Regular Council Meeting

January 17, 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, Donald E. Griffith, Briggs W. Hamor, and Eric A. MacGilvray. Also present were Pamela M. Colwell, Clerk-Treasurer, Steven W. Mershon, Solicitor, Lois Yoakam, Newsletter Editor, Karen McElmurray, Marshal, William P. Charles, Street Commissioner, and Jody Croley Jones, Web Manager. Guests of Council were Jim Dippel (B&N), Greg Bonk Jacalyn Slemmer, Jenny D. Jones, Chris Bedell and Jen Bedell. At 7:00 p.m. the Mayor called the meeting to order.

Mayor Oath of Office

  1. The Solicitor administered the oath of office to the newly elected Kirk McHugh

Minutes

  1. The minutes of the regular Council meeting December 19, 2011 were not read since each member had received a copy. Ankrom moved and Griffith seconded a motion that the minutes be approved as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0).

Report of the Clerk-Treasurer

  1. MacGilvray moved and Griffith seconded a motion to approve the payment of bills and to accept the financial report for December 2011, as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0).
  2. The Clerk-Treasurer reported that the State Auditor is performing the Village’s audit for 2010 and 2011. The last audit was for 2008 and 2009.
  3. She asked Council to appoint the Records Retention Commission by motion in order to authorize the disposal of records to comply with the Records Retention Schedule. The Solicitor explained that the Village has a Records Retention Schedule and the Clerk-Treasurer has identified documents to destroy per that schedule. He suggested that the Commission meet to authorize the destruction of documents since there is no formalized written procedure for this, especially since this has never been done before. MacGilvray made a motion to appoint the Solicitor, Mayor, Clerk-Treasurer and Ankrom to the Records Retention Commission. Hamor seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0).

Report of the Mayor

  1. The Mayor will be using the Google Voice phone number 614-547-3037 for Village business. It will be published on the website and in the Newsletter.
  2. A resident filed a complaint with the EPA regarding Riverlea’s sewers. It is considered a duplication that was dealt with by the Village and the EPA said they could not understand why it was filed but there is nothing to do.
  3. The Mayor asked Council if they were agreeable with him entering into discussions with Worthington on the possible installation of a sound barrier along 315 north. The traffic noise is very loud at times. Since there is only a chain link fence there now, it is also a safety issue for the bike bath that runs along it. Council agreed.
  4. He would like to ask residents if anyone has some electrical expertise to repair/replace the two entrance lights. They should contact him to discuss the details. This will be put in the Newsletter.

Report of the Solicitor

  1. The Solicitor reported he contacted the EPA regarding the complaint and they said nothing more was needed from the Village at this time.
  2. The Solicitor suggested waiting until a Federal Court of Appeals decision has been made regarding a solicitation case to see what needs to be addressed.

Report of the Planning Commissioner

  1. Jody Croley Jones made the report in the absence of the Planning Commissioner. She reported there was no meeting in January

Report of the Marshal

  1. The Marshal reported there were 298 checks with no warnings or citations issued.

Report of the Street Commissioner

  1. Jim Dippel, Burgess & Nipel, discussed the draft of the executive summary of the SSES report that was distributed to Council. He planned to submit the report by the end of January. It gives recommendations regarding repairs and it also recommends some additional field work. MacGilvray asked about some cost estimates not in the report and Dippel responded that it was hard to estimate without additional testing. The report also discusses future cleaning and inspection schedule. The EPA Findings and Orders do not have a timeline for repairs but they should be done in a reasonable time. There was some discussion about the current sewer work by Columbus and Worthington. The Solicitor said we have talked with Worthington for the past eight years regarding the new sewer line. He suggested that the Street Commission keep on this with Worthington. Dippel said some of these projects may qualify for OPWC funding.
  2. The Street Commissioner reported he submitted the 2009-2010 SSO report to the EPA. He had to include some additional information that they requested.

Report of the Newsletter Editor

  1. The Editor would like copy for the Newsletter by February 5th
  2. She is working on changes to the directory for residents. This will not be a complete directory.

Report of the Web Manager

  1. The Web Manager reported that the most popular page was the meeting notes, which were just added to the website.

Report of Parks and Recreation

  1. There was no report.

Comments from Residents on Agenda Items

  1. There were no comments on agenda items.

Old Business

  1. There was no old business.

New Business

  1. President of Council Appointment 
    Hamor nominated MacGilvray Council President Pro-Tem. There were no other nominations. Hamor moved and Griffith seconded the motion to appoint MacGilvray Council President Pro-Tem. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea, 3; Ankrom, Hamor and Griffith: Abstain, 1; MacGilvray: No, 0. The motion was approved 3-1-0.
  2. Vacant Council Positions
    There were two vacant positions on Council because there were no candidates during the November 2011 election. The Mayor asked the candidates for appointment to say something about themselves and why they wanted to be on Council. Scott Gordon, Jenny Jones, Chris Bedell and Jacalyn Slemmer spoke. The Mayor read a statement from Marc Benevento since he was not able to attend. Since Jacalyn Slemmer had not been a resident for one year, she was not eligible for a position on Council at this time. The Mayor said he hoped she would continue to try to be involved with the Village and that positions open up all of the time.

    Ankrom moved to adjourn into Executive Session pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1) to discuss the appointment, employment or compensation of a public official or employee. Griffith seconded the motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea, 4, Ankrom, Griffith, Hamor and MacGilvray: No, 0. The motion was approved 4-0. Council adjourned into Executive Session at 8:05 pm.

    Hamor moved and MacGilvray seconded the motion to adjourn out of Executive Session and resume Open Session. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea, 4, Ankrom, Griffith, Hamor and MacGilvray: No, 0. The motion was approved 4-0.

    Council resumed Open Session at 8:18 pm.

    MacGilvray moved and Hamor seconded the motion to appoint Scott Gordon and Jenny Jones to Council. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0). The Mayor administered the oath of office.

  3. Web Manager Pay Increase and Appointment Resolution 2012-02
    The Mayor asked the two candidates, Jody Croley Jones, current Web Manager, and Greg Bonk, to discuss their qualifications and what they would like to do as Web Manager.

    A motion was made by MacGilvray to adjourn into Executive Session pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1) to discuss the appointment, employment or compensation of a public official or employee. Hamor seconded the motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea, 6, Ankrom, Gordon, Griffith, Hamor, Jones and MacGilvray: No, 0. The motion was approved 6-0. Council adjourned into Executive Session at 8:20 pm.

    Ankrom moved and MacGilvray seconded the motion to adjourn out of Executive Session and resume the Open Session. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea, 6, Ankrom, Gordon, Griffith, Hamor, Jones and MacGilvray: No, 0. The motion was approved 6-0

    Council resumed Open Session at 8:55 pm.

    The Mayor appointed Jody Croley Jones as Web Manager. MacGilvray introduced Resolution 2012-02, A Resolution to Confirm the Appointment of Jody Croley Jones as Web Manager. The Resolution also increased the Web Manager’s pay to $1800 per year. Gordon moved and Griffith seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Resolution 2012-02. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0). MacGilvray moved and Hamor seconded the motion to adopt Resolution 2012-02. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).

  4. Resolution No. 2012-01
    Ankrom introduced Resolution No. 2012-01, A Resolution to Adopt Rules of Council for 2012 and to Provide for Certain Other Organizational Matters. MacGilvray moved and Hamor seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Resolution No. 2012-01. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0). Hamor moved and MacGilvray seconded the motion to adopt Resolution No. 2012-01. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).
  5. Resolution No. 2012-03
    Griffith introduced Resolution No. 2012-03, A Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into a Contract with Lois Yoakam for the Provision of Newsletter Editor and Village Roster Custodian Services. Ankrom moved and Hamor seconded the motion to suspend the three readings of Resolution No. 2012-03. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0). Gordon moved and Griffith seconded the motion to adopt Resolution No. 2012-03. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).
  6. Marshal Appointment
    Gordon moved to appoint Karen McElmurray as Village Marshal. Ankrom seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).
  7. Solicitation Law
    The Mayor asked Council if they wanted to review the solicitation law. He believed there is no way to enforce this law. The Clerk-Treasurer says it needs to be more clear on who needs a permit and who does not. What about kids soliciting for school? She noted that people want to apply for a permit at night and on weekends. There are also limitations on how much municipalities can restrict political, religious and non-profit soliciting. The Solicitor suggested waiting until a district court decision has been made regarding a solicitation case to see what needs to be addressed. He also asked Council to decide what they want to accomplish with this law and what activities they want to restrict. The Mayor said this should be looked at by the committee he wants to set up to review ordinances and Council agreed.
  8. Committee on Infrastructure
    The Mayor stated that it was his goal to get more residents involved in our community. He would like to establish a committee consisting of three Village Officials and 2 residents. They would work on establishing a timeline for the infrastructure with 2-3 financially graded plans. They would then report to Council, thus saving time at the regular Council meetings and providing Council with valuable thoughtful information. The Mayor wants to get the core committee established and then advertise it in the Newsletter to get additional resident participation. He would like to appoint the Street Commissioner, MacGilvray and Hamor for the Village Officials. Jacalyn Slemmer volunteered also.

    The Solicitor suggested waiting until the next Council meeting so that a resolution could be adopted that formalized these committees. Council agreed.

  9. Committee on Ordinances
    The Mayor would like to establish a Committee on Ordinances to review the current ordinances and identify conflicts, simplify the planning approval process, remove obsolete or unnecessary items, determine the utility of bonds for building permits, etc. Gordon questioned whether this was solely Council’s responsibility. The Mayor said we should have the community’s input of what they believe are the major issues, not just what Council thinks the issues are. If they choose to not be involved, then Council will at least know they tried. The Mayor said he would like to appoint the Planning Commissioner, Gordon and Jenny Jones and have 2 residents on this committee.. The formation of this committee will be put in the Newsletter so that residents can contact him if they are interested. The Mayor will formally appoint the committee at the next Council meeting.
  10. Street Cleaning The Street Commissioner will look into the cost of getting the streets cleaned and report back to Council.
  11. Expenses:
    MacGilvray moved and Griffith seconded the motion to approve the following expenses:

    1. Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation – $406.79
    2. MORPC annual dues for 2012 – $800
    3. Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) – $50
    4. Secure record disposal of not more than $125
    5. Fireproof Records Storage – $180
    6. RACO – lift station flow monitoring $540

    The motion was approved unanimously (6-0).

Comments from Residents on Non-Agenda Items

There were no comments on non-agenda items

 

Next Meeting Announcement

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the Thomas Worthington High School.

 

Adjournment

There being no further business, MacGilvray moved and Hamor seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion was approved unanimously (6-0). The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.

 

KIRK M. MCHUGH, MAYOR

M. COLWELL, CLERK OF COUNCIL