April 15, 2013 Council Meeting Minutes

Regular Council Meeting

April 15, 2013

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 (arrived at 7:40 pm), Scott K. Gordon, Donald E. Griffith, Briggs W. Hamor, Jenny D. Jones and Eric A. MacGilvray, President Pro-Tem. Also present were Pamela M. Colwell, Clerk-Treasurer, L. Leah Reibel, Solicitor, William P. Charles, Street Commissioner, Michael Jones, Planning Commissioner, Karen McElmurray, Marshal, Jody Croley Jones, Web Manager and Lois Yoakam, Newsletter Editor. At 7:10 pm the Mayor called the meeting to order.

Minutes

1. The minutes of the regular Council meeting of March 18, 2013 were not read since each member had received a copy. The Clerk-Treasurer made one correction to the date of the liability insurance premium by changing the year from 2014 to 2013. MacGilvray moved and Jones seconded a motion that the minutes be approved as amended and submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

Report of the Clerk-Treasurer

1. Griffith moved and Gordon seconded the motion to approve the payment of bills and to accept the financial report for March 2013, as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).

Report of the Mayor

1. The Mayor reported that he received a letter from a resident expressing their concern about having the Easter egg hunt after the grass had been treated. The Mayor noted that the grass was treated five days prior to the hunt and it was considered safe. However, he said the Village will contact the landscaping company in the future to make sure that the grass is not treated prior to any planned Village activity. .

Report of the Solicitor

1. The Solicitor handed out a list of Clerk-Treasurer and Fiscal Officer salaries from small villages that was compiled from the Ohio Municipal League’s 2013 Village Salary Survey so Council could compare the compensation of other villages. This list also showed if the position was full time or part time.

Report of the Planning Commissioner

1. The Commissioner reported that the Commission did not meet this month.
2. He has been receiving numerous inquiries about the house being sold on Melbourne and if there can be any construction on the reserve next to the property, and the answer to that question is no.

Report of the Marshal

1. The Marshal reported there were 304 checks and no citations.

Report of the Street Commissioner

1. The Commissioner reported that there were problems with the lift station and a pump had to be replaced. He had the lift station cleaned out, and Radico has billed the Village for $1357.
2. Per the request of the Committee on Infrastructure, Burgess & Niple submitted a proposal for cleaning and assessing the storm sewers. The storm sewer system mapping ($7,800) and internal inspection ($43,000) can be done later but the dry weather screening ($5,000) needs to be done this year to meet the Ohio EPA General Permit MS4 requirements.
3. The water lines need to be flow tested to see if there is enough capacity in the fire hydrants to put out a house fire. Burgess & Niple stated they could do this for $9,000 but suggested that the City of Columbus may be able to do it for less. The Commissioner will contact Columbus about this. The water lines will need to be replaced when the streets are done because of their age and this may show that safety is also a factor in favor of replacement.
4. The Commissioner said that the Burgess & Niple proposal will be discussed at the next Committee on Infrastructure meeting and they will report back to Council with recommendations.

Report of the Newsletter Editor

1. The Editor would like copy for the Newsletter by May 5th.
2. She reported that she mailed 51 fewer copies because of residents signing up for the online Newsletter.

Report of the Web Manager

1. The Web Manager reported that 19% of the residents have signed up for the online Newsletter.

Comments from Residents on Agenda Items

Old Business

1. Sign Ordinance Amendment
   Ordinance No. 02-2013, An Ordinance to Amend the Sign Ordinance of the Village was given its second reading. MacGilvray moved and Hamor seconded the motion to amend the 32 square feet limit in section 152.05(B) Development Signs to 13 square feet. The motion was approved unanimously (5-0).
2. Committee on Infrastructure
   Briggs Hamor, Chair, reported that the bond information will be discussed at the next meeting as well as the storm sewer proposal from Burgess & Niple.
3. Committee on Ordinances
   Jenny Jones, Chair, will discuss Chapter 151 recommendations at the end of the Council meeting tonight.
4. Committee on Communications
   Jon Ankrom, Chair, reported that the Committee did not meet last month and will be meeting tomorrow, April 16, 2013.

New Business

1. Ordinance No. 03-2013
   MacGilvray introduced Ordinance No. 03-2013, An Ordinance to Approve a Modification and Realignment of Ordinance 06-2012, the Annual Appropriation Ordinance (Village). The Clerk-Treasurer reported that she needed to appropriate for the lift station upkeep as well as the transfer of funds to the Capital Projects Fund. Since Council was contemplating storm sewer and water assessments, it would be more efficient to appropriate the necessary funds now. Council still has the authority to not spend the money. Griffith moved and Jones seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Ordinance No. 03-2013. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0). Hamor moved and Jones seconded the motion to adopt Ordinance No. 03-2013. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).

2. Expenses

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

   $184.34 – Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
   $1357.00 Radico Inc. (lift station cleaning)
   The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).
3. Chapter 151 Zoning
   Jenny Jones continued the presentation of the recommendations of the Committee on Ordinances for the Zoning Code. Council discussed reasons to keep or to remove landscaping as part of the Certificate of Appropriateness application (section 151.068). Some felt landscaping should be part of the approval process and others felt that landscaping was not generally regulated and, therefore, should not be part of the approval process. MacGilvray noted that if the application was not going to be denied because of the landscape plan, then why require it? The Mayor and Hamor stated that in the past landscaping has been a contentious issue when the Commission has criticized or made suggestions regarding landscape plans. They would like to see that removed to smooth out the process. Just because a resident wants to modify their home they should not be subjected to a requirement that all other residents are not required to submit to. Griffith said he would like to keep it in since it provides information for the finished project and is required by most other municipalities. The discussion and presentation will continue at the next Council meeting. Notes will be compiled at the completion of the discussions.

Comments from Residents on Non-Agenda Items