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HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-23-2003PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, MONDAY, NNE 23, 2003 The Common Council of the City of Richmond, Indiana met in regular session at 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 23, 2003, in the Council Chambers in said City. President Bing Welch presided with the following Councilmembers present: Howard "Jack" Elstro, Etta J. Lundy, Karl Sharp, Bruce Wissel, Larry Parker, Stephen H. Rabe and Sarah "Sally" Hutton. Councilmember Phil Dickman was absent. The following business was conducted: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PRAYER BY COUNCILMEMBER HUTTON ROLL CALL Eight present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Councilmember Parker moved to approve the minutes of June 2, 2003, second by Councilmember Sharp and the motion was carried on a voice vote. PRESENTATIONS, MEMORIALS, REMONSTRANCES, PETITIONS AND INTRODUCTIONS MOTIONS OR RESOLUTIONS. (MUST BE IN WRITING) President Welch announced that the agenda should be amended to include Item C which City Attorney Bob Bever would be presenting tonight to approve appointments to the Fact Finding Committee made by the administration. Councilmember Elstro so moved, second by Councilmember Parker and the motion was carried on a voice vote. A. RESOLUTION NO. 5 — 2003 — A RESOLUTION ALLOWING A LATE FILED STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FORM FOR A TAX ABATEMENT FOR MACWAHOC ENTERPRISES, LLC President Welch, in the absence of Brian Belbin of Macwahoc Enterprises LLC, gave a brief background on this resolution explaining that this is not extremely late since ground was broken before the initial contact was made. He asked Tony Foster of Community Development to step forward to explain that Belbin had contacted him and told him that it was his (Belbin's) mistake that it had not been filed. Councilmember Wissel moved to approve the resolution, second by Councilmember Rabe and the motion was carried on a voice vote. B. RESOLUTION NO.7 — 2003 — SLUM AND BLIGHT DECLARATORY RESOLUTION Explaining this resolution was Foster, who commented that Bever would be helping to explain this, also. Foster said this is a Brownsfield Redevelopment Grant giving the City an excellent opportunity to do some of the cleanup work in the Starr-Gennett area in the Whitewater Valley Gorge. He said to meet the national objective to make the City eligible for this grant, that area needs to be declared a slum and or blighted area. Bever explained that the federal grant requirements are unclear and until he can obtain clarification on the subject this resolution should be put on hold. Councilmember Parker moved to hold the resolution, second by Councilmember Rabe and the motion was carried by a voice vote. C. APPOINTMENT TO FACT FINDING PANEL Bever explained that in attempting to finalize the contract for this year with AFSCME a fact finding process has been required and it consists of a 5-member Fact Finding Panel made up of 2 selected by the Sanitation District and the Mayor, 2 selected by the bargaining agent with approval of Common Council. He said Ernie Jarvis and James Trey Waltrip have been selected by the Sanitation District and the Mayor, adding that those names have already been given to AFSCME. Councilmember Sharp moved to approve the appointments, second by Councilmember Rabe and t he motion was carried on a voice vote. COMMUNICATION FROM THE MAYOR Mayor Shelley Miller said the City is very pleased to have received official notification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the Brownfield Assessment Grant for $200,000 for assessment activities in the corridor from the Gorge Cardinal Greenway Trail to the Gas Building. She said Richmond is one of four cities in the state to receive this grant. Common Council Minutes Cont'd June 23, 2003 Page 2 REPORT FROM BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY Minutes of the Board of Works meetings of May 22, 29 and June 5, 2003 were in the Council packets. REPORTS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES REPORTS FROM SPECIAL COMMITTEES REPORTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS Councilmember Parker, who is Council's appointment to the Redevelopment Commission, reported on a meeting held by that group on June 12' during which there were three resolutions on the agenda which were adopted. He said these included an internal transfer of funds to the General Fund and Park, Police and Fire Pension Funds; authorized expenditure of funds for the Carpenter Building to repair the sprinkler system; and a transfer in exchange of land with Reid Hospital as part of the Reid Parkway to straighten out the roadway to make a more accessible route for the extension of the road in the future. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS Councilmember Elstro commented on the issue of the mud and dirt which is being carried out onto the street by the Recycling Center's trucks. Mayor Miller responded to his comments, saying that she is still talking with the owners of the property about that issue. Another issue addressed by Councilmember Elstro was the cutting of the grass by the City. The Mayor said a part time position has been filled to help with that problem working an additional 30 hours a week. Councilmember Parker commented on the lot next to the Help The Animals building where the grass was about 4 feet high and he suggested the ordinance be rewritten to shorten the time period of notification and increase the fine. The Mayor said that lot was taken care of Saturday, adding that some of the hold up in getting fast action on that is getting the notification out and to the property owner. Councilmember Parker commented that one of the problems is the fact that some of the property owners are habitual violators, adding that he had asked one of them why he always did this. He said that property owner explained that it was less expensive to only have the City cut the grass twice a year because if he had it cut like it should be he would have to cut it 10 or 12 times a year so he waits until he is in violation and the City cuts it. President Welch, continuing his custom of reading the strategic themes of the Wayne County Visioning, read No. 5 — "The People of Wayne County will have education and training in order to be successful and productive in all parts of their lives." He said he chose that one specifically for tonight because of the number of students in the government classes of Mr. McWhinney, Weir and Stevens in the audience. He asked them to come forward and introduce themselves to Council and the television viewers. ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING Councilmember Elstro moved to suspend the rules and read Ordinances No. 43, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49 — 2003 on first reading and read by title only, second by Councilmember Rabe and the motion was carried on a voice vote. ORDINANCE NO. 43 — 2003 The Clerk read Ordinance No. 43 — 2003 — A SPECIAL ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP FOR A CERTAIN PARCEL FROM M-2 TO C-4 GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT President Welch said this ordinance would be referred to the Planning Commission. ORDINANCE NO. 45 — 2003 The Clerk read Ordinance No. 45 — 2003 — A SPECIAL ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE APPROVAL OF A STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FOR A PROPERTY OWNER APPLYING FOR DEDUCTIONS UNDER I.C. 6-1.1-12.1 Explaining the ordinance was Councilmember Wissel who said this is an abatement request made by All Coast Logistics and Warehousing Inc. He said the corporation anticipates 30 new jobs and the retention of 172 and it is for real estate in the amount of $350,000, adding that this ordinance will come back to Council after evaluation and review by the Tax Abatement Committee. Common Council Minutes Cont'd June 23, 2003 Page 3 ORDINANCE NO. 46-2003 The Clerk read Ordinance no. 46 — 2003 — AN APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL, ACCEPTANCE, AND APPROPRIATION OF A GRANT FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Tony Foster of the Community Development office explained that this ordinance deals with allowing the expanding of volunteers in policing program to enable the volunteers to perform routine, non -emergency police functions to allow the sworn officers to engage in other active duties. He said it will also create a Crime Prevention Academy/Emergency Preparedness Academy for civilians with a training corps of officers and volunteers to teach crime prevention, emergency preparedness and safety awareness techniques to the community. Foster said some of the things volunteers will be able to do include running Vehicle Identification checks, doing reports on lost or stolen license plates, doing minor theft reports and aid officers in community events. He added that the grant amount is $50,000 and there is not a local match required. Councilmember Parker moved to suspend the rules and advance Ordinance No. 46 — 2003 to second reading and read by title only, second by Councilmember Sharp and the motion was carried on a voice vote. The Clerk read Ordinance No. 46 —2003 on second reading. President Welch declared Ordinance No. 46 —2003 on public hearing. There being no other comments either for or against the ordinance, Councilmember Elstro moved for engrossment, second by Councilmember Parker and the motion was carried on a voice vote. Councilmember Wissel moved to suspend the rules and advance Ordinance No. 46 — 2003 to third and final reading and read by title only, second by Councilmember Parker and the motion was carried on a voice vote. The Clerk read Ordinance No. 46 — 2003 on third reading. Ordinance No. 46 — 2003 was adopted on a unanimous roll call vote ORDINANCE NO.47 — 2003 The Clerk read Ordinance No. 47 — 2003 - A SPECIAL ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE APPROVAL OF A STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FOR A PROPERTY OWNER APPLYING FOR DEDUCTIONS UNDER I.C. 6-1.1-12.1 Explaining this ordinance was Councilmember Wissel who said this would come under the "uptown" abatement ordinance and the request was made by Paul W. Lingle, Trustee, and is for the addition of a 38 by 48 office building at 651-659 South A Street and 108 South 7' Street. He said the request is for a tax abatement for $125,000 and they estimate 4 new jobs and the retention of 7 jobs. President Welch said this ordinance would be referred to the Tax Abatement Committee for review and be brought back to Council at its next meeting. 7] N IJ 112k,11201 offem [MD1111X, The Clerk read Ordinance No. 48 — 2003 - A SPECIAL ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE APPROVAL OF A STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FOR A PROPERTY OWNER APPLYING FOR DEDUCTIONS UNDER I.C. 6-1.1— 12.1 Councilmember Wissel explained that this ordinance deals with a 10-year abatement request for equipment and was made by Hoffco/Comet Industries, Inc. He said it is for an estimated new value of $2,059,939.00. President Welch said that this ordinance, also, will be referred to the Tax Abatement Committee and return to Council at its next meeting. 7] N IJ 112k,11201 o►[em L2&611112t] The Clerk read Ordinance No. 49 — 2003 — AN APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL, ACCEPTANCE, AND APPROPRIATION OF A GRANT FROM THE INDIANA HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY Foster explained that this ordinance deals with a request made by the City of Richmond for a grant from the Indiana Housing Finance Authority for specifically the owner occupied rehabilitation program and the request is for $300,000. He said the City has been working on this for a little over 8 months and the criteria for selection of individuals who would be entitled to receive this assistance. Common Council Minutes Cont'd June 23, 2003 Page 4 He said 210 applications had been received and each one was thoroughly reviewed, then, the top 15 to 20 scores were brought to a subcommittee of the Housing Action Group. Foster said the scoring demonstrated that most of the individuals are in 50 percent or lower County median income. Giving an example, he said, that would be a family of two with two incomes of $16,000 or less, adding that most of the ones selected were in the 40 to 30 percent range. Foster said that with this grant only 12 to 15 individuals could be helped, adding that the amount of income was the first criteria for scoring, followed by elderly, handicapped and female head of the family. He said they would continue to seek other means to help, especially since the numbers seeking help were so great. The Housing Action Group, Foster said, consists of Mayor Shelley Miller, Councilmembers Sally Hutton, Karl Sharp and Etta Lundy, and also some local bankers and real estate agents and many others within the community. Councilmember Parker commented that in the future he would like to see a lower limit per household. He said it sounded as though the average household would receive around $20,000, and Foster said they could receive up to $25,000. He said he would like to see that amount cut down to $10,000 so more individuals could be helped. Foster thanked him for his comments, saying that he appreciated any comments to help make this a better program. Councilmember Lundy said that some of the houses need a lot more than $10,000 for improvements. Councilmember Lundy moved to suspend the rules and advance Ordinance No. 49 — 2003 to second reading and read by title only, second by Councilmember Elstro and the motion was carried on a voice vote. The Clerk read Ordinance No. 49 —2003 on second reading. President Welch declared Ordinance No. 49 —2003 on public hearing. Speaking in support of the ordinance were Richmond High School students Christina Parks and Kali McClaskey who had introduced themselves earlier along with the other students. There being no other comments either for or against the ordinance, Councilmember Elstro moved for engrossment, second by Councilmember Parker and the motion was carried on a voice vote. Councilmember Lundy moved to suspend the rules and advance Ordinance No. 49 — 2003 to third and final reading and read by title only, second by Councilmember Rabe and the motion was carried on a voice vote. The Clerk read Ordinance No. 49 — 2003 on third reading. Councilmember Lundy commended the two students who came forward to speak in support of the ordinance. Ordinance No. 49 — 2003 was adopted on a unanimous roll call vote. ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING AND ENGROSSMENT 7] N 11 1►k11►[® offem 11;6-1IIIR; The Clerk read Ordinance No. 40 — 2003 — A SPECIAL ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE APPROVAL OF A STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FOR A PROPERTY OWNER APPLYING FOR DEDUCTIONS UNDER I.C. 6-1.1-12.1 President Welch said since this ordinance and Resolution No. 5 go together, noting that making the request for the tax abatement is Macwahoc Enterprises, LLC, which is a family owned business, owned by the Belbin family which has been located on U.S. 27 North distributing wholesale car care products. He said they made a decision to buy property on North West N St., build their own building, and move into the City. President Welch said they currently employ 4 individuals and anticipate they will add additional employees to the company by this move and expansion of equipment and distribution. The 10-year tax abatement request is for their new 4,500 square foot building which is currently under construction and they expect to occupy by August L The total cost is estimated at $160,000, he said. Councilmember Hutton had some questions about the hourly wages as stated in the ordinance and President Welch said the numbers do not equate. He asked Foster to call Belbin to check those figures. Councilmember Parker asked that the ordinance be held. Common Council Minutes Cont'd June 23, 2003 Page 5 ORDINANCES ON THIRD READING None UNFINISHED BUSINESS Councilmember Sharp announced that a Councilmember had a birthday yesterday and called him a "senior" member, adding that it was none other than Councilmember Elstro. CALL FOR ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, on a motion duly made, seconded and passed, the meeting was adjourned at 8:40 P.M. Bing Welch, President ATTEST: Norma Schroeder. Clerk