May 08, 2025 Council Work Session

[1. Call Meeting To Order/Roll Call]

[00:00:20]

OFFICIALLY CALLED TO ORDER. >> MR. DAVIDSON?

>> PRESENT. >> MS. BAKER? MR. CAMPBELL? MAYOR GORE? MR. AKINS? MR. LOONEY? MISSES KITCHEN? MR.

WEBB? >> PRESENT.

>> OKAY, SO, MS. BAKER, MS. BYRGE, THEY'VE GIVEN US PLENTY OF NOTICE OF THE CONFLICTS WHY THEY'RE NOT HERE THIS EVENING.

[2. Approval Of Minutes]

[ City Manager Report]

IS OUR 30 MINUTE REPORT. >> THANKS. FEW ITEMS HERE.

REMINDERS, AND THEN JUST SOME NEW STUFF HERE. SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO START OFF, AND SADLY NEIL JUST RAN OUT TO TAKE SOME CALLS HERE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO THE RESIDENCE AND EVERYBODY THAT VOTED ON TUESDAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WAS A RESOUNDING ANSWER TO, YOU KNOW, THE JOB WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING LEAVING THE CITY, AND, YOU KNOW, MY, MY WHOLE PURPOSE FOR THIS WAS TO REALLY THANK NEIL AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CITY SERVICES AND THE WORK THEY DID, GETTING THE WORD OUT AND JUST SPREADING THE WORD ON -- SO SADLY NEIL DIDN'T GET TO -- I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION. YEAH -- THAT'S RIGHT. SO I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATIONAL PIECES HERE.

I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN IT. IT HAS BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON FACEBOOK AS WELL, BUT JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE DOING SOME TESTING. OHIO REQUIRED TESTING FOR OUR NEW WELL, SO RIPRAP ROAD IS CLOSED FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS STARTING ON THE SEVENTH, AND THAT WILL BE BACKUP ON MAY 21ST. JUST OF NOTE, WE KNOW WE'VE REROUTED SOME TRAFFIC TOO, SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY, BEFORE THE MEETING, WE'VE, WE'VE ADJUSTED SOME OF THE TIMINGS ON THE LIGHT THERE -- JUST THE KIND OF HELP WITH SOME OF THAT BACKUP, USE WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING DOWN -- RIGHT NOW, SO WE JUST ASK FOR A TWO WEEK GRACE PERIOD HERE AS WE KIND OF GET THROUGH SOME TESTING THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR THAT, THAT WELL.

SO. ALSO I'D LIKE TO REPORT MR. WEBB, THANKS TO YOU, WE DO HAVE THE CAMERA UP, AND THIS IS NOT LIVED, THIS IS JUST A SCREENSHOT, SO WE'RE NOT ING TO SEE ANYBODY WALKING ACROSS THE PARK HERE, BUT WE'VE HAD TRAINING ON IT.

>> THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD CAMERA.

>> IT'S AWFUL. IT DOESN'T MOVE AT ALL. WE AVE SOME, SOME PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS. WE GOT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED IN THIS. GUYS FROM PUBLIC WORKS ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED AS WE START TO WORK THROUGH THE MOVEMENT OF THAT CAMERA DOWN FOR OUR FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL AS WELL. WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT DOWN DURING THAT TIME. SO IT IS UP AND RUNNING. WE ARE GETTING NOTIFICATIONS INTO DISPATCH AND TO PD , PEOPLE, WHEN THEY'RE IN THE PARK AFTER HOURS, AND WE'RE TAKING ACTION ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS TOO. JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW WE HAVE IT UP AND RUNNING. JASON WAS GOING TO BE HERE, AND I WAS GOING TO LET HIM DO SOME TALKING, BUT HE WENT HOME SICK TODAY. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST FOCUS ON, JAY, AGAIN, HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB.

HE CONTINUES TO GET OUT. HE CONTINUES TO VISIT OUR BUSINESSES. HE'S VISITED 14 BUSINESSES. HE DOES HAVE SOME BACKFLOW CERTIFICATES THAT HE CONTINUES TO GET FROM VEOLIA.

HE'S ASSISTING THEM WITH THAT PROCESS. AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S JUST REALLY JUST TRYING TO DO OUR BEST TO ENHANCE OUR SERVICES TO THE CITY BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE, AND HE CONTINUES TO DO THAT WORK. HE DID ATTEND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING AS WELL. HE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT RIGHT NOW. HE CONTINUES TO GO TO THE I-70 I-75 DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION. HE HAS ATTENDED -- GUARDING COMMUNITY DAY. ONE EXCITING THING HERE IS WE DO HAVE FIVE NEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE OPEN HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS IN THE LAST 30 DAYS , AND THEN AGAIN, HE JUST CONTINUES TO KIND OF HAVE MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE PERTINENT TO BRINGING BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT TO THE CITY, SO. I DID WANT TO REMIND YOU TOO, JUST HIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE EARLIER THIS WEEK, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY ON MAY 26 AT 4:00 P.M. IT WILL BE A CLOUD PARK, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU UPDATES ON THAT ONE AS WE PROGRESS UNTIL WE GET TO THAT WEEKEND. ALSO, WE STARTED THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE STAR-SPANGLED HEIGHTS. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GET ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE A VENDOR, PLEASE SIGN UP THE LINK IS ON THERE FOR THAT AS WELL.

COUPLE NEW FACES YOU'LL SEE. WE'VE HIRED A NEW

[00:05:03]

SHE COMES WITH 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND OTHER ASPECTS.

SHE'S, SHE'ALT WITH CHILD AND ADULT CARE. SHE ALSO WAS ONE OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOFTWARE AND VENDORS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, SO SHE'S, SHE'S HAD SOME -- AND THEN MR. CURTIS ENSLEY, HE COMES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THIS GENTLEMAN HERE HAS 30 YEARS OF POLICE EXPERIENCE, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO YOUR NEXT BIG GIG OR WHATEVER, HE'S, HE'S PROOF. SO HE COMES WITH A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL, SO. POLICE DIVISION IS STILL TAKING SIGN-UPS FOR THEIR SAFETY TOWN, IF YOU REMEMBER.

THIS IS FOR THE PEOPLE ENTERING KINDERGARTEN. AGAIN, IT'LL BE TWO DIFFERENT SESSIONS FOR TWO DIFFERENT WEEKS, SO SIGN UP.

THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE AS WELL. AND I'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.

>> SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST START, JOHN, WANT TO ECHO YOUR THANKS TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS WHO, WHO CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY LEVY, AND, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR JUST, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK B, THE LEVY BACK IN NOVEMBER '23 PAST -- ROUGHLY 71%, 70%. SO I THINK, I THINK THAT JUST REALLY SPEAKS VOLUMES TO , YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS, NUMBER ONE, HOW WELL PEOPLE THINK PERSONALLY ABOUT OUR SERVICES HERE, AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AND, NUMBER TWO, THEY KNOW WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO BE A STRONG COMMUNITY IF WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING THESE LEVELS AS WE DO. I'M JUST GOING TO BROACH ONE OF THE SUBJECTS, AND I MAY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS TOO, BUT COULDN'T HELP NOTICE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND INSPIRING AND MOTIVATING PEOPLE, JOHN, YOU BEING AT THE POLLS WAS JUST A HUGE IMPACT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, YOU TOOK A VACATION DAY , RIGHT? SO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT CROSSING ANY LEGAL BOUNDARIES THERE. YOU TOOK A VACATION DAY SO YOU CAN BE ON YOUR OWN, STANDING OUT IN THE RAIN UNDER AN UMBRELLA WITH A SIGN. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN ANOTHER CITY MANAGER THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT, THAT WOULD'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO DO THAT, OR EVER DID DO THAT. SO I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR , EVERY, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT I THINK OF YOU AND THE JOB AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE AND SPENDING TIME LETTING OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT YOU ALSO BELIEVE IN THIS.

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, I WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR THAT, AND MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING. OH, OKAY. I -- ALEX WAS OUT THERE TOO, SO. APPRECIATE THAT. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE YOU IN THE PAPER. I DIDN'T SEE -- I DIDN'T SEE A FACEBOOK PICTURE OF YOU, SO IF IT'S NOT ON FACEBOOK, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, ALL

RIGHT? YEAH, SO, MARK? >> YEAH. FIRST I WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SAFETY. AS YOU SAID, JEFF, WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK OFFICE, NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE, WORK, OR OWN A BUSINESS IN A CITY THAT'S NOT SAFE. AND BECAUSE OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE POLICE AND FIRE DIVISION, WE REMAIN SAFE. JOHN, THE LEVY WAS ONE INSIGHT THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OLD SAYING, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, WELL, WE SURE ARE. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING YOU. WHEN YOU DROVE THE STREETS AND YOU SAW THE PLACEMENT OF THE SIGNS EACH DAY, YOU ONLY PUT NUMBER OF FINDS OUT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE YOU RAN OUT OF HOMES TO PUT THEM IN. THAT SPOKE VERY WELL, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT GOOD RESPONSE AS YOU WENT DOOR TO DOOR, BUT IT SURE LOOKED LIKE YOU DID. SO THAT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION TONIGHT ABOUT SOME OF OUR BORROWING AND, AND OUR CAPITAL AND OUR BALANCE SHEET. NONE OF THAT COULD TAKE PLACE IF WE WEREN'T PROTECTED. SO THANKS SO MUCH. OH, AND AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE NEVER KNOWN A CITY MANAGER WORK THE POLLS. AND, AND ALL OF YOU FOLKS THAT WORK THE POLLS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. JEFF AND I TALKED ABOUT A WEEK AGO, HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE TODAY VERSUS FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO. WE SET THE POLICY. YOU FOLKS ADMINISTER IT. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT COUNCIL'S VISION IS YOUR VISION, 100%. IT'S BEEN HIT AND

[00:10:02]

>> THANKS, MARK. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP. TO TOUCH ON THAT TOO, I THINK THAT WHEN MARK SAYS KIND OF HIT OR MISS, I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE OUR, OUR, OUR STAFF, OUR SENIOR STAFF, OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, EVERYBODY REALLY IS IN LINE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE, WITH THE POLICIES THAT WE'RE SETTING. SO I THINK IT'S, NOTHINGS BEING, NOT FOUGHT AGAINST, BUT IT'S JUST, SUCH A MUCH MORE PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT AND PLACE TO BEGIN WORK AND DO THINGS WHEN THE VISION, THE SHARED VISION, AND STAFF WANTS TO DO THE THINGS AND SEE THE CITY GROW AND SEE THE SAME THINGS COME TO FRUITION THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE. AND WHEN THAT'S A SHARED VISION FROM THE POLICYMAKER TO THE PEOPLE WHO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY, THAT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING 100 TIMES BETTER, AND I THINK, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ACROSS THE BOARD, I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. AND THAT, THAT ALL STARTS WITH JOHN AND OUR ASSISTANCE, RIGHT NOW TO OUR DIRECTORS AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND I'M JUST REAL THANKFUL AND VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IN THAT POSITION.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANITA? >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR GOING OUT AND DOING THAT, AND THANK YOU TO THE CITIZENS FOR VOTING FOR THAT LEVY. COUPLE THINGS I DO HAVE, JOHN. AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE CAMERA COMMUNITY PARK, BECAUSE I DO GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THAT, AND AT ONE POINT THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT, THAT YOU CAN ACCESS IT FROM YOUR PHONE. SO AS RESIDENTS ARE CALLING ME, I CAN KIND OF GOING TO GO, OKAY, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T REALLY A PROBLEM, OR, YES, THIS, THIS IS.

>> LET ME TALK TO I.T. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE --

>> I THINK THERE WAS A WAY TO GET ACCESS TO DIFFERENT DEVICES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YEAH, BUT I THINK, HOW, HOW LONG, SO IT'S ONLY BEEN SET UP FOR ONLY A WEEK NOW?

>> NOT EVEN THAT LONG. IT SHOWED UP LAST THURSDAY. IT WENT UP, AND THEN WE WORK THROUGH I.T. AND MYSELF, AND LAST NIGHT WAS BASICALLY WHEN I HAD LIVE FEED ON MY COMPUTER, SO. THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME HICCUPS THROUGH OUR I.T., OBVIOUSLY WE GOT SOME FIREWALLS IN PLACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO STOP THINGS

FROM COMING THROUGH -- >> I CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHERE, ESPECIALLY THAT BEING ANITA'S WARD, HER PURVIEW TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. SO IF SHE'S THE ONE FIELDING CALLS, PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT THAT, I CERTAINLY THINK SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE

ACCESS -- >> I WILL SAY, I MEAN, PD AND DISPATCH HAVE ACCESS. IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES, I MEAN, I WOULD PREFER THAT MOST OF THOSE CALLS COULD BE ROUTED THROUGH THE DISPATCH CENTER. IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR SERVICE FROM OUR SERVICES, I WOULD RATHER THE ACCESS COME THROUGH THERE. BUT I, YEAH, LET ME, LET ME TALK.

>> LIKE EVERYTHING WE TALK ABOUT, AS THE EDUCATION PIECE, WE CAN WANT PEOPLE TO CALL DISPATCH ALL THEY WANT TO, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP CALLS FROM GOING TO HER. AND I JUST THINK IF SHE HAS SOME ACCESS TO THAT, ON THAT TYPE OF BASIS, TO AT LEAST FEEL SOME CALLS, TO THEN BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, DID YOU CALL DISPATCH, I SEE THIS AS AN ISSUE, NOW HERE'S THE NEXT STEP, COMING FROM HER, THAT'LL BE --

>> YEAH, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE MY WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE MEANS. AND THE OTHER THING IS, I DID SEE SOME COMMUNICATION ABOUT SAFETY TOWN, AND IT SAYS ANY HUBER KID GOING INTO KINDERGARTEN. SO NOW IS IT OPEN

FOR -- >> YEAH, ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN

HUBER HEIGHTS. >> HUBER HEIGHTS? OKAY. I'LL SEND IT OUT TO SAINT PETE'S PRESCHOOL THAT'S GOING TO

KINDERGARTEN. >> OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

[ City Debt Update Presentation]

>> SO I THINK JIM IS GOING TO DO THE INTRODUCTION.

>> OKAY. >> YES. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I ALSO WANT TO GIVE MY APPRECIATION TO THE RESIDENTS OF HUBER HEIGHTS FOR PASSING THIS INCOME TAX, AND I PROMISE ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT THE STAFF AND MY DEPARTMENT WILL, AS ALWAYS, PROTECT YOUR DOLLARS AS CAREFULLY AS WE CAN, AND LOOK FOR EVERY PENNY THAT BELONGS TO US, AND THAT'LL JUST CONTINUE. BUT APPRECIATE THE RESIDENTS APPROVING THAT ONE AND THE OTHER ONE WE JUST DID, SO THOSE WON'T COME UP AGAIN FOR

[ Issuance Of Notes - Refunding/New * Refunding - Fire Station 25 - $1,600,000]

[00:15:04]

FOR COMING. >> THANKS, JIM. THE ECONOMY, I'M NOT SURE I'M GOING TO HIT ON THAT ONE RIGHT THERE, BUT.

GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. WE'VE GOT TO SLIMMED-DOWN VERSION OF THE PRESENTATION. YOU SEEN SOME OF THIS STUFF BEFORE, BUT GIVE YOU SOME UPDATE AS TO WHERE THE MARKETS AT. AS JIM MENTIONED, WE HAD TWO NOTES ISSUED OUT THERE THAT WE WERE ALIGNING TOGETHER IN JULY. A COUPLE REASONS TO DO THAT. TOGETHER, IT'S CHEAPER TO ISSUE, AND THE LARGER THE SIZE, THE MORE DEMAND FOR THE DEAL.

AND THEN ALSO COMMENT ISSUANCE COSTS. AND SO WE'RE COMING BACK AGAIN TO RENEW THOSE THIS YEAR, AND LOOKING PROBABLY NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MARKET IS DOING, AND TAKING A LOT OF THAT LONG-TERM AND REALLY, AS YOU LOOK THROUGH SO' SHOW YOU, IT'S BEEN A VERY CRAZY YEAR IN THE INTEREST RATE WORLD. JUST UP AND DOWN, MORE THAN I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE, YOU KNOW? WE WERE, IN THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE TARIFFS WERE BEING ANNOUNCED, WE WERE SEEING 30, 40 BASES IN CRETE -- THE LONG-TERM YIELDS. TWO DAYS LATER, WE WERE 40 BASIS POINTS BACK DOWN. IT WAS PRETTY INSANE. THE ONE OF THE THINGS WAS THAT, THAT AS WE CAME THROUGH THE, THE LAST YEAR, AND UP HERE IS THE CHART ON LONG-TERM RATES, AND THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS YOUR DOW JONES AVERAGE OF THE 20 YEAR RATE AT THE END OF THE DAY. YOU CAN SEE, HISTORICALLY, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SEEN A SPIKE THERE.

HONESTLY, THESE CHARTS ARE ALWAYS ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, AND WE JUST HAPPENED TO CATCH IT AS THE BALL WAS GOING UP. SO THEY COME BACK DOWN SINCE AGAIN. BUT REALLY, THE VOLATILITY WAS ONE THING SCARED US IN TERMS OF GOING LONG-TERM THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THE 10 YEAR TREASURY GO AS LOW AS THREE POINT ASK ALL THE WAY UP TO 4.8 JUST A YEAR, AND SO THAT'S A HUGE SWING. REALLY, THAT'S WITH THE FED SAYING, HEY, WE'RE NOT MOVING ANYTHING. THINK ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY SEEING RATES MOVE THAT FAST REALLY WITH NO INDICATORS FROM THE FED. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM RATES. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE BOND MARKET REALLY IS, IS OPERATING NORMALLY. IT'S NOT A CONCERN.

WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG FORM OR THE SHORT TERM. BUT JUST REALLY WANT TO GIVE YOU A HIGHLIGHT AS TO WHERE THE MARKET IS CURRENTLY, AND WHAT OUR THOUGHT PROCESS IS AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT YEAR. THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, TOO, IT'S NOT ALWAYS MARKET RATE DRIVEN, BUT ALSO COMPLETION OF THE FINANCING, OR THE PROJECT. AND SO NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS MORE COMPLETE AND BE ABLE TO COMBINE THEM FOR A LONGER BARN ISSUE AS WELL AND TAKE THEM OUT WHEN THE TIME'S RIGHT. SO THIS NEXT CHART, AGAIN, YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE.

AGAIN, THIS IS THE YIELD CURVE, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BONDS ARE ISSUED WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL YEAR, HAVING AN INTEREST RATE.

WHEN I WAS HERE LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE THAT GREEN LINE WAS, YOU KNOW, WELL BELOW THE AVERAGE THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE AVERAGE OF WHERE IT'S BEEN GOING BACK TO 1991. AGAIN, STILL OKAY RATES. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SEEING SIX PERCENTAGE RATES RIGHT NOW. AND REALLY SORT OF THE VIEWPOINT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD POSSIBLY SEE TWO TO THREE RATE CUTS AS YOU GO THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR. THAT'S REALLY CONSENSUS RIGHT NOW, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU LISTEN TO.

IN TERMS OF THE SHORT-TERM MARKET, AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE WE'VE SEEN SOME BENEFIT TO THE CITY, THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL THE BIG ONE RATED HIM. THIS IS THE HIGHEST RATED NOTE ISSUE IN THE MARKET, AND THIS IS THE TRACKING OF THAT. AGAIN, A LOT OF VOLATILITY UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN. YOU KNOW, WE SEEN THIS COME BACK DOWN THE LAST WEEK. A DEAL THIS SIZE, BY THE WAY, IS GOING TO GET A LOT OF ATTENTION ON DEMAND, AND THAT WILL BRING, YOU KNOW, AS THEY COME IN TO BID ON THE NOTES, YOU'LL GET MORE BUYERS, AND IT GETS US THE ABILITY TO DECREASE, DECREASE THE RATE WHEN WE GET AN ISSUANCE. SO WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN THE NEAR FUTURE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A RATING CALL WITH S&P TO GET THE, THE NOTE ISSUE RATED. WHICH WILL HELP WITH THE SALE OF IT. BUT FOR YOU, ON THE SLIDE, THERE ARE NOW, IS A SUMMARY OF THE VARIOUS NOTES THAT'LL BE ISSUED. IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO DFOR YOU. BUT JUST SORT OF TO SET THE STAGE, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A RATING CALL WITH S&P. GREAT TIMING. THE LEVY PASSING IS A HUGE CREDIT POSITIVE, OBVIOUSLY. SO THAT'LL HELP US WHEN WE HAVE THAT CHAT WITH THEM. AND THEN ALSO, I THINK, LATER ON IN YOUR AGENDA, THERE'S SOME POLICY ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN HIT ON IN THE PAST WITH, AND SO WE'VE COME BACK. THIS TIME TO

[00:20:03]

>> ANDY, IF I COULD TAKE JUST A MOMENT HERE AND INTERJECT.

COUNCIL, IN YOUR PACKET, SEES 11 PIECES OF LEGISLATION, SO WHAT, WHAT ANDY'S PRESENTING HERE IS WHEN IT GOES TO MARKET, IT'LL B THE ONE THAT HE JUST MENTIONED, THE 15.8 IS ON THE WATER. THE TWO HELLO THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE TAXABLE PIECES OF LEGISLATION, WHICH I BELIEVE , I DON'T KNOW IF TONY PUT THEM IN THE SAME WAY I GAVE THEM IN THE AGENDA -- BUT THEY ARE IN THE

SAME -- >> OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO THE LAST TWO ARE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES, SO WHEN IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IT NOT A CITY BUILDING, IT NEEDS TO BE TAXABLE, AND THOUGH ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE CITY BUILDING RELATED ARE MAKING UP THAT 56 MILLION. SO THAT'S, IT'S GROUPED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES, BUT YOU'LL SEE 11

PIECES OF LEGISLATION. >> THE $56 MILLION IS --

>> YES, YES. >> THANKS, JIM. THAT'S GOOD.

YOU STOLE THE THUNDER, GOOD. WE'RE DONE WITH THAT SLIDE.

REALLY, THE, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE UP ON THAT SCREEN, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS GIVE YOU ALL THE DETAIL. AND SO ON THIS PAGE, PAGE SIX, YOU'RE SEEING THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS IN TERMS OF WHAT IS ROLLOVER, WHAT IS NEW MONEY. WE ARE CAPITALIZING SOME INTEREST, WHICH IS A VERY NORMAL THING TO DO. AND THEN THE, THE FINAL TALLY OF ALL OF IT IN THE FAR RIGHT-HAND COLUMN. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE FOR YOU. I KNOW A LOT OF THIS YOU'VE SEEN ALREADY.

THERE'S A FEW NEW ITEMS THAT ARE ADDED TO THE LIST THIS YEAR, BUT AS WE SAID, WE'LL HAVE THIS ISSUED AS FOUR SEPARATE NOTES, AND THEN WE COME BACK NEXT YEAR, AND WE'RE MOST LIKELY LOOKING

AT TAKING SOME OF THOSE BONDS. >> YEAH, I WOULD JUST ADD ON THIS SLIDE, I KNOW MR. CAMPBELL AND, AND MAYOR GORE HAVE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPLAINING TO THE PUBLIC WHERE THE REVENUE STREAMS ARE COMING TO PAY DOWN THIS DEBT, SO THE FINAL COLUMN IS SHOWING YOU WHETHER IT'S A COUNTY TIP OR IT'S THE GAS TAX FUND, OR WATER, SEWER, STORMWATER COLLECTIONS. WE'VE GOT THE MEADOWS TIP, AUTHENTIC STIPP, DOGTOWN CRA, SO THAT FINAL COLUMN OFF TO THE RIGHT IS THE REVENUE SOURCES THAT WILL BE PAYING DOWN THIS DEBT.

>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT. THERE'S ONLY ONE ITEM IN THERE

T'S -- REVENUE. YEAH. >> AND WE LIKELY WON'T EVEN USE THE INCOME TAX REVENUE. THAT'S JUST, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PART OF IT, ANDY? WHERE IT'S, IT'S EASIER TO COLLECT AN INCOME TAX REVENUE BOND EVEN THOUGH WE CAN CHOOSE TO PAY FOR IT

DIFFERENTLY? >> YEAH. SO IN THE MARKETPLACE, THERE'S WHAT THEY CALL, REALLY, DOUBLE-BARRELED TRANSACTIONS, AND DOUBLE CREDITED TRANSACTIONS. SO YOU, A LOT OF WHAT WE HAVE AND A LOT OF WHAT YOU HAVE OUTSTANDING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, AND THIS IS A, A GOOD TALKING POINT WITH S&P THAT WE BRING UP OFTEN, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT DIPPING INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO PAY FOR A LOT OF THESE, THESE ITEMS. THEY, THERE'S ALL THESE REVENUE SOURCES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH THAT ARE PAID FOR AND ARE CONSISTENT BECAUSE IT'S BUILT OUT AND IT'S A CONSISTENT REVENUE STREAM. WHAT WE DO FOR, FOR THE BENEFIT OF GETTING A LOWER INTEREST RATE IS EITHER PUTTING THE INCOME TAX REVENUE PLEDGE BEHIND IT OR A GENERAL OBLIGATION PLEDGE BEHIND THAT, AND THEY CALL THAT A DOUBLE-BARRELED BOND IN THE MARKETPLACE. AND SO THAT HELPS US KEEP THE INTEREST RATE DOWN AND KEEP THE COST DOWN OF THIS THING. ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THAT PAGE? I KNOW, A LOT OF DETAIL,

BEFORE WE MOVE ON. >> I DO. FOR THOSE MAY BE VIEWING, AND ACTUALLY FOR MYSELF, ON THIS PARTICULAR PAGE SIX, AND I CAN DO THE MATH AND EVERYTHING, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE MIDDLE COLUMNS ARE, THOSE FIGURES?

>> YEAH, YEAH, THANK YOU. SO THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE, WHAT'S

[00:25:03]

THREE REPRESENT. >> THANK YOU.

>> AND THE PRESENTATIONS BEEN LOADED UP TO THE WEBSITE, SO IT

IS AVAILABLE. >> YEAH, MAYBE, ANDY, IF WE COULD HAVE THE COLUMN HEADINGS, I THINK SOMEHOW THE COLUMN HEADINGS GOT CUT OFF, BEFORE WE PUT IT IN THE FINAL PACKET FOR

APPROVAL NEXT THURSDAY. >> WILL DO. LAST, WE -- SORRY --

>> QUESTION. >> ANYBODY ELSE? SO LASTLY IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT, PROBABLY, YOU HAVE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE IN THE PAST. YOU HAVE -- EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A REVENUE SOURCE THAT TEXT WITH IT, IT'S EXEMPTED OFF OF THAT, DOESN'T COUNT. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE, WHICH IS YOUR, WHAT THEY CALL THE INTERACT 10 MILL LIMIT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, JUST AS A QUICK SUMMARY, THE STATE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS YOU TO ISSUE DEBT UP TO 10 MILL'S, ON VOTED DEBT UP TO 10 MILL OF TAXATION. AND YOU SHARE THAT WITH ALL THE OVERALL OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS ON A PARTICULAR TAXING DISTRICT. AND IT'S REALLY A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED. SO WE ARE UTILIZING A LOT OF THIS IS THE GOP AT SOME OF IT'S GOING TO COME OFF AS WE USE AND OTHER REVENUE SOURCES, WE ISSUE THE BONDS. BUT AS YOU CAN RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SITTING ABOUT HEAVEN .8 MILS. NO ONE ELSE IS REALLY USING A WHOLE LOT OF CAPACITY, AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT ABOUT 1.6 MILS LEFT REMAINING IN CAPACITY, AND I SHOWED YOU DOWN BELOW WHAT THAT COULD LEVERAGE FOR YOU. YOU CAN DO ANOTHER $20 MILLION IF YOU SO CHOSE IN TERMS OF LIMIT. NOT THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT THAT'S JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE STAND RELATIVE TO THE DEBT LIMIT. SO NO CONCERNS THERE.

THAT'S THE BALANCE OF THE PRESENTATION, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FUND DISCLOSURES WE ALWAYS HAD TO PUT IN THERE. THE LAST TWO PAGES, WOULD ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, RELATIVE TO NOTES, CREDIT RATING.

>> ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MARK? >> ARE WE FISCALLY SOUND AS A

COMMUNITY, IN YOUR OPINION? >> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I, I, YOU ARE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, BEEN DOING THIS 27 YEARS NOW, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T LOOK KE IT. YOU SEE SOME COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE ISSUED DEBT IN THE PAST, IT'S ALL GENERAL FUND LOADED, PAID FROM, RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU HIT HARD TIMES , AND YOU'RE, YOUR MAIN REVENUE STREAM IS YOUR INCOME TAXES, THAT CAN BE A VOLATILE SOURCE WHEN YOU HIT A RECESSION. YOU KNOW, THE DEBT THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN BEFORE I GOT INVOLVED HERE WITH, WITH TEST FINANCINGS BEING THE REPAYMENT SOURCE, ARE VERY SOLID, SECURE PAYMENTS. EVEN INTO THE POINT THAT IF YOU HAD A, THIS IS KIND OF GETTING THE WEEDS, BUT IF YOU HAD A DEFAULT FROM A TIFF PAYMENT , YOU KNOW, USUALLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THE BANK THAT HAS THE MORTGAGE IS GOING TO STEP IN AND MAKE THE PAYMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY PROTECT THEMSELVES. SO THOSE REVENUE STREAMS ARE ALL, THEY'RE DIVERSIFIED TOO. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF GOING THROUGH ALL THAT BEFORE YOU NOW, AND IT'S IMPERATIVE -- THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE IS IN GREAT SHAPE. -- ALSO OBVIOUSLY THE INCOME TAX. ESPECIALLY BY THE MARGIN. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT S&P WILL ALSO LOOK AT TO SAY, WOW, THIS COMMUNITY REALLY SUPPORTS WHAT'S COMING ON BY THAT MARGIN, THE ABILITY TO GO OUT AND SELL THE CITY IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS A GREAT

ASPECT OF IT. >> THANK YOU.

>> YUP. >> THANKS, MARK. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, JIM?

>> ANDY, COULD YOU COMMENT ON, WE HAD A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW THE FACT THAT WE ARE SUCH A GROWING COMMUNITY AN AMOUNTS OF DEBT BEING ISSUED ON, WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS, AND WHY THAT'S COMMONPLACE.

>> YEAH. I MEAN, YOU DO SEE THAT WITH GROWING COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OLDER ONES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED, THAT YOU LOOK AT. IT'S IMPERATIVE TO COMPARE COMMUNITIES LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU REALLY TAKE THE ASPECT OUT OF WHAT'S GROWING AND WHAT'S NOT GROWING, BECAUSE THE COUNTY I LIVE IN IN BUTLER, YEARS AGO, THEY HAD ONE OF THOSE SALES TAX IN THE REGION, BUT THEY HAD A HIGH DEBT LOAD BECAUSE THEY WERE GROWING

[00:30:02]

>> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. JIM, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, THOSE QUESTIONS. SOMETIMES IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, AND IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET IN AND ASK THOSE RIGHT QUESTIONS, THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THAT YOU'RE POINTING OUT. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE MONEY PERSPECTIVE, AS YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THESE PROJECTS, I MEAN, THESE HAVE ALL BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL. I MEAN, THE STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS HERE THAT THIS MONEY IS USED FOR ARE ALL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEBATED AND SPOKEN ABOUT PUBLICLY AND TALKED ABOUT PUBLICLY, AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO BE INVOLVED AND COME TO THOSE MEETINGS AND PARTICIPATE IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, AND, YOU KNOW, THESE PROJECTS WERE APPROVED, AND THEY'RE UNDERWAY, AND THIS IS THE FINAL PIECE OF KIND OF PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A REALLY SOUND FINANCIAL PLAN IN PLACE TO, TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR. MARK?

>> WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD AT IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HUBER HEIGHTS, AND I THINK WE, WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB AT THAT. AND ALL OF THAT'S FUN AND EXCITING, WHEN YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, STUFF COME OUT OF THE GROUND, AND WE HAD YOU TO HELP US. BUT THE PERSON BEHIND ALL THIS THAT'S MADE SURE ALL THE COLUMNS AT UP, WE DON'T OVER OBLIGATE OURSELVES IS JIM. AND YOU'RE ONE OF THE CONSTANT THINGS THAT HAVE EXISTED IN HUBER HEIGHTS. YOU'VE BEEN WITH US HOW LONG?

>> 13 YEARS. >> YEAH. AND A LOT OF THIS GROWTH HAS TAKEN PLACE DURING THAT TIME, AND I APPRECIATE YOU,

AND I THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> REGARDING THE INCOME TAX, OUR RATINGS ARE WHAT ALLOWS US TO BORROW AT CHEAP RATES AND BENEFIT THE TAXPAYERS. AND ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO GETTING, MAKING SURE THAT LEVY PASSED KEEPS ALL OF THIS MOVING. IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. ONE HELPS THE R. JUST ONE PROJECT GENERATES APPROXIMATELY 1,000,005 PROFIT FROM THE TICKET SALES, THE PAYMENT TO THE FACILITY IS PAID BY THE COUNTY, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. AND WE HAVE ASSETS LIKE THAT THAT ARE ON THE CITIZENS BALANCE SHEET AND THE POSITIVE, NOT THE NEGATIVE. WE HAVE A WATER UTILITY THAT HAS TO BE WORTH A TON OF MONEY, AND THAT'S AN ASSET -- TAXPAYERS BALANCE SHEET. AND JIM, WE'VE PROBABLY UTILIZED BETTER THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES TO TOWN, WE WANT OUR TAXPAYERS SHARE OF THAT DEVELOPMENT, DO WE NOT?

>> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND AARON, WE, WE DO APPROVE A JOB WITH THAT. AND THE PROJECT DOWN ON CHAMBERSBURG IS GOING TO YIELD THE TAXPAYERS THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT --

>> $9 MILLION? >> $9 MILLION. THAT'S GOING TO BE OVER A 30 YEAR PERIOD. WE'VE REALLY LEVERAGED ALL THIS FOR THE TAXPAYERS, AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO PLACE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT AUTOPILOT, AND THESE MONIES ARE GOING TO COME IN. WE DO, AT SOME POINT, RECEIVE THE PROPERTY TAXES FROM THAT. OUR SCHOOLS -- YOU KNOW, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD STORY. BUT JIM, NONE OF THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU, AND I'VE BEEN HERE TO WATCH IT. THAT'S A FACT.

>> THANK YOU. >> AND ANDY, YOU HAVE A REPUTATION THAT'S VERY GOOD OUT IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU

SERVE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND YES, THANKS --

>> YEAH, ONE THING, JEFF. I WAS REMINDED, CHRIS FREY LISBON. YOU KNOW? CHRIS DOT COME HERE IN THE PUBLIC OFTEN. HE'S A

GENIUS, IS HE NOT? >> THE BEST.

>> AND HE WORKS HAND IN GLOVE WITH ALL OF THE STAFF. AND HE IS REALLY THE BEST, RIGHT? AND HE DOESN'T WORK WITH ALL COMMUNITIES. AND HE'S BEEN WITH US 20 YEARS, I BET. SO, YEAH -- YOU MENTIONED CHRIS BRONFMAN. HI, CHRIS.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE IMPORTANCE,

[00:35:05]

>> IF I COULD TAG ONTO YOUR COMMENTS, MAYOR. I KNOW ANDY JUST BARELY TOUCHED ON IT, BUT THE SECOND COMPONENT AFTER WE GO THROUGH THE NO LEGISLATION TONIGHT IS, WHEN WE HAVE THIS RATINGS LAST YEAR, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO, ALWAYS TRYING TO COME UP WITH WAYS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET OUR DEBT RATING TO BE IMPROVED WITH THEM. AND WITH , WE SWITCHED FROM MOODY'S TO STANDARD & POOR'S BECAUSE WE THINK THEY DO A BETTJOB OF, OF LOOKING AT ALL ASPECTS, ESPECIALLY OF OHIO COMMUNITIES.

AND SO ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT THEY MENTIONED LAST YEAR, WIFE WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET AN INCREASE WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A DEBT POLICY, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A, A BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE ACCOUNT. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM TO SEE THAT WE HAD A RESERVE ACCOUNT FOR POTENTIAL, SOME PLACES CALL IT A RAINY DAY FUND, AND THERE'S OTHER NAMES FOR IT, BUT I THINK STABILIZAT THE BEST PHRASE FOR IT. SO WE'VE GOT THAT LEGISLATION COMING TO YOU TONIGHT TO ADDRESS RIGHT AFTER THE NOTE. SO HOPEFULLY WITH THAT, IF COUNCIL APPROVES THAT , NEXT THURSDAY'S MEETING, THAT WILL BE A WEEK BEFORE WE HAVE THE NEXT S&P RATING CALL, SO THAT WILL CERTAINLY HELP, AND I THINK THE OTHER FACTOR THAT WE'VE MENTIONED MANY TIMES IS OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM. SO THE FACT THAT THE LAST TIME WE HAD A RATINGS CALL, THE LAST COUPLE WE WERE IN TRANSITION, WE HAD AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, AND, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'VE GOT A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER, WE'VE GOT TWO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, AND WE'VE GOT SOME DIRECTORS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE VERY LONG-TERM. THAT MAKES QUITE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THE STANDARDS PEOPLE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT, ANDY, BUT I WANT TO SAY, PERSONALLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP TO US IN CRAFTING THOSE POLICIES. ALEX AND I PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO CRAFTING THE POLICY THAT'S GOING TO COME UP LATER, AND ANDY WAS VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING US A GOOD TEMPLATE EXAMPLES THAT WE COULD USE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND THEN WE HAD TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT SO IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR HUBER HEIGHTS. BUT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONNECTIONS IN THE FIELD, BEING ABLE TO BRING US GOOD, GOOD POLICIES THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.

>> I APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW IT'S A TINY MYFORD. ANYBODY WHO IS NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO LISTEN LATER. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO CAN TALK IN THIS COMMUNITY, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE A COUPLE SITTING UP HERE FROM -- YEAH, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT. LET'S DO THAT. AND IT'S NOT HOW THESE

[00:40:02]

OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. >> SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, WHAT WOULD COME OUT OF THIS ITEM WOULD BE 11 DIFFERENT ORDINANCES -- ISSUANCES THAT WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA. I THINK THE REQUEST IS TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING ON ALL OF THOSE ITEMS -- NONEMERGENCY -- TO MEET THE TIMELINE FOR KNOWN ISSUANCE.

>> YES. >> SO JULY 10TH IS KIND OF THAT BACKDROP OF THAT DATE THAT ALL THIS IS GOING TO BE --

>> WELL, ACTUALLY, THE KEY DATE THAT ANDY MENTIONED, I BELIEVE IT'S JUNE 24TH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE GOING FOR

PRICING ON THE MARKET. >> THE OTHER ONES EXPIRE -- IS

THAT RIGHT? >> YEAH, THE PRICING HAS TO BE DONE, AND ACTUALLY THE NOTES HAVE TO BE SOLD IN THE MARKET, WHICH WE GOT A GOOD TEAM FROM KEYBANK THAT HELPS US WITH THAT, AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE LEGISLATION HAS THAT 30 DAY PERIOD WHEN IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE, SO IT'LL BECOME EFFECTIVE IF IT'S PAST NEXT THURSDAY, IT WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE JUNE 13TH AND THE PRICING AND THE MARK WOULD BE

JUNE 24TH, SO. >> OKAY, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO

[ City Debt Management And Budget Stabilization Policy]

JIM, YOU JUST TALK ABOUT. >> YES. AS I SAID, ALEX AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST MONTH, AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT STANDARD & POOR'S HA RECOMMENDED, AND SOMETHING ON OUR AGENDA THAT WE WANTED TO GET TO, AND WE TOLD THEM LAST YEAR DURING THE RATINGS CALL THAT WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE THIS IN PLACE BEFORE OUR JULY NEXT, OUR JULY NEXT NOTE ISSUE. AND SO THIS WAS IN YOUR PACKET, AND IT'S SPELLED OUT. THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL IN THERE. THE, THE DEBT POLICY IS VERY GENERALIZED, IN A SENSE, BUT IT, IT DEFINITELY LISTS REASONS WHEN WE GO OUT FOR DEBT, WHY WE GO OUT FOR DEBT, AND ALSO HAS A GLOSSARY IN THERE, A LOT OF EXPLANATIONS AS TO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEBT, AND, AND WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE TO REFUND THE DEBT. ON THE ONE SIDE, I LIKE THE ONE SLIDE THAT ANDY SHOWED. WHEN YOU SAW THE DIP IN INTEREST RATES IN 2021, IF YOU RECALL, THAT'S WHEN WE WENT AND DID A LOT OF REFINANCING OF OUR DEBT WHEN IT WAS DOWN BELOW 1%. AND SO IT WAS, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S TIMING, IT'S BEING ON TOP OF THE MARKET. IT'S NOT ONLY THOSE OF US ON STAFF, BUT WE REALLY RELY ON PEOPLE LIKE CHRIS BRONFMAN AND ANDY TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS A TIME TO BE GOING LONG-TERM. AND I APPRECIATE HIM.

WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GO LONG-TERM THIS TIME, BUT YOU SAW HIS COMMENTS TONIGHT, HOW IT REALLY IS NOT THE BEST TIME TO GO LONG-TERM. LET'S WAIT ONE MORE YEAR AND MAYBE LOOK AT THAT FOR JULY OF 2026. AND THEN AT THE, NEAR THE END OF THE BUDGET, I'M SORRY, THE DEBT MANAGEMENT POLICY IS A SECTION ON THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE ACCOUNT. SO THE WAY I'VE GOT THIS WRITTEN IN HERE IS THAT IT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE SET UP AN INITIAL RESERVE ACCOUNT IN THE GENERAL FUND WITH THE OPTION TO ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER THE AUTHORITY TO SET THAT RESERVE ACCOUNT UP IN OTHER FUNDS. SO AS WE SEE FIT , WE MAY DECIDE TO HAVE THAT IN SOME OF OUR OTHER LARGER FUNDS LIKE THE WATER FUND, THE SEWER FUND, OR MAYBE THE PARKS FUND. AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS, SO THE WAY I FORESEE IT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE START DOING THE 26 BUDGET HERE LATER THIS YEAR, WE WOULD, SETTING UP A BUDGET RESERVE ACCOUNT WOULD BE DONE IN THE NEW YEAR, IN 2026. SO BY SETTING IT UP AS PART OF THE 26 BUDGET PROCESS, THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO HAVE A, A BALANCED BUDGET. I KNOW COUNCIL , IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR AND WE HAVE ALL OF OUR NUMBERS, STAFF HELPS CALCULATE ALL OF THE, THE TOTAL RESERVES, SO THE RESERVE ACCOUNT WILL BE BASED ON THE TOTAL REVENUES THAT ARE BROUGHT IN IN '25. SO ONCE

[00:45:02]

ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO, TO THE POLICY THAT I PUT IN YOUR PACKET

AND HAVE BEFORE YOU? >> ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING? YES,

DON? >> JIM, IT SEEMS LIKE NOT THAT LONG AGO THAT YOU HERE BEFORE US TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE TO CREATE THIS POLICY AND THE RESERVE BUDGET.

SO HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU? IT HASN'T TAKEN YOU GUYS VERY LONG AT ALL TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

>> WELL, I DID MENTION IT AT OUR, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SEPTEMBER WHEN WE WERE DOING, WE DID THE NOTES IN NOVEMBER, SO SEPTEMBER, WE WOULD'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AT THAT TIME. BUT WE LISTEN TO STANDARD & POOR'S, AND THEY SAID, HEY, THIS WOULD HELP YOU.

WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR POLICY TO BE IN PLACE. SO ALEX AND I, YOU KNOW, FROM ALEX COMING ON BOARD HERE, HE AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE NEED FOR PRESENTING POLICIES TO COUNCIL TO APPROVE TO SHOW STANDARD & POOR'S THAT, HEY, NOT ONLY ARE WE DOING THIS, WE, HE AND I BOTH HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. WE KNOW HOW TO, HOW TO HANDLE THE DEBT HERE FOR THE CITY. LET'S PUT IT IN WRITING. LET'S SHOW STANDARD & POOR'S, HEY, WE'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, DOING IT BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT, BUT LET'S SHOW YOU IT, RIGHT, PUTTING IN AND WRITING. THANK

YOU. >> CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, MOVING THIS ON TO THURSDAY'S MEETING. YES.

[ Planning Commission Update]

OKAY. >> THANK YOU.

>> THANKS, JIM. NEXT IS ITEM 3D, WHICH IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION

UPDATE. >> ALEX?

>> SO TERRY WALTON, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IS HERE TO PROVIDE THE UPDATE ON THE PLANNING

COMMISSION TONIGHT. >> GREETINGS TO ALL. MY NAME IS TERRY WALTON. I'M THE PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS. I THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TO SHARE A FEW OF THE THINGS WE'VE HAD GOING ON IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION OVER THIS LAST YEAR. IN THE PAST, THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD 34 CASES BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF NOTABLE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING VARIOUS EV CHARGING STATIONS, DOMINO'S PIZZA, YMCA EXPANSION, AND A FIRE STATION '23 EXPANSION, AND, OF COURSE, YOUR BUCK IS DETAILED DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT EVERYBODY LOVES TO HEAR OR TALK ABOUT IT.

>> WALDMAN UP TODAY. >> I'M SORRY? YES. YES. YEAH.

SOME OF THE NOTABLE RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS INCLUDE THE CANAL HEIGHTS CARRIAGE HILL PARK APARTMENTS, CARRIAGE TRAILS TWO SECTION 20, AND THE CREEKSIDE TOWNHOMES. SO THE TOWN HOUSES.

SO I THINK WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY BUSY, AND WITH YOUR GUYS'S INPUTS, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD THIS YEAR. I HAVE A SPTHANKS TO MR. AARON'S AROUND HERE, AND JERRY, YEAH, JERRY HOSKINS. THANK YOU. THEY REALLY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF EVERYTHING WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE COME THEY'RE QUICK TO ANSWER IT. SO THEY'RE REALLY GOOD ASSETS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW MEMBERS WE HAD THIS YEAR, OR THAT WE JUST BROUGHT ON BOARD WITH MATT SHUMPERT AND LARRY JOHNSON. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS IN A DECENT, DECENT

MANNER. >> ARE THEY DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS, OR THEY DOING OKAY?

>> NO, I THINK THEY'RE DOING OKAY. THEY'LL BE OKAY. THEY'LL BE OKAY. WE PLAN ON, YOU KNOW, CONVENING SOME PLANNING COMMISSIONS, S'MORE TRAINING THIS YEAR. I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF STAY ON TOP OF THINGS. AND WITH MR. SORRELLS INPUT ON EVERYTHING, HE HELPS US OUT A

[00:50:01]

>> AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING KIND OF WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT, BECAUSE I, I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME ROOM FOR NEW -- BE NOT CORRECT.

>> SOME NEW IDEAS REGARDING SOME OF THAT STUFF AND HOW WE HANDLE, HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THANKS.

JUST A QUICK REMINDER -- LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING, HOW LONG HAVE SERVE THE CITY?

>> I'VE TRIED TO FIGURE THAT OUT A COUPLE TIMES. IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE, SO. 20 YEARS PLUS.

>> OKAY. >> SO.

>> HE WAS ALSO A VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR.

>> VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, SO. >> THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR THAT WE, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THESE POSITIONS HAVE, HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND ENJOY THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE

CERTAINLY AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. >> YOU VERY MUCH.

>> I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE

YEARS. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. AND BILL, BABY BILL, LET'S GO.

[ Powell Road Realignment Project - Solicit Bids]

>> OKAY, NEXT LIGHT UP -- THE POWELL ROAD REALIGNMENT PROJECTS

AND SOLICITING THOSE BIDS. >> YES, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.

THIS LEGISLATION IS TO ALLOW US TO SOLICIT, ADVERTISE, AND RECEIVE BIDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWELL ROAD CURB REALIGNMENT PROJECT. POWELL ROAD INCLUDES THE REMOVAL AND RECONSTRUCTION OF APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET OF POWELL ROAD LOCATED ABOUT A HALF-MILE WEST OF OLD TROY PIKE. THE ROADWILL BE REALIGNED TO ILLUMINATE TWO SHARP CURVES IN THE ROAD AND TO MAKE A SECTION OF THE ROADS SAFER FOR DRIVERS. THE LOCATION MAP IS SHOWN IN YOUR PACKET OF THE NEW ALIGNMENT OF THE ROAD.

PLANS AND SPECS WERE COMPLETED BY CHOICE ONE ENGINEERING IN NEW ALIGNMENT WITH THE MILDER CURVE WAS DESIGNED TO MEET ODOT STANDARDS FOR 35 MILE AN HOUR ROADS. THE IMPROVEMENTS ALSO INCLUDE UPGRADING STORM SEWER AND PROVIDING DRAINAGE FOR THE DITCHES IN THAT AREA. WE HAVE OBTAINED THE NEEDED RIGHT-OF-WAY FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS OUT THERE ALREADY, AND WE, SO WE'D LIKE TO BID AT THIS TIME AND WE'D LIKE TO BID IT NEXT MONTH AND THEN COME BACK FOR APPROVAL FOR THE CONTRACT AFTER THAT.

WE'RE TRYING TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT HOPEFULLTHE END OF THE YEAR, THIS YEAR. NOT TO EXCEED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION IS ROUGHLY $800,000 PROJECT, AND WILL BE TAKEN FROM CAPITAL

IMPROVEMENT FUNDS. >> OKAY. THANKS, RUSS. ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG IMPROVEMENT DOWN THERE. BIG IMPROVEMENT. I'M SURPRISED , THE HOUSE THAT USED TO SIT THERE DIDN'T HAVE A CAR THROUGH IT EVERY OTHER, YOU KNOW, THEIR LIVING ROOM EVERY OTHER DAY. THAT WAS A -- OKAY, SO ANY

[ NatureWorks Grant Program]

>> HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THAT THE CITY MANAGER BE TED PERMISSION TO SEEK THE NATUREWORKS GRANT THROUGH THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. OUR INTENTION IS TO USE THIS TO PURCHASETHE NINE ACRE PARCEL ADJACENT TO CLOUD PARK THAT WE ENTERED INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THAT DEVELOPER TO

PURCHASE IN 2022. >> OKAY. I REMEMBER ALL THAT DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING THAT ON THURSDAY? OKAY, SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE

THAT ON. THANK YOU. >> OKAY, NEXT IS ITEM 3G, WHICH

[ City Buildings - Elevator Upgrades - Award Contract]

AWARDING THE CONTRACT. >> YES, THANK YOU, MAYO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. RECENTLY, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, WE WENT OUT TO, TO SEEK BIDS TO WORK FOR A RE-MODERNIZATION OF THE POLICE BUILDING AND THE CITY HALL BUILDINGS, ELEVATOR SYSTEMS HERE, WHICH ARE THE ORIGINAL SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN PLACE HERE.

BASICALLY THE SYSTEMS ARE BECOMING THERE'S NO AVAILABLE PARTS, BASICALLY, ANYMORE, SO THEY BASICALLY NEED AN UPGRADE.

THE ESTIMATED COST THAT TIME WAS ABOUT $300,000 OF THE BIDS THAT CAME IN FROM OTIS ELEVATOR WERE ROUGHLY ABOUT $6000-$7000. MORE

[00:55:02]

>> SO IF YOU GET STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR NOW, ARE YOU JUST

STUCK? >> WELL --

>> THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S NOT GOING TO GET YOU OUT.

>> IT'S HAPPENED. >> IT HAPPENED?

>> YES, IT HAS HAPPENED. YEAH. SO THIS IS TY NECESSARY.

>> NECESSARY. AND IT'S BECOMING, SO THEY'RE WORKING --

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> OKAY, ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY ELSE THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN STUCK ON THE

ELEVATOR? >> NO, BUT I'LL BE TAKING THE

STAIRS. >> YEAH. YEAH.

>> APPRECIATE THAT HEADS UP. >> THANK YOU.

>> ANY OBJECTIONS TO THURSDAY? OKAY. WE'LL MOVE THAT ON. NEXT

[ City Staffing Levels/Table Of Organization]

ORGANIZATION. >> YES.

>> I'LL START WITH THIS, AND E' FIRE SO YOU GUYS KNOW, WE'VE TALKED AT LENGTH, PROBABLY AD NAUSEAM ABOUT JUST HOW TO, HOW DO WE SOLVE THE HIRING CRISIS THAT EXISTS, SPECIFICALLY IN CITY GOVERNMENT WITH, WITH PUBLIC SAFETY? YOU KNOW, I KNOW ANITA HAS ASKED IPLE TIMES, WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ON, WHERE ARE WE AT IN HIRING? HOW ARE WE DOING? AND I TRY AND SHOW YOU AS MANY TIMES AS I CAN HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HIRING, AND WE STILL KIND OF HIT THIS PLATEAU AT TIMES. IT DOES. IT DOES. SO I, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH BOTH THE POLICE CHIEF THE FIRE CHIEF TO KIND OF COME UP WITH IDEAS AND TO KIND OF GIVE US MAYBE EVME OUTSIDE THE BOX IDEAS OR THOUGHTS. YOU GUYS SAW SOME OF THEM, APPROVED SOME OF THEM WHEN WE STARTED THIS WHOLE RECRUIT PROCESS. IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING PROCESS. IT'S ACTUALLY YIELDED SOME, SOME REALLY FRUITFUL CANDIDATES, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF LETTUCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRESIDE, TO EVEN CONSIDER OTHER ALTERNATIVES. SO I DON'T WANT TO STEAL HIS THUNDER, BUT CHIEF HAS GOT A PLAN THAT I THINK, IF WE IMPLEMENT THIS AGGRESSIVELY AND THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO, WE CAN POTENTIALLY GET SOME FULL STAFFING HERE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. SO I'LL, I'LL TURN

IT OVER TO KEITH. >> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AGAIN. NOW THAT NEIL'S BACK, WE CAN ALL THINK NEIL AND HIS GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT SPEND MANY DAYS OFF GOING DOOR TO DOOR PUTTING UP SIGNS AND DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO HELP PUT A SUPPORT AND LEVY. I KNOW I THINK NEIL. I'VE GONE AROUND THE FIRE STATION, I NEED TO GO AROUND TOMORROW, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF, AS I TOLD HIM, IT'S NOT JUST THE IDEA THAT THEY WENT OUT AND WORKED ON THE LEVY. IT'S THE IDEA OF THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDED. THE SATISFACTORY RATES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS, LIKE, 93%. AS I SAY, WE DON'T GET THAT BY SAYING, HEY, GUYS, SHOW UP TO WORK ON TIME. WE ALL KIND OF PULL EACH OTHER TO A STANDARD, AND NEIL IS A NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE ISS, AND I HAVE BEEN HERE BECAUSE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A LONG TRADITION OF BEING FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS. I HAVE CHIEF MOLE HERE, BECAUSE THEY'VE BOTH BEENRE FOR 30+ YEARS, AND WHILE WE'VE ALL BEEN FIREFIGHTER PERMITS FOR A LONG TIME, I USE THEM AS A REFERENCE BECAUSE THEY STARTEIN HUBER HEIGHTS WITHOUT ME AND A PARAMEDIC.

>> REAL QUICK, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND JUST COMING TO THE PODIUM AND TALKING, JUST, JUST, I THINK, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND I THINK JUST HAVING US KIND OF THIS WAY WOULD, AT LEAST IT'LL HELP ME, AND I HAPPENED TO LOOK ATYOU

OVER ALEX'S HEAD OVER THERE. >> SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO ANYWAYS, I, I BROUGHT, I BROUGHT ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE TO SHOW A LEVEL OF SUPPORT. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS WITH 50 SOME, 50 SOME UNION MEMBERS, AND CAN'T JUST GO ARBITRARILY. AS I REMINDED NEIL, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RIGHT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD JUST GO AND ARBITRARILY SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO I THINK IT LABOR-MANAGEMENT MEETING, AND I, T THIS ON THEM, ON THE LABOR-MANAGEMENT MEETING. AND MIKE SAID, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT TO GET TO OUR FIRST SLIDE HERE. AFTER ATTENDING TO MAINTAIN STAFF ENTIRELY COMPROMISE THE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, WE REALIZE IT'S TIME TO ACT. AND OUR LAST HIRING PROCESS, WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE A UNION REPRESENTATIVE ON HIRING BOARDS, AND I THINK NEIL, THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME BEING PART AS THE NEW UNION PRESIDENT. AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT TO WHERE WE WASHED OUT ABOUT EVERY CANDIDATE THAT WE'VE HAD, EITHER THROUGH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS, PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, JUST PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T WANT IN THE CITY. AND WE HAVE DISQUALIFYING CRITERIA, AND MOST OF THEM HAVE ALL MET DISQUALIFYING CRITERIA. SO WHAT REALLY TRIGGERED THIS FOR ME IS REGIONWIDE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE EXPERIENCING TURNOVER FOR NOT NECESSARILY OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, BUT OTHER CAREER FIELDS. IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, AROUND THE TIME THAT I THINK ANITA ASKED FOR SOME DATA THAT I GOT, WE HAD AN EMPLOYEE THAT WE WORK VERY HARD TO GET FROM THE STATE OF ALABAMA. SHE WAS A GREAT PERSON. SHE TOOK A

[01:00:02]

AND, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO BE PROUD OF HER. SHE DID A, THAT US, DID GREAT BY US. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE HAD A LADY THAT LEFT , HAD SOME FAMILY ISSUES WHERE SHE NEEDED A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, JOHN AND I TALKED, AND IT LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR HER? AND THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT WE COULD DO FOR HER.

AND SHE WENT BACK TO BEING A NURSE. SO SHE WENT TO THE A REGISTERED NURSE. AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, THE DAY BEFORE LABOR-MANAGEMENT, THEY HIT ME WITH A YOUNG KID THAT'S IN HIS 20S, AND HE WAS IN THE MILITARY, AND HE GOT A JOB OFFER FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO BE SOME SORT OF A RANGER/SEARCH AND RESCUE PARAMEDIC. AND HE SAYS, I LIVE IN THE WOODS ON MY DAY OFF.

I WANT TO DO THIS, AND HE WAS VERY POLITE ABOUIT, BUT HE'S LIKE, YEAH, WHAT REALLY HIT ME WAS, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, HE GOES, IF THIS DOESN'T WORK OUT, I CAN COME BACK HERE. THERE CITY JOBS OPEN ALL THE TIME. I CAN GET A JOB ANYWHERE AROUND HEAND THAT REALLY HIT ME, WAS THE FACT THAT WE HAD THREE PEOPLE THAT JUST LEFT, AND IT'S LIKE, OUR SYSTEM IS NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE, SO WE HAVE THE KIND OF TRY TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR FUTURE. SO THE CITY OF DAYTON, THEY ACTUALLY, THE FIRST TIME, AND THEY WERE QUITE PROUD OF IT, THEY TRIED TO DOING SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO IN HIRING LATERAL INTERMEDIA ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE OUR PEOPLE FROM US. THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE KETTERING'S PEOPLE FROM THEM. DAYTON, OR SPRINGFIELD, AND OTHER PLACES. AND LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE DOING WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING. THEY'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE IN HIRING. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW. THE CITY OF DAYTON HAS PRIDED ITSELF OF GOING OUT IN HIRING PEOPLE AND TRAINING, DOING ALL THE TRAINING AND LEARNING ALL THE DAYTON WAY. SO EVEN SOMEWHERE LIKE THEY DO NOW IS, IT'S STRUGGLING. WHAT WAS IT, MIKE? HEWANTED TO HIRE, LIKE, 35 PEOPLE, AND THEY GOT 20 APPLICANTS? 20 TOTAL APPLICANTS.

SO AS, AS PART OF WE ARE OF OUR SYSTEM, AND LIKE I SAID, WITH NEIL, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, AND I KNOW HE HAS MEMBERS THAT ARE KIND OF PULLING, PULLING EVERYBODY IN A DIRECTION, BUT THE LABOR-MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS ALL IN AGREEMENT, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. SO REGIONWIDE , ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES IS MORE FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS. FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, AS I SAID, TO SOMEBODY IS THAT MORE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS THAN THE PREVIOUS 30 COMBINED. YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE INGLEWOOD HAVE ADDED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, COLLABORATIVE, PROBABLY 30 POSITIONS. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPS ADDED DIRTY POSITIONS.

KETTERING HAS ADDED POSITIONS. I THINK ALEX CAN KIND OF SUPPORT US, THAT BEAVER CREEK USED TO BE A REALLY BIG COMBINATION DEPARTMENT AND NOW THEY'RE MOSTLY A FULL-TIME DEPARTMENT.

SO WHAT IT'S DONE IS IT'S TAKEN OUR SUPPLY AWAY, AND THERE'S A DEMAND, YOU HAVE RETIREMENTS, YOU HAVE ALL THESE NEW POSITIONS, AND THE SUPPLY IS BEING DRAINED UP. RIGHT NOW THE STATE FIRE ACADEMY PUTS OUT THREE CLASSES OF LEVEL TWO FIGHTERS, WHICH IS FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY, I'M ESTIMATING, 90 TO 100 PEOPLE A YEAR IS ALL THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT. SO THIS IS WHERE WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN INTO WHAT OUR PLAN IS. WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN HIRING PEOPLE FOR DECADES. IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE HIRED AND TRAINED 20 PEOPLE. LATERAL ENTRY HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD THING, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN A VERY BAD ING. MIKE, WETALKED ABOUT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE OFFICERS, A LOT OF TIMES, WELL -- SENIORITY. SO IF YOU'RE A DAYSHIFT POLICE OFFICER, YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP DAYSHIFT TO GO SOMEWHERE NEW AND HAVE TO BE ON MIDNIGHTS. FIREFIGHTERS WORK EVERY THIRD DAY, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE WORKING ONE SHIFT, TWO SHIFTS, THREE SHIFTS. SO THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DOWNSIDE TO GOING AND TRYING SOMETHING, AND WE'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AND DIPPED THEIR TOE IN THE WATER.

THEY GET HERE, AND THEY YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MAY NOT BE TO THEIR LIKING, OR WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THATCOME HERE TO GET A PAY RAISE, AND THE DEPARTMENT HAD REALIZED THAT THEY NEEDED INCREASED PAY. THEY INCREASED PAY, INCREASED TIME OFF, AND PEOPLE GO RIGHT BACK TO WHERE THEY'RE AT. SO EIGHT, EIGHT NEW POSITIONS WITHIN THE LAST THREE YEARS. IN THE LAST HIRING PROCESS, INCLUDING THE CURRENT ONE THAT WE BASICALLY EXHAUSTED, WE'VE ONLY HIRED A TOTAL OF THREE PEOPLE TOTAL. AND SO INTHE LAST PROCESS, WE OFFERED FOUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS . THREE OF THOSE, THREE OF THOSE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS ARE WORKING FIRST TODAY. THE FOURTH ONE WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR, FOR THEM TO FINISH I THINK PHYSICAL AGILITY TESTS. SO WE'VE CREATED AND HIRED A TOTAL OF FIVE PEOPLE IS FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS. TWO OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE OBTAINED PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATIONS OR PROMOTED

[01:05:03]

SO OUR OBJECTIVES ARE ASK IS WE WANT TO REDUCE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FROM FIVE CAPTAINS TO FOUR. WE HAVE ONE POSITION THAT'S NOT FILLED, AND WE WANT TO CREATE A FIREFIGHTER EMT AND FIREFIGHTER POSITION, NEW JOB DESCRIPTIONS. WE WANT TO INCREASE THE TOTAL, TOTAL AUTHORIZED POSITIONS OF THE ENTIRE CLASS OF FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS, FIREFIGHTER EMT, AND FIREFIGHTER FROM 45 TO 48. WE WENT, THIS PLAN GAINS A NET GAIN OF TWO PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION CHART. SO WE WANT TO HIRE POSITIONS TO ACHIEVE A TOTAL OF 48 PERSONNEL CONSISTING OF, RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 35 FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, ABOUT 10 FIREFIGHTER EMT/FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS, AND THIS IS THE CRAZY ONE IS, IS THAT THREE FIREFIGHTER -- NOBODY ELSE AROUND US THAT I KNOW OF HAS, IN OUR AREA, HAS FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER -- IT'S DRAWN A LITTLE BIT OF CRITICISM FROM INSIDE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT I HAD TO HAVE ALL THESE TO GET MY FIRST FULL-TIME JOB. WELL, WHEN I GOT INTO THE FIRE SERVICE, I WENT DOWN TO THE LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I SAID I WANT TO BE A FIREFIGHTER. THEY HELPED ME, THEY BROUGHT ME ON, THEY GOT ME TRAINING, THEY GOT ME GEAR, AND I WORKED FOR THAT.

THAT OPPORTUNITY DOESN'T EXIST. I MEAN, LOOKING AT SCOTT HERE, I MEAN, HE KNOWS THAT YOU CAN'T GO TO HARRISON TOWNSHIP WITH NO TRAINING AND SAY, I'M HERE. SO WE, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO TRY TO CREATE THAT. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS, IF ENACTED, EACH 24 HOUR, 48 HOUR SHIFT WILL HAVE 21 PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO IT.

OUR CURRENT CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS ALLOW FOR THREE BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS TO BE OFF ON ANY DAY. NUMBERS ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE PERSONALLY BOND DEMAND REGARDLESS OF STAFFING, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT 95 DAYS A YEAR WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHORT-STAFFED AND NEED OVERTIME.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE' TALK ABOUT, I THINK NEIL CAN ECHO THIS, IS ONE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO WORK OVERTIME. WOULD YOU AGREE? AND SO THIS, THIS WOULD HELP CREATE A BUFFER. THIS PROGRAM WILL ALLOW FOR THREE BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS AND ONE NON-BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS , SO THE FIREFIGHTER EMT, FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC RECRUITS, OR FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE ALLOWED OFF. AND SO WITH THIS PLAN, EVEN UP TO FIVE PERSONNEL OFF ON ANY TYPE OF LEAD, VACATION, PERSONAL DAY, SICK LEAVE, WE WILL STILL WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN 14 UNTIL WE GET TO FULL STAFF. SO IF WE GOT THIS PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE FIVE PEOPLE, WHICH IS ONE MORE OFF THAN WHAT ALL THE BENEFITS ALLOW FOR BEFORE WE WOULD NEED TO DO OVERTIME. SO, AND LIKE I SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A DAILY AVERAGE OF 17 PEOPLE A DAY. SO AS, AS OUR CITIES THAT

[01:10:09]

EASY, EASIER TO OBTAIN A GOOD, A GOOD CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH. IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE STAFFING LEVEL, STAFFING LEVEL THAT PROVIDES AMPLE STAFFING TO ALLOW FOR TIME OFF OBLIGATIONS AND REDUCE THE NEED FOR PERSONNEL WORK OVERTIME. SO WHAT IS, THAT WAS IT. SO THAT IS WHAT OUR ASK IS. OUR ASK IS REDUCE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART BY ONE CAPTAIN , ADD, ADD TWO MORE POSITIONS TO THAT, CREATE THE FIREFIGHTER, FIREFIGHTER, FIREFIGHTER EMT AND FIREFIGHTER JOB DESCRIPTION. KATIE DID SAY SHE LEFT THIS OUT, AND IT'S BASICALLY EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS. FIREFIGHTERS HAVE COMPLEX BENEFITS, AND WERE INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO MODIFY FOR THESE PEOPLE TO HAVE REDUCED BENEFITS THAN THE FULL-FLEDGED FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO CREATE AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO GET THEIR EDUCATION. SO THE EXCITING THING IS IS THAT WE HAVE TWO APPRENTICES RIGHT NOW THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN REALLY TALK TO THEM TO SEE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW, HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTER ONLY'S OUT THERE THAT WE COULD OFFER THE JOB TO, BUT THE EXCITING THING IS WE MAY HAVE TWO PEOPLE. ANYBODY ELSE GRADUATING FIREFIGHTER ONLY CLASS COULD POTENTIALLY GET A JOB, COME IN AND START LEARNING, AND THEN WE START ENCOURAGING THEM, OR MANDATING THAT THEY GET MORE TRAINING IN THE FUTURE.

YES. >> HOW SOON CAN THEY JOIN THE

UNION? >> HASSAN? WELL, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT IN THE UNION. SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS BASED ON WHAT OUR LEGAL COUNSEL SAID, IS, IS THAT, LIKE, THIS IS A NEGOTIATING YEAR, AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE UNION COULD COME TO US AND SAY THEY WANTED THE UNION, WE COULD GO AND LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, DO YOU WANT IN THE UNION, AND THEN IT WOULD BE UP TO MR. RUSSELL TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, WHETHER HE WANTS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN OFF ON THAT, OR IF YOU WANT TO RUN THE FULL PROCEDURE. SOMETIMES FOR THESE POSITIONS, SEEING THAT THE PEOPLE ABOVE THEM ARE ALREADY IN THE UNION, SOMETIMES THAN BEING IN THE UNION MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER, JUST BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE A VOICE.

>> NUMBER TWO, SOME OF THE SAVINGS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT TAKING THOSE SAVINGS AND PAYING IT UPWARDS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. I THINK SOME OF THE SENIOR PERSONNEL, KNOWING HOW HARD THEY HAVE TWO -- MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THAT, WHERE SOME OF THAT EDGE IS SMOOTH. YOU WITH

ME? >> YES.

[01:15:01]

>> OKAY. THEN THE AND IN THE UNION, I THINK, WOULD BE IMPORTANT. WORKING WITH OTHER UNION MEMBERS, I LOVE THE PROPOSAL. THE ONLY THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT, IT'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE. I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU DO IT WITH MORE THAN TWO BUT THAT'LL COME. YEAH, I LOVE IT, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

>> YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THE FIRE DIVISION IS ALL, ALL THE DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE PROBLEMS, BECAUSE YOU HEAR THEM ALL DAY. YOU GUYS COME UP WITH A SOLUTION

EVERY TIME. IT'S AWESOME. >> WE, LIKE I SAID, WE TRY. I HAVE TO GIVE NEIL CREDIT, THAT FOR BEING A BRAND-NEW UNION PRESIDENT AND, YOU KNOW, NEW, I GUESS NEW LEADERSHIP COMES BECAUSE OLD LEADERSHIP GETS TIRED, OR PEOPLE GET TIRED OF HEARING THE SAME THING, AND NEIL HAS REALLY REACHED OUT, AND I HOPE NEIL WILL AGREE THAT THE PLAN THAT WE PRESENTED TONIGHT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE PRESENTED FOUR WEEKS AGO, AND IT WAS BASED ON THEIR, THE INPUT OF THEIR, THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAM AS

WELL. >> AND I ASKING A QUESTION? WHAT

DO YOU THINK? >> IT'S DEFINITELY INTERESTING.

>> YEAH. >> SORRY ABOUT THAT.

>> IT'S DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING PROPOSAL, BUT NOT ONE THAT'S COMMONPLACE TO THIS AREA AT ALL. ABOUT TWO MINUTES INTO HIS PRESENTATION, I ASKED HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS? IT WAS VERY, VERY OFF-THE-WALL. THERE WERE SOME RESERVATIONS ON OUR PART AT FIRST, BUT THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSED PRETTY WELL.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT SUPPORTING.

>> AND YOU SUPPORT. COULD YOU THINK THE UNION MEMBERSHIP WILL

-- >> OVERALL, YES. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GROWING PAINS, BUT IT DOESN'T COME EASY, AND WE'RE

HERE TO EARN IT. >> SURE THESE TWO FELLOWS EXPERIENCE THAT IN THEIR TENURE. CHANGES AREN'T -- BUT THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO.

>> YEAH. BE INSANITY IF WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING. THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE ABOUT THIS BEING A STEP BACKWARDS. I WOULD ARGUE IT'S NOT. THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT IT. IF YOU'RE SIDESTEPPING A PROBLEM TO CONTINUE FORWARD, YOU'RE AT THE CLIFF EDGE, YOU'RE TURNING AROUND, STILL CONTINUING FORWARD. HOWEVER YOU WANT TO CUT IT UP, IT IS STILL A WAY

FORWARD. >> I SUPPORT THE PROJECT, AND I ALSO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP MAY BE GETTING SOME INCENTIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HOPE THEY FOSTER THESE YOUNG FOLKS UP, AND THEY BECOME FULL FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE -- POSSIBLY COULD GET -- NICE

MEETING YOU. >> NICE MEETING YOU. YUP. HELLO,

EVERYBODY. >> SO, CHIEF, SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT, I THINK I GOT A GRASP ON ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS MAYBE WATCHING HERE, AS PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT THIS FROM A CHANGE PERSPECTIVE, PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND IT FULLY. SO, SO FOREVER, LET'S JUST CALL IT FOREVER AND A DAY, IF YOU WANTED TO WORK IN HUBER HEIGHTS AND FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU HAD TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AND A PARAMEDIC. YOU HAD TO BE FIREFIGHTER, AND YOU HAD TO HAVE YOUR PARAMEDIC CARD, CORRECT?

>> YES. >> SO THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE EVER HIRED ANYBODY. AND I PARAMEDIC CARD REQUIRED HOW MANY HOURS? SO, SO 21 MONTHS. SO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A FIREFIGHTER CARD AND A PARAMEDIC CARD, YOU COULDN'T GET HIRED IN HUBER HEIGHTS. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT APARTMENTS AROUND THE REGION.

>> RIGHT. >> THE DIFFERENT STEPS, THEN, MAKING SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING, AFTER A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, THEN YOU HAVE, THERE'S A STEP, SOUNDS LIKE A STEP BELOW A PARAMEDIC CARD IS JUST, IS AN EMT CARD.

>> YES. THAT'S A, THAT WOULD BE FOR A FIREFIGHTER ONLY, THAT WILL BE A 5% RAISE TO GET THAT ENT CARD.

>> GOTCHA, OKAY. SO IF WE HIRE SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE A PARAMEDIC LICENSE, OR A PARAMEDIC CARD, THEY'VE ONLY GOTTEN A FIREFIGHTER CARD AND EMT CARD, WE'RE GOING TO NOW BE ABLE TO HIRE THAT PERSON. HOW LONG IS THAT? SO IF IT'S 21

MONTHS FOR -- >> IT'S A SINGLE QUARTER FOR EACH, OR, I SHOULD SAY -- IT'S, IT'S TWO SEMESTERS. YOU GET YOUR, YOUR ENT AT SAINT CLAIRE'S.

>> AND THEN PARAMEDIC IS FOUR SEMESTERS, CORRECT?

>> RIGHT NOW. WELL, WITH THE SUMMER. YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE TRYING TO CONDENSE IT AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MANY WAYS TO CONDENSE -- WELL, AND THE HOURS ARE REALLY HARD TO CONDENSE. I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO CONDENSE 1000 HOURS INTO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE SYSTEM THAT THEY HAVE WITHOUT, WITHOUT MAKING THEM STRICTLY JUST GO TO SCHOOL FULL TIME WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS. MOST, MOST OF THOSE KIDS THAT ARE IN SCHOOL HAVE PART-TIME JOBS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS AS

WELL, SO. >> RIGHT. SO WE HAVE, SO THIS IS THE POSITION NOW THAT WE WOULD SAY YOU CAN BE A FIREFIGHTER AND HAVE AN EMT CARD AND STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO BE HIRED FROM THE CITY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT PARAMEDIC CARD. BUT THEY'RE GOING TO GET PAID 15% LESS THAN IF THEY HAD A PARAMEDIC CARD. SO

[01:20:01]

GET THAT. >> AND 15% LESS DAYS OFF, OR LESS MITIGATION TIME. AND THEY'LL GET LESS. SO WHAT OUR PEOPLE GET, WE ALL HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY, THEY'RE SCHEDULED FOR 56 HOURS A WEEK.

SO WE GIVE THEM TURN EARNED OFF TO REDUCE OUR FLEET LIABILITY, AND SO THEY GET -- WHICH REDUCES THEM. BUT ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS WORK 51 HOURS A WEEK. NOT 40 HOURS A WEEK, BUT

51 HOURS A WEEK. >> OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT POSITION WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO JUST HAS THEIR FIREFIGHTER CARD.

THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S NEW TO FIRE SERVICE ALTOGETHER, AND THEY JUST SHOW UP AND SAY, HEY, HERE I AM, WHAT DO I GOT TO DO? WE CAN EITHER DIRECT AND THERE, OR IF THEY'VE BEEN TO, I THINK, FIRE SCHOOL ONE, FIRE SCHOOL TWO, IS THAT WHAT IT IS? FIRE ONE, FIRE TWO? SO THEY HAVE A FIRE TWO CARD, NEVER BEFORE HAVE THEY BEEN ABLE TO GET A JOB IN THE CITY, RIGHT? NOW THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE AT A 20% LESS PAYING BENEFITS THAN IF THEY GET THEIR PARAMEDIC CARD. NO WE NOW ARE TAKING WHAT WAS JUST ONE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE, ADDING TWO MORE LEVELS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR HIRING AND GET PEOPLE INTO, INTO THE ACTUAL, INTO EMPLOYMENT.

>> SINCE I GOT HERE, AND I'M, I DON'T MEAN STOP YOU, BUT I REALLY, I'VE BEEN HIRING FOR THE PRIOR DEPARTMENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. HELPING AND DOING THAT. AND I SAID TO HIM A LONG TIME AGO, YOU KNOW, IT, WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE I'D LIKE TO JUST HIRE SOMEBODY WITH GOOD QUALITIES AND GOOD CHARACTER. I CAN TEACH YOU TO DO THE THINGS I WANT YOU TO DO. I NEED GOOD PEOPLE, AND THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING IS FINDING AND GETTING GOOD QUALITY CANDIDATES THAT HAVE ALL CERTIFICATIONS IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK THIS ALLOWS US NOW TO LOOK FOR THAT QUALITY INDIVIDUAL, THAT QUALITY PERSON WHO FITS IN AND WHO MIGHT BE GOING TO BE A GREAT EMPLOYEE HERE FOR THE LONG TERM, AND GIVES THEM A PATHWAY TO GETTING THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE. AND THEY HAVE --

>> OKAY. SO I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, MARK YOUR STARTERS OFF FOR GOOD HERE, AND I THINK, I THINK IT'S A GREAT PLAN. I SUPPORT THE PLAN THAT GETS PEOPLE IN HERE, GETS THEM EMPLOYED, GETS THEM STARTED. I ALSO AGREE AS LONG AS THE UNION IS OKAY AND MEMBERSHIP IS OKAY WITH THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, AND I UNDERSTAND FROM A COST SAVINGS, BUT THERE'S JUST, THERE IS A COST TO DOING BUSINESS, AND I THINK I WOULD ALSO AGREE WITH MARK THAT I THINK SOME OF THOSE COST SAVINGS BEING FLUID TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING THOSE PEOPLE IN, WORKING WITH THEM, MENTORING EM, AND SHOWING THEM HOW THIS IS A GREAT SERVICE JOB TO HAVE AND THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO DO IT, I'D BE IN FULL FAVOR OF MAKING SURE THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMPANY DATED ON THE BACK END OF THAT AS WELL. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THREE YEARS NOW, MAYBE, FOUR YEARS. AT ONE POINT IN TIME, IT WAS EVERY WORK SESSION AGENDA, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS -- I MEAN, AT NOSEEUM, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, RIGHT? IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY TIME WE HIRED ONE -- SOMEPLACE ELSE.

AND THEN, HEY, LOOK AT THIS, WE GOT THREE HIRED, AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THREE RESIGNATIONS. SO ASKING FOR SOLUTIONS AND COMING UP WITH THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF THE BOX, AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS SAY, YEAH, I LIKE THAT, AND CHANGE THE POLICY, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD WE TRY SOMETHING NEW? AS NEIL SAID, WHEN IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTE INSANITY, JUST TRYING TO KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND WE JUST, WE WEREN'T GETTING --

>> IF I MAY, WE HAD TO GET TO THIS POINT, I THINK, TO GET TOTAL BUY IN, WHERE NEIL WAS ON AN INTERVIEW COMMITTEE. WHEN DOES THIS END? AND SO US GOING, AND WE LIKE, WE FOUGHT A VERY GOOD FIGHT. AND LIKE I SAID, THIS ISN'T AN EASY PLACE TO WORK. AS I SAID, YOU DON'T GET THE SATISFACTION RATE YOU DO BY US JUST GOING AND SAYING, HEY, COME INTO WORK AND GO TO SLEEP AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. SO I, I, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THIS, SINCE THIS WASN'T IN THE PACKET. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE UNION. JOHN HAS HIS FEELINGS ON THE IDEA OF HIRING THE PERSONALITY, SO WE WANT TO BALANCE OUT THE UNIONS MEMBERSHIPS NEEDS AND WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE. AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN HERE IS THAT THE, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GUYS WILL GET FROM THE PACKET NEXT WEEK IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT ALL THE BENEFITS ARE. BUT ON EACH ONE OF THESE, IT SAYS THE CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE CANDIDATE TO OBTAIN THE NEXT HIGHER LEVEL CERTIFICATION AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT AS WILL BE DESCRIBED IN AN APPOINTMENT LETTER TO INCLUDE THE SPECIFIED PERIOD FOR COMPLETION. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT JOHN AND I TALKED ABOUT AFTER TALKING TO THE UNION AND TALKING TO OUR LABOR LEGAL COUNSEL, AND WE THOUGHT THAT, THAT, AND THAT ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE UNION VICE PRESIDENTS. HE, HE HAD ASKED FOR US TO DO SOMETHING

LIKE THAT. >> THAT SEEMS INCREDIBLY

[01:25:03]

-- >> YEAH, FOR SURE. WELL, AND THE OTHER THING IS, WE MAY FIND OURSELVES FIVE, 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD IN THE FLIPSIDE OF THIS, WHERE WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF PEOPLE NOW, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE NEED THOSE TO BE CERTIFIED, THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM AN AVENUE, WE CAN KIND

OF MOTIVATE AND PUSH -- >> AND I CALL THAT AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION. THE GOAL IS -- TO GET THOSE PEOPLE BACK UP TO WHERE WE'RE BACK TO 100% FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATIONS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT PLAN. THANKS. SCOTT, YOU

HAD YOUR HAND RAISED. QUESTION? >> CHIEF, I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE '80S, I WAS A FIREFIGHTER ONLY BEFORE GOING TO THE EMT. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ATTEST TO THAT. JUST BEING A FIREFIGHTER, YOU'RE STILL GETTING TRAINING OF THE MEDICAL PART, THE EMT PART, PARAMEDIC PART JUST BEING ON THE JOB. SO I THINK YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR SELF, YOU'RE AROUND PEOPLE, YOU'VE SEEN IT DONE, YOU'RE EASIER, YOU LEARN, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN THE BOOK, YOU KNOW, THE CLASSES ARE EASIER. SO YOU'RE GETTING ON HANDS TRAINING, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT CERTIFIED YET, BUT YOU'RE SEEING WHAT'S NEW. SO I, I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GO, GET MORE PEOPLE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, WAKE UP. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL .

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SCOTT. APPRECIATE

THE COMMENTS. >> SINCE WE CONDUCTED THE INTERVIEW, SCOTT, COULD YOU GET A -- WE COULD PUT HIM TO WORK

SOON, RIGHT? >> ON A FIRE TRUCK --

>> HIS LEG IS HEALED. I THINK HE CAN PASS THE AGILITY TEST.

>> I WILL BRING UP ONE THING WITH A FIREFIGHTER. THIS FIREFIGHTER CAN'T DO THIS, AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, LET'S SAY SOMEONE HAS A PARTY AT REST. THIS FIREFIGHTER WILL BE THE EIGHTH PERSON ON A CARDIAC ARREST CALL. SOMEBODY , YOU SEE IN MOVIES, SOMEBODY HAS, WE USUALLY HAVE POLICE OFFICERS DO IT. SOMEBODY HAS TO HOLD THE I.V. BAG. SOMEBODY HAS TO GO GET THE SUPPLIES OUT. SO THE IDEA THAT, AS NEIL SAID, HE GOES, WE GOT TO TAKE A STEP BACK, TAKE A STEP FORWARD. WE DON'T NECESSARILY, AS NEIL SAID, WE HAVE TO TAKE A STEP TO THE SIDE.

I'M SAYING WE HAD TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO TAKE A LEAP FORWARD. AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT WORRY THAT ON CRITICAL CALLS THERE IS STILL GOING TO BE EVERY SUPERVISOR IN THIS ORGANIZATION WILL REMAIN A PARAMEDIC. THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER MOTIVATION, IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO MOVE UP IN THE ORGANIZATION, YOU WILL HAVE TO BE A PARAMEDIC. I DON'T THINK A NON-PARAMEDIC SHOULD BE SUPERVISING PARAMEDICS. YOU COULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT SAME LEVEL OF TRAINING, SO. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PARAMEDICS RESPONDING TO EVERY EMERGENCY.

>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. >> I THINK THE CHIEF MAY HAVE ADDRESSED, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING SOLUTIONS. AND WE APPRECIATE THE PROPOSAL AND ALL THAT YOU DO. AND I WROTE DOWN A COUPLE WORDS AS YOU WERE TALKING, AFTER YOU SAID FIREFIGHTER ONLY, I WROTE DOWN PROBATIONARY CONDITIONAL -- I WAS WAITING A YEAR -- AT THE END WHERE YOU ADDED, THERE WERE SOME INCENTIVES, BUT YOU MOVED FROM INCENTIVES TO CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT VERSUS, LIKE, OKAY, IT'S GOING TO BE -- ANY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. RATHER, IT HAD TO BE WORKING TOWARDS THAT NEXT CREDENTIAL IN ORDER TO STAY. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD THAT IS GIVE THEM A PERIOD OF TIME, LIKE, FOR HOW LONG IS THAT GOING TO TAKE FOR THEM TO GET FROM FIREFIGHTER ONLY TO WHATEVER THAT, WHATEVER THAT NEXT PHASES. SO GREAT JOB, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE -- SOLUTION.

>> THANK YOU. ANITA? >> I, I LOVE IT. THE ONLY THING, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS PAR LEGAL, BUT I HAD A FAMILY MEMBER THAT, THIS WAS YEARS AGO, AND IT'S PRIVATE ACTOR, WAS WITH KROGER'S WHEN THEY WERE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING PHARMACISTS, HE WAS GOING TO PHARMACY SCHOOL. HE STARTED OFF WITH KROGER'S.

THEY GAVE HIM THE SUMMER JOB OF WORKING JUST AS A TECH AT A KROGER'S, BUT THEY PAID 60% OF HIS COLLEGE IF HE SIGNED ON THAT HE WOULD WORK FOR KROGER'S FOR FIVE YEARS. HE JUST LEFT LAST WEEK AFTER 25 YEARS. AND BY PUTTING IN SOME STIPULATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL TRAIN YOU, WE WILL DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS, AND YOU NEED TO STAY ON FOR FIVE YEARS.

>> SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF SEEING IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LABOR, OUR LABOR GROUP, EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIATED, RIGHT? AS NEIL AND I HAVE TALKED, THE CITY IS GOING TO COME TO YOU WITH $20, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANT THAT $20 SPLIT UP. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THESE PEOPLE IS THAT RIGHT NOW, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, THEY GET $1500 OF TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. SO THESE PEOPLE BEING NONUNION, WE HAVE WRITTEN IN THAT THEY WILL GET THE TUITION TO MATCH THE CITY PERSONNEL MANUAL, WHICH REMOVES THE LIMIT. SO, LIKE, PARAMEDIC SCHOOL IS ABOUT $8000. NOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT RULES ON IT THAT YOU HAVE TO PASS, YOU TO GET A SPECIFIC GRADE, AND THEN AT THE END, YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU'LL HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED. AND THEN IF THEY LEAVE WITHIN A YEAR OF THAT, THEY HAD TO PAY THAT MONEY BACK SO THAT IS ONE

[01:30:02]

PLUS THEY'RE GETTING A PRETTY GOOD JOB. I MEAN, MY DAUGHTER IS GETTING READY TO GO TO SCHOOL, AND I'M LOOKING AT WHAT I'M GOING TO PAY IN COLLEGE, AND IF OUR TWO APPRENTICES GRADUATE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MAKING A VERY GOOD SALARY, AND HOPEFULLY GETTING THEIR EDUCATION AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN A FEW YEARS THEY'RE MAKING A DECENT SALARY FOR --

>> DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE?

>> YEAH, I DID. I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN CAMPBELL. I THINK WE NEED TO, WHATEVER EXTRA MONEY WE NEED TO HELP OUT THE OLDER PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN THERE LONGER, JUST DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THEM MAD TO WHERE THEY'RE WANTING TO LEAVE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT APPRECIATING THEM, ANWE HAVE THOSE POSITIONS OPEN, SO WE GOT TO KIND OF BALANCE WITH THAT AS WELL, SO THAT THEY FEEL APPRECIATED, AND ALSO THAT THEY STICK AROUND. WE JUST PASSED A LEVY, AND WE'RE TELLING OUR CITIZENS WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TOP QUALITY STUFF, AND YOU PASS MONEY FOR THIS, AND WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT.

>> AS JOHN KNOWS, WE HAVE NEGOTIATIONS COMING UP, SO THESE ARE VERY, VERY GOOD NOTES FOR US TO HAVE.

>> THANKS, MAYOR. CHIEF? UNDER THE OR CHART AS YOU PRESENTED IT HERE, LET'S IMAGINE FULL STAFFING. AND SO AT FULL STAFFING, OUR FIREFIGHTER ONLY HAS DONE, AS YOU'VE URGED, AND COMPLETED A CERTIFICATIONS. UNDER THIS ORG CHART, WOULD HE BE HELD AT FIREFIGHTER ONLY UNTIL A POSITION OPENED UP FURTHER OFF THE CHAIN? OR, IN OTHER WORDS, I GUESS I'M SAYING, ARE WE MANDATED TO HOLD SO MANY POSITIONS AT FIREFIGHTER

ONLY? >> SO WE, WE TOOK SOME LIBERTY WITH THIS, BECAUSE INITIALLY IT WAS, WE WILL HAVE THIS MANY OF THIS, THIS MANY OF THIS, AND THIS MANY OF THIS. AND THERE'S A LARGE COMMUNITY AROUND US THAT THEY ACTUALLY WILL GO AND EMPLOY SOMEBODY AS A PARAMEDIC, AND THEY'RE EMPLOYED AS AN EMT BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CERTIFIED AS A PARAMEDIC. AND THEY WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO ACT AS A PARAMEDIC UNTIL A POSITION OPENS. WHEN WE MET WITH LABOR-MANAGEMENT, THEY ASKED THAT QUESTION, AND MY INITIAL THING WAS, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM, RIGHT? BUT THEN IT WAS ALSO, BECAME VERY ABSURD THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE SCENE OF THE CALL THAT THE PARAMEDIC.

SO THE DOWNSIDE TO THIS IS, THE DOWNSIDE TO IT IS AS PEOPLE BETTER THEMSELVES, THE MORE THE PROGRAM WILL ACTUALLY END UP COSTING. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IF SOMEBODY MIGHT BE GOING TO GO BETTER THEMSELVES, THE BIGGEST RESTRICTION I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, IS THAT BUDGET HERE. YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU MAY BE, A B IN AUGUST YOU CAN'T GO AND SAY, HEY, I GOT MY CARD. WE MIGHT HAVE TO SAY, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BUDGET FOR THIS, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU THAT NEXT LEVEL IN JANUARY. BUT I DON'T THINK, TALKING TO JOHN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE REALLY MARRIED ON ANY OF THE I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE BY DOING THIS. SO.

>> I, I WOULD TEND TO THINK THAT THROUGH ATTRITION, I DON'T THINK THAT'LL EVER REALLY BE AN ISSUE, AS LONG AS YOUR FIREFIGHTER ONLY UNDER OTHER LEVELS ARE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATIONS AND MOVE UP. SO I, I DON'T THINK

THAT SITUATION WILL OCCUR. >> I, I LOVE THE GUIDANCE. I DO.

THIS IS -- >> AND I WANT TO JOIN THE REST OF COUNCIL IN SAYING I REALLY CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT ON THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND COMING TO US WITH AN ANSWER FOR A PROBLEM THAT WE SEE NOW COMING AT US PRETTY STRONG, NOT ONLY IN FIRE, BUT ALSO WITH OUR POLICE DIVISION. AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET TALENT IN HERE AND RETAIN THEM IN THE

CITY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> THANK YOU.

>> YEAH, CHIEF. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING. THIS ISN'T THE END. SO WHEN WE PASS THIS, PROGRAMMING IS DONE AND ROLLED OUT. THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY FLUID, AND YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS FOR A YEAR OR YEARS. WE'RE GOING TO REFINE THIS. WE NEED TO ATTRACT THE BEST PEOPLE. AND WHILE ATTRACTING THE BEST PEOPLE, WE NEED TO HAVE A PROPOSAL, A PLAN TO RETAIN GOOD TALENT. THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN DOES. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IN THE FIRE DIVISION BENEFITS.

IF THEY BENEFIT, WE BENEFIT AS A COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE THE LEVEL OF TALENT WE'VE HAD. YOU'RE CATCHING

[01:35:01]

HERE DOING THIS TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU.

>> BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE COULD WAIT MUCH LONGER.

>> NO, NO. AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS A BLUEPRINT FOR WHEN WE, WHEN WE END UP HAVING TO HIRE THOSE 15, POSSIBLY 15 PEOPLE.

>> THIS IS A PIONEER PLACE HERE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FIRE UNION. PROBABLY THE LAST TWO OR THREE FIRE UNION PRESIDENTS HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS GOING TO FORGE US INTO THE FUTURE, AND IT'S GOING TO SET US APART LIKE WE WERE 30 YEARS AGO IN THE VALLEY. AND WE'RE GOING TO GAIN THAT STATUS. WE ARE STILL THE BEST. WE WERE SO FAR ADVANCED FROM OTHER DIVISIONS, OTHER DEPARTMENTS. THAT'S WHAT THIS

POSSIBLY CAN DO. THANKS. >> IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO SAY, TALK ABOUT -- SO I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT NEIL, NEIL -- ALL PEOPLE ARE VERY PROGRESSIVE. PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY MORE TENACIOUS, AND NEIL, WITH KIND OF SET THE GUIDELINE THAT WE WANT TO GET WHOLE BLOOD AND CARRY WHOLE BLOOD IN OUR VEHICLES. AND NEIL HAS LED THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT AT THE FINISH LINE WITH CONTRACT FOR A BLOOD CENTER. SO IF SOMEBODY WOULD GET SOME SORT OF TRAUMATIC INJURY IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, THEY'D GET TREATED WITH A, BASICALLY A FLUID THAT COULD TURN BLOOD, BASICALLY, THIN IT OUT AND TURN IT PINK. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES OUT THERE IN THE COUNTRY, NOT IN OHIO, NEIL WILL BE THE FIRST FIRE-BASED EMS SYSTEM. WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO BEING THE VERY FIRST TASTE EMS SYSTEM OHIO THAT WILL HAVE WHOLE BLOOD IN ONE OF OUR VEHICLES. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE NUMBERS I READ THE OTHER DAY WAS EVERY MINUTE YOU GO WITHOUT WHOLE BLOOD, YOUR MORTALITY INCREASES. SO I, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO GIVE NEIL A LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT, BECAUSE THAT PIONEERING SPIRIT , HE HAS, HE HAS EMBRACED THIS, AND HE'S HAD SOME ARGUMENTS WITH PHYSICIANS. NOT OUR PHYSICIANS. OUR PHYSICIAN IS 110% BEHIND IT.

BUT OTHER PHYSICIANS HAVE, I THINK THEY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS, HE WAS GOING OUT ON HIS OWN, BEING A COWBOY. BUT --

>> TAKES SOME PEOPLE A WILD TO SEE THE FUTURE, EVEN DOCTORS. SO I APPLAUD YOU FOLKS. MIKE, HOW LONG WILL YOU BE WITH US?

>> FIVE YEARS NEXT YEAR. >> OKAY. SO YOU HAVE 35 MORE TO GO. WE'LL GET HIM A GOLD WALKER.

>> OH YEAH. >> YOU HAVE TWO MOTORS. TWO

MOTORS. >> THANK YOU.

>> ANYBODY HAANYTHING ELSE? YES, ANITA.

>> AND THE MINUTE THAT HAPPENS, I WANT OUR PUBLIC RELATIONS TOUTING THAT OUT ON EVERY WEBSITE AND EVERYTHING ELSE SO THE TAXPAYERS KNOW THIS IS THE KIND OF QUALITY WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY, AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS IS PAYING FOR.

>> ALREADY ON IT. >> YUP.

>> OUI, MATTER OF FACT, PR HAS ALREADY DONE SOMETHING. WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE RELEASE FOR THE BLOOD BANK THAT WE'RE USING TO PUT THEIR NAME OUT THERE YET. SO THEY, YEAH, YEAH. WE'RE RATING ON A RELEASE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, WE ARE OFFICIALLY PARTNERS. OUR LEGAL HAS LOOKED AT IT. THEY AGREED WITH ALL OF OUR LEGAL CHANGES IN CONTRACTS, AND WE'RE READY TO SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE AND ARE PAYING A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.

>> THAT'S FANTASTIC. REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO BE, AS I THINK ALL OF YOU ARE, IN A POSITION APPEAR TO BE LEADING THE CITY WITH, WITH THE QUALITY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE. THAT, IN THE END, MAKE OUR JOB A LOT EASIER. SO THANKS AGAIN, EVERYBODY. REALLY

APPRECIATE IT. >> YUP, JOHN.

>> YOU WANT THAT, AND THE PACKET MIGHT BE GOING OUT HERE TONIGHT.

>> KATIE SAID SHE UPLOADED IT ALREADY. I DON'T KNOW. THAT WAS THE MESSAGE I GOT. SHE DIDN'T HAVE IT FOR THIS MEETING, BUT SHE SAID -- I'LL MAKE SURE YOU --

>> I ALREADY DID THE -- >> OKAY. YEAH.

>> HEY, CAN YOU SEND THAT -- >> OH, THIS? I WAS GOING TO SAY, I CAN TRY TO GET IT TONIGHT. OH YEAH.

>> WE GOT -- >> OKAY, SO THIS WAS ITEM H, WHICH WAS THE STAFFING LEVELS. SO MAKING THOSE CHANGES WITH

[ City Salary Ranges/Wage Levels]

SALARY ARRANGES AND WAGE LEVELS. >> YEAH, THESE ARE JUST

[01:40:04]

SO WE'RE JUST, EVERYTHING THAT THE FIRE CHIEF JUST KIND OF

[ Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC)]

RANGE. >> OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING THAT ON AS WELL? OKAY. PERFECT.

>> THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP IS ITEM CAPITAL THREE G, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC ENERGY COUNSEL.

>> YES. SO OUR AGREEMENT WITH ENERGY ALLIANCE HERE WAS OUR AGGREGATE, ELECTRIC AGGREGATE BROKER WILL BE ENDING THIS YEAR.

AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE ENTER, WE JOIN SO PACK, AND USE SOPEC AS OUR AGGREGATION ENTITY. SOPEC IS , STARTED IN SOUTHEAST OHIO. THEY ARE A COG, THEY'RE A COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. THEY DIRECTLY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH AEP, OR ENERGY AGGREGATION AND APPROPRIATION. APPROPRIATION.

HERE MEANT. THERE ARE A COUPLE, SORRY ABOUT THAT. THERE ARE A COUPLE REASONS HERE. ONE, A COUPLE REASONS WE'RE , ONE, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PRODUCT. I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A COST SAVINGS OVER AES AND ENTERED SERVICE OFFER DUE TO THE PURCHASING POWER THAT SOPEC BRINGS TO THE TABLE, WHICH IS ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH AS ENERGY ALLIANCE IS, HAS CURRENTLY.

AVAILABILITY OF NONPROFIT BASED ON ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE.

AND THEN SOPEC ALSO BRINGS VALUE ADDED SERVICES TO THE CITY. SO THEY HAVE GRANT WRITERS ON STAFF, THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE, THEY OFFER COMMUNITY GRANTS. SO THEY BRING MORE TO THE TABLE THAN JUST SIMPLY AN AGGREGATION BROKER. SO WE EVALUATED AN ALLIANCE AGAIN. WE ALSO -- CABLE COUNSEL. OVERALL, WE THINK THAT SOPEC BRINGS GOOD VALUE TO OUR RESIDENTS, AND ALSO TO THE

ADMINISTRATION. SO. >> THE LEVEL IS HERE FROM SOPEC.

-- ANSWER ABOUT THE PROJECT. BUT THE TIMELINE IF WE MOVE FORWARD IS THAT WE WOULD LIKELY GO OUT TO BID IN LATE AUGUST WITH ADDING RATES LOCKED IN SEPTEMBER. ADDITIONALLY, WITH ENERGY ALLIANCE, WE ENTERED INTO A THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT. IN THE PAST, REALLY THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN SAVING SOME MONEY, BECAUSE OF THE RATES DROPPED WITH AES, SO IT'S KIND OF A WASH. SO WE ARE TALKING WITH, WITH BILL AND HIS TEAM. WE PROBABLY JUST DO ONE YEAR -- SO THAT WE CAN LOCK IN THE SAVINGS AS THE RATES CHANGE. WE WOULDN'T WANT TO LOCK AND GO TO SUCH A LONG CONTRACT PERIOD IN THE FUTURE.

>> SURE, AND THAT MAKES SENSE. I THINK, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, I THINK WE GOT INTO THE, THE CONTRACT LAST TIME ALMOST AS A, WE WERE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE VOLATILITY IN THE ENERGY MARKET, AND WE DIDN'T SAVE ANY MONEY, BUT I THINK THE, THE IDEA BEHIND THAT CONTRACT WE GOT INTO WASN'T PERSPECTIVE TO, TO SAVE MONEY. IT WAS A HEDGE AGAINST WHAT HAPPENS IF THESE PRICES REALLY JUST GET CRAZY, RIGHT? SO IT WAS MORE OF A, A BACKSTOP. I THINK WE, WE LOOKED AT IT AS A BACKSTOP. SO IT WOULDN'T GET OUTRAGEOUS, RATHER THAN, THAN A REAL COST SAVINGS, AT LEAST FROM A, FROM A MIND-SET, I THINK THAT'S HOW WE WENT ABOUT THAT.

SO THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD, AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE KIND OF THE BITE TIMES, DIFFERENT TIMES OF YEAR AND ALL THAT HAPPENS, SO THAT WAS REALLY MY QUESTION, IS WHEN WOULD THAT HAPPEN? WHEN IS THE NEXT MARKET TO BASICALLY GO OUT TO BID OR TO GO BY, TO BUY THE ENERGY THAT WE ENDED UP ESTABLISHING? SO THAT, YOU SAID, WILL BID LATE AUGUST FOR A PRICING SENTENCE, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT?

>> WE'RE GOING TO ALIGN OUR PURCHASE AT THE SAME TIME CITY OF CLEVELAND DOES. BIG CUSTOMERS OF THEIRS, SO THAT WE'RE DYING

AT A MUCH LARGER BULK. >> OKAY. PERFECT. THAT'S THE ONLY REAL QUESTION I HAD. ANITA?

>> I GOT A COUPLE. THE LAST ONE WE DID, PEOPLE HAD THE OPTION TO NOT DO IT IN CASE THEIR KIND OF LOWER RATE. IS THAT GOING TO BE

AN OPTION? >> YES. EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THE

OPTION TO OPT IN, OPT OUT. >> AND YOU CAN JUMP IN AND JUMP

OUT AT ANY TIME? >> YOU CAN JUMP IN AND JUMP OUT.

>> PROBABLY AS MUCH IS THE ENERGY TRADERS DO.

>> YEAH, YEAH. >> THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, MORE FOR YOU PROBABLY THAN AARON TRAN, WHAT KIND OF GRANTS YOU GO

AFTER? JUST CURIOUS. >> SURE. FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS PHIL EPLER. I'M A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF GENERAL COUNSEL. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT'S PRETTY WIDE-RANGING. WE GO AFTER BOTH FEDERAL AND PRIVATE GRANTS AND STATE GRANTS. SINCE JANUARY OF 2024, OUR GRANT WRITING TEAM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED

[01:45:02]

SO THAT'S KIND OF A WIDE RANGE OF WHAT THEY'VE GONE AFTER, BUT, YEAH. OUR GRANT WRITERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR

OPPORTUNITIES. >> I JUST, I, IT CAME THROUGH MY HEAD THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE I LIVE IN ONE OF THE OLDER HUBER HEIGHTS HOMES. IT'S A RANCH-STYLE PIT AND I GOT INSULATION. I WAS AMAZED HOW THE OLDER HOMES DON'T HAVE ANY INSULATION, AND HOW MUCH MONEY I AM ACTUALLY SAVING EACH MONTH ON ENERGY. WHAT I'M THINKING SOMEBODY ON A FIXED INCOME, THAT KIND OF STUFF, IS THERE GRANTS AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM GET INSULATION, OR GO WITH THE SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM, OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO SAVE THE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN THAT THEY CAN'T, I MEAN, MY INSULATION FOR RANCH, AND PART OF MINE HAD BEEN REMODELED, AND WE WERE TALKING $4800 IS WHAT IT COST ME. I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TALKING SOMEBODY ON A FIXED INCOME OR A SINGLE PARENT, YOU KNOW, WITH LIMITED INCOME, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE FEASIBLE TO EVER DO TO YOUR HOUSE. SO.

>> WELL, WE OFTEN DO, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIRECTLY PROVIDED THOSE GRANTS FOR FROM SOPEC, BUT WE KNOW THE SPACE REALLY WELL, SO WE TYPICALLY PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION A LOT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND TRYING TO GET THAT OUT INTO OUR COMMUNITY, SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. NOT ONLY ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS, JUST TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU REDUCE YOUR BILL, BUT ALSO PATHWAYS TO INSTALL SOLAR, INCREASE THE INSULATION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD. SO WE TRY TO ACT AS A RESOURCE FOR THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.

>> THERE ARE WEATHERIZATION GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP PEOPLE INSULATE THEIR HOMES. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A LOWER RATE FOR HOMES THAT ARE ALL ELECTRIC, AND IF YOU ARE 200% ABOVE, OR BELOW 200% OF THE POVERTY LINE, THAT'S ONE THAT'S NOT REALLY ADVERTISE VERY WELL, AND THE HOUSES IN HUBER HEIGHTS THAT ARE SOUTH OF CHAMBERSBURG, THAT AREA, A LOT OF THOSE WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE '70S BUT IT WAS ALL ELECTRIC HEAT. THERE WAS NO NATURAL GAS DOWN THOSE AREAS. THERE, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME EFFORTS THAT WE COULD UNDERTAKE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM, SO.

>> YEAH, BECAUSE I'M JUST NORTH, AND PART OF MY'S GAS, BUT IT'S ELECTRIC AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND IT'S MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. I MEAN, LIKE, INSTANTLY, AN HOUR LATER, MY HUSBAND IS COMING OUT AND GOING, OH MY GOSH, THE AIR IS JUST KIND OF STILL, AND IT'S JUST TOTALLY DIFFERENT, AND MY BILLS ARE A LOT CHEAPER. I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD THAT, AND WHERE CAN THEY GO TO GET THE

FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? >> WE'LL PUT SOMETHING OUT FOR PEOPLE, BECAUSE, YEAH, THIS PROGRAM IS --

>> OKAY. >> MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, I KNOW MS. BYRGE IS NOT HERE, BUT SHE HAS BEEN, I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO THE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARABLES, AND AS YOU SAID, SHE JUMPED IN AND JUMPS OUT OF THE MARKET PROBABLY AS MUCH AS YOU GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO. DID YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO HER ABOUT THIS? I KNOW IT'S IN THE PACKET. I JUST, THAT WAY WHEN WE GET TO -- SO NANCY, IF YOU WATCH THIS MEETING , THEN THAT DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT TO A MINIMUM COME COUNCIL MEETING TIME, BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S SEEN ALL THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SHE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A MULTITUDE OF QUESTIONS.

>> HE WAS EXCITED. >> OKAY, GOOD. THAT MAKES ME

FEEL A LOT BETTER. >> ME TOO.

>> NOT RELATED TO THIS, BUT IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BRING A NATURAL GAS AGGREGATION DISCUSSION TO COUNCIL.

>> THANK YOU. >> DURING OUR FIRST GO AROUND WITH AGGREGATION, AND WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THAT TEAM ON BOARD, THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS, CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. DOES SOPEC OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE STATE WITH REGARD TO CITIZEN'S CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT

[01:50:06]

ENERGY AGGREGATION? >> YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE, WE TRY TO BE A FULL TURNKEY SOLUTION, SO THOSE CONCERNS, WE TRY TO TAKE IT OFF YOUR COMMUNITY STAFF AND BE THAT RESOURCE TO PROVIDE BETTER COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM ITSELF. WE HAVE A DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MARKETING NAMED CHLOE WHO'S WONDERFUL AT CREATING RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO GO AHEAD AND PUT OUT ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO CREATE IT. WE CAN JUST SAY HERE YOU GO. IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE HAVE A DEDICATED CALL CENTER LINE WITH AP ENERGY THAT IS IN COLUMBUS, AND THEY PICK UP THE PHONE, THEY SAY SOPEC ELECTRIC AGGREGATION PROGRAM, HOW MAY I HELP YOU? SO THAT'S A RESOURCE. OUR COMMUNITIES ALSO HAVE, OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS, I INTRODUCED JENNIFER O'DONNELL AS OUR SOUTHWEST DIRECTOR. OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE , FOR CONTACT INFO, A LOT OF THEM HAVE MY CONTACT INFO TOO, SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE MORE IN THE WEEDS OR WHATEVER, WE, SO, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF, SEND IT TO US. BUT OUR JOB IS TO MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER, SO.

>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CITIZENS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION, SO THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ENERGY AGGREGATION, AND I DON'T THINK THOSE CONCERNS WERE BEING ADDRESSED OR ANSWERED ADEQUATELY. AND SO IF YOU OFFER

THAT, YOU HAD -- WELL -- >> THAT'S GREAT.

>> WE TRY VERY HARD TO MAKE IT SMOOTH.

>> PERFECT. THANK YOU. >> HE IS OUT THERE GOING, HELP

ME, HELP ME! >> ONE LAST THING THAT I, I FORGOT TO MENTION, SINCE SOPEC IS -- GOVERNMENTS , BY JOINING SOPEC , AND BASED ON OUR POPULATION, WE WILL HAVE A SEAT AT THE BIG TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO INFLUENCING SOPEC, THE PROGRAMS DIRECTLY BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS.

>> THANK YOU. >> THANKS, TOM. ANYTHING OKAY, ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING THIS ON THURSDAY? OKAY. AND SEE

[ Liquor Permit #36788970165 - Center Point BP - 8007 State Route 235]

ROUTE 235. >> THIS IS A LIQUOR PERMIT APPLICATION JUST FOR A CHANGE IN CORPORATE STOCK OWNERSHIP. IT IR TO ONE WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO. AS YOU SAID, IT'S FOR CENTERPOINT BP ON STATE ROUTE 235. BEEN REVIEWED BY THE POLICE AND FIRE DIVISION WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO THIS WOULD JUST ALLOW US TO RESPOND UNDER CONTROL WITHOUT AN OBJECTION TO THE TRANSFER OF STOCK OWNERSHIP FOR THIS PARTICULLIQUOR --

>> OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY OBJECTIONS? OKAY. MOVING THAT ON THURSDAY AS WELL. OKAY. THAT IS IT. SO IF THERE ISN'T -- OH,

YES. >> CAN ST SAY ONE MORE

THING? >> OF COURSE.

>> I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE FIREDIVISION. I DO WANT YOU TO BE PREPARED, MARK HAS BEEN WORKING PRETTY DILIGENTLY . WE'RE TRYING TO GET A PLAN TOGETHER FOR THE POLICE AS WELL TO KIND OF FILL IN SOME THOSE GAPS AND DO THAT AS WELL. IT DOES LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, THAT SIDE, BECAUSE POLICE OFFICERS, YOU CAN ONLY BE A POLICE OFFICER.

THERE'S ONLY ONE CERTIFICATION TO SIT AND WHERE THAT BADGE. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT OPTIONS, WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE AND LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, DO, DO REALIZE WE'RE GOING TO READ SOMETHING TO YOU AS WELL FROM THE POLICE THE KIND OF START LOOKING AT WAYS TO BRING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN TOGETHER AND THAT THE KIND OF SUPPLEMENT THEM AS WELL.

>> JOHN, WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING WITH THE CHIEF, AND I HAD NO DOUBT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING FORTHCOMING. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP AS WELL. OKAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.