MEETING NOTES OCTOBER 4, 2022
Willoughby City Council Meeting Summary
• October 4, 2022 •
Ken Kary • Councilman Ward 2
NOTE
These notes “are not” the official minutes for Willoughby City Council.
The views I express in these Council Meeting Summaries are my own and do not reflect any official view or position of the City of Willoughby.
The “official” Council Minutes are posted on the City of Willoughby Website
https://willoughbyohio.com/city-council/
Committee Meetings:
SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING:
Committee: John Tomaselli, Ken Kary, Dan Anderson
The Meister Publishing Building on Euclid Avenue became an available property. It is in excellent condition, in a centralized location, and with proper renovation and expansion, would easily meet the needs of the Police Department and the City. It could provide a more cost-effective solution to the current station. Starting from the ground up to build a new station is just “off the charts” regarding cost.
“Given the age of the existing station, built in 1975, it has become functionally obsolete,” said Willoughby Police Chief Jim Schultz. “A new facility incorporating new technology, improved efficiencies, and better use of space will allow our department to improve upon our services for our residents and community.”
AGENDA
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
October 4, 2022
Absent: Councilman Anderson
APPROVAL OF MINUTES-
Regular Council Meeting of September 20, 2022
STANDING AND REGULAR COMMITTEE REPORTS
Safety Committee, Mr. Tomaselli - Reported a committee meeting this evening to discuss updates regarding the Meister Media building purchase to renovate it into a Police Station.
CORRESPONDENCE
Clerk Novak read a request from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for a stock transfer for Wild Goose Group, Inc. dba The Wild Goose, 4144 Erie Street, 1st Floor & Basement, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. There were no objections.
PUBLIC PORTION
Nicole Peck, 333 Clairmont Road, Willowick - Ms. Peck said she is before Council representing the Willoughby-Eastlake Levy Committee. She said there is a renewal levy on the ballot for the schools; there will be no new taxes. The renewal of the levy will keep programs in place for students, staff, and school buildings. If the renewal doesn't pass, the school system will lose nearly 5 million dollars in funding, and cuts will be made to elementary music, band programs, transportation, technology staff, educational software, high school transportation, middle school athletics, 9th-grade athletics, field trips, consumer science teachers, librarians, and SOI would be closed permanently. There would be a 10% cut to the budget for buildings, and band Disney trips would be cut. She asked Council to get the word out about the renewal levy and noted a few upcoming fundraisers.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-126 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution authorizing the Mayor to apply to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Habitat Protection and Restoration InfrastructureInvestment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Competitionvestment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Competition (aka NOAAGrant), as part of the Chagrin River Floodplain Restoration and Trail Project, and declaring an emergency.
Mayor Fiala said the City is one of the last two applicants for an NOAA grant. The money can be directly applied to the acquisition of the Andrews Osborne property and would cover the entire purchase of the property. He said there would be a request at the next meeting for the Mayor to execute the sales agreement; that agreement would be null and void if the grant is not awarded. The grant deadline was affected by the recent hurricane and has been extended to October 28th.
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-127 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution amending Resolution No. 2022-37 to provide for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Willoughby, Ohio, during the period ending December 31, 2022, and declaring an emergency.
Mr. Carr said an e-mail was sent out by Deputy Finance Director Hoffman indicating this resolution covers the addition of two sub-capital funds. One is for revenue and expenses related to the purchase of the Meister Media building, and the other is related to the agreement for the Chagrin River Floodplain Restoration and Trail Project. Ms. Hoffman said the City had received $70,000 for the Chagrin River Floodplain Restoration from selling land.
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-128 Motion carried 6 to 0
An ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of not to exceed $2,750,000 notes, in anticipation of the issuance of bonds, to pay costs of the acquisition of property identified and described in Resolution No. 2022-122, to be used for municipal purposes, and declaring an emergency.
Ms. Hoffman said the plan is to have the sale of the note around the beginning of November, with funds coming in the third week of November; the due diligence period ends November 21st. Mr. Carr asked what would happen if the City issued the note on November 1st and then decided to not proceed. Mayor Fialasaid the note simply would not be executed.
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-129 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution authorizing an expenditure not to exceed $55,175.95 for purchasing one (1) 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD vehicle through the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program; the said vehicle for use by the Willoughby Fire Department, and declaring an emergency.
Chief Ungar said this time of year is typically when the state pricing comes out; this was discussed during capital discussions. He said Tim Lally ended up being the state dealer for Chevrolet. He said he called the dealership and was added to a list for a Chevy Tahoe, but there were no guarantees. He said, essentially, it's a four-wheel drive police car. He said the Fire Department received a donation a few years ago for about $49,000. Knowing that pricing for state vehicles is going up about 9% next year, Chief Ungardecided it was a good time to purchase a vehicle. Not knowing who the donation came from, Chief Ungar wanted to purchase something tangible. This vehicle will be the shift officer's vehicle and out on the road as the incident command vehicle. He said purchasing this vehicle would eliminate a future capital vehicle purchase.
ADDENDUM
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-130-Amended 10/4/22- First Reading
An ordinance amending Chapter 440 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Willoughby, Ohio, titled "Commercial and Heavy Vehicles"; specifically, establishing Section 440.11 titled, "Local Residential Streets Without Sidewalks"
Law Director Lucas said he is not recommending a three-reading on this ordinance per se. He said there has been some disparity between some of the directors and wants to get as much information as possible from Council and directors to make amendments to address some of the concerns. He said this ordinance would be on the agenda at the next meeting as a second reading. If he thinks he has all the information, the remaining readings can be waived, and it can be voted on. Mr. Lucas said Council could send him general feedback to be shared with Chief Schultz and Mr. Tomaselli. There is currently no language in the ordinance for violations and fines. Mr. Tomaselli said there is presently no specific exception in the ordinance for a vehicle that has the purpose of being on a residential street i.e., furniture delivery. Mr. Lucas said the main point is for the ordinance to address pedestrian safety on roads without sidewalks. He said he added wear and tear on the streets; however, he wants to talk to the City Engineer regarding that.
NOTE:
For accuracy, this section has been copied from the council meeting minutes
MAYORS REPORT
Mayor Fiala thanked Council for the legislation regarding the NOAA grant.
DIRECTOR’S REPORTS
Service Director Palmisano - No report. Mr. Kary asked if the Service Department could check into a hole on Hodgson Road just as you come into Willoughby from Mentor.
Fire Chief Ungar- Chief Ungar thanked Council for passing Resolution No. 2022-129. Regarding the AFG grant the Fire Department applied to for a ladder truck, he said the grant period ended September 30th; however, it was extended through December 31st, and 90 million dollars was added to the grant. The SAFER grant was also extended to December 31, 2022, and 200 million dollars was added to the grant.
Parks & Recreation Director Keller - Ms. Keller said upcoming October events include the Cyclocross event at Todd Field the weekend of October 15th, the DTW Chili Cook Off is October 15th, Pumpkin Chunkin' and Treat or Treat Trail at OsbornePark is October 22nd, Willa Boo in downtown is October 26th and traditional Trick or Treat in the City is October 31st.
Deputy Finance Director Hoffman - Ms. Hoffman thanked Council for passing Resolution No. 2022-127 and Ordinance No. 2022-128.
COUNCIL REPORTS
Ms. Sievers - Ms. Sievers said her next Ward 1 meeting would be held on November 22nd at McKinley Outreach Center at 7 p.m.
Mr. Kary - No report.
Mr. Tomaselli - Reported he would have a Ward 3 meeting on October 25th at 7 p.m. in the basement of City Hall.
Mr. Merhar - No report.
Mr. Garry - No report.
Mr. Anderson - Absent.
Mr. Carr - No report.
ADJOURNMENT
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
5:07 p.m. October 11, 2022
Council Members Present: Carr, Garry, Kary, Merhar, Sievers, Tomaselli, and Anderson
Others Present: Mayor Fiala, Law Director Lucas, Finance Director Bosley, Deputy Finance Director Hoffman, Human Resources Administrator Ballard, Chief Schultz, Jeremy losue, Clerk Novak
NEW BUSINESS:
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-131 Motion carried 7 to 0
A resolution rejecting the Fact Finder's Report and Recommendation, in its entirety, concerning the negotiations between the City of Willoughby, Ohio, and the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (Sergeants and Lieutenants), and declaring an emergency.
October 11, 2022 Special Council Meeting
Motion made and seconded to adopt Resolution No. 2022-131.
Discussion: Mr. Carr said for the contract for Police Sergeants and Lieutenants, the City went to arbitration, which produced a Fact-Finding Report. Per the Fact-Finding Report, the City has seven days to accept it as is, take no action(which would become a default to accept), or reject it. If the City rejects the Fact-Finding Report, it would then go to binding arbitration. It was discussed at length during the Executive Session, and all parties recommend that Council reject the Fact-Finding Report and go to binding arbitration.
Roll Call 7 yes 0 no Motion carried 7 to 0
The Special Council Meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
COMMENTS BY COUNCILMAN KARY
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME to visit the cities website:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GX5NKRQ
Take the survey on the summer concert series. This survey deals with both the Downtown Summer Concerts and the Osborne Concerts. This is your chance to weigh in and make a difference.
November 8, 2022 Election Information
The City of Willoughby has (2) proposed tax levy renewals on the November 8, 2022, ballot.
The first levy is a renewal of our Recreation Levy. This .5-mill, five-year levy was initially passed in 1956 and generated about $82,263 per year, with the funds going to support current recreation expense programs.
The second levy is a renewal of our General Operating Levy, originally passed in 1956. This 1.5-mill, five-year levy generates about $246,789 per year, with the funds going to support current operating expenses.
Please note these renewals will not result in a tax increase. For specific questions, please contact our Finance Director at 440.953.4101.
Community Survey – Todd Field Amphitheater & Chagrin River Trail Project
On Wednesday, June 15th, the community gathered at Todd Field to engage and share ideas about the Todd Field Amphitheater and Chagrin River Trail Project.
Following the meeting, the design consultant, SmithGroup, converted the in-person visioning boards to an online survey to further capture input on the site’s current assets, preferred amenities, location of the amphitheater, and preferred aesthetics. Access the 5 min survey here:
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6987742/Willoughby
The amphitheater will be an outdoor event complex that will include an amphitheater, covered multi-use stage, storage, and other support spaces with an estimated seating bowl capacity of approximately 1,500 people. A vendor and festival area is envisioned, along with recreational trails, an observation deck, space for a future restaurant, and other potential amenities.
City To Study Feasibility of New Police Facility
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio, September 20, 2022 – Willoughby City Council passed legislation related to a potential purchase of property and building located at 37733 Euclid Avenue (Meister Media Worldwide), which is being considered for a future Willoughby Police Station.
Richard L. Bowen and Associates, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has conducted an architectural assessment and fit the plan of the site along with estimated construction costs for renovation and expansion to meet the current and future needs of the Willoughby Police Department. Once a purchase agreement is secured, the city’s administration will continue its due-diligence period for 60 days to:
Identify modifications that are needed.
Determine a proposed budget and financing requirements
Establish a project timeline
“Safety and law enforcement is a top priority,” said Mayor Bob Fiala. “Addressing our police facility needs has been discussed over the last 24 months as the deficiencies of the current police station become readily apparent. We are committed to taking the time to explore all options and evaluate costs to ensure a solution that best serves our community.”
The current police station at 36700 Euclid Ave was evaluated in the fall of 2021 as part of a comprehensive Facility Program and Needs Assessment study conducted by Police Facility Design Group. The primary objectives of that study included:
Defining the current and future space needs of the police department
Evaluating the condition of the existing station
Determining the feasibility of retrofitting the existing station
Logistics and cost estimates to construct a new facility
Prior to this assessment, the city explored a possible Public-Private Partnership in 2020 with a developer to construct a new station at a nearby site but determined that it was too costly.
“Once we determined that the existing facility is incompatible for renovation and expansion, our thoughts shifted towards building new,” said City Council President Bob Carr. “The Public-Private Partnership examined a facility roughly the same size as the current station. Unfortunately, it did not meet all the practical space needs that modern police facilities require for best practices, and it came at a relatively high price.”
In the meantime, the Euclid Avenue property became available that is in excellent condition, in a centralized location, and with proper renovation and expansion, could provide a more cost-effective solution while still meeting the needs of the police department.
By the conclusion of the due diligence period, city officials, with professional guidance from Bowen, will confirm the space will meet all needs within an acceptable budget and determine if it is necessary to ask the voters for support for a new police facility. If confirmed, the City of Willoughby will enter a purchase agreement with Meister Media International for $2,545,000.
“Given the age of the existing station, which was built in 1975, it has become functionally obsolete,” said Willoughby Police Chief Jim Schultz. “A new facility incorporating new technology, improved efficiencies, and better use of space will allow our department the ability to improve upon our services for our residents and community.”
NOTE
The views I express in these Council Meeting Summaries are my own and do not reflect any official view or position of the City of Willoughby. The “official” Council Minutes are posted on the
City of Willoughby Website