February 21, 2012 Council Meeting Minutes

Regular Council Meeting

February 21, 2012

The Council of the Village of Riverlea met on the above date at the Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington. The following Council members were present: Mayor Kirk M. McHugh, Jon L. Ankrom, Scott K. Gordon, Jenny D. Jones, Briggs W. Hamor, Eric A. MacGilvray, President Pro-Tem. Donald E. Griffith was absent. Also present were Pamela M. Colwell, Clerk-Treasurer, Steven W. Mershon, Solicitor, Lois Yoakam, Newsletter Editor, Karen McElmurray, Marshal, and William P. Charles, Street Commissioner. Guest of Council Greg Bonk. At 7:10 p.m. the Mayor called the meeting to order.

Minutes

1. The minutes of the regular Council meeting January 17, 2011 were not read since each member had received a copy. Gordon moved and MacGilvray seconded a motion that the minutes be approved as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

Report of the Clerk-Treasurer

1. Ankrom moved and Hamor seconded a motion to approve the payment of bills and to accept the financial report for January 2012, as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

Report of the Mayor

1. The Mayor reported that Worthington investigated the feasibility of a 315 sound barrier and found that the neighborhoods closest to the freeway do not meet the decibels needed for it. Also, a barrier would not be approved for safety issues, so there is no reason to look at this any further.
2. The Mayor asked the Street Commissioner to contact Worthington now regarding their new sewer line plans and our lift station.
3. He would like to pursue the possibility of using online surveys in order to help Council determine residents’ opinions. Council expressed their concern for residents who do not access the internet. There were also questions about how to control who responds, how often, etc. Hamor thought this was a good idea since we have the luxury of being small and should be able to do this. The Mayor said the Committee on Communications could look into this.
4. The Mayor would like to use the Village’s website to post emergency information. He said there could be something flashing on the website to draw attention to it. It could warn of a recent home burglary or notify of a change in trash pickup day as well as power outage information. Council brought up the problem of not having access to the internet if the power was out. Gordon mentioned the possibility of notifying residents by phone since everyone has one. The new Committee on Communications could look at this also. The Mayor said he wants this committee to look at the use of the newsletter and website to see how they may be blended together to eventually phase out the Newsletter in order to save some money.

Report of the Solicitor

1. The Solicitor reported that since he discussed the Village’s solicitation ordinance at the last Council meeting, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the prohibition of soliciting after 6 p.m. Other court decisions have lifted restrictions on various types of solicitations and the Village should look at revising their ordinance in light of these decisions. However, he asked Council what is their goal and then he can try to make changes to meet that goal.

   Council discussed this at length. They did not want to get the Village into a legal bind. They also felt it was ultimately each resident’s responsibility to deal with soliciting by not answering the door, saying no thank you or posting a no solicitation sign. The Solicitor said residents could post a do not solicit sign and then they could call the police if someone ignored it. The Village could also create a do not solicit list and require solicitors to get a copy of the list. The Mayor said the permits did not serve any purpose since few solicitors got them and there was the issue of whether certain groups were exempt from permits. He preferred to not get the Village into legal trouble and to simplify the implementation of the ordinance. He would like an ordinance that would give residents a legally binding way to stop solicitations and Council agreed.

Report of the Planning Commissioner

1. In the absence of the Planning Commissioner, the Clerk-Treasurer reported there was one application for a Certificate of Appropriateness that was approved.

Report of the Marshal

1. The Marshal reported there were 355 checks with no warnings or citations issued.
2. She had a resident ask about getting yield signs at some intersections. Council said no because it is the law to yield.

Report of the Street Commissioner

1. The Street Commissioner reported he looked into the cost of getting the streets swept. Contract Sweepers would sweep two times a year (late spring and late fall) for $530 per sweep. They do Westerville and Gahanna. Jenny Jones asked if he could check with another company or two to see if that was a reasonable price. He will check.
2. The SSES Report has been sent to the EPA for approval.

Report of the Newsletter Editor

1. The Editor would like copy for the Newsletter by March 5th and she is working on an update to the directory.
2. She normally sends the draft of the Newsletter to the Mayor and Clerk-Treasurer for review and wanted to know if anyone on Council would also like to review it? MacGilvray said he would.

Report of the Web Manager

1. There was no report.

Comments from Residents on Agenda Items

1. There were no comments on agenda items.

Old Business

1. Resolution No. 2012-04
   MacGilvray introduced Resolution No. 2012-04, A Resolution to Create Committees to Support the Work of Village Council and to Appoint Members Thereto. The following were appointed to the Committee on Ordinances: Jenny Jones, Chair; Scott Gordon, Mike Jones, Jacalyn Slemmer and Carolee Noonan. The following members were appointed to the Committee on Infrastructure: Briggs Hamor, Chair, Eric MacGilvray, Bill Charles, Chris Bedell and Marc Benevento. The following members were appointed to the Committee on Communications: Jon Ankrom, Chair, Jody Croley Jones, Greg Bonk and Lois Yoakam. Hamor moved and Ankrom seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Resolution 2012-04. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0). Ankrom moved and MacGilvray seconded the motion to adopt Resolution No. 2012-04. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

   The Mayor noted that these committees were not restricted to only these members. He hopes more residents will volunteer to serve on these committees.

2. Burgess & Niple SSES Invoice
   The Clerk-Treasurer reported that the SSES consisted of two contracts: one for the flow monitoring and one for the report. Burgess & Niple were under on the flow monitoring and a little over on the report. Together they were $9400 under the total $68,000 for the project so far. She asked Council to approve the invoice of $22,043.26. Hamor moved and MacGilvray seconded the motion to authorize the payment of the Burgess & Niple invoice of $22,043.26. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

New Business

1. Ordinance No. 01-2012
   MacGilvray introduced Ordinance No. 01-2012, An Ordinance to Approve a Modification and Realignment of Ordinance 04-2011, The Annual Appropriation Ordinance (Village). Ankrom moved and Jones seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Ordinance No. 01-2012. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0). Jones moved and Gordon seconded the motion to adopt Ordinance No. 01-2012. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).
2. Records Retention
   The Mayor announced that the Clerk-Treasurer has about 14 boxes that need to be sorted in order to apply the Records Retention Schedule and he felt it would be easier and faster if Council helped. He asked Council to check their schedules and at the next Council meeting a date and time will be determined.
3. Expenses
   Council asked about the $300 cost for the Easter Egg Hunt. The Clerk-Treasurer said the amount spent was generally around $200 but it has been $300. It is to cover the cost of candy and prizes. The Mayor noted he needs to find someone to organize it.

   The Clerk-Treasurer reported that the lift station has a flow monitoring contract with RACO. A one year contract is $555 and a three year contract is $1347, which saves $318. Council said to go with the three year contract.

   MacGilvray moved and Jones seconded the motion to authorize the following expenses:

   1. Easter Egg Hunt – $300
   2. RACO lift station three year contract – $1347
   3. Clerk-Treasurer annual training – $125
   4. OML new council member training for Jenny Jones – $50
   5. Auditor of State audit – $2450
   6. OML liability insurance – $2456

Comments from Residents on Non-Agenda Items

Next Meeting Announcement

Adjournment

KIRK M. MCHUGH, MAYOR

M. COLWELL, CLERK OF COUNCIL