CITY OF PICKERINGTON

SAFETY COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2005

7:30 P.M.

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

1. ROLL CALL. Mr. Wisniewski called the meeting to order at 7:35 P.M. with Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mr. Sabatino present. No members were absent. Others present were: Ted Hackworth, Judy Gilleland, Lynda Yartin, Commander Steve Annetts, Steve Carr, John Gallagher, Ed Drobina, Susan Lent, John Pryzbyl, Carol Carter, David Rosseman, Clyde Rudisill, and others.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF May 2, 2005, Regular Meeting. Mrs. Riggs moved to approve; Mr. Wisniewski seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Sabatino abstaining, and Mr. Wisniewski and Mrs. Riggs voting "Yea." Motion passed, 2-0.

3. Review and discussion of Waste Management Services. Mr. Wisniewski stated we have some concerned citizens regarding Waste Management and we also have representatives from Waste Management present this evening.

Mr. Clyde Rudisill, 550 Hill Road South. Mr. Rudisill stated he is not happy with Waste Management. He stated his sister lives at 431 N. Center Street and he has had to dispose of her trash twice. He further stated three weeks in a row they have not picked up her trash, and yet she has paid for trash pick up. Mr. Rudisill stated he has spoken to Mr. Hackworth regarding this and he told him to send Waste Management an e-mail. Mr. Rudisill stated he didn’t see where the e-mail was very efficient, because that was not getting any response back to the citizens. Mr. Rudisill stated he talked to Mr. Wisniewski this morning and he also called Ms Gilleland’s office and spoke to Ms Gilleland today. Mr. Rudisill stated it appeared the guys on the truck just decided where to stop, and he questioned why they were paying for something when they did not get the service. Mr. Drobina stated he had received some complaints today because of the holiday. He stated periodically we do get a complaint, but he calls Waste Management and they come out and take care of it. Ms Gilleland stated it is not uncommon to get random complaints, but we do not get very many. Mr. Rudisill stated a holiday should not be an excuse, if they need to add more trucks to the area to service it, then that’s what they need to do. He further stated there is no follow up on the drivers whatsoever, and he has never seen a supervisor or office personnel ever follow the trucks. Mr. Rudisill questioned where he could get a guarantee that they will follow up on the drivers.

Ms Susan Lent stated she was representing Waste Management, and Mr. John Pryzbyl, their Operations Manager for the Canal Winchester operation is also present this evening, and he is also a resident of the City of Pickerington. Ms Lent stated she would like to apologize to Mr. Rudisill for any problems or issues he has had in the past and they were here to make sure those were corrected and addressed. Mr. Rudisill questioned if there was a guarantee behind that and Ms Lent stated she would guarantee they will address and fix his issues. Ms Lent further stated the e-mails that are sent in to the Service Director’s office are given the utmost importance. She stated as soon as the e-mails come through, she receives a phone call, and she follows up with that and they address the issues. She further stated the e-mails and the documentation resulting from those are important to Waste Management and the City as well. Ms Lent stated with regard to 431 N. Center Street, when Mr. Rudisill’s sister moved in to that location and signed up for service, an error was made and the route number keyed in was incorrect. She stated, therefore, that address was not appearing on the driver’s route sheet the first two weeks of service. Mr. Rudisill stated he called Waste Management and he was told they would put a tag on the guy’s truck for Friday pick up and assured him it would be picked up, but that didn’t happen. Mr. Pryzbyl stated when they found out it had not been picked up on that day, he came out and picked up the garbage himself. Ms Lent stated on other days they have documented times that their truck has been at that address and the trash is not set out yet. Ms Lent stated that corner stop has been a concern of theirs, and she thinks they have that addressed and the service will be on schedule. She further stated every time the driver is at that stop he is calling in to dispatch and letting them know he is there to service 431 N. Center Street and letting them know if the trash is out or if it is not. Ms Gilleland clarified during the past few months there were approximately three different drivers on this route. Ms Lent stated since Monday was a holiday, the trash pick up was on Saturday, and a lot of people forgot that. Ms Lent continued the problems they have had in Pickerington have been very small, and Mr. Drobina knows that if he calls that she will immediately be on the phone to resolve any situation. Ms Lent stated that they do, and are required, to have driver observation on a regular basis. She continued their supervisor must complete and have paperwork for ten driver observations every week. Mr. Rudisill questioned if the supervisors drive a Waste Management truck and Ms Lent stated they drive their personal vehicles. Mr. Sabatino questioned if Waste Management has offered a billing credit for the inconvenience Mr. Rudisill’s sister has had? Ms Lent stated she will check to see what documentation there is to see if the Customer Service Representative has something in process, and she would see that on her next billing. She further stated if nothing is in process, she will research and make sure her account is credited. Mr. Sabatino stated it is unreasonable to think that everyone is going to be perfect all the time, but when something happens he felt the mark of a company is how they handle that situation. Ms Lent stated he is correct. Mr. Pryzbyl stated since he lives in Pickerington he will go through parts of the City on his way to work to see if there are any problems. Ms Gilleland clarified it is requested that trash be put out the night before or by 6:00 A.M. on pick up day. Mrs. Riggs stated perhaps we should put on our web site a reminder when there is a holiday and the schedule will be changed. Ms Gilleland stated that was a good idea and she would check on that. Ms Gilleland stated we can also work on press releases and with our new utility billing system we can put reminders on the utility bills as well. Mr. Sabatino stated he felt the new billing system will provide the opportunity for the City to communicate time sensitive things to the residents. Mr. Wisniewski ascertained Mr. Rudisill was satisfied with Waste Management taking the next step and trying to resolve the issues he has had. Ms Lent stated again they apologized and she guaranteed that his issues will be worked out.

Mr. Sabatino stated he recently attended a national Property Maintenance conference and in some communities they have a Community Clean Up Day that Waste Management participated in. Ms Lent stated they do those in different communities. Mr. Sabatino stated at the conference it was stated this was at no additional cost to their contracts. Ms Lent stated a lot of the contracts are written with that in it, and if you are in a limited program where you can only sit out so much trash. She stated with the City of Pickerington having unlimited household trash and no restrictions on what is set out and what is taken, those types of contracts do not have any special clean up written in because you can put it out whenever.

Mr. Wisniewski stated he would return to the agenda at this time.

4. DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

A. Parks and Recreation.

(1) Director’s Report. Mr. Carr stated he had provided a written report this evening and he apologized for not having it in the Committee’s packet. He stated he would answer any questions anyone might have.

a. Parks Master Plan – Update. Mr. Carr stated we are in negotiations with Edsall and Associates to develop the scope of services and the fees for our Parks Master Plan. He stated we had $47,500 budgeted this year to do that plan.

1. Joint Parks District – Update. Mr. Carr stated he had no update this evening.

b. Handicap Garden – Update. Mr. Carr stated we were notified that project will not be funded in the 11^th Round, and he would suggest we include that project in our Parks Master Plan. Mr. Wisniewski stated this item can be removed from the agenda.

Mr. Carr stated for the NatureWorks Grant Project we have submitted for the 12^th Round, and he felt we have a good shot to get that funding because we were the only entity in Fairfield County to apply for 12^th Round funding. Mr. Wisniewski clarified this was a yearly cycle grant and we have applied for funding assistance for a disc golf course project at Simsbury Park (S.R. 256 water tower site)

c. Sycamore Park Tennis Court Repair Project – Update. Mr. Carr stated he plans to go out for bids this month for a synthetic surface with a 15-year warranty.

d. Violet Festival Board – Update. Mr. Carr stated he has been designated the City’s liaison for the Violet Festival. He stated he was on the Board, however, we were advised by the Ohio Ethics Commission that it was probably a violation for him to be on the Board as a city employee. He stated, however, if the Violet Festival Board wanted to change their Charter to say they wanted to appoint the Parks and Recreation Director, then he could serve on the Board. Ms Gilleland stated while Mr. Carr is not on the Board as a Board member, he is the City’s liaison, he attends their meetings and all of that, he just does not vote.

B. Building Operations: No Report.

C. Service Department:

(1) Traffic Engineer

a. Review of recommended speed limit on Hill Road South. Mr. Gallagher stated this is still with the County. He stated they need to get a sign off from the Sheriff before they send a recommendation to ODOT for ODOT to sign off. He stated we are in the process. Mr. Wisniewski clarified Ms Gilleland has spoken to the Township regarding annexing that small part of Hill Road so we can incorporate the whole stretch into one. Mr. Gallagher stated there are two small portions that are in the Township, however, it looks like we will be able to match speed limits through there and it will not be an issue. Mr. Wisniewski further clarified the recommended speed limit is 45 MPH, basically from the bottom of the hill in front of the Water Treatment plant, south to Busey. Ms Gilleland stated that is what we recommended and we are comfortable with that. Mr. Gallagher stated he will follow up with ODOT to see when this might be completed.

b. S.R. 256/I-70 Signage – Update. Mr. Gallagher stated ODOT has installed everything they have been asked to do, however, there are still some concerns by some Council members. Ms Gilleland clarified the concern was mainly the Marcus Cinema turn lane, and Mr. Sabatino stated also the timing of the light at S.R.204/S.R. 256. He stated between the 7:30-8:30 A.M. timeframe it is still permitting three cars to get through. Mr. Sabatino stated when that has happened he has called Jennifer Frommer and she has documented it. Mr. Gallagher stated when he spoke to ODOT they said they were continuing to tweak things, but he would give him a reminder and talk to him about both issues.

c. Review and request for motion to amend Traffic Control Map to add stop signs at Center Street/Milnor Road intersection. Mr. Wisniewski clarified this was Mr. Wiseman’s request in response to the Meadows Blvd cul de sac Capital Improvement Project. Ms Gilleland stated we have decided to study the intersection a little more rather than closing it off. She stated we thought we would start with the stop signs. Mr. Gallagher stated Pickerington Road north and southbound will stop. Mr. Gallagher stated he had provided a proposed design for the packets. Mr. Wisniewski stated he did not have that and Mrs. Yartin clarified that was provided to Service Committee as they are considering the Meadows Blvd. project. Mr. Wisniewski clarified with this proposal it would be a four way stop at Milnor, Meadows, and Pickerington or Center Street. Mr. Wisniewski stated his concern would be if you were heading south on Pickerington Road how would you know if there was anyone on Milnor Road because that is a blind area, so the stop bar would have to be moved up further. Mr. Sabatino stated it would basically be an all stop. Mr. Gallagher stated that is what he saw when he was in the field, and that is why he is suggesting the placement of that stop bar further up so everyone can see each other when they are stopped at the intersection. Ms Gilleland stated it depends on what we want out of this intersection and what we want out of the improvement. She stated if we want to minimize accidents, the stops will help. If we want traffic to flow freely, the stops will not help. Commander Annetts stated he and the Chief had discussed this today and their main concern was the warning of the stop signs. He stated they have reviewed accident reports and in the past three years there have been nine accidents at that intersection, with six of them being someone stopped to make a turn and the vehicle behind them not stopping. He stated their biggest concern is the proper marking of the stop signs. Mr. Wisniewski stated his biggest concern is someone cresting the hill, even though it is only a 25 MPH speed limit, and they are not paying attention, there will be more accidents. Ms Gilleland stated this is the result of having second thoughts about the closing of Meadows Blvd. taking care of any of the issues of this intersection, and wanting a little more time to look at it. She stated we can try a number of different things, and Mr. Gallagher stated he concurred there were several things we could try. He stated he shared the Commander’s concerns regarding the signage, and he felt potentially there could be other solutions. Ms Gilleland stated she would like to look into this further and would have more information by the next Safety Committee meeting.

Mr. David Rosseman, 104 Lakepoint Court. Mr. Rosseman stated he has a safety concern on S.R. 256, just before you get to I-70. Mr. Rosseman stated going northbound at the 204 intersection, you have two lanes that allow you to continue through the intersection, and one of these lanes branch off to allow you to make a left turn. He stated the markings on these lanes are confusing and he felt if the marking were more clearly defined it would allow for a smoother flow through the intersection. Mr. Gallagher clarified Mr. Rosseman was suggesting the left most through lane be guided into the left turn lane onto the freeway instead of now where you can go into either one of the turn lanes. Mr. Rosseman stated that was correct. Mr. Hackworth stated the lanes on the south side of the intersection are off set from the lanes on the north side, and Service Committee has request the engineer to look at this. He stated he thought it was suggested to ODOT to do something about this when they did the stripping. Mr. Gallagher stated ODOT has put some lines in, but Mr. Rosseman was suggesting further stripping. Mr. Wisniewski stated he was suggesting the stripping be done so that the left lane straight goes to the far left or mark it such that both lanes stay in their own pattern going through the intersection, just so it is better designated. Mr. Gallagher stated he would look at the intersection to see what could be done. Mr. Wisniewski stated Mr. Gallagher would look at the intersection and Safety Committee would make recommendations to ODOT after that.

D. Code Enforcement: Update.

(1) Review and discussion of proposed revisions to codified ordinances for On-Street and Off-Street parking. Ms Gilleland stated we do not have this ready as yet.

(2) Review and request for motion to approve draft ordinance amending Pickerington Codified Ordinances Section 1276.17 entitled “Home Occupations” Ms Gilleland stated this ordinance also was being reviewed by staff and the law director. She stated she hoped to have something for the next Safety meeting.

4. POLICE:

A. Chief’s Report. Commander Annetts stated the Chief’s report had been distributed and he would answer any questions. Commander Annetts stated the Department held their annual awards picnic and Detective Bryan Hartley received the Officer of the Year award, and Sharon Griffith received the Dispatcher of the Year award. He stated Officer Chad Wallace was also recognized by the Buckeye Valley Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving at their dinner in May as the top OMVI officer in Pickerington. Mr. Wisniewski stated at the last Safety meeting the Committee had recommended acceptance of the two vehicles for the DARE and Crime Prevention programs, and clarified the legislation allowing the City to accept these two vehicles was on the Council agenda for the next meeting.

B. Review and request for motion to approve draft ordinance enacting Section 660.17 regulating the storage of liquefied petroleum gasses requiring vehicle impact protection. Mr. Sabatino stated he had spoken to Chief Taylor of the Violet Township Fire Department regarding the propane legislation. He stated Chief Taylor felt that we have some places that would be considered in full compliance with the proposed ordinance and some that were not, and he would like the opportunity to have his people go around to each establishment and then make a presentation on their findings and recommendations at the next Safety Committee meeting. Mr. Wisniewski clarified the Fire Department would survey all the establishments, both in the City and the Township, that deal with propane storage and then come to Safety Committee with their findings and recommendations. Mr. Wisniewski stated this would be reviewed at the next meeting.

5. CHAIRMAN. Mr. Wisniewski stated the next regularly scheduled Safety meeting would be on July 4^th, and obviously that meeting would need to be rescheduled. Mr. Wisniewski further stated there were no pressing issues on the Safety agenda at this time for the July meeting and if the Committee concurred, the Safety Committee would not meet until the first week in August. Mr. Sabatino stated he concurred there were no pressing items, and this would allow more time for the Fire Department to complete their inspections on the propane issue. Mr. Wisniewski asked Mr. Sabatino to notify the Fire Chief that the next Safety Committee meeting would be on August 1^st at 7:30 P.M.

6. OTHER BUSINESS.

Mr. Wisniewski stated all Council members had received an e-mail regarding the neighbor’s issues with the Minuteman Pizza. He stated it appears there are some conflicts about what that area was zoned for, what is actually being performed in the area, and the neighbors are being severely inconvenienced. Ms Gilleland stated she has been trying to contact Mr. Kraft to meet with herself and the Mayor, and the police have been working with Mr. Kraft to resolve some of the issues. Ms Gilleland stated we will do what we can in terms of mitigating this issue. Commander Annetts stated further the Minuteman Pizza has requested Mr. Good post no skateboarding, rollerblading, bicycling, etc., signs in the parking lot.

7. ADJOURNMENT. There being nothing further, Mr. Sabatino moved to adjourn; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Mr. Sabatino, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Wisniewski voted “Aye.” Motion carried, 3-0. The Safety Committee meeting adjourned at 8:55 P.M., June 6, 2005.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

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Lynda D. Yartin, Municipal Clerk