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HomeMy Public PortalAbout19810323 council work session 79 COUNCIL WORK SESSION, March 23, 1981 The Council Work Session of March 23 , 1981 , was called to order at 7:30 p.m. with Mayor Hartsfield presiding. - Councilmen present : Borgmeyer, Brant , Crader, Halsey, Hequembourg, Prenger, Wade and Whitecotton. Councilmen absent : Gordon and K3.iegel A quorum was present. Council adjourned into executive session to confer with Mr. Michael Riley and Mr. Harvey Tettlebaum concerning lawsuits the City is involved in. Council reconvened to regular session at 8:30 p.m. Cole The first item of business was the proposed contract between County the City and the Cole County Mental Health Clinic. Rev. Robert Mental Baur, President of the Board of the Cole County Mental Health ; Health Services, appeared before the Council. He stated that due to the Clinic. government cutbacks, the state institutions are being asked to send people to their local communities for help. Therefore, the Mental Health Clinic would like to enter into an agreement with 1 the City whereby the City would provide financial assistance to the Clinic by contributing the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5 ,000.00) as an emergency fund in return for free counseling services to City employees and their families. The Clinic would ask for the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) for the next fiscal year, however, they do not anticipate coming to the City each year for financial aid. After further discussion, Councilman Borgmeyer moved that the City contract with the Cole County Mental Health Clinic for the num of Five Thousand Dollars ($5, 000. 00) which will be taken from unappropriated funds. Motion Was seconded by Councilman 1 Iloquembauri, and passed. Mayor stated that unless notified dif- ferently, when the budget is prepared for the next fiscal year they will enter Ton Thousand Dollars ( $1.0,000. 00) for the Clinic; and the matter can be discussed in the budget review process . An ordinance and copy of the contract will be .introduced on April 0 , 1.081 , and be passed on April, 21 , 1981 . c l The next item of business:) Was a discussion on the Capital Wear s ( West Urban Renewal and Wear' s Crook Project. Mayor Hartsfield Creek fj had requested the Board of the Iiousi.ng Authority to begin working Project.' on some alternate plans for the use and development of the land in the, event the City did not obtain Corp funding. He stated that corp projects which have been started have been cut eleven percent ( 11%) . Also, there have been no now water works projects I authorized or funded in the last four years and he would not ! expect any in the next four years. Mr. Ted Herron appeared before the Council on behalf of the Housing Authority. He stated that from the beginning it was the 1 feeling of the Housing Authority that Capital West should be developed by local interest and should be developed according to ' a plan which the public and City approved. The Capital West project decision in 1973 was not made by Ijust the Housing Authority. Extensive Public Hearings were held, ti six of which were considered formal. He stated the delay of the i+ Wear's Creek Project was through no fault of the Housing Authority and the situation has not changed since 1973. The Corp will offer a program and budget and Congress will cut it. The Wear' s Creek f project is one of the oldest before Congress and it should be one '. of the first to be funded. i' Mr. Forrest Carson then appeared before the Council to touch on the legal ramifications of the project. He stated that on each purchase made, it was made on the representations of the Housing I i II l I • COUNCIL WORK SESSION, March 23, 1981 Authority and for the plan which had been approved by the City, City Council, and HUD which included the proposed land uses in that project area. If the land use is now changed voluntarily by the City, people who were displaced for this project might request to buy their property back or there might be grounds to file suit against the City. However, if we proceed to get the plan imple- mented and Congress refuses to give us the money to proceed, thereby calling for an alternate plan, then the City does not face the same dilemma. Mr. Joe DeLong appeared on behalf of the Commissioners of ear s the Housing Authority. It is the opinion of the Commissioners Creek that if the plan is changed the City will be sued. They believe Project. they can complete the project without lawsuits against the City and they would like the Council 's support and backing on this plan until HUD says they will furnish necessary money for an alternate project and they will relieve the City of any responsibility. If the Federal Government will not give us the funds, then they will have to come up with the necessary funds to complete the Capital West Project by an alternate plan which would be livable to Jefferson City. However, if the City presents an alternate plan the responsibility will fall on the City. He stated if they were asked to deviate from the course they feel they would be successfu on, the Commissioners would resign. Mr. Herron then stated if the Commissioners did not have the support of the Council and they, the Commissioners, resigned, he would also resign. Mayor Hartsfield and several Councilmen stated they were not critizing the Housing Authority and felt that the Housing Authority had done a good job in the past. Upon inquiry from Councilman Prenger as to how long the Council was going to have to wait for the funding, Mr. DeLong stated he felt that within la years we will have funding or will have approval to proceed with an alternate plan and the City 's liability assumed. Councilman Pronger inquired 1.f there were alternate plans available for uno on the project. Mr. Herron ntated that the Housing Authority has, on an informal. basis, boon working on alternate plans which they would not discuss in public. However, they would be willing to present the alternate plans to the Counci., in Executive Session , i. r they were permitted to do so. Someone will chock with the City Attorney to see I f thin would be aeceptub. o. Mr, Gone Davis played a tape of Congrennman Bailey endorsing the Wear' s Crook Project . He felt there should be harmony and compatibility on the project between the City government: and the Housing Cornxntusion. (SEE INSERT ON PAGE 81 ) 1nsort After further discussion, Councilman I3orgmeyer made a motion that the Council support the housing Authority and hack their proposal 100%. This will be in the form of a Resolution which Mr. Borgmoyer will draft and present at the April G meeting. Mayor Hartufield stated it was not necessary to make a motion to intro- duce a Resolution. Councilman I3orgmeyer stated he made the motion merely to let the people know the position of the Council . Motion was seconded by Councilman Halsey. Councilman Prenger stated he would be voting no on the motion, not because he is unsupportive of the Board but because he is unclear as to the intent of the motion. Councilman Hequembourg stated he also would vote against the motion as he did not know what the motion is. He stated he sup- ports the present plan but he would like to see alternate plans. If a motion is presented to the Council supporting the plan and nothing further, then he would vote for it , however he would like to see alternate plans. Councilman Brant stated he would vote for the resolution but he felt there had been a lack of communication in the past between the Authority and the Council . He requested that the Council be provided copies of the minutes of the Housing Authority meetings. After further discussion, and upon vote of the Council , the motion passed. Mayor Iiartsfield stated that he would not participate in or sign any documents on the Wear' s Creek Project in the future. The Council and Board can proceed and he will not force them for an alternate plan. _ _ } • COUNCIL WORK SESSION, March 23, 1981 The next item on the agenda was the plans for the new animal shelter. Mr. Tom Benton presented a drawing plan for the new shelter to the Council. The plans would provide for all areas of the building to be enclosed. The cages in the kennel are designed to create indoor running. The four rooms behind the garage will be used for programs which may be started in the future, such as the adoption program. When asked about the cost of the building, approximately $138,000.00, Mr. Benton stated Fifty Thousand Dollars ( $50,000.00) Animal will come from the City and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50 ,000.00) will Shelter come from the Humane Society. He stated the Labor Union has been Plans. in contact with the Mayor to provide free labor, which they con- sider to be in the range of $30,000-$40,000. They are working with the Humane Society on a donation system as a way to raise funds. In no way do they anticipate coming to the Council , either this fiscal year or the next fiscal year, for an increase in the $50,000. 00 appropriated fund. Upon inquiry, Mr. Forrest Capps, the architect , stated that after approval of the plans they would be able to receive bids in approximately two months. Mr. Benton stated they would hope to break ground and have the building under roof prior to winter. When no one from the Council voiced any objection to the layout and design of the new building, Mayor Hartsfield advised them to proceed. Central Mr, Marty Brose appeared before the Council concerning the Maintenance Central Maintenance Facility. He stated that until March 11, 1981 , Facility he didn' t know he could use the site which they have always pro- Plans . , posed to go with, which is the site across from the old maintenance garage. He presented to the Council a time schedule showing what must be done to receive federal participation. The schedule shows application for Section 3 money must be in by April 1 , 1981 , and the application for Section 18 money must be in by May 1, 1981. After various steps, construction would then begin on September 1 , 1981. After voiced objections to hiring non-local persons for some of the work when local firms could be used , Mr. Brose stated Booker & Associates would consider Hub-contracting to someone local during the construction phase. After further discussion, it was decided that an ordinance would be introduced on March 30, 1981 ,. to authorize the balance of the engineering services. Meeting adjourned. INSERT-WEAR'S CREEK PROJECT: Councilman Halsey stated he fully supports 100% Congressman Bailey's comments. Iie stated he has faith in each of the Commissioners and in the ability of the Housing Authority. He is sure that they will accomplish this mission as they (the Housing Authority) has done in the past on other projects where the odds have been against them. He stated they have his sincere endorsement .