* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. OKAY. [00:00:01] SO HERE TIME AT THIS [1. Call The Meeting To Order - Mayor Jeff Gore] MEETING, THE COURT ORDER SAYS THE REGULAR SESSIONS. DATE IS SEVEN O'CLOCK IMPLICATING STORY. NUMBER TWO, OUR INVOCATION. AND WE HAD A PASTOR BOB GLITTER TO THE GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH. HE WRITES IT'S SIX, 5,001 PASTURE FOOT. MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD YOU IN PRAYER. UH, THIS BEING NOVEMBER, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. WE TURN OUR THOUGHTS TO THE PRACTICE OF THANKSGIVING. UH, WE'LL GET WARMED UP FOR THAT DAY NOW, LEADING TURKEY, BUT GIVING THANKS. UH, SOMEONE 45 SAYS, I WILL EXALT YOU MY GOD, THE KING. I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER AND EVER EVERY DAY, AI WILL PRAISE YOU AND EXTOL YOUR NAME FOREVER AND EVER GREAT IS THE LORD. AND MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE IS GREATNESS. NO ONE CAN FATHOM ONE GENERATION WILL COMMEND YOUR WORKS TO ANOTHER. THEY WILL TELL OF YOUR MIGHTY ACTS. I THINK OF FAMILY GET TOGETHERS IN THE STORYTELLING THAT ENRICH EACH OF OUR LIVES. BUT IN PARTICULAR, I THINK OF THE STORIES OF HOW WE WENT THROUGH HARD TIMES AND ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEM AND ARE STRONGER FOR THEM. SO WHILE HUMANLY THESE DRAMAS PLAY OUT BEFORE US, WE BELIEVE AS PART OF OUR FAITH, THAT THERE'S A DIVINE HAND AT WORK AS WELL. SO LET'S PAUSE AND THANK HIM AND ASK FOR HIS GUIDANCE THIS EVENING. PRAY WITH ME, LORD GOD, I THANK YOU. EVERY GOOD AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT DOES COME DOWN FROM YOU. THE PSALM WAS TALKS ABOUT HOW YOU HEAL ALL OUR DISEASES AND YOU REDEEM OUR LIVES FROM THE PIT. AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE THOSE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHERE A DESPERATION CLOSES IN ON US. AND WE CALL OUT TO YOU AND FIND YOUR STRONG. I THANK YOU FOR THIS COUNCIL. I PRAY FOR THESE CHALLENGING TIMES THAT THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GIVE THEM WISDOM, A PRESENCE OF MIND. UH, I PRAY LORD. YOU'LL DIRECT THEIR DECISIONS TO SEE EVENING, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR US AND PROTECT FOR US. I PRAY IN PARTICULAR FOR THOSE THAT SERVE OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN FAR FROM HOME. WE PRAY THAT YOU'LL KEEP THEM SAFE. WE PRAY YOU'LL WATCH OVER THEIR FAMILIES. WE PRAY THAT YOU'LL BRING THEM HOME SAFELY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE ASK IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. RIGHT? AMEN. BEN, UM, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH ONE NATION UNDER GOD. INDIVISIBLE. THANK YOU, ANDY. I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, NEXT UP AS I REMEMBER MR. SHAW HERE, MS. BAKER, MR. CAMPBELL, HERE. THIS IS BERG HERE, MR. OTTO HERE. MR. LYONS HERE, MR. HILL HERE. MR. WEBB HERE, MIRACLE OR HAPPY TO BE HERE NEXT UP AS ITEM NUMBER FIVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. UH, ITEM FIVE EIGHT IS OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES [5. Approval Of Minutes] FROM OCTOBER 26TH OF 2020. UH, THOSE ONE SAID, UH, THIS EVENING THERE'S NO CORRECTIONS IN THOSE MINUTES. GO AHEAD. NO CORRECTIONS. THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 26, 2020 ARE APPROVED NEXT UP ITEM SIX SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCEMENTS, MR. ROGERS. HI, THERE WAS SIX, [6. Special Presentations/Announcements] A SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY MIRO PROCLAMATION PRESENTATION BY MERE JEFF CORR. THANK YOU, MR. ROGERS. SO FIRST OFF, UH, BEFORE I GET INTO, UH, INTO READING THIS, I DO WANT TO TELL HER WHEN I, I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AND THE WELL-WISHES AND EVERYONE WHO'S REACHED OUT TO ME. UH, IT'S MEANT A LOT. IT WAS, IT WAS A PRETTY ROUGH MONTH. UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE ON THE UPSWING OF THIS. I FEEL MUCH BETTER THAN, THAN MY VOICE SOUNDS. UH, DOC SAYS IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO MONTHS BEFORE MY VOICE COMES BACK ALL THE WAY, BUT, UM, I DO FEEL BETTER THAN, THAN I SOUND SO, UH, I WILL, UH, WORK TO GET THROUGH THIS. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE. UM, GIVING ME THE TIME TO KIND OF, UH, GO THROUGH THIS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY MARROW PROCLAMATION. SO, SO THANK YOU. I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU. SO THIS IS A CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, SMALL BUSINESS, SATURDAY MAYORAL PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS [00:05:01] THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, OHIO CELEBRATES ITS LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THESE BUSINESSES MAKE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES, SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ARE CURRENTLY 31.7 MILLION SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH REPRESENT 99%, 99.9%. WHILE BUSINESSES WITH PAID EMPLOYEES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 65.1% OF THE NET NEW JOBS CREATED FROM 2000 TO 2019 INDOOR AS SMALL BUSINESSES EMPLOY 47.1% OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE UNITED STATES. 62% OF US SMALL BUSINESSES REPORT THAT THEY NEED TO SEE CONSUMER SPENDING RETURN TO PRE COVID LEVELS BY THE END OF 2020, IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS. 65% OF US, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SAID IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL WITH THEIR BUSINESSES TO HAVE THEIR REGULAR RETURN AND START MAKING PURCHASES AGAIN. AND THREE QUARTERS OF US CONSUMERS ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SHOP SMALL AND SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS 96% OF CONSUMERS WHO SHOPPED ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, AGREE, SHOPPING AT SMALL INDEPENDENTLY, OWNED BUSINESSES, SUPPORT THEIR COMMITMENT, THEIR COMMITMENT TO MAKING PURCHASES. I DON'T KNOW, POSITIVE SOCIAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. AND 97% OF CONSUMERS WHO SHOPPED ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, AGREE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS 95% OF CONSUMERS WHO SHOPPED ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY REPORTED THAT THE DAY MAKES THEM WANT TO SHOP OR EAT AT SMALL INDEPENDENTLY OWNED BUSINESSES ALL YEAR LONG, NOT JUST DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. AND WHEREAS HUBER HEIGHTS, OHIO SUPPORTS ITS LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT CREATE JOBS, BOOST THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND PRESERVE COMMUNITIES AND WHEREAS ADVOCACY GROUPS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE ENDORSED THE SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING DAY, THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. AND WHEREAS THE CITY URGES THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND MERCHANTS ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AND THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR. NOW, THEREFORE I, JEFF GORE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS, OHIO DO HEREBY PROCLAIM, NOVEMBER 28TH, 2020, THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS AS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THAT IS, UH, CERTAINLY A DATA WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO AND, UH, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE IS ABLE TO TAKE PART IN NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH ASSISTANCE COMMENTS MR. ROGERS, AND THEN THE SAME THING THERE. THANK YOU. WHAT ABOUT ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? THE CITIZENS REGISTER TO SPEAK ON SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS AND NOT HAVE THOSE MIXED UP AS ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS OUR CITY MANAGER REPORT. HOW ARE YOU DOING WRONG? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? UH, [9. City Manager Report] HEY, I'M HANGING IN THERE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I DON'T, UH, I DON'T HAVE MUCH, UH, FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS EVENING. UM, WE'RE AT THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE ARE, UH, CONSOLIDATING THE, UH, THE ITEMS PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET, UH, CLOSING SOME THINGS OUT AND FINISHING ANY REMAINING PROJECTS. SO, UH, NO SIGNIFICANT UPDATES, UH, BRANT AND CHAMBERSBURG, UM, PROJECTS STILL, UH, UH, STILL IN PROCESS, NOT QUITE COMPLETED, BUT AS I'M TOLD, UH, SHOULD BE WITHIN, UH, THE ESTIMATE OF PROJECT TIME. UH, IN ADDITION, WE WILL BE HAVING ON THE NEXT WORK SESSION, OUR, UM, UH, UM, I GUESS, SUMMARY AND PRESENTATION FOR THE RECONCILIATION AND EXPLANATION OF OUR CURRENT DEBT SITUATION, UH, AS PART OF THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, AS THEY INDICATED, UM, THAT WE WOULD INCLUDE JUST TO CONSIDER THAT EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET INCLUDES WHAT WOULD BE, UM, ANY OF OUR, UH, REQUIRED DEBT SERVICE. UH, BUT IT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE, WE CAPTURE THAT AND, AND STRUCTURE THAT IN A WAY TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THE BUDGET SINCE SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE SOMEWHAT COMPLEX. UH, SO WE WILL HAVE THAT PRESENTATION, UH, THAT I THINK WILL BE VERY INFORMATIVE, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. SO, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, TO CHARGE FORWARD WITH THOSE VARIOUS THINGS AND, UM, I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO REPORT TONIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ROBERT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ROB? ANYTHING HE DISCUSSED? MR. WEBB, THANK YOU, MIRROR. AND I HATE TO GO OFF TOPIC, BUT ROB, I JUST NEED TO TELL YOU THAT GOING TO THE FARM, UH, THE BARN, I'M SORRY. UM, ON SATURDAY WAS JUST A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. UH, YOUR PEOPLE HAVE GOT IT TOGETHER. UH, I CAN ONLY SEE IT BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS HAPPEN. JUST OUTSTANDING JOB. UM, YEAH, IT WAS GREAT. A NICE BENEFIT FOR, UH, ALS AND, UH, UH, YOUR PEOPLE MADE IT HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU. [00:10:01] YES. THANKS FOR, UH, THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WAS, UH, WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OUT THIS WEEKEND, BUT, UM, KEPT IN CONTACT AND I NOTICED ALL THE PROGRESS AND ALL THE EFFORTS PUT TOGETHER TO GET IT, UH, GET IT OUT THERE AND GET THAT SPACE ACTIVATED. AND, UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST SIGN OF MANY MORE GREAT EVENTS. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST AND I THINK THE MORE EVENTS THAT ARE HELD THERE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME NON-PROFITS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WE'LL HAVE FOR ANOTHER GREAT AMENITY AND, UM, UM, AND BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO, UM, APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP. AND ONE, YES. ONE THING THAT I DID, UH, THAT I JUST LOOKED DOWN AND I DID SEE THAT I WROTE, BUT I HAD MY, UH, MY MOUSE OVER TOP OF IT. DIDN'T SEE. IT WAS THE, UH, UH, THE MILITARY VETERANS COMMISSION IS HAVING THEIR ANNUAL VETERANS DAY MEMORIAL. THIS VETERANS DAY 4:00 PM AT THE SITE OF THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL WILL BE A REPLAY, UH, VERY BRIEF, BUT VERY, UH, SUCCINCT AND MEANINGFUL CEREMONY, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, UH, THAT THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER ORGANIZED, UH, FOR A, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF EVENTS, UH, TO GO ON THAT DAY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IN VIEWING THAT FOUR O'CLOCK ON, UH, ON VETERAN'S DAY. AND MR. MAYOR WILL, UH, UM, HOPEFULLY NOW THAT YOU'RE OUT, IF YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO GET OUT AND ABOUT, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, THE NOTED SPEAKERS AND, UM, IF, UH, IF ANYTHING CHANGES, JUST LET US KNOW AND WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE MODIFICATIONS, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT BEING ONE OF YOUR FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCES. YES, I W I, AS OF RIGHT NOW, I ABSOLUTELY PLAN ON BEING THERE. YES. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR MR. SCHUMER. OKAY. HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS OUR PENDING BUSINESS. MR. ROGERS ITEM TEN EIGHT, ITEM 10, A AN ORDINANCE ADMITTING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF PART ONE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE HEBREW [ An Ordinance Amending Certain Sections Of Part One, Administrative Code, Of The Huber Heights Codified Ordinances. (second reading)] HEIGHTS CODIFIED AT THE SECOND READING. MR. SCHUMER, YOU HAVE COMMENTS YOU'RE ON MUTE. ROB YOU'RE MUTED, TOO MANY BUTTONS TO COLLECT WAS WAITING FOR AGENDA QUICK TO KEEP UP WITH ME. ALL RIGHT. YES. AS YOU RECALL, THIS WAS THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT HAD TO DO WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES REGARDING PERSONNEL STRUCTURE STUDY THAT WE HAD COMPLETED, UH, THIS RE ALIGNS SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS IN THE, UH, IN THE ORDINANCES, FOR INSTANCE, UM, JUST MAINLY SOME HOUSEKEEPING THINGS SUCH AS, UH, PARKS MANAGER, UH, ADDING THAT DEFINITION INTO THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY THAT WAS IN, IN THERE, UH, REALIGNING CODE ENFORCEMENT UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICES, UH, WAS ANOTHER, SO IT HAD ITS FIRST READING AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SECOND READING THIS EVENING. AND, UH, WE WOULD ASK THAT THE ORDINANCE BE CONSIDERED FOR ADOPTION SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE NECESSARY CHANGES TO FALL IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. UH, AND YES, ROB, YOU ARE CORRECT. THIS IS THE SECOND READING AND THE WORK SESSION, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT DECIDED TO BE ADOPTED THIS EVENING. IS THERE A MOTION MR. WEBB? SO MOVE FOR A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. KATE, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE SIDE OF, OKAY, MR. ROGERS, MS. BAKER? YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. THIS IS BERT. THIS IS BERGE. YES. MR. OTTO. YES. MR. LYONS. YES. MR. HILL. YES. . YES. MR. SHAW. YES. AND THE MOTION CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. NEXT UP, WE GET INTO NEW BUSINESS, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER 11, UH, UNDER ADMINISTRATION. UH, MR. ROGERS ITEM 11, APU [ An Ordinance For Making Appropriations For Expenses Of The City Of Huber Heights, Ohio For The Period Beginning January 1, 2021, And Ending December 31, 2021. (first reading)] ITEM WILL HAVE AN, A, AN ORDINANCE FOR MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR EXPENSES OF THE CITY OF YOUR RIGHTS, OHIO FOR THE PERIOD BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2021. AND ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2021 AT THE FIRST READING. ROB, IF YOU WOULD, YES. AS YOU RECALL, WE HAVE ENTERED INTO THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE PROJECT, UH, WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR CHOSEN CONSULTANT. AND PART OF THAT WAS FINANCING THE PROJECT LEASE FOR THE CAPITAL LEASE, UH, ON THE, UH, THE VARIETY OF CAPITAL PROJECTS INVOLVED IN THAT, UM, IN THAT PROGRAM. THIS IS THE BUDGET ORDINANCE. OKAY. DID I CLICK ON THE WRONG ONE? I'VE GOT NEW BUSINESS ITEMS. WE'RE AT ITEM A MI. OH, OKAY. I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT ANYTHING. I SAID, WHEN WE GET TO THAT, TO THAT ITEM, WE'RE JUST GOING TO PICK UP, LIKE I HIT THE, UH, I, MY, UH, GENDER QUICK IS LOCKED UP HERE. SO [00:15:01] GIVE ME JUST A SECOND. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, UM, HERE WE GO. IT WANTS YOU TO FINISH READING B. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S JUMPING AROUND. OKAY. SO, UH, THE BUDGET, AS I WAS SAYING, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE FOR THE BUDGET AT ITS FIRST READING THIS EVENING, WE HAD THE, UM, A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS, UH, ONE LAST WEEK AT THE WORK SESSION THAT KIND OF DID A SUM-UP OF OUR, UH, RECURRENCE OF RECURRENT STATUS. UH, PREVIOUS TO THAT, UH, THE FINANCE TEAM GAVE A, UH, GAVE A PRESENTATION. UH, WE HAVE ENVISIONED THAT THIS WILL GO THROUGH TO ITS SECOND READING. OF COURSE WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL KIND OF INTERIM PRESENTATION TO MORE FULLY EXPLAIN THE, UH, THE DEBT PART OF THE BUDGET, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, UH, IN THE UPDATE. SO WE, UH, WE ASKED THAT THE BUDGET ORDINANCE BE PASSED TO A SECOND READING TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, FROM THERE ON, THANK YOU, ROB. AND THE WORK SESSION RECOMMENDATION WAS TO PASS THIS ITEM ON TO A SECOND READING. ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING TO A SECOND READING MAYOR? NO. YES. MR. LYONS, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, NO OBJECTIONS BY, UH, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF I MAY. UH, YES, FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE. MY, UH, CAMERA'S NOT WORKING. I HAD MY IT SPECIALIST ON IT BEFORE THE MEETING AND COULDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE, SO I'LL WORK ON THAT. OKAY. UM, ROB, UH, THE BUDGET WE HAVE ABOUT $800,000 OVERAGE, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND, UH, APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH DOES A FIREFIGHTER COST WOULD THAT, AND I HEARD ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. THAT WOULD BE OUT THE DOOR, SALARY, INSURANCE BENEFITS, THAT KIND OF THING. I THINK IT'S IN THAT BALLPARK. OKAY. A HUNDRED K. ALRIGHT. AND, UH, WITH THAT IN THE LAST MEETING, UH, COUNSEL, I ASKED ROB FOR SOME INFORMATION REGARDING FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE FUNDED AND THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE FILLED. SO ROB SENT ME A RESPONSE AND, UM, I'VE BEEN READING AND DIGESTING THAT, UH, I JUST WENT AHEAD AND FORWARDED THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. SO YOU SHOULD BE COMING UP ON YOUR, UH, EMAIL SHORTLY. UH, ROB, THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME THAT INFORMATION. UH, IN 2020 YOU SAID WE HAD 39, UH, FUNDED POSITIONS IN 37 FILLED AND THEN BROKE DOWN AT MY REQUEST, THE 19 2018 AND 2017, UH, FIREFIGHTERS. SO THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME THAT INFORMATION. UM, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IS A DISCREPANCY THAT I'M FINDING AND, UM, UH, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. UM, BACK IN 2018, UH, WE HAD VOTED ON TO INCREASE THE STAFFING LEVEL BY THREE FIREFIGHTERS, AND I'M JUST NOT SEEING THE FUNDED IN THE FIELD FIREFIGHTERS POSITION OUT OF THAT. AND, UH, WITH THAT, IT'S VERY DISTURBING TO ME, UH, THAT WE'RE IN 2020 AND WE STILL HAVE, UH, THE, UH, FUNDED, BUT UNFILLED POSITIONS. AND I KNOW ROB, WE HAVE A COUPLE, UH, WE HAVE ONE FIREFIGHTER THAT POSITION THAT'S AVAILABLE AND OPEN NOW TO BE FILLED. AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE UP TO FOUR MORE NEXT YEAR TO BE FILLED BASED ON THIS ISSUE. UM, ROB, OR DID YOU FEEL ALL THOSE THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS THAT REQUESTS COUNSEL REQUESTED AND PASSED LEGISLATION FOR IN 2018? WELL, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT QUITE SURE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ALLEGING OR ACCUSING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU USE WORDS SUCH AS, UM, UH, A PROBLEM AND, YOU KNOW, THEY W WHATEVER WORD THAT YOU USE, YOU DIDN'T ASK THE REST OF THE QUESTION. SO RATHER THAN GOING ON AN ASSUMPTION BASED ON JUST SOME SIMPLE STATISTICS, UH, HAD YOU HAD SOME CONTEXT TO WHAT YOU WERE ASKING AND WHAT I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION, I WOULD HAVE GLADLY PROVIDED YOU THE REASON WHY THE NUMBER OF FILLED POSITIONS DON'T MATCH UP THE NUMBER OF FUNDED POSITIONS. AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, IS THAT WE HAVE ON AN ONGOING BASIS SINCE WE ADDED THOSE ADDITIONAL THREE POSITIONS HAVE HAD ADVERTISEMENTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HIRE. WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF BACKGROUNDS. UH, IN FACT, IF YOU WERE TO ASK HR, I THINK PROBABLY 80% OF THEIR TIME OVER THE LAST PROBABLY THREE YEARS HAS BEEN, UH, INTERVIEWS AND PROCESSING, UH, FIRE LISTS, UH, THE POLICE DIVISION, CONDUCTING BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS, ET CETERA. [00:20:01] SO, UH, IT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT TASK TO, AS SOON AS WE GET A POSITION FILLED, UH, WE HAVE HAD, UH, RETIREMENTS, WE HAVE ALSO HAD SEPARATIONS, UH, AND WE'VE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF TERMINATIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO AS I INDICATED IN MY EMAIL, THAT IS A FLUID THING AND A FLUID NUMBER. AND ALSO IN MY, IN, IN INDICATED IN MY EMAIL, ALTHOUGH POSITIONS, UH, AT ONE PARTICULAR TIME MAY HAVE BEEN FILLED, UH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE, THAT THE, UH, POSITION WAS THEN VACATED FOR ONE VARIOUS REASON OR NOT JUST AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ACTIVE PROCESS, BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS LIST IS NOW EXHAUSTED BECAUSE WE'VE GONE THROUGH, UH, ALL AVAILABLE, UH, CANDIDATES ON THAT LIST. AND THEY HAVE BEEN EITHER HIRED OR DISQUALIFIED THROUGH BACKGROUND AND, OR PERHAPS OTHER REASONS MAYBE THEY'VE TAKEN ANOTHER JOB. SO THAT'S WHY THERE IS YET ANOTHER PROCESS ONGOING TO ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR THOSE POSITIONS. UH, BUT TO SAY THAT IT'S PROBLEMATIC THAT THESE POSITIONS ARE NOT FILLED, UH, IT IS OF NO FAULT OF THIS ORGANIZATION. IT IS A MIRROR OCCASION THAT NEARLY ALL PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS IN THE REGION, ESPECIALLY SUBURBAN REGIONS HAVE IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN IDENTIFY CANDIDATES AND HIRE CANDIDATES AT A RATE TO KEEP UP WITH NO DID VACANCIES. SO IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, IS THERE A PROBLEM OR ISSUE OR ANY, UM, NON-ACTION ON PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR NOT FILLING FUNDED FIRE POSITIONS THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED? IN FACT, IF YOU RECALL, IT WAS ME THAT BROUGHT THAT PRESENTATION TO THIS COUNCIL ASKING AND, UH, UM, CONVINCING THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE OPERATION OF THE CITY. SO WE STAND BEHIND THAT AND WE STAND COMMITTED TO MAKE SURE TO FILL THE FUNDED VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE. UH, BUT THE OTHER PART OF THAT QUESTION RATHER THAN, UH, RAISING CONCERNS OR, OR, OR MAYBE MAKING AN ASSUMPTION IS THAT, UH, IT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, SO YOU CAN'T ASK, WELL, HOW MANY WERE FILLED OR FUNDED? I CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY WERE HIRED, AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO EXCEED THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE FUNDED BECAUSE AS ONE'S HIRED, MAYBE ANOTHER ONE LEAVES. SO, UM, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S EXACTLY THE SITUATION THAT HAS OCCURRED. UNDERSTOOD. AND I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH ANYTHING, UH, THAT YOU SAID, UH, IN 2020, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SENT ME, AND I'M NOT READING ANYTHING INTO THAT MORE THAN WHAT IT IS, 39 FUNDED, BUT 37 FIELDS. SO WE'RE SHORT TWO FIREFIGHTERS UNDERSTOOD RETIREMENTS, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, BACK IN 20 1939 FUNDED 36 FIELDS. SO WE'RE THREE SHORT UNDERSTOOD, UM, BACK IN 2018, 38 FUNDED 35 FILLED AGAIN, THREE SHORT, AND THEN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, 20 1736 FUNDED. NOW THAT ONE HAD ALL 36 FILLED. SO I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, I UNDERSTAND, UH, ISSUES THAT COME UP, PERSONNEL DECISIONS, HR, AND ALL OF THAT. UH, BUT I STAND BY MY COMMENTS, ROB, WE'RE SHORT FIREFIGHTERS, AND WE'VE BEEN SHORT FOR SOME TIME, NOT NECESSARILY AS LIKE, IF YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID, THERE WAS PROBABLY A TIME WHERE THAT NUMBER IS FLUID, SO WE CAN ONLY HIRE PEOPLE AS FAST AS WE CAN GET THEM PROCESSED. SO IF, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. AND, UM, I, I COMPLETELY DO. UM, BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SENT ME SHOWS THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, PERSISTENT, NOT FILLING THOSE POSITIONS NOW I DISAGREE. OKAY. I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED WAS A MIRROR NUMBER AND THAT NUMBER DOES NOT PROVIDE THE AMOUNT OF APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROCESSED, UH, THE ATTEMPTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE VACANCIES THAT IN FACT HAVE BEEN FILLED, THERE'S NO WAY TO, UNLESS YOU ASK ON THIS PARTICULAR DATE, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU CAN'T JUST ASK THE QUESTION FOR IN, IN 2019, HOW MANY POSITIONS DID WE HAVE AND HOW MANY WERE FUNDED, W W W AT WHAT POINT IN TIME, WITHIN THE YEAR. SO WITH THE TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED AND, UH, THAT ARE NOT TWO OF THEM THAT ARE NOT FILLED, UH, WE CAN USE THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH. SO THAT'S 200 TO REDUCE THE 80 $800,000 OVERAGE DOWN TO 600,000. NOW, UH, JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THE BUDGET [00:25:01] HERE A LITTLE BIT, UM, THE REST OF THE $600,000, ROB, HOW MANY OTHER POSITIONS DO WE HAVE FUNDED? THAT'S NOT FILLED, AND WE CAN PROBABLY KNOCK THAT DOWN A LOT MORE. WELL, THAT'S, UH, NOT ANYTHING THAT I HAVE CONSIDERED NOR ANYTHING THAT I AM PREPARED TO DISCUSS. THAT'S NOT BEEN PART OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. I'VE NOT HEARD ANY INDICATION AT ALL THAT COUNCIL WAS INTERESTED IN REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF PERSONNEL OR SERVICES, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE 20, 21, UH, BUDGET. BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER, UM, IN, UH, IN THE 20, 21 BUDGET, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD CERTAINLY GO BACK AND REVIEW AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU, ROB. I APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR. UM, WHEN, UH, YOU'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND YOU WERE HERE AND YOU WORKED HARD ON THOSE THREE FIREFIGHTERS IN 2018, AND I BELIEVE, UH, YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO INCREASE THE ORGANIZATION BY THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, NOT REFILLING THEM. OKAY. UM, DONNIE JONES, UM, TREMENDOUS FINANCE DIRECTOR BEFORE I GOT HERE, UH, TREMENDOUS, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS DHANI JONES TAUGHT ME WAS THAT, UH, INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED DAY TO DAY ON A FLUID BUDGET. UH, THE NUMBERS, THE SPREADSHEETS CAN ALL BE MANIPULATED TO SAY PRETTY MUCH WHATEVER WE WANT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE CAN HOLD FAST IS THE KAPHA REPORT. NOW, I BELIEVE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL MAYOR, YOU'VE HEARD ME SING PRAISES ABOUT OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE CAFFER WHERE WE CONSISTENTLY, I THINK IT'S NINE OUT OF 10 YEARS GET THE HIGHEST AWARD FOR THE STATE AUDITOR AND WITH DISTINCTION, WHICH IS IN THE TOP 5% OF OUR STATE. YOU'VE HEARD THAT ME SAY THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SO ACCORDING TO THE 2017, KHAFRE, THIS GOES BACK THE YEAR BEFORE WE INCREASED THE THREE FIREFIGHTERS. THE CAFFER SAYS WE HAVE 56 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I TEACH HISTORY. SO I DON'T TEACH MATH, BUT WITH ALL MY FINGERS AND TOES, WHEN YOU ADD THREE POSITIONS TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT SAYS 56, IT SHOULD BE 59. SO BY THAT NUMBER, WE'RE LOOKING AT 57 INSTEAD OF THE 59. SO WE'RE SHORT TWO FIREFIGHTERS THERE. AND THEN THE INFORMATION THAT ROB HAD MENTIONED, 39 FUNDED IN 37, CURRENTLY IN 2020, THAT SHOULD BE ANOTHER TWO FIREFIGHTERS. SO AT MO YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT MOST, MAYBE DOWN FOUR OR FIREFIGHTERS CONSIDERING WHERE COUNCIL EXPECTED US TO BE, TO PROTECT THE CITY. I THINK IT WAS A CHIEF MARK ASHWORTH THAT RECOMMENDED THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ORIGINALLY, UM, IN HIS PROFESSIONAL OPINION TO STAFF STATION 25. AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. DHANI JONES TAUGHT ME THE FLUID, THE BUDGET, THE NUMBERS CAN BE FLUID, BUT WHAT WE REPORT TO THE STATE, WELL, THAT WAS THE CAFFER IN 2017, WITH 56 FULL-TIME POSITIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, 20 1856 POSITIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. FULL-TIME 20, 1957 POSITIONS, WHICH THAT NUMBER MATCHES THE NUMBER ROB GAVE US. SO AT BEST 56 POSITIONS TO 57 IS ONLY ONE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTER IN THE ORGANIZATION. AND WE ASKED FOR THREE, WHICH WERE DOWN, UM, TWO RIGHT NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A FEW FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE MISSING AND, YOU KNOW, DANI TAUGHT ME REALLY WELL. I'VE GOT NINE YEARS ON COUNCIL. UM, YOU'VE HEARD ROB MAKE QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS REGARDING BUDGET SHELTERS, THE PURCHASE OF THE MARION SHOPPING CENTER AND THE VETERANS MEMORIAL, AS MUCH AS THOSE COMMENTS BOTHER ME, MAYOR, THIS ISSUE DEALS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS LOOKS LIKE A TREND, A TREND FROM ROB, AND IT'S JUST GOT TO STOP. NOW. NOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE MAYOR IS TO MAKE SURE THE STAFFING LEVELS ARE REVIEWED AND COMPLETELY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE POLICIES OF THIS CITY COUNCIL. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT ROB WOULD COMMIT TO DOING JUST THAT TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR, EXTRA LINES. UM, SO ROBIN'S OR ME, IS THERE ANYTHING [00:30:01] ELSE? I MEAN, I KNOW, SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR EXPLANATION AND YOU KNOW, OF THE, THE AMOUNT OF FIREFIGHTERS BEING FLUID, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BASED ON THOSE, ON THOSE THREE EXTRA POSITIONS AND THEN THE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M ALWAYS ASSUMING, I MEAN, I, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HIRED FIREFIGHTERS AND MEDICS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOWN IN FRONT OF THE DICE WITH YOU AS WE, AS WE'VE WELCOMED NEW FIREFIGHTERS INTO THE CITY. SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO? UM, I WAS GOING TO WRAP THIS UP AND THEN GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY, OR IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UM, TO INCREASE OR SPEED UP HOW FAST THAT WE HIRE, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE UP FOR ANY SEPARATIONS OR, OR TRANSITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, DO WE, WHAT KIND OF NOTICE DO WE TYPICALLY GET IF SOMEBODY IS GOING TO RETIRE OR SOMEBODY IS GOING TO SEPARATE? I KNOW A TERMINATION MIGHT BE, UM, NOT, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF NOTICE UNLESS IT GOES THROUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARBITRATION PROCESS AND ALL THAT. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO INCREASE AND KEEP THE AMOUNT, THE THREE EXTRA FIREFIGHTERS THAN WHAT WE HAD IN 2016 OR 2017. UM, IF, IF FOR LEAVE AND OUR, OUR GOAL WAS TO HIRE THREE MORE THAN, THAN NOW WE HAVE TO NET SEVEN. SO IT ISN'T JUST A NET THREE. SO, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE MATH THERE TOO. SO MY QUESTION IS JUST, CAN WE BE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, I'M NOT IN, NOT IN THE CITY AND THE HR DEPARTMENT, I'M NOT GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND LOOKING AT THE LIST, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT TRYING TO, UH, FILL THE NUMBER AND, UH, AND, AND FILL THOSE EXTRA POSITIONS THAT WE, THAT WE AGREED TO BY LEGISLATION BACK IN 2018? WELL, OUR HR DEPARTMENT AND RELINQUISH ON THE QUALITY OF THE PROCESS AND THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HIRE. WELL, MAN, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY WOULD, UH, W WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO, UH, TO LOWERING THE QUALITY. UM, IF IT'S A MATTER OF, UH, IF, IF YOU, AS A CITY MANAGER TELLING US THAT OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT IS SHORT AND WE NEED HELP THERE, THEN I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, IN MOVING FORWARD. IF THAT, IF THAT IS A, THAT IS A HINDRANCE TO US, BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WE NEED, UM, TO GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEN MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COUNSELING TO TAKE A LOOK AT, BUT IT'S ALSO THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS. THE, THE, THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS IS NOT AS GREAT AS WHAT IT WAS IN TIMES BEFORE, AS I INDICATED. AND ALSO IN REFERENCE TO MR. LYONS, HIS COMMENTS ON THE CAFFER, ALTHOUGH THE CAFFER IS A FINANCIAL AUDITING, IT'S NOT A PERSONNEL AUDITING. SO, UM, THE CLASSIFICATION TABLE THAT COUNCIL PASSES EACH YEAR IS WHAT WE HIRE OFF OF. SO THE NUMBER, THE, THE CLASSIFICATION PLAN, ASSIGNS POSITION NUMBERS, AND THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS AVAILABLE, AND THE SALARY RANGES FOR THAT COUNCIL PASSES THAT EACH YEAR, THAT'S WHAT IS AUTHORIZED FOR THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET YEAR. AND THAT IS WHAT HR AND, AND WE USE, UH, TO HIRE OFF OF, UM, IF THE NUMBER DOESN'T MATCH IN THE CAFFER WITHIN THEY'VE SIMPLY NOT, UH, MAYBE CHECK THE RIGHT DOCUMENT THAT MAY BE AS A, AS AN ERROR. AND WE'LL CHECK ON THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS A, THAT IS ACCURATE AND THEY MAY HAVE, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT SAYS. IT, THEY MAY BE LOOKING AT WHAT THE CURRENT POSITIONS AT THAT TIME WERE NOT NECESSARILY WHAT FUNDED WERE, BUT COUNCIL PASSES EACH YEAR, A BUDGET COUNCIL PATCHES EACH YEAR, THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED WITHIN THAT BUDGET. AND IT'S VERY EASY TO GO BACK AND SEE THAT THE NUMBER OF A FIREFIGHTER. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT TREND, UM, MIGHT BE A, IT ALLUDED TO AND REGARDING MR. JONES IS, UH, IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT A BUDGET IS FLUID AND CAN BE, YOU KNOW, CHANGED OR MANIPULATED. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUDGET IS IN FACT FLUID. UM, AND ALTHOUGH WE MAY PASS A BUDGET WITH A $800,000 DIFFERENCE, UM, THAT, THAT REMAINS, UH, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY BALANCED AS OPPOSED TO STRUCTURALLY BALANCED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET CHANGES ON A REGULAR BASIS. YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL DOES MANY SUPPLEMENTALS, THIS COUNCIL DOES, UH, MANY ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT CHANGES. AND WE'LL ADD TO THAT. AND THERE'S CONSTANT RE ACCOUNTING FOR FUNDS FROM, OR RECOUNTING OF MONIES FROM FUNDS, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS THERE. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS RIGHT THERE TO, TO, TO READ AND REVIEW AND IS PASSED BY THIS COUNCIL. SO AS FAR AS GETTING ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS [00:35:01] QUICKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, TH TH WE'VE GOT A PROCESS ONGOING NOW, AS I INDICATED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TO GET A LARGE POOL OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. UM, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT TESTING PROCESS DONE QUICKLY, UH, IT'S SCHEDULED AND TO GO AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN GET IT DONE. UH, BUT WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY IN THAT PROCESS, UM, I REALLY CAN'T THINK, AND EVEN AS I MENTIONED, DOUBLING HR THAT WOULD JUST MERELY ALLOW US TO DO MAYBE INTERVIEWS, UM, UH, AND, AND, AND BACKGROUNDS, UH, A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT IT STILL TAKES THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT CANDIDATE. AND AS FAR AS RETIREMENT, YES, THERE IS NOTICE GIVEN SOME, GIVE MORE NOTICE, UM, SOME GIVE LESS NOTICE, AND, UH, THAT REALLY IS DEPENDENT ON THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE. UH, WE MAKE ESTIMATES BASED ON SERVICE TIME. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE NOTE THAT AND WE, WE FACTOR THAT IN, IN THE SUCCESSION PLANNING, BUT, AND THAT'S WHY WE ALSO TRY TO HAVE, UH, AN ONGOING LIST READY AND AVAILABLE. FOR INSTANCE, I MENTIONED THE LAST LIST HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED. HAD WE HAD A VACANCY WE WOULD'VE BEEN PREPARED TO TAKE RIGHT OFF OF THAT LIST. UM, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, WHEN WE, MR. LYONS, LET ROB FINISHES COMMA HERE. OKAY. BUT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO HIM FOR A LONG TIME, JUST, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD. UH, JUST TRYING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MR. MAYOR. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKING THE PROCESS GO AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ATTEMPT TO GET INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO THOSE IN BLOCKS OF TIME AND IN BANKS, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, TO INTERVIEW. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO DO THE BEST TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE INTRODUCED SEVERAL NEW CANDIDATES, UH, AND WE'VE CELEBRATED THE RETIREMENT, UM, AND, AND SEPARATION OF SOME OTHERS. AND, UM, IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS, IS TO ALWAYS MAINTAIN OUR FULLY APPROVED STAFFING. UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE OVERSTAFFED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. UM, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD A HISTORY OF DOING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS WITH A NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND, AND, AND SATISFACTION FROM THE COMMUNITY IS HIGH ON THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY CHANCE THAT WE GET TO FILL A POSITION, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T LIKE TO LET THEM SIT VACANT. THAT'S A, CERTAINLY NOT A, A, CERTAINLY NOT A, A GOOD, UH, A GOOD TIME FOR ANYBODY. THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FULLY STAFFED AND BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO DO IN EACH DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, MS. OKAY. MAYOR. YEP. UM, LOOK, UM, I JUST BROUGHT NUMBERS THAT ROB GAVE ME, UH, I USE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE REPORTED IN THE CAFFER, UM, COMPREHENSIVE, ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT. UM, I JUST HEARD ROB SAY, WE NEED TO DOUBLE OUR HR DEPARTMENT, WHICH I HAVEN'T HEARD PRIOR TO THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE EVER. I JUST HEARD ROB GIVE THE EXCUSE, GO AHEAD AND LOWER THE STANDARDS FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS. UM, AND THAT JUST TURNS MY STOMACH RIGHT THERE. AND THEN HE MENTIONED THE CAFFER MAY BE WRONG. DID I, DID I UNDERSTAND THOSE THREE BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING VERY CLOSELY. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. UH, THEY'RE REALLY, UH, IRREFUTABLE. I'M JUST USING THE NUMBERS. HE GAVE ME THE CAFFER AND I'M HEARING A LOT, UH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS I'M NOT HEARING WHAT I'M ASKING AND I'M ASKING TONIGHT THAT, UH, ROB COMMIT WOULD COMMIT TO MOVING THE CITY TO BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICIES BECAUSE, UH, THESE EXCUSES ARE JUST RIDICULOUS. THIS ISSUE NINE YEARS ON COUNCIL, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO UPSET ABOUT AN ISSUE. I'VE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED ABOUT AN ISSUE AS I HAVE THIS ISSUE TONIGHT, AND IT'S DEALING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK I'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF POINTING OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IT'S CALLED A SHELL GAME PLAYING OR SOMETHING. UH, MR. MAYOR, I WILL, UH, I WILL GIVE YOU NOTICE NOW THAT I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED BY THAT ACCUSATION RIGHT THERE OF IMPROPRIETY THAT MR. LYONS JUST DID. UM, AND I WILL MAKE NO FURTHER COMMENTS REGARDING THAT. UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UM, YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE [00:40:01] HEARING ABOUT THAT. UH, SECONDLY, I WILL SAY REGARDING THE COMMITMENT I INDICATED IN MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ONE FIRST QUESTION, IT WAS ME THAT BROUGHT THIS TO COUNCIL. I WAS VERY MUCH IN, IN, UM, IN SUPPORT OF IT AND HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT COMMITMENT. IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF BRINGING OURSELVES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICY. WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFFING LEVELS ARE SET. OUR HIRING PROCESSES ARE, UH, ONGOING. UM, WE HIRE AS, AND WHEN WE CAN, UH, THE GOAL HAS BEEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FILL THOSE POSITIONS. I SAID IT JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE FILL ALL OF OUR VACANT POSITIONS WITH THE RIGHT CANDIDATE. UH, I STAND COMMITTED TO THAT. WE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO THAT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO THAT. UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, NO OTHER WAY I CAN, I CAN SAY IT. UM, MRS. BURDEN AND MR. LAB, AND THEN MRS. BAKER HAVE THEIR, HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED MS. BIRD. OKAY. UH, YES, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I'M, I WANT TO GO ON RECORD IS I'M ADAMANTLY AGAINST, UM, USING ANY FUNDING THAT IS DESIGNATED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, SHIFTING IT AROUND ANYTHING ELSE. UM, OUR NEED FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS HAS, HAS, UH, HAS DEFINITELY GROWN. AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I WOULD, UH, CHALLENGE MR. LYONS TO TALK TO CHIEF LEITNER OR CHIEF ASHWORTH AND, AND LEARN THE ISSUES THAT THEY FACE WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO HIRE PEOPLE. I KNOW THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM HIRING PEOPLE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ACADEMY BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL ISSUES. SO TO SAY THAT THAT THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN TRYING VERY HARD TO FILL THOSE SPOTS, I THINK IS GROSSLY UNFAIR. UH, AND I, AND I AGREE, I, I SHARE ROBERT'S OFFENSE AT, AT THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE. AND I THINK THAT YOU HAVE MISINTERPRETED, UH, SEVERAL OF THE COMMENTS THAT HE MADE, BUT, UM, WHAT I WOULD ASK, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY A DISCUSSION FOR A WORK SESSION THAT YOU, UM, AND I ALSO AM AGAINST SACRIFICING INEQUALITY BECAUSE WE'RE KNOWN FOR THE, FOR THE GREAT QUALITY THAT WE HAVE OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PEOPLE AND IN OUR CITY. BUT I WOULD ASK THAT MR. LYONS DEFINE SPECIFICALLY WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION, AND THEN WE MOVE ON IN THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MIRROR. UM, ROB, I WOULD JUST ASK A QUESTION THAT I ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO. UM, IF WE'RE SHORT-STAFFED AT A STATION, HOW DO WE COVER THAT OVERTIME OF COURSE FORCE? UH, THE REASON I'M MAKING THIS STATEMENT IS BECAUSE, UH, MR. LAWNS WITH, UH, OLDER RESPECT, YOU'RE MAKING IT SOUND AS THOUGH, UH, THE FIREHOUSE, UH, IT WAS UP THERE MISSING TWO PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES, OR THEY WERE RUNNING SHORT STAFFED. AND THE REALITY IS KNOWING CHIEF ASHWORTH, AS I HAVE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, IF THERE WERE AN ISSUE WITH STAFFING, WE WOULD HAVE HEARD FROM IT, HEARD ABOUT IT FROM THE CHIEF OR FROM CHIEF LEITNER, IF IT WAS A POLICE ISSUE, I JUST ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE WITH TAKING A NUMBER AND SAYING, AND SAYING THAT NUMBER IS A NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PERSONNEL, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE STAFF THAT'S REQUIRED AT THE STATION AT THE TIME. AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT STAFF IS THERE. IF WE'RE ABSENT, WHAT PERSON WE FELL OUT WITH OVERTIME, NOT ONLY IN PART, BUT IN BULLIES. SO THAT'S JUST MORE SO THANK YOU. MA'AM THIS IS BAKER. I JUST HAD ONE QUICK COMMENT. UM, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO. AND WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT WE OFFER AS A CITY SCHOLARSHIPS TO FIRE AND PARAMEDICS AND POLICE OFFICERS GOING INTO THE OUT OF HER HIGH SCHOOL, OR JUST IN GENERAL AT THE LOCAL ACADEMIES TO TRY AND DRAW IN MORE FUTURE EMPLOYEES, OR IF THEY CAME IN, WE TOOK OFF THAT DEBT JUST TO CREATE JUST AN IDEA. IDEAS ARE ALWAYS GOOD. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY THIS COUNCIL CAN, UH, CAN LOOK AT. I MEAN, I THINK ANYTIME WE CAN FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO, UH, TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE AND IF, AND IF THE HIRING OF QUALITY PEOPLE IN THE AMOUNT OF NUMBERS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMAIN FULLY [00:45:01] STAFFED, UM, THEN, THEN ABSOLUTELY. I THINK ANY CREATIVE IDEAS THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AND DISCUSS IN A WORK SESSION WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, W W WOULD, WOULD BE GOOD. UM, YES. THANK YOU. MISS BIG RABBI. A GOOD QUESTION. SO JUST WHEN I, SO JUST I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, UM, OUT OF, SO IF WE HAVE LIKE 59, UM, WELL, 56 FULL-TIME, BUT WE HAVE 37 FILLED. SO WHAT ALL DOES THE, AND I'M JUST ASKING ABOUT WHAT ALL DOES THE FULL-TIME INCLUDE, DOES THAT INCLUDE ANY FROM DISPATCHERS THAT, THAT, SO IS THAT LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRONTLINE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEN MAYBE OUR BATTALION CHIEFS OR THE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE? OR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS THE DISCREPANCY IN THAT NUMBER THAT WE'VE GOT 56 FULL-TIME PEOPLE, BUT I SEE 37 OR 39 FOOT, UH, FILLED IN FRONT OF THE POSITIONS. THOSE ARE JUST FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS. UH, THE OVERALL POSITIONS INCLUDE 10 LIEUTENANTS, FOUR BATTALION CHIEFS, A FIRE CHIEF, UH, THE FULL-TIME POSITIONS WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, ADMIN STAFF, UM, FIRE PREVENTION, ET CETERA. SO 56 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES INCLUDES EVERYBODY. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 37 OUT OF 39 OR 35 AND 38, THOSE ARE SPECIFIC TO THE FIREFIGHTER POSITION. UH, I, I BELIEVE SO. I'D HAVE TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE WHAT, UH, IF IT INCLUDED, UH, NON FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, I I'D HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT. I MAY INCLUDE JUST LIKE FROM THE CHIEF DOWN ON THAT, BUT IT COULD ALSO INCLUDE ANY OF THE ADMIN FOR FULL-TIME I'D HAVE TO CHECK AND ALSO REAL QUICK, I JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY BEFORE IT'S MISCONSTRUED, CAUSE I, I HAVE A FEELING THAT A SEED HAS BEEN PLANTED TO ATTEMPT TO DO THAT WHEN I MADE MY COMMENTS ABOUT DOUBLING HR AND SACRIFICING QUALITY IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM, WAS I SERIOUS ABOUT THAT? I WAS, I WAS MAKING THAT COMMENT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE IN FACT, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN DO OTHER THAN DOUBLING THE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO HAVE A HIRING PROCESS DONE, UH, AND OR THE ALTERNATIVE THAT IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE. AND THAT IS SACRIFICING QUALITY. CERTAINLY, UH, WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD NEVER EVEN CONSIDER THAT. THAT IS, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS OF, OF GETTING THROUGH, UH, THE, THE BACKGROUNDS, THE MULTITUDE OF DISQUALIFICATIONS, BECAUSE OF THE STANDARDS THAT OUR FIRE DIVISION, UH, HAS THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS FOR ANY LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE. UH, BUT SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE FIRE DIVISION, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE STATED MANY TIMES HOW PROUD I AM OF, OF, OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORK WITHIN THE FIRE DIVISION, UH, THE CHIEF'S LEADERSHIP, UM, AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IN THE HIGH RATINGS AND THE RESPECT AMONG THE REGION THAT OUR FIRE DIVISION GETS WITH THE ISO RATINGS, UH, WITH THE RECOGNITION OF TRAINING WITH THE MEDICAL PROTOCOLS, WITH THE NUMBER OF, UH, GREAT CASES AND CITIZEN SUPPORT OF LIFE SAVINGS, UH, THAT'S GONE ON, UH, THE EQUIPMENT, THE TRAINING THE COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED AND PROVIDED THE CENTRAL PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, IT WOULD BE LUDICROUS TO THINK THAT I, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY BACKGROUND WOULD NOT, UM, BE A HUNDRED PERCENT DEDICATED AND LOYAL TO THE BACKBONE OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND THAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY. SO, UM, BEFORE ANYBODY TRIES TO TAKE A SNIPPET OR CHERRY PICK A COMMENT OUT OF THIS, I WANTED TO ALSO HAVE A REFERENCE WITHIN THIS VIDEO TO MAKE SURE TO SAY THAT IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WOULD I EVER SUGGEST, AND WAS I SERIOUS? I WAS JUST MAKING THAT POINT TO SAY NO. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S REALLY NOT ANYTHING ELSE. UM, YOU KNOW, HR STAFF, UM, REGARDING THAT, THAT WASN'T A RECOMMENDATION TO DOUBLE HR STAFF. WE HAVE RECENTLY ADDED HR AS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE ADDED THE ADDITIONAL POSITION, UM, LAST YEAR. AND, UM, ALTHOUGH EVERY DIVISION AND DEPARTMENT COULD PROBABLY USE SOME ADDITIONAL HELPING HANDS WE'VE MASTERED THE CRAFT OF, OF, OF MAXIMIZING OUR RESOURCES AND DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH, UH, WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND STREAMLINING OPERATIONS. SO AFTER JUST HAVING OUR, UM, UH, COMPREHENSIVE STUDY DONE THAT WAS FACILITATED BY HR, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SALARIES AND STAFFING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SUITED WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, BECAUSE OUR FOCUS IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND TO TAKE AND GROW OTHER DEPARTMENTS OR OTHER PROJECTS. UH, WE ALWAYS CONSIDER HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR CORE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, KNOWING THAT PUB PUBLIC SAFETY IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE. UH, AND, UH, ONE OF THE ONES THAT I THINK RAISES OUR COMMUNITY TO THE LEVEL OF QUALITY LIFE THAT IT ENJOYS, UH, AND, AND IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ME THE SUCCESS SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CLARIFY THAT POINT. WHAT'S YOUR SHORT HAIR JUST WANT MR. LYONS, RICHARD HAS HIS HAND UP. SO AS SOON AS RICHARD MAKES HIS COMMENT, THEN I'LL COME BACK TO YOU, RICHARD. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, A COUPLE OF KEY POINTS FIRST, I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH THE VICE MAYOR BERGE AND A COUNCIL MEMBER WEBB. MARK, I'LL [00:50:01] TAKE A MOMENT AND LET THAT SETTLE IN. UM, FIRST I AGREE WITH, UH, VICE MAYOR BIRDS THAT, UH, THIS CONVERSATION IS BETTER SUITED FOR A WORK SESSION WITH ALL OF THE FACTS AND FINDINGS BEING ABLE TO BE PRESENTED FOR ALL OF COUNCIL INSTEAD OF AN 11TH HOUR DISCUSSION. UM, I WILL AGREE WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER WEBB IN STATING THAT, UH, IF ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS OF PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE, CHIEF FIRE CHIEF, UM, HAS A NEED, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS, OR THERE IS A TIMING ISSUE AND SERVING THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF HUBER HEIGHTS, THAT WE WOULD HAVE HEARD THAT BY NOW, AS WE'VE HEARD MANY OTHER PRESENTATIONS IN THE PAST. UM, MY THIRD COMMENT, MR. MAYOR IS ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF COUNCIL, ANY, UH, ANY COMPLAINTS OR PUBLIC CHARGES AGAINST AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OR STAFF MEMBER SHOULD BE MADE IN WRITING DIRECTED TO YOU AND WOULD BE RULED OUT OF ORDER DURING A PUBLIC MEETING. UM, I WOULD REQUEST THAT MR. LYONS SUBMIT HIS GRIEVANCE IN WRITING TO YOU AND FOLLOW THE PROCESSES OUTLINED IN THE RULES OF COUNCIL VOTED ON BY THIS COUNCIL. ADDITIONALLY, I THINK THAT WE HAVE ALL NOTICED THE PAST ISSUES OF FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTACKING OUR CITY MANAGER AND A PUBLIC MEETING AND HAS NOT GOING VERY WELL FOR OUR CITY. SO I WOULD CAUTION COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND, AND MOVING THAT FORWARD. THAT IS MY STATEMENT, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. LYONS. OKAY. UH, MAYOR, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT ROB'S GOING TO LOOK UP, I BELIEVE YOU ASKED ABOUT THE, UH, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ACCORDING TO OUR LEGISLATION, 2018 DASH R DASH 66, 12, THAT I JUST FORWARDED TO EVERYONE ON COUNCIL. WE HAVE ONE FIRE CHIEF, WE HAVE FOUR BATTALION CHIEFS. WE HAVE 10 FIRE LIEUTENANTS AND 39 FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS LIKE ROB BENSION ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE TWO ADMINISTRATION SECRETARIES FOR FIRE AND ONE FIRE INSPECTOR. AND THOSE ARE THE 57 FULL-TIME POSITIONS IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. AGAIN, THAT WAS LISTED IN THE LEGISLATION THAT WE PASSED FEBRUARY 12TH OF 2018. AND THAT'S 2018 DASH R DASH 66 12. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS. THOSE ARE THE FACTS, THOSE ARE THE DETAILS. OKAY. SO, UM, SO I THINK FROM A, FROM A DISCUSSION PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, THIS ALL WAS ABOUT MOVING THIS, UM, TO A SECOND READING. I, UM, I GIVE SOME, SOME, SOME, UH, LEEWAY, I THINK, TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO DISCUSS AND TALK ABOUT. UH, I THINK THE WORK SESSION IS WHERE WE GET INTO A LOT OF THE DETAIL AND WE KIND OF ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK. UM, BUT I'M, I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO, UM, NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO, TO VOICE AN OPINION OR BRING UP SOME OF THE THINGS IS VALID, UH, WHERE, WHERE I WOULD SAY THAT THE LINE MIGHT'VE BEEN ACROSS, IF THERE IS AN ACCUSATION OR IF THERE IS A, UM, A PROBLEM OR COMPLAINT MR. LYONS TOWARD, UH, MR. SCHOMER THEN, THEN YES. I WOULD SAY YOU NEED TO SUBMIT THAT TO ME. CAUSE I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT DISCUSSING A COMPLAINT OR GRIEVANCE DURING A PUBLIC MEETING IS APPROPRIATE. UM, SO, UH, W W WE'LL WE'LL LEAVE THAT THERE. I THINK, UH, ALL OF US KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT. I DO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MR. LYONS IS. UM, ISSUE IS ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND, UH, FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION, WE WILL, WE WILL LEAVE IT ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THEN IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING MR. SCHOMER, THEN THAT CAN BE SUBMITTED TO ME. AND, UH, THAT COULD BE SENDING TO ME IN WRITING, UH, REGARDING THE, UH, THE BUDGET, THE, I THINK THIS WAS A, AN INAPPROPRIATE PLACE TO AT LEAST RAISE THE DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET NUMBERS AND FIREFIGHTERS, OBVIOUSLY EMPLOYEES, UH, IMPACT WHAT OUR BUDGET IS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MR. WEBB? DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED OR, OKAY. MS. BAKER, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT OR, UM, NO. I'M SORRY. OKAY. NOPE, NO PROBLEM. ARE THERE ANY OTHER, ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING THIS BUDGET DISCUSSION ON TO A SECOND READING INTO NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? OKAY. HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, WE WILL MOVE THIS ON TO A SECONDARY. NEXT UP IS ITEM 11, [ An Ordinance Authorizing An Additional Lease Transaction Pursuant To An Existing Master Tax-Exempt Lease/Purchase Agreement And Authorizing The Execution Of Related Addenda, A Property Schedule And Related Documents For The Purpose Of Making Certain Energy Conservation Improvements To Various City Facilities, And Declaring An Emergency. (first reading)] BEAT ROGERS ITEM, A LOT, GOING TO BE AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING [00:55:01] AN ADDITIONAL LEASE TRANSACTION PURSUANT TO AN EXISTING MASTER TAX EXEMPT LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF RELATED ADENDA A PROPERTY SCHEDULE AND RELATED DOCUMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING CERTAIN ENERGY CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS TO VARIOUS CITY FACILITIES AND THE CARDIGAN EMERGENCY AT THE FIRST READING. SO, MR. SCHIRMER, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T GET TO REPEAT ANYTHING THAT YOU SAID BEFORE, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I FORGOT WHAT YOU SAID. SO, ALL RIGHT. AS YOU RECALL, WE ENTERED INTO A PROJECT THAT HAD MULTIPLE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, WITHIN IT, REGARDING THE, UH, THE ENERGY, UM, UM, UH, STILL WAITING ON ENERGY PERFORMANCE PROJECT THAT WE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH OUR HIRED CONSULTANT WITH, WE PREVIOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT, UH, ALLOWED FOR THE ENTERING OF THAT CAPITAL LEASE THROUGH US BANK CORP, UH, UPON REVIEW OF THE LAW DIRECTOR AND OUR BOND COUNCIL. UH, THEY FEEL THAT WE SHOULD, UH, SUPPLEMENT THAT WITH, UH, THE ATTACHED ORDINANCE. SO THE ATTACHED ORDINANCE, UH, IS WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THE PACKET AND IS UP FOR CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING. WE DO ASK THAT THE SECOND READING BE WAIVED, THIS ORDINANCE IS BEING PASSED AS AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE EXISTING RATES LOCKED IN. AND AGAIN, THIS, UH, THIS ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE ON AND, AND, AND MAKES THE, UM, UH, THE LEGISLATION, UH, BE NOT NECESSARILY ANY MORE THOROUGH, BUT COMPLETES A, UH, UH, A STRONGER POSITION. MOST FINANCING THINGS ARE DONE IN POSITIONS OF ORDINANCES, UH, AS WE HAVE SEEN IN TIMES PAST. SO THAT'S WHAT THIS, WHAT THIS DOES. SO WE WOULD ASK AGAIN THAT THE SECOND READING WOULD BE WAIVED AND THAT, UM, THIS LEGISLATION IS PASSED TONIGHT. THANKS FOR SHOWING ME THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION AT THE WORK SESSION. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO WAIVE MR. HILL PUSHING AWAY FOR A SECOND, SECOND AND MS. BIRCH SECONDS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON WAIVING THE SECOND RE HEARING ON MR. ROGERS, MR. CAMPBELL? YES. THIS IS BERG. YES. MR. OTTO? YES. MR. LYONS? YES. MR. HILL. YES. MR. WEBB. YES. MR. SHAW? YES. MS. BAKER. YES. AND THE MOTION TO WAVE CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ADOPTION TO ADOPT LIONS? OKAY. MR. LYONS MOTIONS. WHO WAS THAT? MRS. BIRCH? YES. SECOND MOTION. AND SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ADOPTION, MR. ROGERS? MRS. BERG? YES. SERATO, YES. MR. LYONS? YES. MR. HILL. YES. MR. ROB? YES. MR. SHAW? YES. IT'S BAKER. YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. THE ADOPTION ALSO CARRIES A ZERO. [ A Resolution Authorizing The Spending Limits With Vendor Creative Financial Staffing For The Purpose Of Temporary Employment Services For The Tax Division Of The City Of Huber Heights In 2020 And Waiving The Competitive Bidding Requirements. (first reading)] NEXT UP IS ITEM 11, C SHE, ROGER SPEAKS ITEM 11, C A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SPENDING LIMITS WITH VENDOR CREATED FINANCIAL STAFFING FOR THE PURPOSE OF TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES FOR THE TAX DIVISION OF THE CITY OF PAPER HEIGHTS IN 2020, AND WAIVING THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS AT THE FIRST READING. MR. KILMER. YEAH. AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION, WE'RE CURRENTLY USED UTILIZING THIS FIRM, UH, TO PROVIDE SOME EXTRA STAFFING AT OUR TAX DIVISION, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE, UH, WE REGULARLY REGULARLY DO. UH, THE CURRENT SPENDING LIMIT WAS NOT TO EXCEED 25,000 WITHIN THE NORMAL THRESHOLD. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THAT TO 38,000 FOR THAT TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES, UH, THAT ARE NEEDED. IT'S DUE TO ONE FULL-TIME AND TWO PART-TIME OPEN POSITIONS, UH, THAT WE ARE ALSO AGGRESSIVELY ATTEMPTING TO, UH, TO FILL THROUGH, UH, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER SELECTION PROCESS ONGOING WITHIN THE CITY, AND, UH, WE ASKED THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING FOR, UH, FOR ADOPTION. THERE WAS THE RECOMMENDATION TO WORK SESSION. UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT LION? SO MO SECOND LIONS AND WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. WEBB AND A SECOND ON MR. LYONS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MR. ROGERS, MR. OTTO? YES. MR. LYONS? YES. MR. HILL. YES. MR. WEBB. YES. MR. SHAW? YES. MS. BAKER. YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. MRS. BERG. YES. MOTION CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. NEXT UP IS ITEM 11, [ A Resolution Authorizing The Fire Division To Increase The Spending Limit For The Purchase Of Emergency Medical Supplies And Equipment With Bound Tree Medical And Waiving The Competitive Bidding Requirements. (first reading)] D ITEM 11, D A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FIRE DIVISION TO INCREASE THE SPENDING ON IT FOR THE PURCHASE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, THE FOUNDRY, MEDICAL, AND WAVING THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS [01:00:01] AT THE FIRST READING IS. SURE. YES. CURRENTLY WE HAD ORIGINALLY SET THIS FOR 20,000 IN THE YEAR END LEGISLATION FOR THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR, OBVIOUSLY WITH, UM, A, UH, ADDITIONAL PURCHASES. AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY SURPLUSES, BUT STOCKPILING, UH, WHATEVER THE WORD MIGHT BE OF, UH, OF ADDITIONAL, UH, ITEMS THAT OBVIOUSLY IN THIS YEAR, AND IN THIS TIME, UH, WITH THIS VIRUS ARE, ARE GOING THROUGH IT MUCH MORE OF AN EXPENDABLE RATE THAN WHAT IS NORMAL. UH, WE, UH, WE FOUND A NEED TO INCREASE THAT PARTICULAR EXPENDITURE. SO, UH, THE MONIES ARE IN THE BUDGET, UH, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THE SERVICES OF THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR, UH, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO GO OUT AND BID IT SINCE THIS DOES TAKE US BEYOND THAT $25,000 THRESHOLD. SO FOR EFFICIENCY PURPOSES, UH, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIRE DIVISION CONTINUE TO GET THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY, UH, UM, THAT THEY ARE USED TO USING, UH, AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH, WE ASKED THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MR. SCHOBER. AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION. UH, IS THERE A MOTION, MR. SHOW MOTION TO ADOPT THE SECOND, SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MR. ROGERS, MR. LYONS? YES. MR. HILL. YES. MR. WEBB. YES. MR. SHAW. YES. MS. BAKER. YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. THIS IS SPURRED. YES. MR. OTTO. YES. AND MOTION CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. [ A Resolution Amending The City Of Huber Heights 2011 Comprehensive Plan. (first reading)] THE NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 11 E SHALL ROGER ITEM ALIVE, E A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS, 2011 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AT THE FIRST READING. ROB. YEAH. WE DISCUSSED IN THE WORK SESSION. UH, WE INTEND TO GO THROUGH A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH RE REVIEW AND RENOVATION PER SE OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH, UH, IS ON THE SCHEDULE TO DO AS FAR AS, UH, OUR TIMELINE, UH, THAT TIMELINE IS GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. HOWEVER, WE CAME ACROSS THIS SITUATION, UH, AS YOU RECALL, AND OUR CHAMBERSBURG ROAD EXPANSION PROJECT, UH, AND A LITTLE BIT OF A STUMBLING BLOCK REGARDING AN OF A PHRASE AND DEFINITION WITHIN IT. SO WHAT THIS CHANGE DOES IS IT CLARIFIES THAT DEFINITION AND ALLOWS THE, UM, THE, THE, UH, INTERPRETATION, UH, FROM ODAT, UH, TO MATCH WHAT IS NEEDED TO CONTINUE THAT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD. UH, AND THAT IS THE, UH, THE NEXT PHASE OF THE CHAMBERSBURG ROAD EXPANSION TOWARDS THE, UH, TOWARDS THE EAST OUT TOWARDS WRIGHT PAT AIR FORCE BASE. SO WE ASKED THAT THE RESOLUTION BE CONSIDERED SO THAT THAT MODIFICATION CAN BE MADE THAT DEFINITION CAN BE CLARIFIED AND WE CAN GET IT SUBMITTED IN WITH ALONG THE, UM, UH, THE PACKET OF OUR MV RPC PROJECT. AND THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION I'M MOVED TO ADOPT? AND MR. WEBB, I WILL SECOND. YOU HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION MR. ROGERS, MR. HILL? YES. MR. WEBB. YES. MR. SHAWL. YES. THE FAKER, YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. MRS. BERG. YES. STRADA. YES. MR. LYONS. YES. MOTION CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. AND NEXT [ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Agreement With Motorola Solutions To Provide A Software System For Public Safety Computer Aided Dispatch And Law Enforcement Report Management And Waiving The Competitive Bidding Requirements. (first reading)] UP IS ITEM 11, F 11 HALF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE A SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH, AND ALL ENFORCEMENT REPORT MANAGEMENT AND WAVING THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS AT THE FIRST READING MR. JONES. YES. AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION. UM, AND AS YOU RECALL, COUNCIL RECALLS, WE, UH, HAVE DISCONTINUED OUR CONTRACT WITH OUR SELECTED VENDOR, UH, FOR THE, UM, POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY FIRE, UH, EMS DISPATCHING AND POLICE REPORTING, UH, SYSTEM. UH, MOTOROLA WAS ALSO ON THAT LIST OF RESPONDENTS IN THAT RFP PROCESS. UH, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE TIMEFRAME AND LENGTH OF TIME THAT THAT PROCESS WAS DONE. UM, MOTOROLA WAS IN FACT THE LOWER OF THE TWO BIDS, BUT THE PREVIOUS WAS SELECTED, UH, BASED ON SOME ADDITIONAL MODULES THAT WE WERE, UH, WILLING TO, TO, TO UNDER UNDERGO NONETHELESS, UM, HINDSIGHT BEING 2020, MOTOROLA IS OUR, UH, IS OUR NEXT SELECTION. AND RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH ANOTHER BIDDING PROCEDURE AND PROCESS, UH, THEY HAVE IN FACT REDUCED THEIR ORIGINAL PRICE. UH, WE HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED SOME ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES, UH, REGARDING, UH, JOINING WITH THIS. THIS CREATES A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF, UH, INTERCONNECTIVITY WITH ANOTHER PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING [01:05:01] POINTS AND DISPATCH CENTERS WITHIN THE COUNTY, WHICH, UH, HAVING A FOCUS ON, ON EFFICIENT AND HIGH QUALITY, PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES OF ADJACENT FIRE DIVISIONS, UH, FOR OUR AUTOMATIC MUTUAL AID RESPONSES, AS WELL AS OUR GENERAL MUTUAL TRADE RESPONSES, AS WELL AS OUR JOINT EFFORTS WITHIN HANDLING OVERRIDES AND NINE 11 CALLS FOR THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS. THIS SOFTWARE ACTUALLY IS ONE THAT IS USED IN IS INTERCONNECTING WITH, UH, ALMOST ALL OF THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERESTING POINT DISPATCH CENTERS WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO, UM, EVEN IF WE WERE, WE WOULD LIKELY LOOK AT THIS AS ALMOST A SOLE SOURCE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN IN AND UTILIZE THOSE INTERCONNECTIVITY AND INTEROPERABILITY EFFORTS. SO, UM, NOT WITHSTANDING ALL OF THAT, UH, WE DO ASK THAT, UH, THE RESOLUTION BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING, UH, LEGAL HAS, UH, GONE THROUGH THE AGREEMENTS. UH, THEY, WE ARE FINALIZING THOSE TO MAKE SURE, UH, THIS RESOLUTION ALLOWS US TO, UH, NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO THAT EXIT OR THAT AGREEMENT, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, ARE ABLE TO KEEP WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR TIMELINES TO GET THE PROJECT, UH, UNDERWAY AND COMPLETED. THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION. UH, APPRECIATE THAT. THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE WORKSTATION MR. OTTO MOVE TO ADOPT THE MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND AND MS. BURJ SECONDS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS AGREEMENT, MR. ROGERS, MR. WEBB? YES. MR. SHAW? YES. MS. BAKER. YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. THIS IS BERGE. YES. MR. OTTO. YES. MR. LYONS. YES. MR. HILL. YES. AND THE MOTION CARRIES EIGHT TO ZERO. [ A Resolution To Increase The Not To Exceed Contract Amount And Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract Modification With Suez Water Environmental Services, Inc. For Fiscal Year 2021. (first reading)] AND LAST UP ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM 11, G MR. ROGERS ITEM 11 G A RESOLUTION TO INCREASE THE, NOT TO EXCEED CONTRACT AMOUNT AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT MODIFICATION WITH SUEZ WATER, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 AT THE FIRST READING. YES, AS WE DISCUSSED IN THE, UH, IN THE WORK SESSION, THIS IS A, UM, MODIFICATION GOING INTO THE 20, 21. UH, EACH YEAR WE DO THIS, WE IDENTIFY A VARIETY OF CAPITOL PRO UH, PROJECTS. UH, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR, UH, OF OUR WATER SYSTEM. AND THIS IS THAT ATTACHED LIST, UH, THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT. AND THIS ALLOWS FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF THOSE FUNDS AS PLANNED AND BUDGETED, UH, AND, UH, WOULD REQUIRE SINCE SUEZ DOES THAT WORK, UM, THE ROUTINE AMENDMENT TO THAT CONTRACT TO ALLOW FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE CAPITAL ITEMS. SO WE ASKED THE RESOLUTION THAT'S CONSIDERED THIS EVENING AND, UM, CONSIDERED FOR ADOPTION. THANKS, ROB, MR. WEBB. SORRY. MA'AM MR. CAMPBELL. SECOND MOTION. AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MR. ROGERS, MR. SHAW? YES. MS. BAKER. YES. MR. CAMPBELL. YES. THIS IS YES. STRADA. YES. MR. LYONS. YES. MR. HILL. YES. MR. WELL, YES. AND MOTION CARRIES EIGHT ZERO. [12. City Official Reports and Comments] NEXT UP. WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 12, WHICH IS CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS AND COMMENTS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANYONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THIS EVENING OR DISCUSS OR ADD FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS MR. OTTO? YEAH, I WOULD QUICKLY LIKE TO ECHO MR. WEBB'S COMMENTS FROM EARLIER CONCERNING THE BARN. I ALSO STOPPED OUT THERE AND, UH, I REALLY DUG WHAT I SAW. IT WAS A, IT WAS REALLY COOL. I CAN SEE THAT HOSTING A LOT OF REALLY NEAT EVENTS AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING STAFF'S PUT INTO THAT. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, ROB. PASS THAT ON, PLEASE. WE'LL DO. THANK YOU. ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO ANY OTHER REPORTS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYONE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ADD? MR. SHAW, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AND STATING IT'S, UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK AND, UH, AND IN PERSON. UM, AND, UH, I'M GLAD YOU'RE DOING A MUCH BETTER. UM, UH, ADDITIONALLY, UM, UH, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE SCHOOL, UH, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF. THERE IS, UH, BEEN VERY TROUBLING. UM, I, I KNOW SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, YOU MAY KNOW VERY [01:10:01] CLOSELY, UM, MY HEART AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING AFFECTED THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. I KNOW OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB, UH, WITH OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS ARE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. SO, UH, UM, I KNOW THAT KIND OF AFFECTS YOU ON BOTH ENDS. UM, SO, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVE, UM, THE CITY'S CONSIDERATION TO THOSE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE AFFECTED, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET BACK TO NORMAL AS SOON AS THANK YOU, MR. SHAW. I APPRECIATE THAT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE DISTRICT. I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH, UM, WITH, WITH MR. REGARDING JUST KIND OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, JUST FROM THIS DEAL AT A LOCAL LEVEL, FROM THE, FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE TO A STATE LEVEL, UH, EVEN TO, UH, TO A NATIONAL LEVEL. AND CERTAINLY EVERYBODY HAS REASON CONCERN OR REASON TO BE CONCERNED. UM, THE NUMBER OF CERTAIN ARE GOING DOWN OR GOING UP. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF THAT MULTIPLIER, THAT HOW FAST SOME OF THESE CASES ARE, UM, ARE BEING, ARE BEING REPORTED NOW. AND YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY IT, I MEAN, ALL OF YOU, I THINK BEING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE SOMETIMES ARE NOT POPULAR. SOMETIMES THEY ARE, SOME DECISIONS ARE, ARE CERTAINLY MUCH HARDER TO MAKE THAN OTHERS BECAUSE THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE, UM, AFFECT MANY PEOPLE OTHER THAN JUST OURSELVES. AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I, I BELIEVE THAT MR. BESARA HAS, IS MAKING GOOD DECISIONS. I THINK THE DECISIONS THAT, THAT HE HAS MADE ARE ALL FOCUSED ON SAFETY. AND I THINK JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD HOPE THAT EVERYBODY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT, UM, I THINK THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS ARE, ARE WHAT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF, OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED. AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE EXPOSURE INTO OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND TO THE TEACHERS. UH, IT, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S A TOUGH SITUATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, TODAY WAS, TODAY WAS MY FIRST DAY BACK IN SCHOOL. AND, UH, CERTAINLY I WAS DISAPPOINTED. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I TEACH IT, UH, A FEW CLASSES OF FRESHMEN THIS YEAR, SO THEY'RE WISE AND BORN LAST YEARS. SO WE WERE ONLINE ALL UP UNTIL THE TIME THAT, UM, THAT I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH COVID. SO, UH, THEN I WAS OUT AND THEN THEY CAME BACK WHILE I WAS GONE. SO I MISSED THEM. AND THEN I CAME BACK TODAY AND NOW THEY'RE OUT. SO I'VE GOT LOTS OF STUDENTS THAT I, THAT I, I DEAL WITH THAT I'VE, I'VE MET THIS WAY, THE SAME AS WE'RE TALKING ON THESE MEETINGS THAT I HAVEN'T MET IN PERSON YET. UM, SO I WAS UP UNTIL WE GOT THE LETTERS THAT WE WERE ALL GOING BACK ONLINE YESTERDAY. I WAS EXCITED TO MEET SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. UM, JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY. SO I THINK ALL OF US, UM, AND THIS TIME NEED TO JUST BE FLEXIBLE AND KIND OF ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES. UM, AND MR. I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WERE UPSET WITH MR. BISSELL HAD SAID, UH, IN MANY OF THE LIVE VIDEOS THAT HE'S DONE, THAT THESE THINGS COULD ALL CHANGE IN AN HOUR'S NOTICE. AND I THINK, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, I KNOW HE ALWAYS SAYS PRACTICE, YOU KNOW, SOME PASSION AND SOME GRACE AND SOME FLEXIBILITY. AND IF WE THINK IF WE ALL DO THAT, I THINK WE'LL ALL GET THROUGH THIS MUCH EASIER AND MUCH BETTER, MAYBE NOT QUICKER, BUT, UM, A BETTER. SO, UH, SO I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. UM, RICHARD, CAUSE I, I DO BELIEVE VERY MUCH IN THE LEADER OF, OF, OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, AND I KNOW THAT HIS DECISIONS ARE DIFFICULT, BUT I DO BELIEVE HE'S MAKING THEM IN THE BEST INTEREST OF, UH, OF THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF AND, AND FAMILIES, BECAUSE THOSE, THOSE KIDS THAT ARE IN SCHOOL AND IF THEY ARE CONTAGIOUS AND THEY, AND THEY CATCH IT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE AND THEY GO HOME, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN, UH, THEIR FAMILIES ARE AT RISK, SO NOT EASY DECISIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS ONE ELECTED TO THE LEADER OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, I DO BELIEVE HE'S DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB IN THIS TIMEFRAME. SO, UH, SO APPRECIATE THOSE SENTIMENTS, MR. MAYOR, I, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOUR STATEMENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING A FATHER OF TWO CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, ONE IN WAYNE AND ONE OF WISE AND BORN, UM, I WAS PERSONALLY EXCITED TO SEE THEM GO BACK TO SCHOOL BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING FROM HOME SINCE MARCH AND PROBABLY INTEND TO FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER THREE MONTHS OR SO. UM, I WAS EXCITED TO GET MY HOUSE BACK, BUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHILDREN BACK IN CLASS, I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SENTIMENT FROM, FROM MANY OF OUR PARENTS. UM, BUT AT THE SAME POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OUR EDUCATORS, UH, NEED TO BE REVIEWED. AND I APPLAUD MR. MUSSER AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT THEY'VE HAD TO MAKE. THANK YOU, MR. SHAWL. [01:15:01] I WILL CERTAINLY BE SURE TO PASS THAT SENTIMENT ALONG TO THE BOARD AND TO MR. WHEN I SPEAK TO HIM, I'LL MAKE IT A POINT TO SPEAK TO THEM, TO PASS ON. IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, OR, UH, WELL, NOT QUESTIONS, BUT COMMENTS OR REPORTS ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE OR DISCUSS THIS EVENING BEFORE WAGER. OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. AND, UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN NOTICED, NOTIFIED THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS MORNING. SO I DIDN'T 13 GOSSIP AND NEXT UP IS, UH, IS OUR GENTLEMEN. YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT NIGHT AND I'LL SEE YOU ON TUESDAY AT THE WORK SESSION. ACTUALLY. I'LL PROBABLY SEE MOST OF YOU ON WEDNESDAY AT THE RECLAIM CEREMONY AT CLOUD. UH, SO WE'LL SEE YOU THEN AND THEN RECEIVE IT ON TUESDAY. EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MARY. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.