[00:00:04]
[1. Call Meeting To Order/Roll Call]
EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE CFPB HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.TODAY'S DATE IS OCTOBER THE FIFTH, 2021.
WE'RE GETTING STARTED AT 6 0 2.
UH, THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY CALLED TO ORDER.
SO MR. ROGERS, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL PLEASE? MR. SHAW HERE, MS. BAKER, MR. CAMPBELL, MRS. BURSCH MR OTTO HERE, MR. LYONS HERE, MR. HILL, MR. WEBB MIRADOR HERE.
AND WE DO HAVE A CORE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE, UH, MR. HILL WAS, UM, COMING BACK INTO TOWN FROM THE PASSING OF HIS GRANDFATHER.
SO HE SAID HE WOULD BE HERE AS SOON AS HE, UH, SOON AS HE CAN BE.
UH, MR. CAMPBELL'S OUT OF TOWN, UM, FOR A FUNERAL IN FLORIDA AND MRS. BIRD'S THIS EVENING AS BEING MADE THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHOANAS CLUBS.
SO, UH, THAT WAS ALSO GOING ON.
SO SHE'S NOT HERE THIS EVENING, SO THAT'S WHY THOSE THREE MEMBERS ARE NOT HERE, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE ANDY SOON, BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM FOR US TO CONTINUE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINUTES, UH, AT OUR, UH, SPECIAL WORKS SESSION LAST NIGHT, WE APPROVED THOSE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 21ST.
[ City Manager Report]
OUR WORK SESSION, TOPICS OF DISCUSSION THIS EVENING, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER THREE.AND THAT IS THE, UH, ITEM THREE EIGHT, WHICH IS THE SAME AS YOUR REPORT.
SO SCOTT, IF YOU WOULD, THANK YOU.
LONG TIME NOSY, ALTHOUGH YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST TIME.
UM, SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE ITEMS, ONE, UH, A REMINDER THAT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16TH, UP AT THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER IS COMBINATION BITES IN THE HEIGHTS.
UH, THEN A CAR SHOW, THE BIKES AND HEIGHTS, 11:00 AM, 6:30 PM.
UM, A BUNCH OF FOOD TRUCKS INVOLVED, THE, UH, ALL THOSE ARE ON OUR CITY.
IF YOU ALL LOOK THROUGH WHAT TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE HERE, A CAR SHOW IN THE WEST PARKING LOT FROM 2:00 PM TO 6:30 PM.
AND THEN AT SIX 30, WE HAVE INSIDE THE FACILITY, UH, CASPER BEING, PLAYING FOR A FREE MOVIE.
SO EVERYTHING'S FREE ADMISSION FOR EVERYTHING.
SO HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY OUT THERE ALSO, UM, A, UH, A NOTE THAT, UH, WANT TO THANK MR. BERGMAN THAT, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO, UH, REACHING OUT TO
THEY HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ALREADY AND THEY'VE COMPLETELY RELOCATED THE GUARD RAIL PULLED IT BACK.
UM, IT'S NOT COMPLETELY GONE, BUT IT IS BACK WHERE THE VISIBILITY IS A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT IT ORIGINALLY WAS.
SO THEY'VE, UH, THEY TOOK THAT SERIOUSLY AND, UH, WE GOT OUT THERE AND COMPLETED THAT WORK.
UM, ALSO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING NEXT WEEK, BUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT WE HAVE 10 AGENDA ITEMS. SO THERE'S A LOT COMING UP.
ONE OF THE MAJOR ONES OF NOTE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED HERE AT CITY COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT A WEST PORT VILLAGE, THE PROPERTY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET ON CHAMBERSBURG, ACROSS FROM LEXINGTON PLACE, THAT'S 174 ACRES.
UH, THE, UH, PRELIMINARY PLAN, THE BASIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS COMING TO PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THAT'S STARTING THAT PROCESS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT IN OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION TO ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF THAT.
ALSO, UH, I, UH, GOT A CALL YESTERDAY FROM, UH, THE FOREMAN FOR THE, AT THE BIKE PARK, THE, UH, THE, THE PUMP TRACK THAT HE WAS ONSITE AND STAKING OUT THE AREA.
SO I MET TIM OUT THERE CAUSE MR. KING'S OUT THIS WEEK AT SOME CONFERENCES.
AND SO THE, UH, THAT CONSTRUCTION HAS NOW BEGUN.
SO TODAY THEY STARTED REMOVING SOME OF THE TOP SOIL AND MOVING SOME OF THE DIRT AROUND.
AND WHEN SOME OF THAT RE GRADING WORK, SO THAT IS UNDERWAY, THEY SHOULD BE ABOUT THREE WEEKS FOR THAT PROCESS FOR THE PUMP TRACK, UH, BEGINNING NEXT WEEK, I BELIEVE IT IS THAT'S ALL THE RAMPS AND EVERYTHING FOR THE SKATE PARK SHOULD BE COMING IN.
AND THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT INSTALLATION AS WELL.
UH, SO, UM, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON AND, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK RUSS.
I WAS THERE AT RALPH LAUREN CHAMBERSBURG YESTERDAY, AND CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS GOING TO DIE, UM, PULLING OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC.
SO IT WAS LINE OF SIGHT IS DEFINITELY MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
SO WHATEVER YOU DID TO GET THOSE GUYS MOVING UP THERE, UH, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT.
IT IS MUCH, MUCH SAFER NOW THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR THIS BOOK ASKING KIDS FOR SURE.
UM, SCOTT, I KNOW AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM OR AT LEAST AN UPDATE REGARDING THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT THE RACE DRIVE THROUGH.
UH, DO YOU KNOW IF YOURSELF AND ROSS HAD ANY TIME TO REVIEW THOSE? DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATES OF BEYOND, UM, THAT THEY INSTALLED THE, UM, PORK CHOP
[00:05:02]
AND THE SIGNAGE? NO, I, I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE.DO YOU WANT US TO, THE ONLY THING THAT COULD BE DONE IS POSSIBLE TRAFFIC STUDY TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE, IF WE'RE, IF IT'S NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING HERE FOR MORE SAFETY, UM, YOU HAD SUGGESTED DOING THOSE DELINEATORS, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN OPTION.
I CAN CONTACT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER GIVEN HAVE HIM LOOK AT IT.
I DO KNOW, UH, THROUGH SOME CONVERSATION WITH THE HOMEOWNERS NEARBY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONCRETE PILLARS THAT GOES ON EACH SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM TURNING LEFT ILLEGALLY, UM, UH, IN THERE, OR, UH, OR OUT OF THERE, UM, WITHOUT FEAR OF DAMAGING THEIR CAR, UM, BECAUSE OF SEVERAL NEAR, NEAR MISS COLLISIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITH, UH, SEVERAL NEIGHBORS JUST WITHIN THE PAST 30 DAYS, INCLUDING SINCE THE PORT SHOP'S BEEN INSTALLED.
UM, SO I, I DIDN'T, I, I BELIEVE IN MAYOR, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE, UH, UM, THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL WAS TO GO IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE OPTIONS AND BRING THOSE BACK TO US.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT MY UPDATE WAS LOOKING FOR.
I DON'T REMEMBER A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM, BUT I DO REMEMBER US, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR WHAT SOME OPTIONS MIGHT BE.
UM, BECAUSE AS I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE LAST KIND OF THE MAIN ISSUE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS THE RESIDENTS' CONCERN THERE AFTER THAT.
UM, SO WE KNOW THE PORK CHOP IS THERE.
IT'S TRYING TO DO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME RESIDENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT AREA.
SO WE NEED TO FIND IF THERE, IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO, I CAN TALK TO THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
I TYPICALLY USE, I CAN ASK HIM TO LOOK AT IT AND HE'D PROBABLY JUST GIVE ME SOME, OKAY.
I THINK AN UPDATE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND, AND, UM, WHAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE ON FROM THERE, I THINK WILL SATISFY RICHARDSON AND THOSE, UH, THE CONCERNS FROM THOSE RESIDENTS.
UH, SCOTT, THE INDIVIDUAL, THE PERSONAL LIFT STATION ISSUE THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH, UH, IS IT MR. RUCK T UM, WHAT'S, HOW'S THAT GOING? SO AT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEETING LAST WEEK, I GAVE THE UPDATES THAT, UM, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON.
UM, THAT'S ENGINEERING IS, UH, IS HIRED THE FIRM THAT IS DOING THE SURVEY WORK THAT IS GETTING THE GRADE LINE TO SEE WHAT, UH, THE SLOPE NEEDS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B B TO, TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S PART OF THAT, TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, ALSO, UH, MR. BERMAN HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CONTRACTORS ABOUT TRYING TO BORE THAT SANITARY LINE, RATHER THAN TRYING TO DIG IT DUE TO GOING IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO HOUSES.
UM, AND THEN THOSE COSTS WILL BE COMING IN AND THEN WE WILL BRING THAT BACK.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION ABOUT TRYING TO HAVE THAT, IF THAT INFORMATION IS BACK IN.
SO, UM, NO NEW UPDATES SINCE LAST WEEK.
I DON'T LOOK ON IT AS STAFF'S NOT DOING ANYTHING BECAUSE IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET A SURVEY AND, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.
SO PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THAT FOR ME.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HEAR SOMETHING FROM THE NEXT WORK SESSION.
THERE'S ONLY ABOUT A SENTENCE LONG, BUT ANYWAY, MARK BRUNCHY BRIAN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE RECEIVED TWO PHONE CALLS ASKING US IF WE KNEW, WHEN WILL THE PARK BE OPEN THE BIKE PARK, ANY IDEA? UH, SO THE THERE'S MULTIPLE COMPONENTS, BUT THE PUMP TRACK PORTION AND ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND THE SKATE PARK IS RIGHT ABOUT THAT SAME CAUSE IT'S ABOUT A TWO WEEK INSTALLATION.
AND IF THEY, IF EVERYTHING COMES IN NEXT WEEK, SO ABOUT THREE WEEKS FROM NOW IS THE ANTICIPATED OPENING.
WE'VE REFERRED THEM TO CALL HERE FIRST FOR THEY ASK US.
BUT ANYWAY, SO A MONTH IS A SAFE THING TO SAY.
AND MOVING ON, UH, NEXT UP IS ITEM THREE
[ Energy Aggregation Discussion]
B, WHICH IS THE ENERGY AGGREGATION DISCUSSION.UH, YES, THIS IS A, IS GOING TO BE AN UPDATE FOR THE ORDINARY ENERGY AGGREGATION, RICH SERVICE FROM ENERGY ALLIANCES HERE TO GIVE US THAT UPDATE.
THANK YOU, RUSS COUNCIL, MAYOR.
UH, SO IT WAS HERE AT THE SIA.
THINK ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THEY SORT OF TALK ABOUT WHERE THINGS WERE AND MAYBE WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, THINGS CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE OF DIRECTION.
SO THE MARKET CONTINUES TO GET WORSE.
I MEAN, THE PRICE HAS CONTINUED TO GO UP.
UH, I KNOW SOME OF YOU, UH, KEEP AN EYE ON THE PUCO APPLES TO APPLES,
[00:10:01]
AND IF YOU SEE THOSE PRICES JUST CONTINUE TO RISE.I THINK THE CHEAPEST PRICE BEING OFFERED RIGHT NOW BY ANYBODY FOR A FIXED PRICE IS LIKE A 5.09.
AND THAT'S ONLY LIKE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
SO EVEN THAT'S WELL ABOVE A D P AND L'S STANDARD SERVICE OFFER.
UM, SO I'M HERE TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT I THINK YOU SHOULD PAUSE YOUR ELECTRIC AGGREGATION PROGRAM STARTING IN DECEMBER FOR AT LEAST A FIVE OR SIX MONTH PERIOD.
UM, THE REASON I MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION AS YOU SAW FROM THE CHARTS LAST TIME, THE PRICES THAT WE WERE SEEING THEN WERE HIGH, RIGHT? WELL INTO THE MID TO UPPER FIVES.
AND, UH, THAT THAT'S, AGAIN, CONTINUING TO BE HIGHER.
I CAN'T STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND IF THERE WERE RESIDENTS HERE AND SAY, TAKE THAT OFFER THIS DECEMBER, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THE ALL ELECTRIC HOMES SEE A PRICE MUCH LOWER THAN THAT, SOMEWHERE IN THE LOW FOURS.
AND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE NOT ALL ELECTRIC HOMES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE AROUND 4.8 FROM DECEMBER TO MAY OF THIS UPCOMING YEAR OF NEXT YEAR.
SO TO SAY IT TAKES SOMETHING IN THE MID TO UPPER FIVES, AND WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT A YESES SPREADS ARE GOING TO BE STARTING NEXT JUNE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT I THINK YOU PAUSED THE PROGRAM IN DECEMBER, AND THEN EVERYBODY GOES ANYBODY WHO WAS ON THE PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE ROUGHLY A LITTLE BIT OVER 9,000 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, BUT GET SENT BACK TO AES AS DEFAULT SERVICE STARTING IN DECEMBER.
AND WE'LL KIND OF SEE WHAT HAPPENS, RIGHT.
WE HAVE, UH, THERE, THEY RUN THEIR AUCTION IN MARCH.
SO WE'LL HAVE A BETTER SENSE ON WHERE THINGS ARE AT.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, LOOK TO SEE, DO WE START SOMETHING BACK UP FOR THE SUMMERTIME, YOU KNOW, AROUND A JUNE START? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU DO PAUSE YOUR PROGRAM, UH, YOU WOULD NOT BE ALONE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE DEEP, YOU KNOW, SERVICE AREA THAT HAVE DECIDED FOR RIGHT NOW, UH, TO PAUSE THEIR PROGRAMS. UH, THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE DECIDED TO CONTINUE.
UM, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT ALL BE TRANSPARENT.
AND, UH, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT LOCKED INTO A 4, 9, 9, UH, FOR DECEMBER, BUT, BUT FOR THREE YEARS, AGAIN, TO EACH THEIR OWN, I STILL DON'T KNOW IT.
THE PRICE IS RELATIVE, RIGHT? IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BENCHMARK IS.
SO 4, 9, 9 MAY SOUND LIKE A GOOD PRICE BASED TO WHERE THE MARKET IS NOW, BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHERE THE MARKET IS TODAY.
IT'S ABOUT WHERE DPS PRICES ARE IN THE FUTURE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE LAST YEAR, THOUGH, THE OCTA AUCTION WASN'T COMPLETE, THERE WERE COMPONENTS OF IT WERE DONE AND I WERE ABLE TO DO IT WAS ON CAMERA.
IT FELT VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE PEOPLE MONEY AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT.
I CANNOT DO THAT NOW BECAUSE WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, UH, NEXT SUMMER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THOUGH, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO FIND AND, AND TAKE THAT OFFER.
I STILL THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DO THAT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING THE LOWEST PRICE.
IT'S ABOUT OFFERING THE RESIDENTS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE MONEY COMPARED TO THE ALTERNATIVE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS? UM, NOBODY HAS TO DO ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO TAKE MY RECOMMENDATION, I WILL TALK TO AEP ENERGY.
THEY ARE THE CURRENT SUPPLIER AND TELL THEM THAT THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO PAUSE FOR NOW.
AND THEY WILL START WORKING WITH AES TO SEND THE, SEND THE ACCOUNTS BACK.
SO THAT MEANS, UH, SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER, THEY'LL START TO DO THAT.
SO SOMETIME BETWEEN, WE'LL SAY THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER AND THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER, ANYBODY ON THE PROGRAM WILL GET A LETTER FROM, UH, AES, OHIO SAYING THAT THEY'RE BACK WITH A S OHIO'S STANDARD SERVICE.
UM, THAT REALLY ISN'T MUCH AS FAR AS THE, THE MESSAGING IS, THAT'S NOT REALLY MUCH DIFFERENT IF WE WOULD'VE CONTINUED THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW? SO, SO AGAIN, THERE'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY LETTERS PEOPLE WOULD HAVE GOT, IF I'M HONEST, AGAIN, IT'S UNLIKELY AAP WOULD'VE KEPT THIS PROGRAM, EVEN AT THE PRICE THAT THEY HAD.
SO THEY WOULD'VE GOTTEN LETTERS FROM AES, OHIO ANYWAY, ABOUT THE CHANGE OF SUPPLIER.
SO NOW, INSTEAD OF GETTING OPT-OUT LETTERS ABOUT THE CHANGE OF SUPPLIER, AND THEN ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE UTILITY TELLING YOU ABOUT THE CHANGE OF SUPPLIER, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO GET THE ONE LETTER RIGHT NOW, PRETTY MUCH SAYING, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE BACK WITH OUR DEFAULT SERVICE.
SO NOTHING, SO NOTHING THAT THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE TO DO.
I THINK IF THAT, IF THAT IS WHAT COUNCIL DECIDES TO DO, I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE, UM, WE HAVE TO GET MUCH BETTER AT HOW WE INFORM ALL OF THE RESIDENTS ON, UM, ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO THEY'RE NOT JUST GETTING THESE LETTERS BLIND AND THINKING THAT WE'RE CHANGING THEIR SUPPLIER.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE, AND IF, AND IF THIS ISN'T GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER, IF WE'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, A 30 TO 60 DAY HEADSTART ON THIS, I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER A GOOD EDUCATION CAMPAIGN SOMEHOW, UH, THROUGH THE CITY FOR THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, WHATEVER WE'VE GOT TO DO, WE'VE GOT TO GET A HEADSTART.
SO OUR RESIDENTS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY JUST, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO A LOT OF THEM DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE IN.
AND THEN ALSO THEY START GETTING LETTERS WITH THEY'RE OUT.
SO WE NEED TO BE REALLY PROACTIVE ABOUT HOW WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE DO THAT.
IF THIS COUNCIL DECIDES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH,
[00:15:01]
WITH PAUSING THIS PROGRAM, GLEN, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I DO UNDERSTAND ENERGY MARKETS CAN GET A LITTLE VOLATILE SOMETIMES.AND I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY THERE.
I THINK YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS VALID AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION AND I WOULD GLADLY SUPPORT THEM.
UM, TAKING A LOOK AT THE, UM, LEGISLATION THAT WE PASSED, UH, AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, UM, THE, THE LANGUAGE IN, UM, IN SECTION ONE, UH, STATES THROUGH THE METER READ DATE OF DECEMBER, 2021.
SO WE WOULDN'T BE STOPPING IT ON DECEMBER ONE.
IT WOULD BE, UH, THROUGH THE LAST METER READ DATE OF DECEMBER 21 EFFECTIVE JANUARY OF 2022.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WELL, SO EV EVERYBODY IT'S, IT'S SORT OF OLD SCHOOL, RIGHT? IT'S THE IDEA THAT SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE HAD TO COME AND READ THE METER.
SO, SO THE METER RATE CYCLES HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
LIKE A LOT OF TIMES BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHEN SOMEBODY METER READ IS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE CITY IT'S IT'S THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MONTH.
SO YOU'LL HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY END AROUND DECEMBER 1ST, AND YOU MAY HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO END CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER 22ND.
I MEAN, IT DOES GET A LITTLE BIT CRAZIER ON THE HOLIDAYS THAT THEY COME BACK.
SO IT HAPPENS ON THE DAY THAT THEIR METER IS READ IN DECEMBER.
SO IN THEORY WITH THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE, WE WOULDN'T BE PAUSING THE PROGRAM.
WE JUST WOULDN'T BE RENEWING A NEW PROGRAM UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO US.
AND MAY JUNE OF NEXT YEAR, UM, AFTER, UM, AFTER THE, UH, THE PUBLIC UTILITY AUCTIONS, UH, WITH SOME BETTER CONCISE INFORMATION ON WHERE THE MARKET'S AT, AM I VALID ON THAT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND I, AND I USED THE TERM PAUSE, BUT THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WON'T BE SOMETHING THERE EVENTUALLY YOU'RE NOT, NOT TO JUST END THE PROGRAM IS ENDING.
THE PROGRAM WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S CLOSE THE CERTIFICATE.
LET'S NOT THROUGH ANY OF THAT STUFF.
I, WHEN YOU SAID PAUSE TO ME, IT KIND OF PULLS ME.
IT WAS LIKE, I WAS WANTING TO VALIDATE THAT WE HAD THAT DECEMBER TIMEFRAME, UM, THAT THERE WASN'T A, UM, A CONTINUING CLAUSE IN THERE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE COMPLETELY CLEAR ON THAT.
I THINK IF, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE GO, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO, UM, PART OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IS INFORMED PEOPLE THAT IT MAY COME BACK IN MARCH.
I MEAN, JUST AS, SO, CAUSE I CAN SEE IT STOPPING THERE.
THEY'RE IN IT NOW THEY'RE NOT IN IT AND THEY DIDN'T MAKE A PERSONAL DECISION TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENERGY MARKET COMES BACK AROUND THE AUCTION IN MARCH AND MAY THAT THE PRICES ARE GOOD AND YOU'RE NOW, THEY'RE NOW THEY'RE OPTING INTO IT AGAIN.
I THINK THAT JUST TURNS INTO A LOT OF CONFUSION OVER, OVER A SHORT TIME SPAN.
SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO BE GOOD AT HOW WE GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO 43,000 PEOPLE.
UM, IT'S HARD TO SAY I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE BEST DEAL.
I DO WANT TO SAY WHERE MONEY, I LIKE WHAT YOU GUYS SAID.
I THINK MAYBE PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE WATERVILLE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LIKE IT GOES TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE PROBABLY WOULD NEED TO DO.
WE NEED TO GET IT INTO THE WATER.
BILL SMITH'S IS THE LOGICAL GONNA COST, BUT IT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THE INFORMATION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE ANOTHER NEWSLETTER COMING OUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT WE CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAD SAID ABOUT JUST THE INFORMATION THAT IT IS ENDING FOR NOW, WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN MAYBE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE LOOK FOR ON THAT APPLES TO APPLES SITE.
SO THAT WHEN THEY'RE SEEING THAT THERE'S 20 DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO CHOOSE FROM, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO CHOOSE? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CALM TRANSITION FREAKING OUT AGAIN, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE ANYTHING IF THEY WANT TO.
AND OBVIOUSLY I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DURING THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
UH, BUT, BUT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE.
I MEAN, I'M REALLY JUST BY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, OPT-OUT REALLY IN THIS CASE, BY DOING NOTHING, THEY'RE BACK WITH THE DEFAULT SERVICE.
UM, WE MIGHT ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER SENDING OUT A SPECIFIC PIECE OF LITERATURE MAILER TO ALL OF THAT RESIDENCE.
UM, PUTTING IT IN THE WATER BILL IS CERTAINLY GOOD AND WILL HELP COVER IN ADDITION, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR HOUSES ARE ON THE SYSTEM.
AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY A HIGH NUMBER IN WARD SIX IS ALSO NOT ON THE SYSTEM.
UM, THE MESSAGE IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK I ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, BUT, UM, I'LL JUST ASK ANYWAY.
UM, IS THERE SOMETHING WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK OUT FOR JUST THAT THREE MONTH, UH, COVERAGE FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME? YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THING RIGHT NOW IS GETTING THROUGH THE WINTER.
I MEAN, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT, DROP-OFF JUST IN THE ENERGY PRICES STARTING IN, IN, IN APRIL.
UM, AND THEN STILL, I, I, I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYTHING.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GOOD IDEA.
I FIGURED AS MUCH, BUT, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS? YOU PLAY THIS OUT.
[00:20:01]
UP FOR A ONE YEAR DEAL, TWO YEAR DEAL.THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PROGRAM.
THEN THEY HAVE TO MAKE THAT A CONTRACT THAT TO ITS FINAL POINT BEFORE THEY CAN GET BACK INTO THE PROGRAM, IF WE RE-INSTITUTE IT IN MARCH OR JUNE, UM, IT WOULD DEPENDS ON DEPENDING ON THE TERMS THAT THEY'VE ACCEPTED.
IF THEY TOOK AN AGREEMENT WITHOUT A TERMINATION FEE, IT'S PROBABLY VERY EASY FOR THEM JUST TO TERMINATE THAT CONTRACT, GO BACK TO THE UTILITY FOR ONE MONTH AND THEN THEY CAN COME BACK INTO THE PROGRAM.
IT'S UP TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'VE ACCEPTED AT THAT POINT ON THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO CERTAINLY FAR FROM THE BEST CASE SCENARIO.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR AND COMING IN AND EXPLAINING THAT TO US.
UH, SO I DON'T SEE ANYBODY, UM, JUMPING UP AND DOWN TO GO AGAINST THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SO I THINK IF THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY'S AGREEABLE TO, IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE COUNSELING? DO WE NEED TO DO MY MOTION? DO WE NEED TO, IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO SPECIFICALLY TO STOP THAT OR JUST BY MOTION OR I THINK IT JUST STOPS.
SO WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING FOR MONDAY THEN, CORRECT.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND AGAIN, LIKE YOU'RE REAL SAD.
THANKS FOR JUST OPEN, HONESTLY.
[ 2022 City Budget]
UP IS ITEM THREE C, WHICH IS THE 22 20 22 CITY BUDGET.UH, MR. TODD, KELSEY HAS A PRESENTATION FOR EVERYBODY.
THIS IS A LARGE OVERVIEW OF OUR BUDGET.
THIS IS NOT THE INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS THAT STILL COME IN HERE.
AND, UH, UM, TWO MEETINGS, UM, PART THE NORMAL STANDARD TIME OF GOING THROUGH THE, THE READINGS FOR THAT.
BUT, UH, THIS IS, UH, THAT THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN ALSO FOR DISCUSSION ON IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CITY COUNCIL WANTS US TO LOOK THROUGH OVER THE NEXT TWO TO FOUR WEEKS TO INCLUDE INTO THE FINAL BUDGET.
SO I'LL PASS IT ON TO THE STRAW.
SO, UM, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, AH, THIS IS THE, UH, 2022 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THERE ARE NO LOW LIGHTS FOR THE 2022 BUDGETS.
SO, UM, I'LL KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THE 2022 BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FROM THE STAFF PERSPECTIVE.
SO THAT COUNCIL HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOCUMENT THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING.
UH, AND THEN IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES OR AMENDMENTS THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER, UH, YOU'LL HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF WHERE THIS BUDGET IS COMING FROM WHEN YOU DO THAT.
SO, UM, FIRST TO THE 2021 BUDGET, WE, UH, ARE JUST STARTING THE FOURTH QUARTER.
SO WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME LEFT, BUT BASED ON WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT, UH, WE ARE ON PAR TO MEET OUR BUDGET EXPECTATIONS, UH, WITH RESPECT TO EXPENSES OR TO COME IN BELOW.
SO, UH, WE'RE RUNNING PRETTY, UH, WE'RE RUNNING A PRETTY EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, UH, ON THE EXPENSE SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
UH, WE'RE IN A GOOD AND STRONG REVENUE POSITION COMING INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2021.
AND, UH, THERE'S THREE REASONS FOR THAT.
UH, WE OVERESTIMATED THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU, BUT, UH, I WASN'T AROUND THE LAST TIME WE WENT THROUGH A PANDEMIC IN 19, 19, SO WE DIDN'T QUITE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
UH, AND SO, UH, WE, UH, WHAT WE EXPECTED, ISN'T WHAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, BUT, UH, WHAT WE DID RECEIVE WAS QUITE A BIT OF AID FROM, UH, FROM THE GOVERNMENT, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO BETWEEN CARES ACT, UH, AND THE SHUTTERED VENUE GRANT, UH, WE DID QUITE WELL.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, UH, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY GREW, UH, AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES DEMONSTRATED PROFITABILITY.
SO NOT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, IN THE MIAMI VALLEY COULD SAY THE SAME THING, BUT WE WERE FORTUNATE IN THAT EFFECT.
SO, UH, ALL OF LED TO AN INCREASE IN BOND RATING WITH OUR LAST BOND ISSUANCE, UH, PREVIOUSLY, UH, MOODY'S HAD DONE A LOT OF OUR BOND RATINGS OR HAD DONE THE MAJORITY OF OUR BOND RATINGS.
UH, AND THIS YEAR WE MOVED TO STANDARD AND POOR'S, UH, WE CAME IN, UH, TO THE LAST BOND SALE, UH, WITH A RATING OF A DOUBLE A MINUS.
SO IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE SCALE, TRIPLE A IS THE BEST AA PLUS AA AND AA MINUS.
SO WE HAD COME OUT OF A BOND SALE, UH, AT THE START OF THE YEAR AT A MINUS AA MINUS, AND WE MOVED TO AA.
SO WE CAME UP ONE LEVEL, UH, WITH THE SALE OF OUR BONDS, UH, JUST LAST MONTH.
SO WE'VE IMPROVED THERE AND, UH, WE'RE ON TARGET WITH THE 2025 PLAN.
AND WE'LL TALK TO THAT, UH, JUST BRIEFLY HERE, UH, IN A FEW MORE SLIDES.
SO, UH, WE'RE ON TARGET, UH, WITH, UH, WITH COUNCIL'S DIRECTORS FROM A FEW YEARS BACK, UM, AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN THOSE OBJECTIVES.
SO, UM, MOVING TO THE 2022 BUDGET, UH, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, UH, YOU WILL SEE THE, UH, OFFICIAL BUDGET, UH, SUBMITTAL AT THE WORK SESSION OF NOVEMBER 1ST, AND THAT WILL START THE CYCLE, UH, FOR THE BUDGET.
UH, AND, UH, ASSUMING THERE ARE NO MAJOR CHANGES FROM COUNCIL THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN ADOPTED
[00:25:01]
BUDGET ROLLING INTO THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.SO, UM, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE CHANGES THROUGH SOME EXTRA MEETINGS, UH, IN THERE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE, THE, THE BIG NUMBERS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT 88.7 IN REVENUE, UH, AND 93.3, UH, HEADED OUT THE DOOR, UM, PLEASE DON'T BE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DON'T BE SURPRISED BY THAT.
WE RECEIVED, LIKE I SAID, IN THE LAST SLIDE, A LOT OF REVENUE THAT CAME IN THIS YEAR, AND SO THAT REVENUE WILL BE SPENT NEXT YEAR, UH, IN A LITTLE BIT INTO 2023.
SO, UM, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE A NEGATIVE NUMBER IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON HAVING A NEGATIVE NUMBER, SO, OKAY.
TO HAVE A NEGATIVE NUMBER, IF THE YEAR PRIOR YOU HAD A POSITIVE NUMBER AND IN THIS INSTANCE, UH, THAT'S THE SITUATION WE'RE MOVING FROM.
UH, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS PLAY OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES ON PROJECTED FUND BALANCE GROWTH, GENERAL FUND, MOTOR VEHICLE, UH, AND GAS TAX.
WE'RE ALL, UH, PROJECTING THE POSITIVE FUND GROWTH, UH, THROUGH THE END OF 2022.
AND WE DO HAVE PLANNED FUND BALANCE REDUCTIONS, UH, IN SEVERAL FUNDS, POLICE, FIRE PARKS, LOCAL STREETS, WATER AND SEWER.
SO, UM, ALL OF THAT, UH, 2022 FOR US, IT'S GOING TO BE A FISCAL YEAR OF A STRONG AND STABLE CONDITION.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY IN A GOOD PLACE, UH, ROLLING INTO AND ROLLING THROUGH 20, 22 BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW UH, TODAY.
SO, UH, ONGOING COMMITMENTS, HUBER HEIGHTS DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF CONTINUING TO INVEST IN ITSELF AND ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THIS IS THE LIST OF, UH, THOSE INVESTMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS AN ONGOING, UM, INVESTMENT.
SO THESE ARE OUR, UH, INVESTMENTS THAT, UH, WE'VE SEEN PRIOR AND PREVIOUS BUDGETS, A COUPLE, UH, THINGS THAT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, FIRST OF ALL, FLEET VEHICLES, RIGHT? SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MOVING TO, UH, SO THAT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT, UH, WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE, BUT THAT IS A COMMITMENT THAT COUNCIL'S MADE, UH, TO, TO STAFF INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE ANNUAL STREET WORK, UM, COUNCIL, UH, IF YOU RECALL, UH, HAD ASKED WHEN THERE WERE MODIFICATIONS TO THE GAS TAX DISPERSEMENTS BACK IN 1819, UM, COUNCIL HAD ASKED FOR US TO LOOK AT INVESTING MORE INTO THE LOCAL STREETS PROGRAM.
SO TYPICALLY WE HAD INVESTED, UH, RIGHT 1.5 MILLION, UH, BECAUSE OF THE GAS TAX DISTRIBUTIONS.
NOW THAT THEY'VE COME IN, THERE'S AN EXTRA $700,000 THAT THROUGH THE GAS TAX FUND IS NOW BEING INVESTED INTO, UH, INTO THE LOCAL STREET PROGRAM.
SO, UH, CONTINUING TO, TO INVEST IN, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO ONE TIME COMMITMENTS AND ONE TIME, UH, ITEMS. UM, SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF PRE-PLANNING.
SO THE TAYLORSVILLE OLD TROY PIKE, WE'VE GOT SOME ENGINEERING COMING FOR THAT, THE CHAMBERSBURG WIDENING THAT'S IN THERE AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE GOT THE NEW WELL, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING A LADDER TRUCKS.
SO THE CURRENT ONE WAS PAID OFF NOT TOO LONG AGO, BUT, UH, UH, IT'S, IT'S AN AGED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND SO CHIEF KNISELY HAS ASKED AS PART OF HIS ROTATION TO HAVE BEEN IN THE BUDGET.
SO WE PUT THAT IN, UH, AND THEN, UH, PURSUANT TO PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH CITY COUNCIL.
WE'VE GOT THE WATER EXTENSION EAST AND THE SEWER EXTENSION, UH, EAST PROJECTS IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL.
SO, UH, THAT'S PART OF THAT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD HAD LAST SLIDE, MORE GOING OUT TO COMING IN.
AND THIS IS THE EXPLANATION TO THAT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME STAFFING CHANGES WITHIN THE BUDGET, UH, THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE NOTABLE.
SO WE WANT TO JUST KIND OF ROLL OVER THOSE FOR YOU REAL QUICK.
UM, OUR TAX ADMINISTRATOR HAS, UH, UH, PROVIDED HER A LETTER OF RETIREMENT, HER NOTICE OF RETIREMENT, UH, IN JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO IS WHEN WE PRESENT THE TABLE OF ORGANIZATION TO COUNCIL A LITTLE LATER THIS YEAR, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, UH, REQUEST A TEMPORARY DEPUTY POSITION.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A DEPUTY, UH, AND SHE WILL BE PROMOTED, BUT WE WANT TO BRING IN A NEW DEPUTY AS WELL.
SO WE CAN HAVE THE OUTGOING ADMITTED, THE OUTGOING TAX ADMINISTRATOR HERE, THE INCOMING TAX ADMINISTRATOR HERE, AND THE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ALL WORKING TOGETHER FOR A FEW MONTHS.
UH, SO WE CAN SUPPORT THAT TRANSITION AS, AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE'VE, UH, BUDGETED AN ADDITIONAL TAX TECHNICIAN.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, OFFSETTING REVENUE IN 2023.
SO, UM, SINCE THE LAST TIME, UM, CITY COUNCIL ADDED, UM, TO THE STAFF, THERE ARE 16,000 NEW ACCOUNTS, AND THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE INCURRED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, AND THERE ARE 15,000 DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS.
AND A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANSIENT RESIDENCY OF SOME OF OUR APARTMENTS AND SOME OF OUR MORE TEMPORARY HOUSING AS IT RELATES TO, UM, AS IT RELATES TO RIGHT PAT, UH, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT COUNCIL HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY, UM, IN THE PAST.
AND, UH, THAT PROCESS DEMONSTRATED NEW AND ADDITIONAL REVENUES THAT NOT ONLY COVERED THAT POSITION A FEW YEARS BACK, BUT ALSO INCREASED TOTAL REVENUE.
SO, UH, THE TAX DIVISION AND, UH, MR. BELL HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS AS WELL.
UH, AND BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS SUCCESS, UH, WITH THAT, WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN THE BUDGET, UH, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED AN ACCOUNTING GENERALIST AS MANY OF, YOU KNOW, UH, WE OPERATE, UM, ON, UH, WE PROVIDE FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS OVER NUMEROUS, UH, PARCELS.
SO RIGHT NOW, UH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON, UM, IN THE OFFICE
[00:30:01]
WHOSE JOB IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEDICATED TO THIS.AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE MANAGING OVER 3,500 ASSESSMENTS.
UH, WE'RE GETTING READY TO ADD, UM, SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE, UH, WITH A FEW DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, RECOUPING, UM, OR WE'RE MANAGING THIS PROCESS EFFECTIVELY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NOT DO IS WE DO NOT PROVIDE FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE AND THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE MANAGE.
SO WE ARE DOING THIS ALL, UM, ON OUR DON, SO TO SPEAK.
AND SO FOR, UH, WHAT WOULD BE RIGHT AROUND ONE AND A HALF PERCENT, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE THAT WOULD COVER THE COST FOR THIS ADDITIONAL PERSON.
SO WE WOULD SEE THAT ROLLED INTO REVENUES STARTING IN 2020 FOURTH.
COUNSEL WANTED TO PROCEED DOWN THIS ROAD.
UM, YOU HEARD THE CITY MANAGER TALK EARLIER TONIGHT ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, WEST PORT VILLAGE PROJECT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS, UM, AGREED TO DO IS ALLOW US TO ASSESS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE OR FOR PUBLIC WORKS EXPENSES IN THAT SUBDIVISION.
AND SO, UH, AS A RESULT, WE'VE, UH, INCLUDED FUNDING FOR A POSITION IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY ON THE TABLE OF ORGANIZATION, BUT NOT FUNDED.
SO WE HAVE PUT MONEY INTO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE WILL START COLLECTING, UH, THE REIMBURSABLE EXPENSE ON THAT STARTING IN 2023.
AND THEN COUNCIL HAD PREVIOUSLY TALKED ABOUT, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UH, STAFF IS WELL AWARE OF THAT REQUEST AND WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW TO ADVANCE THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE WANT TO BRING TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION IS THAT THE TABLE OF ORGANIZATION FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS FULLY FUNDED AND FULLY STAFFED A WEEK AGO.
AND SO PRIOR TO MAKING THE INVESTMENT IN WHAT THAT TRAFFIC DIVISION WOULD LOOK LIKE WITHOUT THESE RESOURCES, UH, WE WANTED TO GIVE THE CHIEF AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE HIS FULLY FUNDED AND A FULLY STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO WITH THE RESOURCES HE HAS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT COUNCIL ASKED HIM TO, UH, TO ADDRESS.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CHIEF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S BEING ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, THAT DIRECTIVE AND IF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NEEDED, UH, WE'LL BE BACK TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT THE 2022 BUDGET HAS, UH, AT LEAST PERSONNEL WISE THAT THAT'S NOTABLE FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION.
AND SO JUST ON THAT NOTE THOUGH, SO HAS IT BEEN A LONG TIME THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE HAD A FULLY FUNDED POLICE FORCE JUST FOR A MATTER OF TIME? I MEAN, I, AND I GET IT, WE HAVE RETIREMENTS AND THEN WE TRY TO HIRE PEOPLE, BUT I KNOW THAT IS NOT A, IT'S NOT AN EASY POSITION TO HIRE FOR, BUT IF WE'VE BEEN A LONG TIME.
AND SO NOW THAT WE HAVE A FULLY FUNDED STAFF, SO IT KIND OF DO WE HAVE, THOSE ARE THOSE THREE HOURS IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US.
THREE OFFICERS ARE KIND OF HERE NOW THAT THEY WEREN'T, BEFORE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE NEEDED.
I MEAN, KIND OF, UM, SO YEAH, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE LAST TIME THE POLICE WEREN'T WAS FULLY FUNDED AND FULLY STAFFED.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT DATE WAS, UM, AND THIS YEAR AND A CHIEF KNISELY CAN ATTEST TO THIS AS WELL, BUT HYDRATING IS TOUGH OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, SUCCESSFUL IN FILLING THESE POSITIONS AND THAT ONE, IT'S A GREAT TESTAMENT TO OUR DEPARTMENTS HERE IN HUMAN RIGHTS, THAT PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO COME HERE AND STAY HERE.
WE'RE NOT LOSING PEOPLE AS MUCH TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE'RE LOSING TO RETIREMENTS, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, THAT, AND THAT WAS THE POINT OF, UH, THAT MR.
AND I KNOW CHIEF WAS HERE WHEN WE HAD OUR TRAFFIC TOWN HALL AND HE HAD DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE THAT WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES WE WERE HAVING.
AND THIS COUNCIL HAS MADE SOME COMMITMENTS TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT MAYBE THERE ARE OKAY, IS THERE THREE OFFICERS NOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE, BUT, BUT I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE, THE, UM, I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE RESOURCES TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSION TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE METRICS ARE AND DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL? UM, SO, SO WE KNOW WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE, UH, OR IF BEING FULLY FUNDED AND FULLY STAFFED.
NOW WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SOME COMMITMENTS TO PEOPLE AS, AS A COUNCIL BASED ON THE CONCERNS OUR RESIDENTS HAD.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
SO, UM, BEING MINDFUL OF THAT, UM, WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME TAX GROWTH THAT WE PROJECTED IN 2022, AT LEAST THE START OF IT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MARY AND MATT, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH
[00:35:01]
THAT, UH, THAT PROJECT, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING DOWN.UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT TRYING TO PUT SOME THINGS BACK UP OLD DOMINION.
OBVIOUSLY THE WALLS ARE GOING UP, UM, ON THAT PROJECT.
UH, SO THAT'LL BE COMING ON THE TAX ROLL.
UH, WE'RE GETTING READY TO, UH, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START WORK, UH, ON THE LAYMAN FARM IN 2022.
UH, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UH, WITH THE HORIZON LINE FOLKS RIGHT NOW AND THE LAST OF THEIR, UH, DUE DILIGENCE SO THAT WE CAN SCHEDULE CLOSE HERE, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN THE HUBER HEIGHTS CROSSING.
THOSE ARE SEVERAL OF THE CASES, UH, HUBER HEIGHTS CROSSING AN OLD TROY AND TAYLORSVILLE.
THERE'S A, SEVERAL OF THE CASES THAT IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, WE'LL BE SEEING A, AT THEIR NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN THE CHAMBERSBURG HOUSE, I MET WESTPORT VILLAGE PROJECT.
UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY FULL BUILD OUT, BUT, UH, THIS IS WHAT WILL BE COMING, STARTING NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE STARTING $138 MILLION WHERE THE TAXABLE PROPERTY PROJECTS, UH, IN 2022.
AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW OF TODAY.
SO, UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, UH, GETTING OFF THE GROUND IN 2022, UM, IN ADDITION TO JUST BEING ABLE TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR NEXT YEAR AND THAT STRONG AND STABLE CONDITION.
SO, UH, SPEAKING OF WHICH, UM, UH, FOR THE, THE 2022 BUDGET, UM, GOOD FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, UH, OUR THOUGHTS ARE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THAT STRONG AND STABLE FINANCIAL PLATFORM THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THIS BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REALLY FOCUS ON SOME OF OUR MONEY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO ENSURE THAT WE SUBMIT, UH, THAT NEW BOND RATING, RIGHT? SO THAT BOND RATING IS RELATIVELY NEW, BUT WE'VE GOT SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO DO AS A COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO WE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A PUBLIC PRESENCE, A PUBLIC FACILITY PRESENCE OVER AT, UM, OVER AT MARION MEADOWS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO OUT AND BORROW MONEY FOR IT.
SO, UH, IT'S MUCH CHEAPER TO BORROW MONEY IN A AA RATING THAN IT IS THAT A AA MINUS RATING OR, OR SOMETHING LOWER THAN THAT.
SO, UM, WE ALSO WANT TO, UH, REDUCE OUR DEBT.
SO ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE, UH, WE HAD A BIG WINDFALL BECAUSE OF THE COVID, UH, BECAUSE OF COVID BENEFITS WAS, UH, THE SHUTTER VENUES GRANT.
SO WE BROUGHT IN ON THE, UH, OVER 5 MILLION PUSHING $6 MILLION, UM, AND IN GRANT PROCEEDS FROM THAT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THE REASON WE WERE ABLE TO GARNER THAT NUMBER HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THAT FACILITY AND HOW MUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WE INVESTED IN IT AND HOW MUCH WE HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BONDED OUT FOR THAT FACILITY.
SO BASED ON THE SVG OR THE, UH, SHUTTER VENUES GRANT, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND THE REVENUE THAT WE CONTINUED TO SEE COMING IN THROUGH THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY TIFF, UH, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO BRING THAT DEBT DOWN AND BRING IT DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH, UH, ANDY BRASSARD, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND CHRIS BRONSMAN, UH, OUR, UH, SPECIAL COUNSEL SEE ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN GET AS MUCH OF THAT ROSE DEBT PAID OFF AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN AVERT, UH, THAT LONGTERM INTEREST EXPENSE THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TO PAY NOW THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THAT AGAIN, IMPROVING OUR CONDITION AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE LARGER ISSUES THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADDRESS, UM, MENTIONING THE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
UH, IF THOSE ARE, UH, IF THOSE OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL HAVE NOT BEEN AT THE FACILITY RECENTLY, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP BY AND TAKE A LOOK.
IT IS, UM, NOT IN THE BEST SHAPE.
UH, AND, UH, I THINK WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY OWE IT TO, UH, TO OURSELVES TO BEGIN MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, WITH THAT NEW FACILITY.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A, UH, A COMMITMENT TO COUNCILS MADE AND IS BEHIND.
AND SO, UH, WE AS STAFF WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT IN THE NEXT BUDGET TO BEGIN DOING THAT SO THAT MIKE AND HIS TEAM HAVE A GOOD FACILITY THAT THEY CAN WORK OUT OF AND PROTECT THE INVESTMENTS AND THE ASSETS THAT COUNCIL, UH, PROVIDE.
SO, UH, WE WE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THAT.
AND THEN YOU HEARD ME TALK EARLIER AT THE START OF THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE 20, 25 PLAN.
WE HAVE TWO LEVIES THAT ARE COMING UP RENEWABLE IN 2024 AND 2025.
UH, IT'S A 0.2, 5% INCOME TAX EACH, THEY GENERATE ROUGHLY $2 MILLION, UH, AND THOSE ARE CRUCIAL MEASURES FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY EXPECT US TO PROVIDE.
UH, AND SO WHEN WE'RE PLANNING AHEAD, WHEN WE'RE THINKING AHEAD, 2023 IS OBVIOUSLY THE TARGET YEAR FOR THE 2024 RENEWAL, UH, IN 2024 FOR 2025.
UH, WHAT'S NOT ON THE SLIDE IS THAT 2022 IS ALSO THE LAST YEAR OF OUR CURRENT LABOR CONTRACTS.
SO LATER IN 2022, WE'LL BE SITTING DOWN WITH, UH, WITH ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOLKS AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
SO BEING IN THE STRONG AND STABLE FINANCIAL CONDITION FOR 2022 REALLY ENABLES US TO WORK WITH OUR UNIONS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON BOARD, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH WHERE WE SEE THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION GOING AND HOW THEY CAN BE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTOR, UH, TO EXERCISING THE 20, 25 PLAN.
SO THAT'S THE 20, 22 BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL.
UH, THAT'S A LOT OF THE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS THAT WENT INTO, UH, HOW WE PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER
[00:40:01]
AND, UH, MYSELF AND MR. FOUL, CASSIE, MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE DOCUMENT.UH, THANKS, BRIAN, ALL GREAT NEWS.
UM, UH, JUST FROM A SUMMARY PERSPECTIVE, WHEN WE GET INTO THE BUDGET, THE DETAILS AND THE POWERPOINTS, I MEAN, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, UH, MUCH MORE DETAILED, BUT BEING ABLE TO JUST KIND OF SEE IT IN A, JUST A NICE SUMMARY THIS WAY, IT REALLY HELPS, UM, UNDERSTAND IT.
AND WE CAN MAKE THIS PUBLIC FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THIS.
IT'S VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND THE DOLLARS IN THE, IN THE SENTENCE.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE, THE BIG ITEM THAT STICKS OUT HERE IS THE COMMITMENT TO THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
I THINK WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH WE DO KNOW THAT'S NEEDED.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF EVEN HIRING RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, WITH MIKE AT THE VOLUNTEER DINNER WAS, AND YOU LOOK, IF I COULD HEAR IT THROUGH WHERE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, I GOT AN, A PLACE TO PUT THEM.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS FACILITY TO ALLOW THE EXTRA RESOURCES THAT MIKE IN OUR AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NEEDS.
SO I THINK THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO AND REALLY JUST LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PROCESS AND SEEING DESIGNS AND WHATEVER, THE, WHATEVER THE PROCESS THAT STAFF NEEDS DO TO PUT TOGETHER, TO BRING A PACKAGE BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN FAST ENOUGH, RICHARD, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
FIRST I'LL CONTINUE ON THE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
I KNOW THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN TALKING, UM, UH, AT LEAST EIGHT MONTHS ON A PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, IF NOT LONGER THAN THAT, UM, MAYOR TO YOUR POINT, UH, SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER, I'D LIKE TO HAVE ALREADY SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE PLANS TAKE PLACE.
UM, I KNOW WHEN I STARTED ON THE COUNCIL IN 2016, I WAS AT THE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY DURING MY CITY TOUR, AND THEN I'VE SEEN IT JUST RECENTLY AND IT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER.
WE AS A COUNCIL AND AS A CITY CONTINUE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVE AND APPROPRIATE NEW, UH, FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT OVER THERE THAT IS BEING LEFT OUT, UM, HAVE VARIOUS SPOTS WITH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, TO YOUR POINT, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NEEDS ADDITIONAL STAFFING IN MY OPINION.
UM, BUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PUT THEM IN? UH, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL HAS TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, EIGHT MONTHS IF NOT LONGER.
UM, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO GET ON A FAST TRACK AND MOVE THAT FORWARD.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
UM, AS FAR AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE TRAFFIC CONTROL UNIT.
UM, IF, UM, UH, IF THE CURRENT CHIEF, UH, IS, UH, HAPPY WITH THE STAFFING LEVELS, I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO HAVE A, UM, A REPORT OR SOMETHING, UH, FROM HIM AT LEAST BY THE END OF THE, UH, FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR ON TO DETERMINE HOW A NEW, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDED, FULLY FUNDED AND FULLY STAFFED UP POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE SOME CHANGES IN THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MANTRA OF TRAFFIC UNIT.
UM, THAT'S JUST, AGAIN, JUST A PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION FOR ME.
UM, I'M GOING TO LEAVE MY OTHER STAFFING, UM, INQUIRY TO MR. LYONS TO ASK KAREN A. LITTLE BIT, UM, AS FAR AS THE COVID 19 REVENUE, UM, BRIAN, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, UM, TO, UM, ON A SHEET OF PAPER SOMEHOW SOME WAY TO LIST OUT THE CARES ACT FUNDING, THE SHUTTER VENUE FUNDING, THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND WILL BE RECEIVING AND WHAT THOSE FUNDS WILL BE SPENT ON.
UM, BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF INQUIRIES FROM RESIDENTS, I THINK GOING INTO THE BUD BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT COUNCIL ON WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED, WHAT'S BEEN SPENT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PAY OUT.
I THINK THAT PLAYS A LOT INTO THE EXPENSE AND REVENUE THAT YOU POINTED OUT IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED REPORT ON THAT, UM, AS WELL.
UM, THE ONGOING PROJECTS, UM, I KNOW YOU HAD TALKED A LOT ABOUT ANNUAL STREETS.
UM, I, UH, UM, I CHAMPIONED ALONG WITH MR. OTTO AND MR. CAMPBELL, UM, I BELIEVE BACK IN 20 18, 20 19 ON A 20 OR 25% INCREASE TO THAT.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD CHALLENGE STAFF TO SEE IF WE CAN EVEN INCREASE THAT EVEN FURTHER.
UM, I KNOW, UM, I HAD ALREADY HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WATER LINING, UM, UH, CHALLENGE TO MR. BERGMAN ON WHAT WE CAN DO FURTHER ON THAT AS WELL AS OUR SIDEWALK PROGRAM.
UM, AND, UH, WELL, UM, BUT, UH, BUT, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS INITIALLY, UM, THAT, UH, HAS COME OFF THIS REPORT, I'M EAGER TO SEE, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL STAFF BREAKDOWN, UM, UH, REPORTS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND COMPARE THAT NOT ONLY TO OUR JUNE DISCUSSION WHEN WE DISCUSSED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE INCORPORATED GOING INTO 2022, BRIAN, THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, SIR.
I'VE SAID THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR AND WELL DONE.
I WOULD JUMP ON A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT MR. SHAW SAID, BUT I WANT TO KEEP THIS BRIEF AND SAY THAT, UH, I DO, UH, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THIS AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE THESE THREE BULLET ITEMS ON THE SUMMARY PAGE.
UM, I THINK THOSE ARE CRUCIAL, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT FOCUS ON THOSE, THOSE PARTICULAR
[00:45:01]
ITEMS. SO THANK YOU.UM, UH, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, UH, WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT QUITE A BIT.
UM, IT'S SLOW GOING, BUT IT'S DELIBERATE, UH, MAYOR, UH, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, ADDED PERSONNEL THERE.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEE, UM, WHAT OUR STAFFING LEVELS ARE AND, UH, WHAT THE NEW STAFFING LEVEL, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THREE POSSIBLE POLICE OFFICERS.
UM, SO I I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT THAT WOULD DO, UM, TO OUR, UM, CITY, UH, AS FAR AS ADDED PROTECTION, UH, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH, WITH THAT MORE WE'RE HAVING, UM, MORE BUILDING IN THE CITY WE'RE GROWING AND, UM, CERTAINLY POLICE DEPARTMENT PROTECTION AND COVERAGES, UH, VITAL TO THAT, UH, KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR STREETS SAFE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT TO THIS COUNCIL, THAT FIRE STATION 25 WAS BUILT BY PREVIOUS COUNCIL.
AND I HAPPENED TO BE ON THAT COUNCIL AND VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UH, WE'VE ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO, UH, OUR STAFFING LEVELS, UM, AFTER IT WAS BUILT.
UM, I BROUGHT THAT ISSUE UP LAST YEAR, UH, WITH, UH, LACK OF FILL POSITIONS.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, WE HAD TWO FIRE STATIONS AND, UM, SO COUNCILS FROM ONE COUNCIL TO THE NEXT BUILDS ON THAT.
AND WE GO THROUGH HIGHS AND WE GO THROUGH LOWS.
AND, UH, ONE THING HIS HISTORY TELLS US IS THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOW SOMEWHERE COMING UP.
SO THE BEST IDEA IS TO, UH, HANDLE THE HIGHS AS BEST WE CAN STRATEGICALLY, UH, FOR LONG-TERM PLANNING.
UM, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A NEW FIRE STATION, UH, 25 HAVING ONLY ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, UH, BASED ON OUR POSITIVE, UH, FUNDS FOR LAST YEAR, UH, AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE, WHICH IS NICE TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, THE BUDGET WAS REALLY EASY FOR TWO STRAIGHT.
WHAT WAS IT LAST YEAR? IT WAS THIS AMOUNT.
OKAY, LET'S DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS? NOPE, LET'S GO ONTO THE NEXT ISSUE.
IT WAS LITERALLY THAT QUICK OF DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE HAD NO MONEY AND WE WERE, UH, FIGHTING ATTRITION WHEN WE WERE NOT FILLING POSITIONS IN THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE FIGHTING ATTRITION AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE DOING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO RIFF A SINGLE EMPLOYEE AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT OUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT THAT TIME THAT I CAME ON HAD THAT PLAN IN PLACE AND IT WAS WONDERFUL.
UM, BUT IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE RIGHT NOW ON COUNCIL.
AND IT'S NICE TO GET TO THIS POINT.
UM, BUT MAYOR, UH, WITH THE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, SINCE THE STATION'S BEEN BUILT, UH, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY, I THINK NOT ONLY CAN WE DO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALSO ADD THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO THAT STAFFING LEVEL FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HELP, UM, INCREASE THE STAFFING LEVELS FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I HOPE YOU JOIN ME ON THAT IN YOUR SUPPORT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WOULD BE HUGE IN GETTING THAT INTO THIS BUDGET, IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL.
I THINK WE CAN PRE THERE'S NOTHING I'VE SEEN THAT WE, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO FINANCIALLY.
SO CERTAINLY I'VE UM, SO WE'LL MAKE IT CLEAR.
AND I THINK ALL OF US SUPPORT AND HAVE SUPPORTED, UH, ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS AND FROM A POLICE AND FIRE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THE KIND OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE NOW IS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD VERY GOOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF, OF, OF THE CITY COFFERS.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, IN CHIEF YOU'RE HERE.
SO IF YOU COME TO SCOTT AND SCOTT COMES TO ME IN THIS COUNCIL AND SAYS, BECAUSE YOU'VE SAID I'M, SHORT-STAFFED, OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE LOWER.
UM, WHATEVER THE CASE IS, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
THAT'S A VERY SERIOUS DISCUSSION.
AND I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE FORESIGHT KNOWING THE TYPE OF DIFFICULTIES WE'VE HAD IN TRYING TO HIRE AND FILL ALL THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TIME, UH, PROJECTED OUTWARD TO KNOW, OKAY.
I THINK WE MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW BY NOT HAVING THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED.
SO WE GOT TO START THIS PROCESS NOW, I THINK I'M, AND I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO WHATEVER THOSE DISCUSSIONS BRING IN, WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, UH, FROM CHIEF CHIEF NICELY.
IT'S THE SAME AS I WANT TO HEAR FROM,
[00:50:01]
UH, FROM THE POLICE, FROM THE POLICE CHIEF AS WELL.BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SOME OF THOSE COMMITMENTS AND I WANT TO SH AND, AND PUBLICLY WE'VE MADE THOSE COMMITMENTS.
WE HAD A TOWN HALL WHERE WE INVITED PEOPLE HERE AND IT WAS MADE PUBLIC AND, AND EVERYBODY AGREED THAT WE NEED TO DO SOME THINGS THERE.
SO PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UH, IF, IF, IF THE, IF THE CHIEFS COME BACK AND SAY, I NEED PEOPLE, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL SUPPORT OPENLY, PUBLICLY FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNCIL WOULD DO THAT AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE JUST, BUT WE'VE GOT, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO, UM, I WILL USE, I MEAN, CHIEF, CAN YOU GIVE US A, AN UPDATE JUST IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE FROM, BECAUSE THE, THE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE ALLOTTED OR WE FUNDED BACK IN 2018, I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BROUGHT US TO 39.
IF THAT WAS, THAT WAS A NUMBER, I THINK THERE WAS 36 IN 20 17, 20 18, WE ADDED THREE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN 39.
WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THE 39? HOW MANY, HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ATTRITION, HOW MANY HAVE WE HIRED? HOW MANY HAVE WE HIRED HER THIS YEAR? UM, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN THE CHIEF, UH, SO WHERE DOES, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? AND THEN THAT WILL HELP START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, DO WE NEED MORE? AND IF WE NEED MORE, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND YOU.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OFF, UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT, UH, BE VERY RARE THAT WE WOULD EVER, YOU KNOW, TURN DOWN ANYTHING.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION RIGHT NOW, UH, LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU, TALK ABOUT BEING WILLING TO GIVE US BODIES.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY IN EIGHT MONTHS WE'VE DONE A LOT, UH, UM, WE'VE REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
SO YOU FIGURE, I WAS, UH, I WAS TAKING A COUPLE NOTES HERE.
UM, SO THIS YEAR ALONE, WE HAVE HAD FOUR RETIREMENTS.
UH, THE LAST ONE WAS, UH, WAS A DISABILITY THAT WE ENDED UP COMING UP WITH AN AGREEMENT.
AND THEN MAY, WAS HIS LAST DAY, UH, THIS YEAR.
SO FAR, WE HAVE HIRED ANN AND I HAVE NOT BROUGHT EVERYBODY, UH, FORWARD BECAUSE INITIALLY THERE WAS COVID AND THEN WE'LL BE KIND OF THOUGHT WAS, IS THAT WE GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD THIS YEAR AND WE'LL BRING THEM ALL UP AND INTRODUCE EVERYBODY.
UH, THIS YEAR WE HAVE HIRED FIVE PEOPLE SO FAR, SO THAT'S FIVE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEY'RE ACTIVELY OUT DELIVERING SERVICE TODAY.
I'VE GOT ONE MORE AND I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT LUNCH, UH, I WAS HECKLING OUR HR PERSON BECAUSE OUR PROCESS TAKES A WHILE.
THERE IS, THERE IS, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S ALL THE BACKGROUNDS, THERE'S ALL THIS STUFF.
TALKING TO THE CITY OF KETTERING'S FIRE CHIEF AT A, AT A MEETING THE OTHER DAY, THEIR PROCESS IS ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
OURS IS FOUR OR FIVE, SIX, AND IT ALL DEPENDS.
AND THEN YOU START HEARING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT GOT HIRED, THAT WE TURNED DOWN AND YOU START THINKING, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY THINK THAT WHOEVER BECOMES THE FIRE CHIEF HERE IN 15 YEARS, HE NEEDS TO BUY ME DINNER ONCE A WEEK OR SOMETHING BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET, MAKE SURE WE HAVE.
SO ANYWAYS, TODAY AT LUNCH WE HAVE ANOTHER BOY THAT IS READY TO TURN IN THIS TWO WEEKS.
WE ARE JUST, UH, WE'RE WAITING FOR A DOCTOR TO COME INTO THE OFFICE AND SIGN OFF ON THE PAPERWORK.
SO I WAS REALLY HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PERSON THAT'S, THAT'S GETTING READY TO START.
SO WE HAVE FIVE, WE HAVE SIX THAT HOPEFULLY TOMORROW MORNING, WE'RE GOING TO CROSS THE CROSS THE THRESHOLD.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE MORE OPENING TO FILL, TO GET US TO WHERE WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT STAFF.
WE'RE WAITING ON THE BACKGROUND PROCESS AND THIS PERSON TO FINISH THEIR PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS JUST TAKING A TEST.
UM, AND THEN ONCE WE GET FULL STAFFING, I HAVE A RETIREMENT, UH, NOVEMBER, OF COURSE, YOU'RE RETIRING WITH, I WANT SAY 31 YEARS OF SERVICE.
SO THEN I'VE GOT ANOTHER POSITION WHICH WE HAVE ANOTHER BACKGROUND THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY DOING.
THAT PERSON WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE, UH, TAKE THE, UH, PARAMEDIC EXAM UNTIL DECEMBER.
UM, SO THEN WE GET THAT POSITION FILLED.
AND THEN IN JULY, I THINK JULY 1ST, OR SOMETIME IN JULY, I HAVE ANOTHER POSITION THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO RETIRE BECAUSE THEY DID THE DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION.
AND AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN THAT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, UH, THAT'S A PENSION REGULATION.
SO WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY BUSY HIRING.
WE HAD ONE PERSON THAT WE HAD RIGHT AT THE THRESHOLD.
UH, THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO THE CITY OF DAYTON.
UH, THEY WERE, THEY LIKED EVERYTHING THEY SAW.
WE EVEN TOOK THEM ON A FIRE THAT WE HAD THAT DAY.
AND WE HAD THEM, UH, FOUR DAYS TO THE START DATE.
AND HE CAME IN AND SAID, I WAS IN THE OREGON DISTRICT THERE AT NIGHT.
AND I SAW TWO DATE AND LADDER TRUCKS GO INTO A FIRE.
I'VE GOT ONE FOR THE CITY OF DATE.
SO WE'VE GOTTEN SOME PEOPLE, RIGHT, RIGHT.
I STILL HAVE HIS CUSTOM HELMET SHIELD FRUSTRATES ME EVERY TIME I SEE IT.
UH, SO ANYWAY, SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF HIRING AND, AND MY, MY PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN, AND I, I TRY TO TALK, WE'VE DONE A LOT AS ME BEING THE NEW CHIEF, UH, CHIEF ASHWORTH WAS, WAS, WAS GREAT TO WORK FOR.
[00:55:01]
I'VE WORKED FOR A VARIETY OF PEOPLE, BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE BOUGHT INTO IS A LOT OF COMMUNICATION.SO WE TRY TO MEET WITH OUR COMMAND STAFF.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MEET MONTHLY EVERY MORNING.
THERE'S AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR OF US WITH ONE GOING OFF DUTY, ONE COMING ON.
AND THEN BATTALION CHIEF RUSSELL WAS MY ADMIN GUY.
SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF TALKING.
AND THE ONE THING THAT WE'VE ALL AGREED TO IS IS THAT I CAN'T COME TO YOU IN GOOD FAITH AND SAY, GIVE US MORE BODIES BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THAT FULL POINT YET.
UH, LIKE I SAID, IN LABOR MANAGEMENT, TALKING TO THE UNION, THEY, THEY, THE UNION PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY TREASURER, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN IN LABOR MANAGEMENT, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BECAUSE THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION OR AT LEAST I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY ONE OF THE SMALL REASONS WHY IS BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE NOW IT'S, WE'VE, I'VE, I'VE GROWN UP IN THIS SYSTEM BECAUSE AS MR. LYONS WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ON A WHILE BACK, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY CUT HERE, CUT HERE, CUT HERE.
SO WE'VE ALL KIND OF LEARNED TO LIVE THAT, THAT WAY.
SO WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, AND I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH OUR, THE ENTIRE FIRE DIVISION OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY NOW WANTS TO KNOW WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE AT IN FIVE YEARS? AND I CAN TELL YOU, ONE OF MY FEARS IS THAT WHERE WE WERE AT EIGHT MONTHS AGO, LOOKING, THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW, IN FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE LOOKING GRANTED ENOUGH.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PROBLEMS, A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON.
SO WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING IS THIS YEAR, I WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO COME AND SAY, I NEED THREE MORE PEOPLE.
I NEED MY NINE MORE PEOPLE, 12 MORE PEOPLE, WHATEVER THAT IS.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS BE IN THE POSITION FOR NEXT YEAR, AT THIS TIME, TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT A PLAN TO WHERE IF WE ADD THREE BODIES THIS YEAR, IS THAT ENOUGH? IS IT TOO MUCH? OR IF I ASKED FOR SIX, IS IT THAT MUCH OR TOO MUCH? AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE COLLECTING SOME VERY GOOD DATA AND WE'RE, WE'VE GOT OUR EYE ON THE PRIZE.
UH, AS I TOLD OUR PEOPLE TODAY, IS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE WORKLOAD THAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASED WORKLOAD.
UM, TODAY FOR AN EXAMPLE, AS OF 5:51 PM, WE HAD 16 CALLS SO FAR TODAY WITH ANOTHER 13, 13 AND A HALF HOURS TO GO IN THAT SHIFT.
SO THAT'S A LOT, THAT'S A LOT OF CALLS.
WHEN I, WHEN I STARTED HERE, THERE WERE SOME WEEKENDS WHERE THE WHOLE DIVISION MIGHT TAKE TWO OR THREE CALLS AND THAT, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE.
SO WHAT MY COMMITMENT TO YOU IS IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO TRACK, WE'RE TRACKING SIMULTANEOUS CALLS.
HOW MANY CALLS, HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE ONE MEDIC OUT HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE TWO VEHICLES OUT? HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE 3, 4, 5, 6.
AND I THINK BRIAN, THAT THE STATS ARE JUST KIND OF SHOWING BRIAN, CAUSE I WAS TRYING TO GET SOME INPUT ON STATS.
I THINK WE, WE, WE HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE WE HAD ACTUALLY SEVEN INCIDENTS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS, AS WE WERE TALKING TODAY IS WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS, ARE THE INCREASES WE'RE SEEING NOW? IS IT BECAUSE POST COVID SUMMERTIME, WE'VE ALWAYS SEEN AN INCREASE AND THEN SEPTEMBER THE CALL START DROPPING OFF.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT START DROPPING OFF YET.
SO I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AROUND NEXT, NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME AND BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME VERY COMPREHENSIVE NUMBERS INTO WHAT OUR GROWTH IS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I CAN TELL YOU THE LAST TIME CHIEF ASHWORTH MET AND TODAY ARE, ARE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST GOT THESE THREE BODIES, WE THOUGHT, NO, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GONNA LOOK REALLY GOOD.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE STARTED SEEING THIS GROWTH.
SO WE ARE SEEING GROWTH, BUT WE'RE ALSO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT UNMANAGEABLE.
EVERYBODY AROUND US IS SEEING SOME GROWTH IN SOME OF OUR CALLS ARE HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS OUT.
AND WHEN WE'RE HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS OUT, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE MAY NEED TO CALL ANOTHER NEIGHBOR IN AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH EVERY COMMUNITY AROUND US.
SO I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'VE GONE TO DAYTON PROBABLY 30 MORE TIMES THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE'VE GONE TO RIVERSIDE 19 MORE TIMES THIS YEAR AND THE EMS VEHICLES, BUT WE'VE ALSO PULLED ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN MORE.
SO IT'S KIND OF, IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN INSURANCE POLICY WITH OUR MUTUAL AID PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AND WE'VE HELPED OUR NEIGHBOR.
AND THEN ANOTHER NEIGHBOR ENDS UP COMING IN AND WE ALL KIND OF ENDED UP SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.
SO I HOPE I KIND OF ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION IS, IS THAT I DEFINITELY DON'T SEE US COMING, NOT COMING AND ASKING FOR MORE PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S JUST RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE FOUR MEDICS ON THE ROAD EVERY DAY THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR STAFFING, WE ARE AUTHORIZED TOTAL OF 17 PEOPLE A SHIFT TODAY.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO 17 PEOPLE ACROSS THE BOARD RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE, I HAVE A SUPERVISOR THAT'S GOT, UH, HAD HAD AN OFF DUTY INJURY AND IS GOING TO BE OFF FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
I HAVE A FIREFIGHTER THAT HAS BEEN OFF SINCE MARCH, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET HIM BACK IN FEBRUARY.
UH, ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT INJURY.
I HAVE ANOTHER OFFICE SUPERVISOR THAT HAD JUST FRACTURED, UH, FRACTURED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE OFFERED SEVERAL DAYS.
UH, I, I'M TRYING TO THINK THAT I'VE ALSO GOT A COUPLE COVID PEOPLE.
SO ALL THE STAFFING THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS I REALLY WANT TO GET US UP TO THAT FULL STAFFING LEVEL, GET THOSE
[01:00:01]
FOUR MEDICS ON THE ROAD WITH 17 BODIES.WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE THREE PEOPLE OFF BEFORE I BRING IN OVERTIME.
SO THAT MEANS RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE GET TO FULL STAFFING, WE'LL BE AT 14 UNTIL WE GET TO THAT LEVEL.
OUR OVERTIME BUDGET WOULD NOT SUPPORT HAVING 14 A DAY AS A MINIMUM.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR, WITH OUR, WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, WITH THE LABOR GROUP, THE LABOR GROUP MAKES IT NICE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO MEET WITH ALL 54 EMPLOYEES EVERY MONTH I CAN MEET WITH THE LABOR GROUP AND THEY CAN KIND OF HELP HELP ME GET THAT INFORMATION OUT.
SO ONCE WE GET TO THAT FULL STAFFING, THE OTHER THING FULL STAFFING IS GOING TO DO FOR US IS WE'RE GOING TO SEE INCREASE IN FOURTH MEDIC CALLS.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME MORE TRUE NUMBERS.
WE'RE ALSO PROBABLY GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE COME IN BECAUSE INSTEAD OF OUR NEIGHBORS COMING IN AND MAKING THE TRANSPORTS, UH, WE WILL BE MAKING THE TRANSPORTS.
AND RIGHT NOW I THINK OUR TRANSPORT, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE EMS CALLS THAT WE TAKE, YOU LOOK AT EVERY CALL WE TAKE, AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ACTUALLY COLLECT WE'RE IN THAT 3 5300 $60 PER TRANSPORT.
SO WE GO AND GET THAT FOURTH MEDIC ON THE ROAD.
THAT'LL BE ON AVERAGE, ANOTHER 300 AND SOME DOLLARS EVERY TRANSPORT.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO OFFSET A LITTLE BIT OF THIS TOO.
DO YOU HAVE, UM, DATA ON OUR RESPONSE TIMES? I MEAN, HOW, I MEAN, SO THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IT CAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES DO WE GOT ENOUGH PEOPLE OR NOT IS HOW FAST ARE WE GETTING TO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE WHEN THEY CALL HIM AND HE'D HELP? YES.
UH, IN OUR RESPONSE TIME, THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'RE FINDING WITH OUR RESPONSE TIMES IS, IS THAT WE KNOW OUR GUYS ARE GETTING OUT THE DOOR FAST.
UH, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW, OR SOME CLARITY OR SOME CLERICAL ISSUES.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FINE TUNE THAT.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME TIMES WE HAVE SOME TIMES WHERE, UH, THE MEDIC AT STATION 25 NEEDS TO BE PULLED, PULLED DOWN TO BRANT CHAMBERSBURG, AND IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT FOR IT TO GET THERE.
SO THE RESPONSE TIMES ARE CERTAINLY A BIG FACTOR, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME THINGS THAT I WILL SAY THAT WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO REDUCE BECAUSE WE CAN'T PUT ENOUGH BODIES AT STATION 22 TO COVER ALL THOSE CALLS, RIGHT? SO WE ENDED UP KIND OF PULLING PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER NUMBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS A REAL QUICK RUNDOWN IS STATION 25 HAS ONLY TAKEN ABOUT 18% OF THE CALLS.
SO WHEN WE GO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO START LOOKING AT TOO, IS WE ALWAYS SAID WE WOULD PUT OUR EXTRA BODIES AT STATION 25, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO KIND OF GET SOME NUMBERS OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT PUTTING MORE PEOPLE UP THERE TO TAKE LESS CALLS.
THERE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE IDEAS FOR WHERE WE PUT THESE BODIES DOWN SOUTH, REDUCE THE WORKLOAD OF THE REST OF THE MANPOWER AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE TO FIGHT FIRE AND TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF MORE LIKE, I JUST HAVE A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM A RESIDENT THAT I MET OVER THE WEEKEND, THEY WERE, UM, STRUGGLING.
THEY BELIEVED THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK AND THEIR WIFE CALLED NINE 11.
AND, UH, SHE FELT THE NEED TO PUT HIM ON THE PHONE.
AND HE SAID, BY THE TIME I HUNG UP, THE MEDIC WAS PULLING UP IN THE, UM, IN THE DRIVEWAY.
AND, UH, IT WAS GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH, UM, REHABILITATION AND HELPING WITH THE HEART CONDITIONING AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND HE WANTED ME TO TELL YOU NEXT TIME I SAW YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, HE SAID IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A MATTER OF MINUTES.
UH, HE STILL ON THE PHONE TALKING AND GOT TO SHOW UP.
SO, UH, FROM A RESPONSE TIME, THAT SEEMS VERY GOOD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO PASS ALONG THOSE THANK YOUS FROM, FROM THIS RESIDENCE I TALKED TO ON SATURDAY.
SO ON BEHALF OF THEM, THANK YOU.
AND THANK THE, THANK EVERYONE THAT WORKS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR WHAT THEY DO.
SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOME MORE TO THAT, AND I, AGAIN, I CERTAINLY AM OPEN TO ANY DISCUSSION THAT WE, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE REGARDING STAFFING.
UM, SO, UH, APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR.
UM, COUNCILMAN HILL CAME IN, I DON'T KNOW, REMEMBER HOW MUCH HE HAD HEARD, BUT CHIEF, UM, SOME OF THE DETAILS I GIVE AND I JUST WANT TO VERIFY, CAUSE COMING FROM ONE COUNCIL MEMBER COULD BE RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT YOU'RE THE PROFESSIONAL THAT'S IN CHARGE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW MUCH, UM, LOVE AND RESPECT THAT COUNSEL SHOWS YOU AND HOW YOU DO THE JOB? UH, CAUSE YOU'VE HAD A GREAT HISTORY SO FAR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL HAVING YOU AS A CHIEF, UM, FIRE STATION 25 WAS BUILT.
HOW, UH, WAS I CORRECT OR ACCURATE? WAS I OFF WITH THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTING POSITIONS FUNDED BY COUNCIL? ONLY THREE.
NOT MORE, NOT LESS SINCE THE STATION WAS OPEN, SO, AND I'M GOING OFF STRICTLY OFF MEMORY HERE.
UM, SO IF I REMEMBER RIGHT IN 2010, I CAN GIVE YOU THE WHOLE HISTORY.
IN 2010, WE ENDED UP CUTTING THREE PEOPLE THROUGH ATTRITION.
THIS WOULD BE A QUICKER YES OR NO IS GOOD.
[01:05:01]
WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THE QUESTION.THE WHOLE IDEA OF STATION 25 IS, IS THAT WE ENDED UP GETTING THREE BODIES BACK, THE THREE BODIES THAT WERE GONE FROM ATTRITION.
WE MOVED A SUPERVISOR, A SAFETY OFFICER.
WHEN I SAY A POSITION, I MEAN ONE PER SHIFT.
SO WE MOVED THE SAFETY OFFICER FROM STATION 22 TO BE THE STATION OFFICER 20 FIVES AND CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE MOVED TO BODY FROM STATION 23.
AND THEN IN THAT TIME WE'VE HIRED, WE'VE AUTHORIZED ANOTHER THREE POSITIONS.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY AT, IS GETTING THROUGH THE EBB AND FLOW OF CHANGE YOUR CAREER FOR RETIREMENTS OR WHATEVER OF GETTING UP TO THAT FULL STAFFING.
SO, SO THREE POSITIONS SINCE FIRE STATION HAS BEEN ADDED THAT'S TO THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE BUILT THAT FIRE STATION, WE COULD BUILD THE FIRE STATION, MAYOR AND COUNCIL YEARS.
WE HAD MONEY YEARS BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS ALWAYS STAFFING BECAUSE STAFFING IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE RECURRING BUDGET COST.
SO WITH THAT, UH, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS DOES IT TAKE TO STAND UP A NEW FIRE STATION? WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT WITH THREE.
YES, BUT YOU'RE PULLING FROM EXISTING STAFF, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO START A FIRE, SO IF WE WERE TO DO ANOTHER ONE AND NOT ONE, NOT ANOTHER ONE, JUST WE BUILT FIRE STATION 25.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAND THAT UP WITH NEW FIREFIGHTERS, HOW MANY WOULD YOU NEED? 15.
AND IS THAT THROUGH THE NFTA STANDARDS? NO, IT'S JUST FROM WHAT WE'VE CURRENT, WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING AT STATION 25 AND STATION 25, WE HIRE, WE, WE DID THAT WITH THREE NEW BODIES.
UH, WE RELOCATED THREE AND THEN, UM, WE MOVED TO COMPANY OFF.
SO WHAT WE DO IS AT STATION 25 AND STAFF GETS THREE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT WOULD BE THE NSPA STANDARDS? THE NSPA STANDARD FOR STAFFING? WELL, THE NFTA STANDARDS FOR STAFFING IS PRIMARILY BASED ON HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS WE CAN DELIVER TO A FIRE SCENE WITHIN SO MANY MINUTES.
CITYWIDE, BUT STARTING A FIRE STATION.
WOULD THAT BE WHAT NUMBER THAT WOULD GET US THAT WOULD GET US ON THE SCENE? IN THE IDEA OF THE STATION 25 WAS TO GET AN APPARATUS ON THE SCENE WITHIN ROUGHLY FOUR MINUTES IN THEIR RESPONSE DISTRICT.
AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EFFECT A RESCUE AND THEN WE WOULD TRY TO ASSEMBLE THE REST OF THE FIREFIGHTING TEAM.
AND I DON'T HAVE AN FPA 17, 10, UH, COMPLETELY VERSED OR SITTING HERE ON MY PHONE RIGHT NOW.
BUT I BELIEVE YOU'RE, YOU'RE REFERRING TO LIKE THE NFP 17, 10 STANDARD, WHICH WOULD SAY WE NEED TO DO DEPLOY 14, 15 FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WITHIN SO MANY MINUTES.
AND WE HAVE THREE, THERE WERE THREE AT STATION 25.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS DRIVING TOWARDS.
SO 15 AND WE'VE ADDED THREE SINCE THEN TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SCOTT, UH, LAST YEAR'S CAFFER OUR, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR SENT OUT, UH, WAS THERE $17 MILLION IN OUR GENERAL FUND? UH, BASED ON DECEMBER 30TH, 31ST, EXCUSE ME, 20, 20 KEFIR.
I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME.
I SEEM TO RECALL IT WAS 17 MILLION.
NOW THERE WAS A COUPLE OTHER DIGITS BEHIND NUMBERS, BUT 17 MILLION.
AND THAT WAS UP FROM 14 MILLION THE YEAR BEFORE WHATEVER THE RULE WAS.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT THE AUTHORITY FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT AS WELL.
SO HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO HIRE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS? SO THAT'D BE $80,000 PER FIREFIGHTER.
I CAN TELL YOU A TAUGHT AT TOP STEP WOULD BE ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT THESE WOULD BE ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS.
WE HAD NEVER DONE LATERAL ENTRY UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN WE STARTED STRUGGLING.
SO SOME PEOPLE COME IN AT A HIGHER LEVEL AND MY 15 WAS, SHOULD HAVE BEEN NINE.
I WAS GOING OFF OF WHAT OUR ORIGINAL MODEL WAS FOR STATION 25.
SO I HAVE THESE THREE TIMES FIVE THING IS RIGHT NOW TO DO STATION 25, WHO WOULD ACTUALLY BE NINE PEOPLE IS WHAT WE HAD.
LAST YEAR IT WAS 80,000, BUT YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO FOR THREE FIREFIGHTERS, IT'D BE BETWEEN, UM, 2, 2 60 AND, OH, I'M SORRY.
THEY'RE ACCURATE TWO 40 TO 300,000.
AND THEN, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE, BUT I MEAN WITH $17 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND, 3 MILLION UP FROM LAST YEAR, UM, $300,000 IS CERTAINLY WELL WITHIN OUR AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PAY FOR IT WITHOUT THAT.
UM, MAYOR, UH, WE'VE HIRED THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS.
I THINK THE WORD NEED IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY.
[01:10:01]
UM, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS FIRE DEPARTMENT.UM, I AM VERY SAFE WITH OUR FIRE COVERAGE IN THE CITY.
IT CAN, IT CAN BE BETTER, BUT NOT TO THE LACK OF DETRIMENT TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE COULD HAVE A FIRE HOSE OR FIRE APPARATUSES.
UH, WE CAN HAVE, UM, I CAN'T, WHAT ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT PUT OUT WATER ON THE STREETS FOR FIRE HYDRANTS? I COULDN'T THINK OF THE NAME, MY GOODNESS OF ALL THINGS TO FORGET.
WE CAN HAVE HYDRANTS LINING STREETS, UH, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE WATER TRUCKS OUT, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THE APPARATUS FIX, UM, PUT INTO THE FIRE HYDRANTS.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN STILL DO THAT.
THAT'S HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT WITH THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, UH, SINCE FIRE STATION 25 OPENED, UM, 15 IS THE GOAL WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT NOBODY'S RECOMMENDING 15 BECAUSE OF THE COST OF IT.
WE HAVE THE MONEY, UH, WE CAN DO THE OTHER PROJECTS AND I APPRECIATE THIS BEING ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION.
AND THEN WHENEVER WE GET AN ADDITIONAL, UH, OP OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE, FIVE FIREFIGHTERS HIRED THIS YEAR, WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE TO FILL, FILL POSITIONS, BUT THIS IS A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE FUNDED THIS YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
WE'LL BE READY TO GO, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL THREE FIREFIGHTERS TO HIT THAT 15 NUMBER, WE'LL BE AT SIX AND WE'LL STILL HAVE TIME TO GO.
WHENEVER COUNCIL FEELS THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO THAT.
NOW I DO NOTICE JUST FOR MY OWN, UM, COGNIZANCE THAT WE HAVE THE FIRE CHIEF HERE TONIGHT.
AND IT'S A WONDERFUL ASPECT TO HAVE HIM HERE BECAUSE I APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO VERIFY THE NUMBERS.
I ALSO NOTICED WE DON'T HAVE THE POLICE CHIEF HERE AND WE DON'T HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY HERE.
UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ON PUBLIC WORKS.
MIKE, GREG, I'M WONDERING IF SOMEBODY KNEW I WAS GOING TO MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT, HAD THE FIRE CHIEF HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO DEBATE SOME POINTS, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE.
I REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD A SHELL GAME PUT ON AND I CALLED IT EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS.
I WOULD REALLY HATE FOR THAT POLITICS TO BE PLAYING AGAIN HERE TONIGHT.
I'M A HALF GLASS, HALF FULL KIND OF GUY, BUT IF THAT POLITICS IS PLAYING HERE AGAIN TONIGHT, THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO ME, BUT COUNSEL, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND LISTENING.
I HOPE I MADE IT CLEAR CASE FOR WHAT I THINK WOULD BE BEST FOR OUR CITY, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP AND COUNCIL'S DECISION FOR THE BUDGET.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY POLITICS ARE BEING PLAYED HERE.
I MEAN, I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE, THE AUTHORITY TO, UH, TO CALL THE CHIEF AND SAY, I NEED YOU HERE TO A MEETING.
UM, SO, UM, SO HOW, HOW THE CHIEF IS HERE? THAT'S A DISCUSSION BETWEEN SWINGS, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CHIEF.
SO I, YOU KNOW, WHAT I REMEMBER IS THAT WE HAD 36 FIREFIGHTERS AND WE FUNDED AN ADDITIONAL THREE IN 2018.
THE PROCESS WAS TO HIRE THEM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT WE INCREASED FUNDING.
WE APPROPRIATED THE MONEY TO GO FROM 36 TO 39.
THOSE WERE THE THREE FIREFIGHTERS THAT I REMEMBER WHEN, AS I TOOK A CITY TOUR ALONG WITH MR. HILL, UH, JUST LIKE MR. SHAW REFERENCED EARLIER AND CHIEF ASHWORTH, LET ME KNOW IN THAT MEETING THAT THERE WERE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS THEY COULD USE.
SO AM I CORRECT IN THAT STATEMENT, MR. HILL, THOSE THREE FIREFIGHTERS, THIS COUNCIL FUNDED IN 2018 THAT INCREASED THE, UH, THE ORG CHART FROM 36 TO 39.
SO NOW HOW THE PROCESS OF HIRING THOSE FIREFIGHTERS AND WITH RETIREMENTS AND CAREER CHANGES OR WHATEVER ELSE IT'S BEEN, UH, MAYBE JUST NOW GETTING TO A POINT OF HAVING 39 ON STAFF, BUT THE MONEY HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED FOR THOSE 39.
SO THERE HAS BEEN NO SHELL GAME GOING ON.
I MEAN, I'M, I DON'T TEACH MATH, BUT I KNOW 36 PLUS THREE EQUALS 39.
SO, SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE GOT TO TO GET WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
AND, AND AS I SAID BEFORE, AS SOON AS YOU, RE-UPPED THE WORD NEED, AS SOON AS, UH, EITHER OF OUR CHIEFS WHO ARE THE EXPERTS IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS, TELL US THEY NEED MORE PEOPLE AND MAYBE IT'S NOT EVEN A MATTER OF NEED, BUT THEY SAY I WANT MORE BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE EVERYTHING EASIER.
AS SOON AS THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM THE, UH, FROM CHIEF LEITNER OR CHIEF NICELY TO OUR CITY MANAGER, UH, THAT LETS ME KNOW, WE NEED TO PUT THAT ON AN AGENDA.
[01:15:01]
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND FUND OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES AT WHATEVER LEVELS, OUR PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HIRE, UH, THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY TELL US THAT THEY NEED.NOW, IF, UH, IF COUNCIL DECIDES WE WANT TO ADD THREE MORE OR THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO FREEZE THAT STAFFING TO 42, IF THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNCIL SAYS, THEY WANT TO DO ON AN AGENDA AND BRING THAT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND PUT THOSE FIREFIGHTERS OUT THERE.
AND AT THE BUDGET, I AM COMPLETELY OKAY WITH THAT AS WELL.
BUT WE'VE BEEN AS OPEN AS HONEST ABOUT ALL THIS AS WE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN FROM 36 TO 39, THEY'RE FUNDED, WE'VE NOW HIRED THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 39 STAFFED.
AND IF WE NEED MORE CHIEF, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANY PUSHBACK FROM MYSELF OR THIS COUNCIL THAT IF YOU ASK FOR MORE PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD NOT GET THEM? NO, UH, KIND OF IN A FUNNY POSITION, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND GET PEOPLE BEFOREHAND.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG STATEMENT AND CLEAR MESSAGE TO ME.
AND IF, IF IT'S NOT TO THE REST OF COUNCIL, PLEASE, PLEASE DISCUSS THAT.
PLEASE, PLEASE HAVE THAT OPEN LEVEL DISCUSSION THAT YOU WANT TO ADD THAT TO THE BUDGET.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
AND IF WE'RE OKAY WITH WHERE WE'RE AT, BASED ON WHAT THE CHIEF'S RECOMMENDATION IS OR WHAT HE'S LETTING US KNOW HIS SITUATION IS, THEN WE CAN STILL GIVE HIM THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS IF THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO.
BUT I THINK WHAT THE CHIEF NICELY HAS SAID IS PRETTY, IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR TO THIS POINT.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL STEP BACK AND LET YOU GUYS DISCUSS ON KNOW RICHARD AND WE'LL GO TO OFF.
MA'AM UM, CHIEF, WHEN I SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH, UH, WITH CHIEF ASHWORTH, UM, WE HAD A COUPLE OF VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR FIRE DIVISION, AND THIS MAY BLOW A FEW MINDS HERE.
SO I'M GOING TO TALK PRETTY SLOWLY AND ACCURATELY.
UM, DURING MY CITY TOUR IN 2016, I'M WANTING TO SAY A CONVERSATION THERE SHORTLY AFTER.
UM, THERE WAS A PLAN PUT IN PLACE FOR A, AN ADDITIONAL FIRE STATION, UM, THAT WOULD MAKE FOR WITHIN OUR CITY.
UM, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS KIND OF A LONG-TERM PLAN, UH, BASED ON CALLS, GROWTH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS, ANY UPDATES, OR DO YOU BELIEVE FORECASTING ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THERE WILL BE A NEED.
THE REASON I ASKED THAT IS JUST IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THIS COUNCIL PUT TOGETHER A CIP PLAN, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL UPGRADES AND REPAIRS TO STATION 22 AND 23.
SO I'M TRYING TO THINK PROACTIVELY HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, LONGER, AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE STATIONS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GET THE BAND-AIDS THAT MAY NEED BEFORE THIS COUNCIL REALLY NEEDS TO THINK.
AND I SUPPORT MR. LYONS, YOU KNOW, A GROWTH OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND STAFFING, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THINK ON LONGTERM VISION ON A NEW FIRE STATION WITHIN THE GROWTH.
UM, ARE YOU PREPARED TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT? AND I APOLOGIZE IF I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.
UM, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, REGULATING SOME PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH CHIEF ASHWORTH.
I'VE TALKED TO CHIEF PASSWORDS SEVERAL TIMES AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A WRITTEN PLAN COMMITTED.
THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, IS THAT THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE I SEE WITH THE IDEA OF IDENTIFYING A FOREST FIRE STATION IS FINDING WHERE, UH, WE WOULD GET THE MOST BENEFIT OUT OF IT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON, A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON AND I COULDN'T PIN ON A MAP AND I COULD HAVE BROUGHT MY MAPS WITHIN A DAY.
IS THAT RIGHT NOW OUR CALLS FROM 2019, TILL THE DAY, IF I TOOK A SHOTGUN AND SHUT SHOP BIRDSHOT AT THE SOUTH END TO BY 70, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RHYME OR REASON WHERE OUR WHOLE ACTIVITY IS IT'S SCATTERED ACROSS.
SO THE NORTH END, AS I SAID, WE KNOW THAT THE NORTHERN FIRE STATION RIGHT NOW STATION 25, IT'S ONLY TAKING 18% OF THE CALLS AND IT TAKES A FEW ENOUGH CALLS THAT IT KIND OF BECOMES PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT THRIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CALLS THAT GO OUT.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHER GUYS THAT GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY GET FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TAKING CALLS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE REPUTATION 25.
IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE TO HAVE THAT FEEL, TO SAY, I
[01:20:01]
HAVE AN IDEA OF, IF WE'RE PUT A FOUR STATION, I KNOW STATION 22, I HAVE ROOM TO PUT A COUPLE MORE BODY TODAY AND WE HAVE ENOUGH BUNK ROOMS TO WHERE RIGHT NOW THE MINIMUM STAFFING ON THE FIRE STATION SIDE IS FIVE ON THE ADMIN SIDE IS SIX TILL THE WATTS I'VE GONE ENOUGH TO PUT NINE BODIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATION.SO HAVING ADDING MORE BODIES TO THE FIRE STATION IS NOT AN ISSUE.
WE HAVE STATION 23, AS WE TALKED, UH, UH, BACK WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT TO DO IS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE.
I THINK MS. BURNS MADE THE COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE CIP.
WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HIRE A ARCHITECT TO AT LEAST LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE TO STATION 23 IS RIGHT NOW, IF YOU ASKED ME TO BRING A NUMBER TO YOU, I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT I NEED 300,000 A MILLION DOLLARS OR $2 MILLION TO ENHANCE STATION 23.
BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TRYING TO ENHANCE OUR, OUR BASIC FOOTPRINT, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, BASICALLY FULL PERSON LAID OUT REALLY NICE, BUT AS FAR AS THE FOREST FIRE STATION, UH, I'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF GRAPHS AND GRIDS TO LOOK AT, AND I'VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH, YOU KNOW, RELOCATING THIS STATE SHIRT, DOING THAT.
AND WE'RE TRULY RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHERE THE, WHERE THE MOST, WHERE THE BIGGEST DEVELOPMENTS WON'T BE, THAT WE WOULD GET THE MOST BENEFIT OUT OF THE FIRE STATION.
BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE'RE LOOKING AT BASICALLY ALL QUADRANTS IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M LOOKING, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK OUT OF OUR F I D W WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, IF WE'RE, IF IN YOUR OPINION, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THAT FOURTH FIRE STATION IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THEN, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE PROPER UPGRADES AND INSTALLATIONS? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN JUNE.
UM, I VISITED A COUPLE OF MYSELF, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH CHIEF ASHWORTH, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ONE DOWN ON TROY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I BELIEVE JUST RECENTLY WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, DOING SOME ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF COVID, YOU KNOW, CLEANING ROOMS FOR, YOU KNOW, TURN OUT YOUR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, SO, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THAT PROCESS IN PLACE TO COME BACK TO US TO KIND OF GIVE US YOUR DETERMINATION AND YOUR FACTS ON THAT.
UM, MAYOR, OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, I WOULD SUPPORT MR. LYONS, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO DISCUSS THE ADDITIONAL, UH, FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TOP THAT REQUEST AND ASK, UM, FOR BRIAN AND OUR FINANCE TEAM TO COME BACK ON A LONGTERM PLAN OF, UH, FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY TO SUSTAIN THOSE THREE, UM, A, I LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THEIR FULL CLEARANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE CAFFER REPORT WAS PUT OUT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE MORE OPENING, UM, UH, COMING HERE SOON, THEN POSSIBLY ANOTHER OPENING THROUGH RETIREMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BUT, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS MR. LYONS DATA, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING INTO 2022, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ALREADY STATED FROM YOU, UH, CHIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF RETIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, A PENSION ISSUE THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING UP.
UM, AND AGAIN, WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE STAFFING MODELS ALREADY IN YOUR POSITION, UM, AND YOUR AVAILABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFFING IF NEEDED.
UM, IF THIS COUNCIL FUNDS THOSE THREE POSITIONS, UH, AND YOU COME BACK TO US NEXT YEAR AND SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL HIRING, UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSES SLOWED DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME.
UM, I KIND OF WANT, YOU KNOW, AS I TALKED ABOUT WITH OUR POLICE DIVISION AND KIND OF GET AN UPDATE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, UM, BUT I THINK AT LEAST CHANGING THE, UH, THE, THE TABLE, UH, AND THE STAFFING NUMBERS, I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
MA'AM I DON'T KNOW IF I HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT WAS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE STAFFING PRIOR WITH FIRE, UM, WOULD THERE BE ANY BENEFIT TO MAKING MORE OF A CAREER PATH AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TO THE EMT FIRE SCHOOL AND MAKING A SCHOLARSHIP AND SOMEBODY IN SCHOOL MAKING THAT PATH FOR SCHOLARSHIP.
AND ONCE THEY COME TO HUBER, WE FORGIVE SOME OF THEIR DEBT.
IT CAN, WE, CAN WE LOOK INTO DOING SOME OF THAT? SO WE DO HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO NEW ONES COMING ONLINE.
SO I, I CAN'T TELL YOU ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'VE DONE IS, IS THAT, AND THE BEST EXAMPLE I CAN GIVE IS TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC.
THIS WOULD BE LIKE, UH, UH, THE CITY SCHOOLS GOING OUT TO WRIGHT STATE SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A GREAT STUDENT.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HIRE YOU.
AND YOU'RE AT THE END OF YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO IN PAY FOR YOUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR.
AND WE'RE GOING TO PAY YOU A SALARY BECAUSE IT'S ESSENTIALLY CHEAP RUSSELL.
AND I WERE RUNNING SOME NUMBERS.
IF EVERYTHING WORKED OUT PERFECTLY,
[01:25:01]
IT'S ABOUT 22 MONTHS TO GET A PERSON FROM NO TRAINING ALL THE WAY.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET THE YOUTH OF HUBER HEIGHTS, MORE EXCITED AND INVOLVED IN WANTING TO BE A FIREFIGHTER IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE MET WITH THE SCHOOLS ON.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT'S COMING UP WITH THE FUNDING FOR IT.
AND YOU'D HAVE TO REMEMBER TOO, IS, IS THAT, UH, COMING UP WITH THE FUNDING FOR IT IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES BUDGETS OR INVOLVES GRANTS.
EITHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT WHAT MY STAFF IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS, IS THAT THE FIRST IDEA WE HAD, AND I, THIS WAS A TOTAL SPITBALL NUMBER BECAUSE WE SAID WE WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT AND TAKE 20 UBER RIDES.
I HAVE A STAFF THAT CAN DO ALL THE TRAINING.
ALL THE TEACHING JUST TAKES TIME.
IT TAKES MONEY TO HIRE THEM BACK FROM THEIR NORMAL DUTIES.
CAUSE WE CAN'T DO ALL OF IT WITH ALL THE PERSONNEL.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO RUN A PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTING CLASS FOR 20 STUDENTS IN A CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WITH US HAVING ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHEN I SAY CITY SCHOOLS, IT'S JUST FOR ME BEING USED TO ALWAYS SAYING CITIES.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND ACTUALLY RUN A PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTING COURSE AND GET YOUNG PEOPLE EXCITED.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DO A SUMMER CAMP, BUT AT SUMMER CAMPS A LITTLE TASTE.
IF WE GO INSTEAD OF DOING A ONE WEEK THING AND WE DID A FOUR AND A HALF FIVE WEEK THING, THESE PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY GRADUATE THE PROGRAM WITH A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT OR CERTIFICATE OR A LEVEL TWO FIREFIGHTER.
AND THE SMALL SEEMED SOMEWHAT EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND RIGHT NOW THE BALL'S IN OUR COURT COMING UP WITH THE PRICES, HOW MANY HOURS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF, FUNDING IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I, I THINK SCOTT, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT.
BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE IS THIS THAT WE WOULD GET 20 PEOPLE WHO MAY NEVER WORK FOR HUBER HEIGHTS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THEY MIGHT GO WORK FOR, UH, BEAVER CREEK.
THEY MIGHT GO WORK FOR INGLEWOOD.
THEY MIGHT GO WORK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
WELL, THAT'S THREE OTHER BODIES THAT ARE NOW NOT LOOKING FOR JOBS.
AND, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE THREE, THERE ARE THREE JOBS THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY OPEN AND THERE'S THREE MORE EQUAL THAT COULD COME LOOK AT US.
SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE THAN A TAPES, YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AND I'M GOING TO MESS THIS UP.
THE, UM, THE ENROLL, UM, ENLIST AND CONTINUE THE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
WE KIND OF, WHEN WE HEARD THAT IS, IS LIKE, THIS IS, THIS REALLY KIND OF FITS INTO THAT MAILING WAY.
SO WE'VE MET WITH, UH, WE MET WITH THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME, THE HR DIRECTOR, AND WE MET AND WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT AND EVERYBODY SEEMS KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT THAT KIND OF POTENTIAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF DOING, TRYING TO GET MORE YOUTH INVOLVED BECAUSE WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD CAREER FIELD FOR THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK HAVING THAT PIPELINE STARTED AND KEEPING PEOPLE CHURN THROUGH IT WOULD MAKE HIRING MUCH EASIER BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO RETIRE, BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE AN INJURY.
DID YOU GET A LITTLE HISTORY? IS THAT WHEN I STARTED HERE 1998, I WAS THE FIRST EMPLOYEE HIRE FOR TWO YEARS.
THERE WAS ANOTHER TWO YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT PERSON IN SENIORITY WAS HIRED.
WE'VE HIRED FIVE PEOPLE THIS YEAR SEEM TO BE SIX.
SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF CRAZY HOW THE NEWS HAS DONE ALL THE STORIES.
AND THEY'VE INTERVIEWED US A LOT OF TIMES AND THEY SAID, THIS IS ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE THE MARKET IS SIMPLY OUT DRIVING THE SUPPLY, BUT THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN GET INTERESTED AND GET PEOPLE WANTING TO DO THIS JOB, I THINK IT WILL MAKE RECRUITING A LOT EASIER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ATTACH THEMSELVES TO BRIDES.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THAT.
I WOULD SUPPORT THAT FOR SURE.
ACHIEVED MY LAST COMMENT ON THE TOPIC HERE AND THIS EVENING.
UM, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN, UH, WHEN I WAS A YOUNGER INDIVIDUAL, UM, AND UH, NOW THAT MR. BRUNS IS IN THE ROOM, HE CAN ATTEST, I WAS AN ACTUAL POLICE EXPLORER AND, UH, FOR, FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY WHO WENT UP AGAINST HUBER HEIGHTS MANY YEARS AGO, UM, ON THAT SAME EXPLORING POST, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A FIRE AND EMS EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE CONSIDERED TO KIND OF GO INTO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT YOUTH ASPECT, UM, TO GET THEM, YOU KNOW, GOING UP AS, UH, AS MS. BAKER ALLUDED TO, UM, TO KIND OF MAKE THAT A FULLY FUNDED, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL COULD SUPPORT.
SO WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IS I'M A PRODUCT GUY.
I WAS IN POST 9 47, THE BIG DAY, THE BANDAID IS FIRE CHIEF.
AND I, WE WENT THROUGH MOST OF THE CLASSES TOGETHER.
THAT'S HOW I, THAT'S HOW I GOT MY START.
SO, UH, THERE'S A SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART FOR THE EXPLORER PROGRAM.
ONE PROBLEM IS WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. BRUNS RANDOM THAT INSOFAR GRANTED, AND THERE WAS
[01:30:01]
ALWAYS SOMEBODY THERE THAT HAD A WORK SCHEDULE THAT WAS KIND OF, I DON'T WANT TO SAY KIND OF DO SOME, BECAUSE I KNOW ED USED TO PUT IT IN A LOT HOURS AT NIGHT AND YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS WITH US HAVING TO SHIFT THAT SCHEDULE IN ALL OF OUR BODIES BEING TASKED TO RESPOND TO THE CALLS, WHAT WE'VE KIND OF CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE IS THE MO MINE VALLEY, CTC HAS A PROGRAM, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, AND THOSE STUDENTS COME AND RIDE WITH US EVERY SO OFTEN RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF COVID.WE HAD A LITTLE INCIDENT WHERE A STUDENT CAME IN AND, UH, INFECTED ONE OF OUR PEOPLE.
SO, UH, THROUGH LABOR TALKS AND THINGS, WE SAID, WE'RE OFFER FROM A HALT, ALL STUDENTS UNTIL WE'D COME HOME TO THE LETTER, PURPLE'S FIRE STATION.
YOU'RE, WE'RE ALL LIVING TOGETHER.
IT'S, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN AN OFFICE.
SO ANYWAYS, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WAS IS THAT CTC STUDENTS THEY'RE GETTING THEIR TRAINING, RIGHT? THEY'RE GETTING THEIR TRAINING, THEIR EDUCATION.
THEN WE COULD GO BRING THEM IN.
AND WE'LL KIND OF CONSIDER DOING THIS AS LIKE AN UNPAID INTERN PROGRAM.
AND MAYBE THIS IS WHERE WE GO AND SAY, WELL, HEY, LISTEN, YOU'VE GOT THIS.
NOW HE WRITES ME GO AND HELP YOU GET YOUR EMT AND PARAMEDIC TYPE OF THING.
SO WHEN WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND TRYING TO DO IS WE WOULD LIKE TO GET A HOLD OF SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF DOING AN EXPLORE PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY OUNCE OF TRAINING THAT THEY WOULD GET ABOUT THE BUSINESS IN GENERAL, WE WOULD GO TAP INTO THIS RESOURCE WHERE THESE KIDS, THESE STUDENTS ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF TASTE.
THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF EDUCATION AT THE FULL-TIME SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF JUST COMING IN AND RIDING WITH US, WE WOULD GO AND WE PUT THEM INTO A UNIFORM AND THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD PRACTICALLY BE, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE I SAID, AN UNPAID INTERN OR AN UNPAID FIREFIGHTER TO WHERE WE COULD GET A MORE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE AND CREATE ONE OF THE GREAT, SOME OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
I PERSONALLY ATTENDED THE, UH, MY VALLEY TTC FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
UH, SO I GOT TO WORK WITH A LOT OF THE INDIVIDUALS, THE FIRE PROGRAM AND AGRICULTURAL CAUSE WHERE THE BUILDINGS WERE LAID OUT AT THE TIME.
YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE DOING, THAT'S AN AMAZING EDUCATION PIECE OUT THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU THAT FIRE EXPLORER PROGRAM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HAS A, THAT'S BEEN DONE SOME HERE IN SOUTHWESTERN, OHIO.
UM, AND I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT HAD BEEN A CONCEPT THAT YOU'D CONSIDER CHIEF.
I WAS REALLY HOPING SOMEONE WAS GOING TO ASK ME ABOUT OUR LADDER TRUCK.
I KIND OF PREPARE FOR THAT, SO THAT I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE LADDER TRUCK? THANK YOU.
UH, I KNEW THAT WAS, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS ON THE THING.
AND, UH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LADDER TRUCK IS, IS THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN OUR CAPITAL PLAN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUSH IT BACK.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WITH COVID NOW IS, IS THAT WE KNOW IS BUYING WHEN YOU BUY, IT USED TO BE OKAY, YOU WAIT 12 MONTHS AND YOU GOT IT, OR EIGHT MONTHS OR WHATEVER.
UM, WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF GOING TO, UH, LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT THING.
AND WHEN I SAY WE, I TRULY MEAN WE, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID IS IS THAT WITH THIS LADDER TRUCK, OUR CURRENT LADDER TRUCK IS BECOMING LESS RELIABLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, OUR INTENTION WILL BE, IS TO KEEP IT AS A RESERVE BECAUSE IT'S NEWER THAN OUR MOST, OUR RESERVE WORKERS ARE FEES, BUT IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO CHIEF ASHWORTH HAD STARTED PUTTING THIS IN AND WANTED US TO START, START PLANNING ON IT.
WELL, AT THE LAST, UH, BID THE LAST YEAR, THE FIRST BIT OF THIS YEAR, UH, WE DECIDED TO LOOK AT A, A NEW CONCEPT OF A LADDER TRUCK.
AND IT KIND OF GETS THE DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT EXCITED BECAUSE OUR CURRENT LADDER TRUCK TAKES A LOT OF REAL ESTATE.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FIRE TRUCK THAT ANYBODY THAT URBAN HUBER HEIGHTS WITH A MADE, SEEING CALLED A TILT, IT HAS A GUY THAT SITS IN THE BACKSEAT.
SO THE IDEA WAS FIRST MENTIONED, LAUGHED AT IT AND WALKED AWAY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY PLANTS A LITTLE SEED, YOU KNOW, YOU SIT THERE AND YOU START READING AND THEN ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING, ALL YOU SEE IS LACKS ARE OUTSIDE WELL, LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS ONE THAT SEEMS REALLY COOL, BUT THAT'S NOT THE REASON WHY I'M REQUESTING TO BUY IT.
UM, AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S A RECRUITING TOOL IS, IS A GOOD REASON TO STIFLE ACTUALLY BECAME A UBERX FIREFIGHTER.
WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND SAW THE GUY, THE TILLER AND SIT DOWN.
AND THEN OF COURSE HE ENDED UP GETTING HIRED IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
SO ANYWAY, SO THE, THE BENEFIT OF THIS TRUCK IS, IS THAT IF YOU GUYS HAVE A NOTICE IS WE HAVE A LOT OF APARTMENTS GOING IN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THREE-STORY FOUR-STORY PARKS AND THREE-STORY FOUR-STORY APARTMENTS.
THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS THEIR SPRINKLER, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IS THAT SPRINKLERS ARE USUALLY MEANT TO CONTAIN A FIRE, NOT NECESSARILY EXTINGUISHER.
SO AS A COMMAND STAFF, WE SAT THERE
[01:35:01]
AND WE SAID, WE REALLY NEED TO GET A PIECE OF APPARATUS THAT CAN CURE MORE GROUND LADDERS TO WHERE WE CAN AFFECT SOME RESCUES.AND WE STARTED SAYING, WELL, WHAT KIND OF TRUCKS DO YOU HAVE TO BUY TO BE ABLE TO GET GOOD STORAGE? SO ANYWAYS, LONG STORY, AS I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS, THEN ALL DAY LONG, IT'LL HOLD SEVERAL 35 FOOT LADDERS, ABOUT 2 35 FOOT LADDERS, A 45 FOOT GROUND LADDER.
LAKE WAS OUR ONLY THREE STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WELL THAT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GETTING ALL THESE.
SO YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE LABS, GRANDDAUGHTERS WHERE WE CAN GET AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE BUILDING AND WE CAN EXPECT A RESCUE IN THE GROUND LADDER.
UM, THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS IS, IS THAT IT'S REALLY TWO AND A HALF TRUCKS IN ONE.
OUR CURRENT LADDER TRUCK HAS ABOUT 300 SUB CUBICS, FEEDING STORAGE, A FIRE GRANGE.
AND I THINK IS IN THE BALLPARK OF THE TWO, NOT QUITE 300 RANGE, THE LADDER TRUCK, THE CURRENT DRAWING THAT I HAVE SITTING IN SITTING IN MY OFFICE IS 638 CUBIC FEET OF STORAGE.
SO IT COMES IN A NICE SMALL PACKAGE, WHICH IT'S NOT A SMALL PACKAGE.
MY GOAL IS I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH SCOTT, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY IN THE COLUMBUS AREA.
THAT'S WILLING TO BRING THOSE DOWN SO EVERYBODY CAN, WE CAN SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY BEFORE WE BUY ONE.
WE WANT TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK.
AND THEN WE ALSO LET YOU GUYS SEE IT DRIVE AROUND IN CIRCLES OUT HERE IN THE PARKING LOT.
SO THE IDEA IS, IS THAT IT'S A SUPER BIG TRUCK.
IT'S CURATED A LOT OF TOOLS, A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE A PUMPING AND WATER ON IT, WHICH WILL BE GOT RID OF OUR TILLER BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES, OUR TILT, THE TILLER DIDN'T HAVE A PUMP OF WATER ON IT.
SO WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET IT TO WHERE, WHEN THAT TRUCK SHOWS UP EVERY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE WOULD EVER NEED ON A SCENE WOULD BE AVAILABLE RIGHT THERE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THE OTHER THING ABOUT IT IS IT CAN DO AROUND PAUL SACHS.
UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, NOW WE CAN NOW BE A LITTLE EASIER ON OUR DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE DON'T QUITE NEED THE FOOTPRINT FOR THE DRIVEWAYS AND THE ENTRANCE WAYS, BECAUSE THIS TRUCK IS MEANT TO BE MANEUVERED AND GET AROUND ON A SMALLER PIECE OF APPARATUS.
SO YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN EXCITED ABOUT.
AND WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IT STARTED TO SAY EARLIER IS WE ACTUALLY HAD 15 PEOPLE FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT VOLUNTEERS FOR 15 CAREER FIREFIGHTERS THAT VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO GO SPEND THE DAY IN COLUMBUS, LOOKING AT NETHERLAND TOWNSHIP WESTERVILLE, AND THE CITY OF COLUMBUS HAS LADDER TRUCK.
AND SO BEFORE WE SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BUYING.
WE TOOK THAT ALL ON A FIELD TRIP AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WENT OUT THERE SAID, THIS IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
SO, UM, I'M VERY PROUD OF IT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IN UNEMPLOYMENT, YOU CAN DEBATE ABOUT SILLY THINGS.
AND HERE WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING FIRE AND IT'S, UH, IT'S KIND OF A BIT, A LITTLE USE OF ENERGY TO ALL OF US, AND IT'S GONNA GIVE US THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
I WAS JUST ASKING HIM ABOUT THE LIKE, WELL, NOW I'M BLOWN AWAY.
I DID SEE THE FACEBOOK POST WHERE YOUR GUYS WERE UP FROZE.
NOW, UH, I DO HAVE A SERIOUS, UH, MORE SERIOUS QUESTION.
THIS ONE'S GOING TO, UH, BRIAN, PLEASE.
UM, BRIAN, YOU MENTIONED, UH, PAY DOWN ON THE ROSE DEBT AS A POSSIBLE, UM, DEBT REDUCTION STRATEGY WITHOUT GOING INTO SPECIFICS.
WERE, HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANY OTHER, UH, SIGNIFICANT COST REDUCTIONS THAT THE CITY MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT? UM, SO THE, UM, WE FOCUSED ON THE ROWS ONLY FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT, UM, THE TWO SOURCES THAT SUPPORT, UM, THAT DEBT.
SO THERE IS THE FUND BALANCE WITHIN THE, UM, MONTH CO TIF FUND, UM, THAT WE'RE DRAWING ON.
AND THEN THERE IS THE, UH, THE SHUTTERED VENUES GRANT.
SO THOSE TWO RESOURCES NATURALLY LED US TO LOOK AT THAT.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH, UH, OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT, ANDY BROWSER, AS WELL AS THE SPECIAL COUNSEL FRONTMAN WE'LL LOOK TO IDENTIFY OTHERS, BUT THE ROSE WAS THE ONE THAT CAME TO MIND RIGHT AWAY.
AH, SO I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK WHAT, W YES, SCOTT, I MAY BE A STEP AHEAD.
UM, BUT SPEAKING OF DEBTS, UH, THERE'S A NEW PROGRAM THAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS PURCHASING A DEBT BOOK, UM, THAT WILL HELP US IN PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AND TO COUNCIL ABOUT OUR DEBT AND WHEN THOSE PAYOFF DATES ARE AND BETTER GRAPHS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY BETTER INFORMATION THAN JUST THE BRIEF THING THAT I SAID, BUT, BUT THAT'S A PART OF, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE HOW WE, UH, LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION, ANALYZE IT AND PROVIDE IT TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT WOULD GIVE US A, I'M SORRY.
THAT WOULD GIVE US LIKE A BIG PICTURE, A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF ALL OF OUR DEBT AND, UH, THE PAY DOWNS AND EVERYTHING.
UH, WE'LL PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL IT'S NOT IN PLACE YET.
[01:40:01]
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S SOMETHING MR. BELL HAS BEEN WORKING ON.UH, WE'LL WE'LL SHOW THAT TO EVERYBODY.
I THINK WHAT I'LL DO IS I'D LIKE TO ADD, UH, TO THE NEXT WORK SESSION AGENDA, TONY, UM, THE DISCUSSION AROUND PERSONNEL FOR POLICE AND FIRE.
AND IF YOU COULD MAKE SURE SCOTT, THE, UH, POLICE CHIEF IS HERE AS WELL.
AND CHIEF, AS I WOULD JUST SAY, SO AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, WHEREVER WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, SO, UH, IF WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION, LET'S BE SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
NOT THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE, BUT LET'S REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK THEN AT, UM, KIND OF COME UP WITH TWO WEEKS FOR THE NEXT WORK SESSION, GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME TO COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, IF I HAD, IF WE INCREASED, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT ADDITIONAL AN ADDITIONAL THREE FIREFIGHTERS FROM 39 TO 42, WOULD THAT THAT'D BE THE NEXT, THE NEXT NUMBER, RIGHT? WE HAVE 39 NOW.
SO IF WE, IF WE DID APPROPRIATE FUNDING OR AT LEAST ADD THAT TO THE BUDGET, HOW WOULD THEY BE USED? WHERE WOULD THEY GO? WHAT THE BENEFIT OF THAT WOULD BE OVER WHERE, WHAT YOU GOT RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK SCOTT, IF YOU COULD RELAY THAT SAME INFORMATION TO, UH, TO THE POLICE CHIEF ON, I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED THERE NOW, BUT WE HAVE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A TRAFFIC UNIT.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS I DO AGREE WITH MR. LYONS ON IS THAT IT, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT HOW WELL WE'RE DOING, AND IF WE DO HAVE NEEDS, WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
THIS COUNCIL IS ALWAYS DEPENDENT UPON, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WE PAY THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS, LET US KNOW WHAT THEY NEED.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO ANYTHING, UM, THAT, UH, LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, IT'S GOING TO KIND OF MAKE US STRONGER IN PLANNING, PLANNING AHEAD.
SO IF, UH, SO IF YOU WOULD BE PREPARED TO LEAST LET US KIND OF KNOW ALONG THAT LINE OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, UH, AND THEN AGAIN, THE SAME THING FROM THE FIRE CHIEF, AND THEN, UH, FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, LET US KNOW WHAT TYPE OF BUDGET IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE, WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK IF WE END UP IN A SITUATION IS TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR, IF WE APPROPRIATE THOSE, UH, IF WE, IF WE CHANGED THE ORG CHART, CHANGE THE STAFFING LEVELS, ADD THOSE, THAT'D BE, I'M THINKING SIX POSITIONS.
IF ANYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN MIND, LET ME KNOW.
I'M THINKING, WE TALKED ABOUT THREE ADDITIONAL FIRE, THREE ADDITIONAL POLICE, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A BUDGET IMPACT GOING FORWARD, UH, WHAT KIND OF COMMITMENT THAT IS FROM US THEN, UH, LET'S, LET'S HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND LET'S BE SERIOUS ABOUT IT AND KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO AND HAVE THE BEST ADVICE FROM OUR, FROM OUR POLICE CHIEFS THAT ARE, WHO ARE ON THE GROUND OPERATING IN THIS CAPACITY.
SO THAT'S A DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UM, AT THE, AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION.
WAS THAT GOOD? I HIT THE BUTTON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THE BUDGET SUMMARY THIS EVENING? OKAY.
[ Brandt Pike Revitalization Project]
WHICH IS A BRENT PIKE REVITALIZATION PROJECT.ANY, ANY UPDATE SCOTT? I CAN GIVE AN UPDATES ON CERTAIN THINGS AND I'VE SEEN THE SIGNS ABOUT THE PARKING AND ALL THAT.
AND I'VE BEEN BUYING, I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY OTHER TRUCKS THERE.
WE'VE BEEN GIVING PEOPLE SOME IDEAS ON WHERE TO GO.
WHERE'S SOME STORAGE IS THAT, UM, IF PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME AND ASK, HEY, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL VERY POLITE, JUST UNDERSTANDING.
SO I APPRECIATE THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE GAVE THEM TO MAKE THOSE PLANS.
UM, SO, UM, ONE, UH, DOGTOWN IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT HAS JUST SUBMITTED TO PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE ON THAT, UH, THAT NEXT MEETING, UH, FOR THEIR BASIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UH, THE LIBRARY, I HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE ARCHITECTS AND THE LIBRARY STAFF TO GO OVER WHERE THEY'RE AT TIMING, DESIGN, DETAILS, EVERYTHING WITH THAT.
UM, ALSO THAT SAME ARCHITECT IS THE ARCHITECT THAT WE HIRED FOR THE FACADE AND THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING THAT IS STILL ACTIVE.
I AM GOING TO REQUEST THAT HE COME TO, UM, A, A WORK SESSION TO PRESENT THOSE PLANS AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE REMODELING PLANS.
SO, UM, THE, UH, UM, WE JUST RECEIVED MORE INFORMATION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST ABOUT THE AREA WHERE THERE'S STILL THE CONCRETE PAD FROM THE AREA THAT WE ALREADY DEMOED ABOUT REMOVING THE BAD SOILS FROM THERE.
SO WE'RE WORKING OUT THOSE DETAILS ON THAT.
UM, I RECEIVED A, ALSO RECEIVED A CALL FROM, UH, UH, MS. CRAZE FROM, UH, THE ATHLETIC FOUNDATION.
AND WE HAVE NOT HOOKED UP YET, UM, ABOUT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT ACCESS ROAD AND ALSO ABOUT THEIR NEEDS FOR HOW THIS ALL FITS TOGETHER.
SO WE'RE SETTING UP THOSE, UH, MEETINGS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
[01:45:01]
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, SURVEY OF BUSINESSES, NEIGHBORS THE CITY ITSELF.SO CONTINUING TO WORK ON PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO COUNCIL FOR INPUTS PRIOR TO ANYTHING GOING OUT AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST, UH, SO WHERE WE'RE AT FROM TWO WEEKS AGO ON THINGS, BUT TOMORROW'S A BIG DAY OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND THE, UH, THE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE ARCHITECT.
AND THAT'LL BE ANOTHER UPDATE WE WOULD EXPECT SOON.
UH, SKY, WHERE ARE WE AT ON THE, UM, HOW DO I WANT TO CALL THIS THE, UM, BLINK SLATE, UH, THAT, THAT ARCHITECT IS, SO I'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TOMORROW TOO, TO SEE IF WE'VE GOT AND, UM, HAVE WE MADE ANY, UH, REACH OUT TO OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS AT THE POST OFFICE? UM, I KNOW EARLY ON WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SOME POSSIBLE UPGRADES ENHANCEMENTS.
I KNOW SOME OF THAT RELIES ON THAT, UH, THAT ROAD DISCUSSION WITH THE ATHLETIC FOUNDATION.
UM, I GUESS HAVE WE MADE ANY, I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE POST OFFICE PARTLY IN, UM, SOME ADA ACCESS ON THEIR CURRENT BUILDING THAT NEEDS UPGRADED.
UM, SO HAVE SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS.
YEAH, THE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS REGARDING BRAND PIKE.
LOOK FORWARD TO UPDATING THE LIBRARY.
[ Ordinance Review Commission Recommendations - City Code Amendments * Part Three - Traffic Code]
IS I'M THREE, WHICH HAS ORANGE REVIEW COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, CITY CODE AMENDMENTS, MR. ROGERS.UM, I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMISSION PROCESS OVER THE LAST YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE TWO OF THE MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT IN THE FORM OF A COUNCILMEN AUTO AND WEB.
UM, SO YOU GUYS CAN FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN ON ANY OF THIS AS YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT, UM, WE'RE HAVING THE FINAL MEETING OF THE ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMISSION, UM, LATER THIS MONTH ON OCTOBER 20TH.
AND THAT WILL BE KIND OF THE WRAP UP, BUT WE HAVE COMPLETED THE REVIEW OF ALL THE SECTIONS OF THE CODE, UM, TO THIS POINT.
AND THERE'S REALLY EIGHT MAJOR SECTIONS TO THE CITY CODE.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE DIVIDED THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHANGES THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, INTO THOSE EIGHT INDIVIDUAL PARTS.
AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OVER THE NEXT, UH, THREE OR FOUR, UH, COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS, I'LL BE BRINGING PIECES OF THIS, UH, TO COUNCIL, UH, TO CONSIDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE AS THEY WERE TONIGHT AND TONIGHT'S PACKET AND A LEGISLATIVE FORMAT, UH, TO MAKE THE, THE CODE CHANGES.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING HERE, UH, WOULD BE CONCURRENCE, UH, FROM COUNCIL TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE, UM, ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMISSION.
IF YOU CONCUR WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN WE WOULD ASK TO MOVE THE, THE ORDINANCES FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL.
AND ONCE AT THE ADOPTED, UM, THOSE ORDINANCES WOULD THEN ALLOW FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE CITY CODE TO REFLECT THOSE CHANGES.
SO, UM, TONIGHT I'M BRINGING YOU, UM, SO YOU EASE INTO IT.
UM, SOME OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT, WHICH ARE THE SECTIONS THAT HAVE THE FEWEST NUMBER OF, UH, REVISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THE FIRST IS PART THREE, WHICH IS THE TRAFFIC CODE OF THE CITY CODE.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THESE AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO GO THROUGH THIS.
UM, I CAN, UH, EITHER GO THROUGH THEM SPECIFICALLY, UM, IN ORDER, UM, OR IF THERE WERE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES, I COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO IT EITHER WAY COUNCIL SEES FIT TO PROCEED.
UM, THERE'S NOT MUCH HERE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, I COULD PROBABLY DO A SUMMARIZATION OF IT ALL IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT, UH, AS WE GET INTO SOME OF THE LENGTHIER ONES, I MEAN, IT IT'LL BE A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX AND WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE SOME, UM, MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, DETAILED CONVERSATIONS AROUND THOSE TONIGHT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL HERE.
UM, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO SUMMARIZE THEM IF YOU'D LIKE, OKAY, AS LONG AS YOU START WITH A SUMMARY AND I THINK, UM, UH, CERTAINLY I'D APPRECIATE ANY INPUT FROM MR. OTTO, MR. WEBB, UM, BEING IN THOSE MEETINGS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED OR JUST ANY OTHER INPUT ON WHY, UM, SOME OF THE CHANGES ARE RECOMMENDED THEN.
SO IN PART THREE TRAFFIC CODE, THE FIRST IS CHANGED TO SECTION 301.42.
UM, AND IT IS JUST A MINOR REVISION.
UM, MR. MCDONALD IDENTIFIED THAT THE OHIO REVISED CODE CITATION HAD CHANGED WITHIN THE SECTION.
SO IT'S JUST A CHANGE TO THE CITATION TO REFLECT THE CURRENT, UH, OHIO REVISED CODE REFERENCE.
AND, UH, THAT WOULD CHANGE IT FROM ORC 4, 5 1 1 0.01
[01:50:01]
B TO THE SAME REFERENCE WITH BB AT THE END.AND INSTEAD OF JUST THE SINGLE B, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS, UM, A CHANGE TO 3, 3, 1 0.44.
THERE WAS A SECTION IN HERE THAT WAS ENTITLED DRIVING ON THE BRAND PIKE BUS WAY AND, UH, TO THE BEST OF THE DETERMINATIONS OF CITY STAFF.
AND EVERYBODY'S RECOLLECTION THIS BRAND BIKE BUS WAY THAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO IS OVER THERE ON BRAND PIKE, ACROSS FROM WALMART, WHERE YOU KIND OF HAVE, UH, THE BOULEVARD SORT OF THING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS DEAD END STREET THAT KIND OF ENDS THERE BY A SHAWL LOCK AND KEY AND FISHER REALITY.
UM, THAT WAS DESIGNATED A BUS WAY AT SOME POINT.
AND, UH, WE CHECKED WITH RGA, UH, THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT ANYMORE.
UH, SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS JUST TO STRIKE THIS SECTION ENTIRELY FROM THE CODE AS WE DON'T THINK IT'S ANY LONGER, UM, IT'S NO LONGER NEEDED.
UH, NEXT IS SECTION 3, 3 7 0.25.
THERE IS A SECTION IN THIS CODE THAT REQUIRES THAT YOU HAVE A AIR CON OR AN AIR FILTER ON ANY TYPE OF VEHICLE THAT YOU'RE OPERATING WITHIN THE CITY.
AND, UH, IT GOES IN TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND, UH, CARBORATION SYSTEMS, NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT, UM, AFTER REVIEW BY THE LAW DIRECTOR IN THE COMMISSION, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO REMOVE THIS SECTION AS IT'S NOT REALLY ENFORCEABLE AND PROBABLY NOT PRACTICAL WITH THE MODERN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY.
SO, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IN THAT SECTION IS, UM, SECTION 3 43 0.03, WHICH IS THE GOLF CART ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, AS THE STATE RECENTLY, UH, MADE CHANGES TO ONLY REQUIRE, UM, A REAR LICENSE PLATE, UM, ON MOTOR VEHICLES, UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT BE CHANGED FOR THE GOLF CART TO, TO, UH, MIRROR THAT REQUIREMENT.
AND SO INSTEAD OF REQUIRING, UH, BOTH A FRONT AND REAR LICENSE PLATE ON THE GOLF CARTS, OPERATING IN THE CITY, THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE ON THE REAR.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS, ANYTHING YOU GUYS WANT TO ADD WE'VE DISCUSSED UPON IT? OKAY.
[ * Part Seven - Business Regulation Code]
SECTION THAT I'M PRESENTING TONIGHT IN A SEPARATE ORDINANCE WOULD BE PART SEVEN, WHICH IS THE BUSINESS REGULATION CODE.UM, THE FIRST ITEM IN THIS ONE, UM, IS SECTION 7, 3 5 0.02, PARAGRAPH 10 B, WHICH DEALS WITH DEFINITIONS.
AND, UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH DEFINITIONS RELATED TO SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO, UM, REMOVE THE GENDER SPECIFICITY IN THIS DEFINITION HERE, IN TERMS OF A SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS IN A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT, IT CURRENTLY READS, UM, ACTIVITIES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE PERSONS AND OR PERSONS OF THE SAME SEX WHEN ONE OR MORE OF THE PERSONS IS IN A STATE OF NUDITY OR SEMI-NUDITY.
YEAH, NO, WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT NEITHER DO TONIGHT.
SO, UM, AND THE, THE RECOMMENDED CHANGE WOULD JUST BE TAKE THE GENDER, UH, PRONOUNS OUT, SAY ACTIVITIES BETWEEN PERSONS WHEN ONE OR MORE OF THE PERSONS IS IN A STATE OF NUDITY OR, OR SEMI-NUDITY.
SO, UM, WE FELT THIS WAS MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE, UM, LANGUAGE, UH, SECTION 7 36 0.01.
UM, THIS IS REALLY JUST A GRAMMATICAL CHANGE CHANGING THE WORD HAS TO HAVE TO BE GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT.
UH, WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION THAT WERE VERY FOCUSED ON, UH, HAVING PROPER GRAMMAR IN THERE.
SO, UH, WE DID IDENTIFY THOSE CHANGES AS WELL.
UM, SECTION 7 36 0 2, UM, IS ANOTHER GRAMMAR CHANGE, UH, CHANGING, UH, AN A N T A AND REFERENCE TO A SWEEPSTAKES CAFE.
UM, SECTION 7 36 OUT OF SIX IS TO, UM, ANOTHER GRAMMAR CORRECTION TO CHANGE THE WORD PREMISE PREMISES TO PREMISE IN REFERENCE TO A SWEEPSTAKES CAFE, UM, IN SECTION 7 37 0 1.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS JUST SPELLED INCORRECTLY.
IT CURRENTLY STATES WHEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, CANVASSING AND, UM, DOOR TO DOOR CANVASSING THAT, UM, DEFINES PERSONS THROUGH FACE TO FACE CONTACT, BUT IT SAYS FACT TO FACE CONTACT.
SO I'D JUST BE CHANGING THAT TO FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT.
AND IN SECTION 7 38 0.03, UH, ADDING THE WORD BY AND A PHRASE WHERE IT SAYS CURRENTLY SIGNED THE
[01:55:01]
OWNER, IT SHOULD SAY SIGNED BY THE OWNER.SO THESE REALLY ARE, UM, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT, UM, OF CHANGES BUT NECESSARY CHANGES, UH, TO THESE SECTIONS OF THE CODE.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE, WHEN WE GET TO DO LADDER RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE ARE MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANCE THAT YOU MIGHT SEE THE VALUE TO, UH, THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE, BUT EVERY PORT, EVERY PART IS AN IMPORTANT PART TO THE PROCESS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL OF US ARE GOING, WHAT HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN DOING LINE BY LINE BY LINE? I CAN'T, I CAN'T, I APPRECIATE YOU AND DON, UH, WORK ON THAT COMMISSION THAT IS IN THERE AND THE OTHER FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION BE, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS TO PUT BOTH OF THESE ORDINANCES ON, UH, TWO MONDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING, UM, I THINK BASED ON THE NATURE OF THE CHANGES WE COULD CONSIDER WAIVING THE SECOND READING AND JUST GETTING THESE CHANGES IN PLACE.
AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, I'LL BRING BACK A COUPLE MORE SECTIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, CONTENT, UM, AND, AND MEAT TO THEM.
UM, I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS ABBREVIATED MEETING, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, NOT NECESSARILY THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT AT THIS MEETING, BUT, UH, WELL, THESE TWO ORDINANCES WILL BE THE ONLY LEGISLATIVE ITEMS WE'LL HAVE ON MONDAY'S AGENDA.
UM, AS WELL AS THE PROCLAMATION PRESENTATION.
SO MONDAY'S MEETING SHOULD BE FAIRLY CONCISE AND VACATION, AND THE PLEDGE MIGHT LAST LONGER THAN THE ACTUAL LEGISLATION.
UM, I HAVE TO ASK WHAT IS A SWEEPSTAKES CAFE AND WHY DO WE NEED IT? WHAT WAS THE BIG THING JEREMY EXPLAINED? CAUSE HE'S PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE ADAPTED.
THAT WAS A BIG THING IN THIS, IN ALL OF OHIO.
AT ONE POINT, THE STATE IS LEGISLATION IN PLACE.
THAT'S KIND OF CURTAILED THE OPERATION OF THESE, BUT I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
I ACTUALLY JOINED THE CLUBS SO I COULD GIVE THEM SIDE ONE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE FOR MYSELF LONG AND SHORT OF IT, THEIR SLOT MACHINES THROUGH THE INTERNET.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST WAY TO SAY IT.
SO THEY'RE JUST OF YOU GO IN THERE FOR COMPUTERS TO PLAY GAMES AND YOU PAY A FEE, THEY BECOME A MEMBER THERE, BUT THESE GAMES HAVE CASH PRIZES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT WAS ACTUALLY A VERY CLEVER WAY TO GAMBLE AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE REALIZED THAT, AND THEN THEY FIXED IT AND THEY LIMITED HOW MUCH YOU COULD WIN TWO PLASTIC PRIZES AND MIDDLE FINGER TOYS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THE BUSINESS IS JUST DRIED UP.
THERE'S A SMALL ONE LIKE THAT.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE INTERNET CAFE BASICALLY.
I JUST HAVE, I KNOW, I KNOW ONE OF THE YOUNG GUYS UP HERE, I JUST HAD TO ASK, HEY OBJECTION, INNER WORKINGS OF THE ORC.
SO, SO TWO THINGS, ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING THIS ON, UH, THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES OF THE CODE TO MONDAY, ANY OBJECTIONS INTO WAIVING, THE SECOND READING AS MR. ROGERS WOULD RECOMMEND IT.
SO WE'LL SEE YOU ON MONDAY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
NEXT UP IS NUMBER FOUR, WHICH ARE GERMAN.
IT IS EIGHT O'CLOCK AND THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.