruled.

Law Director’s Report - Jeff Forbes will be attending next meeting.

Engineer’s Report         -     no report   

    COMMUNICATIONS

    Mr. Knox said we received one communication from a representative from ERJ Dining asking to transfer the liquor license at Chili’s Bar and Grill to ERJ Dining. The representative writes: “We have been notified by the Ohio Alcoholic Beverage Control Agency that because the Springdale location has already been designated as an economic development transfer, TREX, and as a condition of approval we must receive approval of the transaction by, and an endorsement from, the local City government of the economic development transfer. It’s my understanding that City Council will have a meeting tonight.” They are asking that our approval be in the form of a letter that should be sent to the Ohio Department of Commerce.” Signed Kenneth S. Handmaker

    Mr. Schneider said we are transferring licenses around the State of Ohio to pre-designated areas that are accepting additional licenses. Usually we have someone here to explain who they are, etc.

    Mayor Webster said it sounds like one that has been transferred in has gone out of business and someone is acquiring that license. Is that right?

    Mr. Knox replied it’s going to remain Chili’s. It will just have a new owner.

    Mr. Schneider said I’ll be glad to check into it. If it’s just a change of ownership, the State will check ownership for prior felonies, etc.

    Mr. Knox stated I can call Reynoldsburg tomorrow and find out what’s going on.

    Mr. Osborn said usually in the past the attorney contacts Ken or me and we set it up for them to appear before Council. It may be that this is another transfer in and they have sent it to you directly. We can look at it in the next week and if there is a presentation or legislation required we can schedule it for the next meeting.

    Mr. Knox said these people seem to be in a big hurry. Could we poll Council to have provisional approval if everything works out to be the way they say it is?

    Mr. Schneider responded the only action by Council is by ordinance or resolution and it would have to be specific in authorizing.


    COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE         -    none

    OLD BUSINESS

    Mr. Galster said I wanted to bring up the traffic signal when you are on westbound I-275 existing to SR747 southbound. If you pull up to the stop bar twenty feet off the stop line location, you can’t see the red light.

NEW BUSINESS

Mr. Knox said I’ve been asked by the president of the Garden Club to announce that on September 22 there will be plant sale or swap at the Community Center. The plants will come from the Garden Club and Property Maintenance Department. The proceeds will go to the Veteran’s Memorial Committee.

Mr. Osborn said the day lilies from the Property Maintenance Department are surplus. While splitting the bulbs, we have come up with far more plants than we could ever plant. Dave Butsch came up with the idea of selling them to benefit the Veteran’s Memorial.

    MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE        -      none

UPDATE ON LEGISLATION STILL IN DEVELOPMENT    -    none

RECAP OF LEGISLATIVE ITEMS REQUESTED
Resolution from Hamilton County                 -     October 3
Ordinance ratifying Firefighers’ Contract             -     October 3

Mayor Webster asked Mr. Parham, is there anything you can share with us in open meeting about the firefighter contract?

Mr. Parham responded the conciliator came back with the three remaining items, wages, hours of work and arbitration. The arbitration issue was ruled in favor of the IFF in which all matters of discipline will go through the grievance procedure before an arbitrator and not before Civil Service Commission at all. We were successful with the hours of work and they will continue to work an average of 53 hours a week as opposed to their proposal of 48 hours a week. Our proposal for wage increases was awarded at five, four and three and one half percent for the three year period of the contract.

Mr. Osborn said the numbers on the salary increases helps us place the Fire Department in a competitive range where we’d like to keep them.

Council adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
                        Respectfully submitted,



                        Edward F. Knox
                        Clerk of Council/Finance Director

Minutes Approved:

Kathy McNear, President of Council

__________________________, 2007



       

City of Springdale Council



    September 19     2007