PICKERINGTON CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 6, 2004
CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD
REGULAR
MEETING AGENDA
7:30
P.M.
1. ROLL CALL, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND INVOCATION. Council for the City of Pickerington met for a regular session Tuesday, January 6, 2004, at City Hall. Mayor Shaver called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. Roll call was taken as follows: Mr. Wright, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Parker, Mr. Wisniewski, Mr. Sabatino, Mrs. Riggs, and Mayor Shaver were present. No members were absent. Others present were: Frank Wiseman, Lynda Yartin, Linda Fersch, Chief Mike Taylor, Bob Mapes, Jeff Kraus, Pastor Phil Manson, Mike Maurer, Patti Wiggington, Sharon Buccilla, Dan Oakes, Gail Oakes, Tony Dill, Kirk Richards, Ed Laramee, Jeff Fix, Tim Bryant, Mitch O’Brien, and others. Pastor Manson of the Pickerington Church of the Nazarene delivered the invocation.
2. A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF DECEMBER 16, 2003, REGULAR MEETING. Mr. Sabatino moved to approve; Mr. Parker seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Wisniewski and Mr. Hackworth abstaining, and Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Parker, Mr. Wright, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 4-0.
B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF DECEMBER 23, 2003, SPECIAL MEETING. Mr. Wright moved to approve; Mr. Sabatino seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Hackworth and Mr. Wisniewski abstaining, and Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Wright, Mr. Parker, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 4-0.
C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF DECEMBER 30, 2003, SPECIAL MEETING. Mr. Wright moved to approve; Mr. Parker seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Wisniewski and Mr. Hackworth abstaining, and Mr. Parker, Mr. Wright, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Sabatino voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 4-0.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA. Mr. Wright moved to approve; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Wright, Mr. Parker, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 6-0.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:
Mayor Shaver stated he would entertain a motion for nominations of President and Vice President Pro Tempore of Council. Mr. Hackworth moved to nominate Heidi Riggs as President Pro Tempore of Council and Doug Parker as Vice President Pro Tempore of Council; Mr. Wisniewski seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Wright, Mr. Parker, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Sabatino, and Mr. Wisniewski voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 6-0.
Mayor Shaver stated he would now entertain a motion to nominate Committee members. Mrs. Riggs moved to appoint the following Council members to committees: Safety Committee, Brian Wisniewski, Michael Sabatino, and Heidi Riggs; Rules Committee, Heidi Riggs, William Wright, and Ted Hackworth; and Service Committee, Ted Hackworth, Doug Parker, and Brian Wisniewski; Mr. Wisniewski seconded the motion. Mayor Shaver stated the Finance Committee is composed statutorily by Committee Chairpersons. Roll call was taken with Mr. Wright voting “Nay,” and Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Wisniewski, Mr. Sabatino, and Mr. Parker voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 5-1.
Mayor Shaver stated Council would take a brief recess to allow the Committee members to determine their Chairperson and meeting days. Mr. Wright moved to recess Council; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Parker, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Wright, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 6-0.
Council recessed at 7:40 P.M. and reconvened in open session at 8:15 P.M.
Mrs. Riggs stated the following:
Safety Committee: Brian Wisniewski, Chair, Heidi Riggs, Vice Chair, and Michael Sabatino, Secretary. She stated her appointment to this committee is temporary until a new councilperson is appointed. Mrs. Riggs stated further she will temporarily serve as the Safety Committee representative to Tree Commission and as the Nuisance Abatement Board member. Mrs. Riggs stated Safety Committee will meet the first Monday of each month at 7:30 P.M.
Service Committee: Ted Hackworth, Chair, Doug Parker, Vice Chair, and Brian Wisniewski as Secretary. Mrs. Riggs stated Mr. Wisniewski will serve as Council Representative to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mrs. Riggs stated Service Committee will meet the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 P.M.
Rules Committee: Heidi Riggs, Chair, Ted Hackworth, Vice Chair, and Bill Wright, Secretary. Mrs. Riggs stated Rules Committee will meet the first Monday of each month at 7:00 P.M.
Finance Committee: Heidi Riggs, Chair, Ted Hackworth, Vice Chair, Brian Wisniewski, Secretary. Mrs. Riggs stated Finance Committee will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 P.M.
Mrs. Riggs stated at this time a Parks and Recreation Board Council Representative had not been selected, however, that would be done at the next Safety Committee meeting.
Mr. Wisniewski stated Safety Committee will meet on January 12th at 7:30 P.M., and will then meet the first Monday of the month thereafter.
5. COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
A. Mr. Matt Schneider, 8173 Long Road. Mr. Schneider stated he had provided some photos for council to review. He stated he would like to address a serious problem with water drainage on Long Road at the western edge of the City. He stated several of his neighbors were present to address this issue as well. Mr. Schneider stated he built his house in 1992 and he has had surface water problems since that time, as there is a drainage problem with the water getting to Georges Creek. He stated the ditch line has not been maintained and the water hits his property from the east and the roadway and builds up. Mr. Schneider stated the flooding causes safety issues, property damage, health issues, and a major inconvenience to all of them. He stated when his yard floods he cannot flush toilets or do laundry because the leach bed area is flooded by the water. He stated he has also had property destruction due to the water sitting in his yard. Mr.Schneider stated his sump pump is running almost constantly and that is very bad on the electricity. Mr. Schneider stated there is an electric junction box on the western edge of his property that gets submersed and if it gets a little higher that water will become charged. He stated the roadways have been blocked with water, and his children cannot walk down the driveway to get the school bus. He stated several years ago he contacted the City and the zoning director at that time came out and looked at the problem, returned with the engineer, and stated they would do a study and survey and get back with him. He stated they never got back with him and his calls were not returned. Mr. Schneider stated when he started receiving a bill from the City for stormwater he decided to try and get the ball rolling and be part of the solution instead of whining about the problem.
Mr. Parker stated he would just like to let everyone know the solution is a long process. He stated this problem has not been brought before the Service Committee during the past two years he has served on it, and he wished that it had. Mr. Parker stated he did drive out and look at the area Mr. Schneider was referring to and there is a problem. Mr. Parker stated the Service Committee has been working on a stormwater study for a portion of the Long Road area for the past 18 months or so. Mr. Parker stated the Service Committee had requested three options to fix the problem and that should be available at the next Service Committee meeting. Mr. Parker stated what he wanted everyone to understand was that it was not an overnight process, however, he would ask Mr. Wiseman, the Acting City Manager, to see if we can do anything as a quick fix to get some drainage out there.
B. Mrs. Vicki Bradley, 8325 Long Road. Mrs. Bradley stated she had also provided photographs of her property for council to review. Mrs. Bradley stated last weekend her property was flooded to the extent that she almost lost her home. She stated her home looks like a moat, and the water is four feet deep in places. Mrs. Bradley stated she has asked for help, but nothing has been done. She further stated approximately six months ago someone from Council came out and spoke to her husband, and they both agreed there was a problem and he promised to look into it. Mrs. Bradley stated her calls to this office had never been returned. Mrs. Bradley stated now that the temperatures have fallen, all of this water in her yard is freezing. She stated she was asking for Council’s help to get something done about this problem.
C. Mr. Mike Kelnhofer, 8200 Long Road. Mr. Kelnhofer stated he also has a few comments regarding the flooding on Long Road. He stated his home also has had a loss of some of the septic pressure due to the high water levels, and he cannot get out of his driveway, and the water has also caused erosion in his yard. Mr. Kelnhofer stated he has lived there for six years and this is the worst that it has been. Mr. Kelnhofer stated he appreciated any help Council could provide.
D. Mrs. Kay Kasberg, 9906 Long Road. Mrs. Kasberg stated she would just be repeating what everyone else has said this evening about the water problems. She stated her home has been there since the 1890s and she has lived there for 13 years. Mrs. Kasberg stated her problem is new, and she feels it is caused by some development happening just east of her home. Mrs. Kasberg stated there is a huge mound of dirt on the property being developed behind her property and the water flow has now changed direction and flows from the east to the west. She stated she feels this development is what has made it so much worse for her neighbors. Mayor Shaver asked Mr. Wiseman to have someone go out and look at the development and see if there is any improper storage of dirt, and if so, see if he can have it taken care of.
E. Mr. Christopher Gyke, 8195 Long Road. Mr. Gyke stated he also would like to address the water issue on Long Road. Mr. Gyke stated his property is at a low spot and all the water ends up in his yard. He stated out of the past three months, due to the amount of rain, he has only been able to walk down his driveway two to three weeks of that time. He stated he has to take his children down to wait for the bus in his truck. He stated he has contacted the city about this issue every time it floods. He stated the city told him it was a county problem, the county said it was the city, and when he called the city back, they then said it was the township. Mr. Gyke stated he then re-dug the ditch in front of his house and that only delayed the flooding and added more water to Mr. Schneider’s property. Mr. Gyke stated he had also provided photographs for council to review. Mr. Gyke stated because of his sump pump running constantly his electric bill is running $300 per month. Mr. Gyke stated something has to be done soon.
Mr. Parker stated he would like to state that with the reorganization of Council that occurred earlier this evening, new council members are on each committee. He stated he would like to see the new members and the old members work together and find the right solutions and the right answers for this community. He stated he would also like to welcome the newly elected members and his hope was that the knowledge from the past members could be used along with new, creative ideas to find these solutions, and he looked forward to working with everyone.
5. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Shaver stated there were no consent agenda items.
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS: NONE.
7. REPORTS:
A. MAYOR. Mayor Shaver stated the Mayor’s Monthly Court Report had been distributed.
B. LAW DIRECTOR. Mr. Mapes stated he would also like to welcome the new council members, and he looked forward to working with everyone. Mr. Mapes stated he would provide each council member a packet of forms to request legislation and legal opinions. He stated the purpose of the forms are to help him know exactly what they want and it also gives him a record so the request does not get lost.
C. FINANCE DIRECTOR. Mrs. Fersch stated she would also like to welcome everyone and she looked forward to working with them. She stated she is busy working on the end of the year balances, and the balances are higher than anticipated. She stated this gives us a healthy entry into 2004.
D. MANAGER. Mr. Wiseman stated he looked forward to the next few months working with council. He stated he has no formal report this evening, but will have one at the next meeting.
Mayor Shaver stated he would like to thank Mr. Wiseman for agreeing to fill in as Acting City Manager until the new City Manager is selected. Mayor Shaver stated he would also like to thank each of the directors of the city departments who have agreed to stay, and he looked forward to working with each and every one of them.
Mr. Sabatino stated he would like to know the number of occupancy permits issued in 2003, and Mr. Wiseman stated he thought 333 occupancy permits were issued. He stated that number did include permits that would have been issued in 2002, but were not paid for until 2003. Mr. Sabatino inquired if there was a way to break out what the actual activity was in 2003, and Mr. Wiseman stated he would have to get that number and would provide the information to Mr. Sabatino. Mr. Sabatino stated he would also like to know how much shelf-life remains on the permits that were issued outside of the moratorium. Mayor Shaver clarified these would be ones issued prior to August 1st. Mr. Wiseman stated there is typically a six month shelf-life, and permits can be extended for six months, however, that must be done prior to when the permit expires. Mr. Sabatino stated then by February of this year we should know how many permits were issued before August 1st and have not been acted upon. Mr. Wiseman stated that was correct.
8. PROCEDURAL READINGS:
A. ORDINANCE 2003-102, “AN ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE
THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH STILSON CONSULTING GROUP, LLC,
FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR COURTRIGHT ROAD, PHASE III,” First Reading,
Parker. (TABLED)
9. LEGISLATIVE READINGS: NONE.
10. MOTIONS: NONE.
11. OTHER BUSINESS:
Mayor Shaver stated he would like to introduce Mr. Doug Plunkett at this time. He stated Mr. Plunkett’s firm would be helping in the search for a new City Manager. Mr. Plunkett stated he is a principal with the firm of Circuit Rider Management Group, and one of the things they do is assist municipal governments in recruiting and hiring executive staff. Mr. Plunkett stated he has been involved with city management for 25 years; he was a city manager in Massachusetts and then in Granville, Ohio, from 1980 until 1997. He stated his firm has done executive search processes for a number of municipal governments in Ohio, and they like to enlist a broad cross section of the community in establishing the desired qualities in a city manager. Mr. Plunkett stated in speaking with Mayor Shaver, they agree that a broad based search committee, comprised of a variety of community members, would be most effective. Mr. Plunkett stated they advertise nationally, screen the candidates, and establish a set of criteria with the search committee. Mr. Plunkett stated under the Pickerington City Charter, the appointment of the City Manager is the duty of the Mayor. Mr. Plunkett stated he expected the process to take 17-19 weeks. Mrs. Riggs clarified a survey would be conducted of communities in the Columbus metropolitan area so the search committee and council can better gauge what the appropriate compensation level is. Mr. Plunkett stated compensation is comprised of salary plus fringe benefits, etc. Mayor Shaver stated members of the community are willing to assist in the search and he has asked for representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, local business owners, the school board, a Township Trustee, a member of the City department directors, and others. Mayor Shaver further stated he would not be a member of the search committee, but would receive input from the search committee. He stated he was looking forward to this process and he would welcome any suggestions from members of the community. Mr. Plunkett stated he hoped to begin this process as soon as possible.
12. ADJOURNMENT. There being nothing further, Mr. Parker moved to adjourn; Mr. Hackworth seconded the motion. Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Wright, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Parker, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Wisniewski voted “Aye.” Motion carried, 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 P.M., January 6, 2004.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
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ATTEST:
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