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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20071220CCSpecialMeetingMinutes Page 1 of 7 20071220 City Council Special Meeting Minutes Mayor Buelterman called the meeting to order at 4:30pm. Present in addition to the Mayor were Council members Sessions, Crone, Doyle, Wolff, Pearce and Williams. Also attending was City Manager Diane Schleicher. Mr. Henry Levy expressed congratulations and gratitude to Mr. Off, Mr. Kingston and Mayor Buelterman for getting Beach Renourishment funding for Tybee. Mr. Levy said he is doing an amateur study of toll booths for Tybee. He feels the tolls could pay for beach renourishment, parking garages and lifeguards. He requested $200,000 be put in the budget to hire planning and financial experts to confirm what he is going to propose. Mr. Dick Smith said he was confused about the deficit and incoming expenses of the campground. He said it is a substantial amount of money that the city will have to borrow internally or externally to cover it at some point and there will be a budget adjustment. He asked when the budget adjustment for approximately $300,000 will be made. Mr. Redmond said the budget adjustment will only be for the interest because the principle and interest payments are to be made back to the campground. He said that adjustment would be made to the campground budget and the corresponding receivable in the general fund, assuming the loan is made internally. He said the same kind of things happen with water sewer and sanitation. He said the adjustment for water and sewer will be substantially larger this year than the one for the campground. Mayor Buelterman said that is a significant amount and asked Mr. Redmond if the budget for that enterprise fund balanced. Mr. Redmond said yes. He said that includes a small profit but Mr. Smith is referring to the debt service. Mr. Redmond said the enterprise fund includes interest but not the principle. Mr. Smith asked when the budget adjustment would be done. Mr. Redmond said in January. *** Mayor Buelterman opened the meeting for business legally presented. *** Mr. Pearce moved to approve the alcohol, Sunday Sales and Entertainment license for Café Loco, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Page 2 of 7 Ms. Schleicher requested council approval for the DOT Contract for the Tybrisa Sidewalks. She requested that Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem be allowed to sign them after Mr. Hughes reviews. Mr. Wolff moved to approve, Ms. Williams seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Ms. Schleicher explained the request for the Hwy 80 upgrade to stamped concrete at the crosswalks. She said the in ground lighting that council requested was cost prohibitive. She said the cost for the stamped concrete alone will be $120,000 from #100-4210-54-1410. Mr. Pearce moved to approve $120,000 for the stamped concrete crosswalks, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. Mr. Wilson said the lighting could be installed in the concrete at a later date without disturbing the asphalt. Mayor Buelterman said he will talk with the Lt. Governor and ask if timing can be negotiated in order to have everything done at once. *** Ms. Schleicher presented Change order # 2 for Coastal Grading & Rental for $4,808.70 for a loading area between Izlar and Silver Street. Ms. Doyle asked what the width is. Mr. Lovett said it is going from 19 to 22 feet. Ms. Doyle asked if this was sufficient for what the owners need. Ms. Schleicher said she has talked to the owners and they are happy with the proposal and hope City Council approves it. Mr. Pearce moved to approve Change order # 2, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Lovett said the contractor was pulling up the sidewalk by the pier and discovered another sidewalk underneath. Change order #3 for Coastal Grading & Rental is for Demolition of a 125 ft by 8 ft section of concrete 6” thick for $1,110. Mr. Crone moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded. Mayor Buelterman asked where the money is coming from. Ms. Schleicher said the budget. Mayor Buelterman asked if it would require an adjustment. Mr. Redmond said it would require an adjustment or you could request an advance on 2009 SPLOST. He said you have additional monies coming from the 09 SPLOST for several years that relate to the South Beach project. Mayor Pro Tem Sessions asked if we had money in the bank to cover these items. Mr. Redmond said yes. And the vote was unanimous. *** Page 3 of 7 Mr. Lovett said the contractor found a septic tank on Tybrisa and he removed the lid and pumped it out and filled it with sand. Change order # 4 for $330 for Coastal Grading & Rental is for that work and disposing the lid. Mr. Wolff moved to approve, Mr. Pearce seconded and the vote was unanimous. Ms. Williams asked if they have already done the work what would they do if council said no. Mayor Pro Tem Sessions said when this project started they gave Ms. Schleicher the authority to approve the paperwork for change orders and bring them to council. Mr. Wolff said he remembered giving Ms. Schleicher the authority to approve change orders up to $10,000 in order to not slow the project down. *** Mr. Lovett said the contractor found concrete pads when they took down some columns. He said they wouldn’t work so they had to be removed for Change order # 5 for $1,196.80 for Coastal Grading & Rental. Mr. Pearce moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Lovett said the city requested that we change the pavement at the end of the parking lot at 18th Street so that public works has better beach access and is Change order # 6 for $1,554 for Coastal Grading & Rental. Mr. Pearce moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Lovett said change order # 7 for $2,355.80 for Coastal Grading & Rental is for additional drainage design and elevation changes in order for them to drain properly. Ms. Schleicher said there were some issues by the box culvert at Dolphin Watch. Mr. Pearce moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mayor Buelterman asked for the change order cost for this meeting. Mr. Lovett said $11,355.30. Mayor Buelterman said the money will come from incoming SPLOST money. Mr. Redmond said yes. *** Mayor Buelterman explained that the council recommended and staff has found a way to increase parking to $1.50 an hour and leave enforcement hours at 8am to 8pm in order to approach parking incrementally. He said previously at the Page 4 of 7 parking lots when we had the airport arms people paid $5.00 to park for 1 hour and 31 minutes which is more than the proposed amount. He said under this proposal they will pay $2.00 for that amount of time. Mr. Pearce moved to approve the increase in parking rates, fines, decals and enforcement as proposed, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mayor Buelterman said he thinks the council needs to approve the class and comp with a motion. Ms. Schleicher said she thinks it needs to be clear and approved by city council. Mr. Pearce moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded. Ms Doyle asked why supervisory activities and public relations were deleted from the City Marshal’s job. Mayor Buelterman said if people coming into office are concerned about this there is nothing to keep changes from being made to something that is adopted now, other than the positions themselves. Ms. Doyle asked for an answer to her question. Mr. Redmond said he didn’t have the information before him but previously there was a period of time when the director position was vacant in that department and the marshal was supervising the deputy marshal and it came to his attention that the department supervisor was supervising both of those positions. Mr. Redmond said as he recalled it was one point taken off and another added which left the grade the same for the position. Ms. Doyle said the information she received yesterday had public relations in red to delete. Mr. Redmond said he would have to investigate. Mayor Buelterman said if changes are needed at a later date that is what will have to happen. And the vote was unanimous. *** Mayor Buelterman said the Ad Hoc Memorial Park Planning Committee had requested to extend their deadline to the middle of March. Mr. Pearce moved to approve, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mayor Buelterman said regarding the Holiday Leave for Employees ordinance, the staff has determined it needs to take effect on January 1, 2008. Ms. Schleicher said the city is not prepared to shut down for Christmas Eve this year. Ms. Williams said when President’s Day was previously discussed, Ms. Schleicher was being conscientious about not giving employees an additional holiday but technically it would only be a half of a day. Ms. Williams requested adding President’s Day as a holiday. Ms. Williams moved to approve for 2nd Reading the Holiday Leave Ordinance with the addition of President’s Day effective January 1, 2008, Mr. Pearce seconded. Ms. Woods read the Page 5 of 7 Holiday List for Council. And the vote was Williams, Pearce, Sessions, Crone and Doyle in favor and Wolff opposed. *** Mr. Pearce moved to approve for 2nd reading code Section 6-1-15 to provide for billing of water services monthly, Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Redmond said he made the changes to the budget in order to balance it to the reduction in the increased parking fees. He said one other item that needs to be discussed is, the original cost for the expansion of the campground was $150,000 and the estimates that were received put the cost at around $350,000. He said he added those into the capital line item and budgeted additional interest because he assumes we would have to borrow money. Mayor Buelterman said they will have to make that decision in the future as to that being a justifiable expense. Mr. Redmond said yes that will have to come to council. *** Mayor Buelterman requested taking $1,000 out of his travel budget to give to The Eastern Surfing Association because they didn’t submit a request even though they should have. He said they provide services to our teenagers. Mr. Pearce moved to approve the budget with the amendment of $1,000 out of the Mayor’s travel budget to go to the Eastern Surfing Association, Mr. Wolff seconded. Ms. Doyle requested putting the requested $23,000 for the YMCA back into their budget and not into the contingency fund. Mayor Buelterman asked where the additional money would come from. Mr. Redmond said from the contingency fund. Mayor Buelterman said the contingency is at $179,000 and would be reduced by $23,000. Mr. Redmond said something like that. Ms. Williams said she wanted to draw council’s attention to the capital improvement plan. She said the Marine Science Center has $600,000 coming to them and it is not shown anywhere in this capital improvement plan. She said that was a commitment made to the MSC with SPLOST money and that amount needs to be reinstated. Mayor Buelterman said in light of what happened with Washington there is a way for Mr. Redmond to make that work. Mr. Pearce said he would amend the motion to include the amendments and the directive to Page 6 of 7 reinstate the money for the Marine Science Center if Mr. Wolff would agree. Mr. Wolff agreed. Mayor Pro Tem Sessions said the Y is the most heavily funded non profit with the city and she asked that the new council receive quarterly reports from the Y as well as other non profits in order to keep up with their progress on how the money is being spent and what outcomes are achieved with that money. Ms. Williams said council requested $1,000 be allotted to the Garden Club in order to cover their deposit for the Guard House and the budget only allots $500. Mr. Redmond said the $500 deposit would be handled administratively and would leave the additional $500 in their budget. Mayor Pro Tem Sessions said they talked about the $10,000 for Tybee Fest and not doling it out all at one time but incrementally according to Children’s activities during events on Tybee. Mr. Redmond said the money would be given to Tybee Fest on the completion of the events. Mayor Pro Tem said surely there would be receipts accompanying the request. Mr. Redmond said that is not a requirement for 501-C3’s and would only be required for the groups that are not 501-C3. Mr. Redmond said they will be monitoring the non profits on a monthly basis. Mayor Buelterman asked if council approved the entire budget if that would include the capital improvement list. Mr. Redmond said yes it would, but he can add the $600,000 if it is part of the 2009 SPLOST. He said because it will go out into that year and not the 2008 year unless you did an advance for it. Mr. Wolff told Mr. Redmond the $600,000 was a commitment from the 2003 SPLOST. Mr. Redmond said he would research it but it is still part of SPLOST and not a part of the general fund budget. Ms. Williams asked if they could get an earlier copy of the CIP budget to find out when the $600,000 disappeared and where it went. Ms. Schleicher asked that the two amendments be handled separately from the Marine Science Center item in order for Mr. Redmond to locate and document that item. Mr. Pearce restated his motion to approve the budget with the amendment for $1,000 from the Mayor’s travel budget to be designated to the Eastern Surfing Association and $23,000 for the YMCA being taken out of contingency and put back in their budget. Mr. Wolff seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Ms. Williams moved to direct staff to put $600,000 back into the CIP budget for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Mr. Pearce seconded, and the vote was unanimous. Page 7 of 7 *** Mayor Buelterman told council members that it had been a pleasure serving with them and he felt they had gotten a lot done. *** Mr. Wolff moved to go into Executive Session to discuss Personnel, Ms. Doyle seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Wolff moved to return to Regular Session, Mr. Pearce seconded and the vote was unanimous. *** Mr. Pearce moved to adjourn, Ms. Williams seconded and the vote was unanimous. _____________________________ Mayor Jason Buelterman ______________________________ Vivian O. Woods, Clerk of Council