MEETING NOTES FROM MARCH 15, 2022
Willoughby City Council Meeting Summary
• March 15, 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/
FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING:
Committee: John Tomaselli, Dan Garry, Ken Kary
* The purpose of the Finance & Audit Committee meeting is to discuss the 2022 Budget.
2022 BUDGET
Chairman Tomaselli said tonight's meeting is to discuss the 2022 budget which needs to be passed by the end of March. The legislation will be on the agenda for the March 15th Council meeting. This year's budget is an increase of 1.24% over last year. Mr. Tomaselli said he and Council President Carr and Councilman Anderson will be doing a salary compensation review. He said there are some open positions that were not filled in 2021 and they are still open.
PARKS & RECREATION
Park & Recreation Director Banker said people are coming to their programs; the senior center is crowded again. Parks and the golf course are crowded because people want to get out and do things. She said they do have aging facilities such as the Euclid Avenue pool and playground equipment. She said playground equipment has a shelf life of about 25 years and Daniels Park is approximately 21 years old. She said they should start looking into new playgrounds to get newer and safer equipment. She said seasonal staff is always a concern; she said to date she has 26 returning pool staff. She said she only has 8 registered for classes (lifeguard). The salary increases have helped and she recently attended a job fair at South High School to recruit. Ms. Banker said she anticipates the golf course will have another great year. She said the cart path at the golf course needs updating noting that the greens and fairways look amazing. Ms. Bosley said this is the final year for some of the golf course debt; a $244,000 payment will be made. The other debt will continue until 2032. Mr. Kary asked about increased pool fees and golf course fees. She said those fees have been increased; previously it was $35 for an early bird pool pass and $40 for a regular pool pass. It has been increased to $40 and $45 respectively. Mr. Tomaselli asked if programming will continue at the golf course. Ms. Banker said yes; they will add one more event a month. Summer concerts have increased from two to three at Osborne Park this summer which is an additional $2,000. She said there is grant money from Remarkable Lake County which was received last year and she will get more money this year if more people attend.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Regarding the earlier discussion about the dispatch center, Chief Schultz said they have been working with a minimum manning level for the dispatch center. He said the calls for service have gone up with the manning table remaining the same for a number of years. He requested the additional $10,000 because he is not sure about long-term injury and sickness. He said over the last five years, there have been several dispatchers out long-term due to sickness or injury. He said one dispatcher was out on long-term pregnancy sick time; she was able to work on a training and policy manual. He believes the new work schedule will have a positive impact on the overall budget, however, he cannot forecast sick leave. He said he reduced the amount for contractual service in Police Administration, but $20,000 was kept to contract with a risk management training program. This program will train employees on policies, court cases, and new laws; they are looking at a few vendors for that. There was a small increase in patrol contractual services mostly due to services provided by the Flock Safety Program. He said they would like to increase the number of cameras throughout the City and add a few stations near the downtown area. He said they are also looking at contracting with Pradco on coaching, mentoring, and training programs for newly promoted supervisors. He said there was a small increase in the patrol and criminal investigation line items and materials and supplies. He said over the last two years, there has been an emphasis on training and education for all members of the department. He is creating a plan so that all supervisors, officers, and dispatchers know what the training requirements are for each year. These training requirements will require overtime. He said they are planning on setting up simulation rooms in the basement for use of force training that was once conducted at the old Tech Center. The increase in funds will also help with increased downtown foot and bike patrols. He said the department has been fortunate to partner with state and federal programs for Operation Safe Stay; this helped offset the budget. Ms. Bosley said for the first time in several years, the department received $27,000 for police continuing education.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chief Ungar said last year his department was able to help fund other department projects. He said they were able to help out Buildings and Grounds with the fire alarm at Station #2, a large generator repair, and other appliance purchases. From a training standpoint, the department usually sends two mechanics to Columbus for emergency vehicle training that is specific to fire apparatuses. The department also helps fund the dispatch center and training for dispatchers. Chief Ungar said overtime was an issue this past year with some significant long-term illnesses. He said he is most concerned about a shortage of part-time firefighters which is also an issue state-wide and nationwide. He said they are not retaining their part-time firefighter staff; they are kept for an average of 1.9 years. In the last two and half weeks, they lost 5 part-time firefighters and have hired two. He said there will be two retirements before summer which will be filled with two current part-time firefighters who are on the eligibility list. He said it will affect Station #2 by reducing the staff there to three people; that station will only be able to handle one call. He said there just aren't the cadets interested in the fire service. Mr. Tomaselli asked what the investment of time is to train a new firefighter. Chief Ungar said it's a 40-hour training program with one instructor (up to five trainees). There is one full-time firefighter or lieutenant assigned to train the new firefighters. Mr. Anderson asked about the certifications required. Chief Ungar said they are required to have their EMT certification, not a paramedic.
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Service Director Palmisano said the department is impacted on a yearly basis by doing a lot of in-house work instead of hiring outside contractors. He said last year there was some overtime due to reduced full-time personnel and difficulty finding part-time staff. He said he is concerned about obtaining vehicles and equipment due to supply issues.. He said this is an issue that several departments will have going forward. He doesn't know how it will be addressed budget-wise i.e., orders need to be placed a year in advance. Mayor Fiala said vehicle orders need to be placed in the fall of the year prior to the capital budget approval. There needs to be a discussion regarding a pre-order and include it in the budget and adjust that when the budget gets approved. Mr. Palmisano said the City relies on state bid pricing and Chevy and Ford have already withdrawn; the City won't be able to get competitive bidding. This unavailability of vehicles started with COVID and has a lot to do with steel shortages which are also affecting steel pipes. A single axel plow truck that was ordered won't be in prior to plow season. Mr. Palmisano said there was a 10-year vehicle plan which was extended to 15 years plus in order to save money, but too much money was being spent on maintenance. He said he has scaled back on that; heavy equipment has been kept at a 15-year range and some other vehicles are at 12 to 13 years which is reducing the amount of maintenance but naturally, there will be breakdowns.
AGENDA
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
March 15, 2022
Absent: Councilman Chris Woodin
APPROVAL OF MINUTES-
Regular Council Meeting of March 1, 2022
STANDING AND REGULAR COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee of Full, Mr. Carr - Mr. Carr read in full the press release going out tomorrow, March 16, 2022, regarding the Ward 1 Council vacancy (see attached). He said Council has 45 days to make an appointment or the responsibility falls to Mayor Fiala.
Finance and Audit Committee, Mr. Tomaselli - Mr. Tomaselli said a committee meeting was held tonight to discuss the 2022 budget which is on the agenda this evening.
Regarding committee assignments, Mr. Carr said to reach out to him if any member of the Council is interested in an additional committee or to change committees.
CORRESPONDENCE
Clerk Novak read a request from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for a C2 liquor permit for Ohio Springs, Inc. dba Sheetz 731, 4145 SR 306, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. There were no objections.
PUBLIC PORTION
No one spoke
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-33 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution authorizing the City Engineer to prepare specifications and to advertise for bids for the off-site disposal of WPCC Biosolids.
22-33 Authorizes preparation of specifications and bidding for WPCC bio-solids disposal. The current contract with an outside hauler is expiring this year and therefore a new contract or disposal method is needed for the ~8 dry tons per day of solids.
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-34 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution authorizing the City Engineer to prepare plans for the LAK-Kirtland Road resurfacing project; PIO 113296, and declaring an emergency.
22-34 authorizes the preparation of plans for resurfacing Kirtland Road from the I-90 bridge east to the city line near SR-306. See 22-35 for more information.
Mr. Lannon said this is an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) funded project. He said this resolution is to prepare plans and the second piece of legislation (Ordinance 2022-35) is the authorization to accept the funds. Councilman Anderson said he thought ODOT only funded state route projects and didn't know that Kirtland Road was a state route. Mr. Lannon said this request was initiated by the City, which he thinks put it on the radar of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). Kirtland Road does connect two state routes making it a federal highway eligible route. Mr. Carr asked if this was an 80/20 program which would mean the City would need to pay roughly $120,000 out of the road program. Mr. Lannon said yes; the City needs to put up the money this year, but the project won't take place until next year. Councilman Tomaselli stated the portion of Kirtland Road for this project had a rating of 8.55 i,n 2020 and was one of the roads that least needed to be replaced. He questioned the need and doesn't understand the urgency. Mr. Lannon believes that former Service Director Lee Bock applied to NOACA for this section of the road and it has just now worked its way through the system. Mr. Tomaselli asked what the cost to prepare the plans would be. Mr. Lannon said it would be 10% of the project cost; the total project cost is $600,000 and the total road program is approximately $1 million. He said the budget that was set up for this job is very conservative and on the safe side compared to the urban paving for Rt. 84 and Rt. 283 whose budgets were a lot tighter and included curbing at the City's cost. Mr. Carr asked what the ramifications were if the City decided to not move forward with the project. Mr. Lannon said he believes the City could put the funds up now but delay the project. He pointed out that this project would fund some guardrails as well. Mr. Tomaselli said he doesn't believe Kirtland Road needs to be replaced and that residents will ask why it's being replaced versus other streets in the City. Service Director Palmisano said there are at least two to three sections of the road that are crumbling and decaying along the edges; one near the entrance to the Kirtland County Club, one along the ditch line on the south side, and one past Tudor Estates. He thinks if the City doesn't go forward with this project, the City will end up paying for the entire project later. Mr. Tomaselli voiced concerns about paving a road that will continue to have issues with crumbling. Mr. Palmisano indicated the Sewer Department has been tasked with defining the ditches better and moving them away from the edge of the road. The water would then be routed either to the pond or creek on the other side of the road. After much discussion, the City will ask if the project can be delayed.
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-35 5 Yes 1 No Tomaselli
An ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and requesting the cooperation of the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation to resurface Kirtland Road (CR-513) from Sherwin Road to the Willoughby ECL in the City of Willoughby, Lake County, Ohio, and declaring an emergency.
22-35 authorizes the agreement with ODOT for Kirtland Road resurfacing. This is an 80% grant for a ~$600K resurfacing. The city provides the plans and ODOT will bid and administer construction.
Discussion: Regarding the discussion during the Legislative Caucus about this ordinance, Councilman Tomaselli asked if the City is planning on delaying the start of the project from 2023 to 2024. Councilman Merhar said it was his understanding that the City would push it as far as possible, but it was up to ODOT as to what they'll let the City do. Mr. Lannon said that was correct; he said the schedule is set by ODOT but the City will ask to delay.
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-36 Motion carried 6 to 0
An ordinance authorizing Amendment No. 3 to Ordinance No. 2021-19, the Manning & Payroll Ordinance, relative to the Department of Parks and Recreation, Service, and Golf Course, and declaring an emergency.
2022-36 is to implement the new pay rates for Seasonal employees that were discussed in Personnel Committee as an amendment to the current Payroll ordinance.
An e-mail was sent out by Finance Director Bosley on this Ordinance. Mr. Anderson asked if the City has seen an increase in applicants (employment). Parks & Rec Director Banker said she was up to 38 applicants; however, a lifeguard class was canceled. There are 8 people in next week's lifeguard class and 3 people at a late date.
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-37 Motion carried 6 to 0
A resolution to make appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Willoughby, Ohio, during the period ending December 31, 2022, and declaring an emergency.
2022-37 is the Total Original appropriation for 2022. We have also sent our Certificate of Estimated Revenue to the County. That will be used to verify that appropriations do not exceed expected revenue.
The only change to what was presented in the budget draft is an increase of $525,000 for projects in WPCC Replacement fund 6012 and inclusion of Capital estimates particularly for known Stormwater Capital fund projects.
NOTE:
For accuracy, this section has been copied from the council meeting minutes
MAYORS REPORT
Mayor Fiala said through Congressman Dave Joyce's ability to earmark money, the City will receive $3.5 million dollars towards the East Island Equalization Basin Project which is a $6.5 to $7 million dollar project.
DIRECTOR’S REPORTS
Law Director Lucas - Mr. Lucas recognized Councilman Woodin for his many years of service. He said he asked the questions everyone else had on their mind but was reluctant to ask.
Police Chief Schultz - Regarding St. Patrick's Day this coming Thursday, Chief Schultz said there will be plenty of patrol officers on foot patrol in downtown making sure everyone is safe. He said the foot patrol program downtown will begin at the end of April and will continue through the fall. Operation Safe Stay is starting up again after a brief intermission with less activity.
Building Inspector Keller - No report. Councilman Merhar said he's had some complaints about Marous Brothers Construction blocking Clark Avenue. Mr. Keller said Marous Brothers Construction was contacted about this issue and he suggested calling the Police Department because they are blocking a public right-of-way.
Finance Director Bosley - Ms. Bosley thanked Council for the passage of the budget (appropriations).
COUNCIL REPORTS
Mr. Kary - Regarding Councilman Woodin and his resignation, Mr. Kary said their relationship has grown over the years and he appreciated their time together when he was a new Councilman. He said Mr. Woodin was a man of integrity and a strong patriot. He said Mr. Woodin was very attentive to detail and will be missed him.
Mr. Tomaselli - Mr. Tomaselli said he wanted to echo Mr. Kary's comments about Chris Woodin. He said he and Mr. Woodin grew up together and played ball against each and knew each other through high school. He said Mr. Woodin was one of the reasons he ran for Council. He said Mr. Woodin will be missed.
Mr. Anderson - Mr. Anderson said he really appreciated Mr. Woodin; he was a character and is glad he got to serve with him. He said he wanted to give a shout out to Willoughby resident Brendan McCrown who is the 02 (120 lb.) state wrestling state champion.
Mr. Carr - Mr. Carr said he wanted to recognize Mr. Woodin; he was the most senior member of Council. He was on Council over 16 years representing the north end. He would like to see Mr. Woodin continue to be involved with the projects at Osborne Park.
ADJOURNMENT
COMMENTS BY COUNCILMAN KARY
Meetings on the Budget have always proven to be one of the Council’s primary duties. Funding a city such as ours takes a great deal of “cooperation” amongst the Directors, Council and Administration. When you study the budget, you can easily see that our Safety Forces take up about 50% of our Operating Expenditures. Next in line are Service then Recreation. Operating Revenue for the city is always confusing when I talk to our residents. The comment, “I pay such high taxes, why can we not pave our street”, happens all the time. What is shocking to residents is the statement I share that their property taxes actually provide around 5% of the city's Operating Revenue. Our largest source of income to operate actually comes from INCOME TAXES (approximately 65%).
For the record, I need to share that the two major storm-water projects for Ward 2 have been and are NOW being addressed. This was a campaign promise from me when I first ran for City Council. The Two-Town Ditch Project which addressed major flooding in both Ward 1 and Ward 2 is now complete. Adding a second Culvert under Lake-Shore Blvd. to handle the large flow of rainwater was the final step to address. These culverts direct the rainwater directly to Lake Erie. The flooding that occurs in Ward 2, around North Bay, is currently being addressed. There have been some dramatic flooding that occurs in this area, and with the work that is taking place now, that flooding should be greatly reduced.
ACTIVITY REPORT / PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The project consists of the following:
Stream Restoration
• Contractor to excavate new channel directly north of the existing channel, west of N. Bay Dr.
• Side slopes proposed to be regraded.
• Contractor to access the site from N. Bay Drive via cart path from the golf course.
Culvert Installation
• Ex 30” Pipe to be bulkhead on both sides of N. Bay Drive.
• 48” Pipe proposed directly north of existing culvert, to provide drainage from retention basin across N. Bay Drive to stream.
• Culvert proposed to be installed via open cut.
• Temporary road closure for a couple of days at the point of construction during open-cut installation of the culvert is expected.
The existing channel will be regraded into a flood plain to handle an increased volume of water.
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
https://willoughbyohio.com/city-council/