Committee of the Whole Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Council Committee of the Whole Work Session met on February 15, 2011, at 3:00 p.m., presided over by Vice Mayor Gordon. The committee addressed eight agenda items during the session, including approval of the previous meeting's summary, consideration of a zoning ordinance amendment regarding fence height regulations, and updates on several infrastructure projects. The committee approved the February 1st summary and deferred action on the resolution initiating a zoning ordinance tax amendment to Article 15 for regulating fence height and construction abutting public property. The session included two motions and votes, one public comment, and six informational presentations covering West Main Street and Vine Street infrastructure projects with associated change orders, a change order for the Marilla Street project, budget amendments, committee reports, council reports, and a collaborative budget process initiative.

Attendance

The following council members were present at the meeting on February 16, 2011:

• Council Member Beard
• Council Member Blues
• Council Member Farmer
• Council Member Lawless
• Council Member Stennett
• Council Member Henson
• Council Member Jay Birthday Boy-McChord
• Council Member Myers
• Council Member Kay
• Council Member Ellinger
• Council Member Ed Lane
• Council Member McCord
• Council Member Kaye
• Council Member Martin
• Council Member Ford
• Council Member Julian Beard
• Council Member Kevin Stinnett
• Council Member Steve Kay
• Vice Mayor Gordon

No council members were absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Approval of February 1st Committee of the Whole Work Session Summary

Council Member Beard moved to approve the summary from the February 1st Committee of the Whole Work Session, with a second from Council Member Blues. The motion passed by voice vote. 3:32

Referral of Fred Brown to Internal Audit Board

Council Member Myers moved to refer Fred Brown to serve on the Internal Audit Board as the Council's recommended seat. The motion passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 1 nay. 31:07

The following council members voted in favor: - Council Member Beard - Council Member Blues - Council Member Farmer - Council Member Lawless - Council Member Stennett - Council Member Henson - Council Member Jay Birthday Boy-McChord - Council Member Myers - Council Member Kay - Council Member Ellinger - Council Member Ed Lane - Council Member McCord - Council Member Kaye - Council Member Martin - Council Member Ford - Council Member Julian Beard - Council Member Kevin Stinnett - Council Member Steve Kay - Vice Mayor Gordon

Council Member Lawless voted against the motion.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial matters requiring appropriations and amendments.

World Equestrian Games Fire Overtime Reimbursement

An appropriation of $214,000 was approved for reimbursement of fire overtime expenses incurred during the World Equestrian Games.

Retirement Benefits Amendment

An amendment was approved to address estimated additional costs of $2.9 million for covering spouses' retirement benefits for police and fire personnel.

Public Comment

Brenda Stamper addressed the council regarding code enforcement issues at Cambridge Drive apartment complexes 1:20:03. Ms. Stamper reported ongoing problems with trash and debris being dumped from apartment buildings located behind her home into Wolf Run Creek. She noted that despite repeated calls to code enforcement and cleanup efforts undertaken by residents, the issue persists.

Ms. Stamper requested immediate intervention from the city to address the nuisance. She also highlighted the need for a formal tracking system to document these violations, which she indicated would support future updates to the city's nuisance ordinance.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Fred Brown was appointed to the Internal Audit Board.

• Connie Underwood was appointed as Budget Analyst.

Contested Items

Fred Brown's Appointment to Internal Audit Board

Council Member Lawless raised concerns about the appointment of Fred Brown, a former council member, to the Internal Audit Board. The concern centered on whether Brown's previous service on the council might compromise the independence that the Internal Audit Board requires to function effectively. Despite these objections, the motion to appoint Brown passed with a vote of 12-1, indicating strong support from the majority of council members.

Budget Prioritization Process and Timing

Several council members engaged in a heated discussion regarding the budget prioritization process and its timeline. The primary concern was whether the proposed prioritization process was feasible given the compressed timeframe in which it needed to be completed. Council members also questioned the lack of available revenue data at the time decisions were being made, which they argued could undermine the quality of budget planning. Additional concerns were raised about the conceptual nature of the process itself, with members worried that this approach could create confusion in subsequent budget decisions. These objections reflected broader uncertainty about whether the council could effectively prioritize budget items without more concrete financial information and a more extended timeline for deliberation.

Approval of the February 1st summary of the Committee of the Whole Work Session

3:32

The council considered approval of the summary from the February 1st Committee of the Whole Work Session. Council Member Beard and Council Member Blues participated in this agenda item.

The motion to approve the summary was made and seconded. The council voted by voice vote, and the summary was approved with no opposition.

Outcome: The February 1st Committee of the Whole Work Session summary was approved.

Resolution initiating zoning ordinance tax amendment to Article 15 for regulating the height of fencing and construction of fencing abutting public property

This agenda item addressed a first reading of a resolution to amend Article 15 of the zoning ordinance, specifically regarding regulations for the height of fencing and construction of fencing that abuts public property.

Key Speakers and Discussion

Council Member Farmer raised questions about the resolution during the meeting 5:44. Council Member Blues and Mr. Maloney also participated in the discussion.

Issues Raised

Council Member Farmer noted that the resolution had been partially approved in the planning committee. However, no administration representative was present at the meeting to answer questions or provide additional context about the proposal.

Outcome

Due to the absence of an administration representative and the need for further discussion, the matter was deferred to the Thursday evening session. This allowed for additional time to address Council Member Farmer's questions and obtain necessary clarification on the zoning amendment before proceeding.

West Main Street and Vine Street infrastructure projects and change order

8:06

Council Member Beard raised questions about the total project costs for West Main Street, Vine Street, and related areas. Mr. Milligan confirmed that the West Main Street project cost was $2.6 million and committed to providing additional cost figures for the other projects.

The discussion also addressed a change order for the Vine Street project. The change order was clarified to adjust actual quantities discovered during construction and to account for field items that were identified during the project work.

Council Member Lawless participated in the discussion.

The item was presented as informational, with no formal action taken.

Change order for Marilla Street project

9:53

A change order was discussed regarding the Vine Street project to address actual construction quantities and newly discovered field items encountered during construction.

Key Speaker - Mr. Milligan

Discussion The change order was presented as a necessary adjustment to account for conditions discovered in the field and to reflect the actual quantities required for the project's completion.

Outcome The change order was presented for informational purposes. It was noted that this change order is not final, with another minor change order expected to be issued at a later date.

Review of budget amendments

12:05

The council reviewed budget amendments during this agenda item. No discussion or questions were raised by council members regarding the amendments presented. The review proceeded without debate or substantive engagement from attendees.

No actions were taken on the budget amendments at this time. The item was informational in nature and the council moved forward to the next agenda item without further consideration.

Committee reports

Reports were presented from three committees during this portion of the meeting 13:06.

Committees Reporting

The Budget and Finance, General Government, and Economic and Community Development Committees each provided updates to the council.

Key Topics

The reports covered several substantive areas:

• Retirement fund updates
• Franchise agreements
• Facilities use policy review
• Economic development strategies with emphasis on innovation and youth engagement

Key Speakers

Council Member Ellinger, Council Member Ed Lane, and Council Member Julian Beard presented or participated in the committee reports.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken during the presentations.

Council reports

During this informational segment, council members delivered reports on various community initiatives and appointments.

Council Member Stennett reported on a new business networking group being established in Hamburg. Council Member Henson provided an update on a neighborhood cleanup effort. Council Member Jay Birthday Boy-McChord discussed a proposed task force for itinerant merchants.

Council Member Myers recommended Fred Brown for appointment to the Internal Audit Board. Additionally, Council Member Myers provided information about a public meeting scheduled for the Clays Mill Road Project.

Other council members contributing to the reports included Council Members Kay, Farmer, Kaye, Beard, Lawless, and Ed Lane.

20:06

Collaborative budget process initiative

The council discussed a new collaborative budget process framework during this agenda item. 39:02

Process Overview

The proposed initiative involved several key components: prioritization of programs, identification of district-specific priorities, and joint workshops between the council and administration to develop the budget collaboratively.

Key Participants

The discussion included input from Council Members Ellinger, Lawless, Blues, Lane, Beard, Myers, and Stennett, along with Commissioner Driscoll and CAO Richard Maloney.

Concerns Raised

Council members expressed several concerns about the proposed process:

• Timing issues: Questions were raised about the feasibility and timeline of implementing the collaborative approach
• Data accuracy: Council members questioned the reliability of data that would inform prioritization decisions
• Revenue forecasts: Multiple council members expressed concern about attempting to prioritize programs without having revenue forecasts available, noting this created uncertainty about what resources would actually be available

Framework Status

The process was presented as a conceptual framework intended to be refined rather than a finalized plan. This approach allowed for discussion and feedback before implementation.

Outcome

The agenda item was classified as informational, indicating the council received information about the initiative without taking formal action at this time. The discussion reflected the council's engagement with the proposed collaborative approach while highlighting practical challenges that would need to be addressed as the framework was developed further.