MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL
November 1, 2005
Council President Glen Stewart called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Ward 1: Bob Valentine Present
Ward 2: Bernard Sargent Present
Ward 3: Ruth Detrow Present
Ward 4: Paul Wertz Present
At-large: Glen Stewart Present
October 18, 2005 Regular session
A correction to the minutes was made: Valentine noted that in the discussion of Ordinance No. 74-05, the minutes indicated he had talked to former Mayor Doug Cellar; however, Valentine had not talked to Cellar. The minutes will be amended to reflect that correction.
Moved by Sargent and seconded by Valentine to accept the minutes as corrected.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Stewart
Abstain: Wertz
(a) Boy Scout Troop 555:
Several members of Boy Scout Troop 555 were in attendance at the meeting. Council President Stewart welcomed them and encouraged them to ask any questions they might have of Council or others present.
Ord. 75-05
Item (a) AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE FINANCE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OHIO, TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC TREASURERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA FOR CASH HANDLING PROGRAM CERTIFICATION, AND TO IMPLEMENT THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OHIO, CASH HANDLING POLICY; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Moved by Wertz and seconded by Detrow to invoke Section 113.01 of the Codified Ordinances as the distribution of this Ordinance has satisfied the requirements of said Section and that a further reading be dispensed with at this time.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Wertz, Stewart
Comments:
Director of Accounting Anna Tomasek explained that this legislation would allow the City of Ashland to implement a cash handling policy that was discussed during the October 7th training session held at the County facility. Also, this will allow the Finance Director to submit an application for certification to the Association of Public Treasurers of The United States and Canada.
This policy will strengthen the City’s current existing policy; the certification is for a five-year period, after which the policy will be reviewed and renewed; and then another training program will be held. The certification program is for the entire City, and the training session held in October also was for the certification.
Moved by Valentine and seconded by Sargent that the Ordinance be passed on the first reading.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Wertz, Stewart
Moved by Wertz and seconded by Detrow that the rules requiring the reading on three separate days be suspended and that the Ordinance be passed on the second and third readings.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Wertz, Stewart
Moved by Detrow and seconded by Valentine that the Ordinance be passed.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Wertz, Stewart
Motion carried.
Ward 1: Bob Valentine
(a) Claremont Avenue resurfacing:
Valentine asked if the resurfacing of Claremont Avenue is part of the City’s resurfacing program or was it an Issue 2 project, and Mayor Strine responded it is part of the City’s program.
Ward 3: Ruth Detrow
(a) Police Department foot patrol program:
Detrow had questions from residents as to whether the City has, or plans to have, any program that would put foot patrol officers on the street instead of just officers in automobiles. People seem to want to see officers in the area on foot.
Police Chief Bill Miracle responded that the department currently has no foot patrols, as they do not really have the personnel to do that. Their budget is such now that they have laid off a portion of their force, and the remaining officers have to cover the City with sometimes as few as three officers on a shift. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to patrol on foot. There is a lot of area to cover and not much manpower to do it. If Council sees fit in the future to provide additional manpower, it is something they can consider, but under the present circumstances and in the immediate future, he does not see that happening.
He stated that he takes issue with a question of officers talking to citizens on a daily basis. City officers are out eight hours a day talking to people, answering calls and working with the public. It’s true they are not walking up and down a two-block area of the downtown on a regular basis, but they are out there talking to people almost all the time. They try to get a good sense of the community wherever they are at and whatever they are doing.
OLD BUSINESS
(a) Update on projects being done around the City:
Wastewater Treatment Plant equalization basin: Bogner is also doing that work; excavation started and piles being driven.
US Rt. 250 bypass: Kokosing expects this to be open November 9th depending on weather; some paving, seeding and striping to do yet.
Sandusky Street 12” waterline: main line is done, and they are working on house connections; another three weeks to finish.
City resurfacing program 2005: done; major improvements were made.
Ashland Business Park, Phase 1: excavation starts this week for the road; then sanitary sewer and waterline next.
Arthur Street box culvert: will be placed tomorrow (11/2/05); about three weeks of work left there before reopening the street.
Baney Road/Claremont Avenue traffic light replacement: expect this project to be done by the end of the year.
Well-drilling, testing on Riley property: expect rigs to be on-site to begin drilling monitoring wells (4) and a 12” test well; purpose is to ascertain sustainable yields of water in that area; lots of gravel but need to know the yields; work should begin this week, Wednesday or Thursday, 11/2/05 – 11/3/05.
Storm water issues and Inflow/Infiltration (I/I): Assistant Engineer Kurt Brzyscz working with Bruce Wiser and team to come up with storm water management plans.
Race Street reconstruction: storm sewer in, sidewalk to start tomorrow, 11/3/05; then milling and asphalt; expect completion November 30th; hope this project will alleviate traffic at Sandusky and Cottage Streets.
2006 projects listed:
Wick Avenue: bore underneath railroad tracks, extra access to carry storm water.
8th Street sanitary sewer: the same type of situation as Wick Avenue; to make sure there is a second access.
Clifton Avenue storm sewer: passed by Council but being put off until the start of the new year.
Study of lift stations on US Rt. 250: will be done with a consultant to be sure that corridor is being served by the sanitary sewer line lift stations.
2006 resurfacing program: already being evaluated to set up the schedule of streets.
Morgan Avenue waterline replacement being designed: rusty water and maintenance problems there.
Waterline priorities: working to establish priority list for waterlines based on maintenance and the problems occurring.
I/I maintenance and repair program: set up to eliminate storm water from the sewer system, part of a 5-year program with the EPA as part of the Modified Consent Decree.
Catch basins on Center, East Main and Cottage Streets: to be worked on.
Issue 2 projects: grant money comes to over $500,000, $400,000 in grant money and $96,000 in 0% interest loans, for replacement of Water Treatment Plant softener #1, about 60-years-old and in need of replacement.
CDBG ’06: to be used to upgrade downtown traffic lights.
Mayor Strine asked for more explanation and detail as to the equalization basin. Cooper replied that the City is spending over $5,000,000 on this. In 1988, the EPA noted that Ashland was having sanitary sewer overflows, which is not acceptable though most cities do have them, but the EPA is trying to eliminate them. Over a period of years, though, this has been put off by the EPA and forgotten. However, the City has a Modified Consent Decree from the Ohio Attorney General that requires the City to eliminate overflows into the sanitary sewer.
Part of the problem is that the storm water gets into the sanitary sewers, and the City’s wastewater treatment plant cannot handle that. The same thing is happening all over the state due to leaks and poor quality of material that was used to build them. The equalization basin will take the extra flow that the plant can’t handle and store it in this large tank, from which later it can be processed property. This $5,000,000 project will help the City be good neighbors to areas downstream, and it is required by the Ohio Attorney General. That is being worked on.
Detrow asked if the equalization basin is a stopgap measure until there is a bigger plant to handle the situation, and Cooper responded that it isn’t the answer for a 20-year future. The equalization basin is needed to take care of the City’s obligations right now, while a strong I/I program also is needed to eliminate storm water getting into the sewer system. That program is being worked on right now.
Mayor Strine added there will always be a use for the equalization basin in times of heavy rain to handle and contain the flows, and the City will be working on the storm water system forever, as an ongoing project replacing lines. Water Treatment Director Bruce Wiser affirmed that the basin would be usable whether a new plant is eventually built or not, and Cooper noted it would provide for overflows.
Cooper added that the previous five-year I/I storm water work done by consultants URS will be used as a gauge to start eliminating the inflow and infiltration. It can never be eliminated entirely, but enough can be done to buy the City a lot of time downstream.
(b) Lift stations:
Stewart asked Bruce Wiser to discuss new technology being used to monitor lift stations.
Wiser explained that a telemetry system is being installed, and it will allow them to monitor the status of the pumps when there are problems. The system will let them know down at the plant what is going on with the lift station, and that it needs attention. This is something they have not had in the past. The new system automates the process of monitoring and maintaining the lift stations. They will be installing these by priorities and needs in the lift stations in the near future. Those are some of the benefits of technology that is going on down at the water plant, things they never had before. Some of those systems they hope to have online and operational by mid-December.
(a) Work session scheduled:
Stewart announced a Council work session to be held on Tuesday, November 22nd at 6:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room. Possible topics include property maintenance ideas, the keeping of farm animals in town, sanitation pickup research; topics may change but will be confirmed closer to the time of the session.
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Valentine and seconded by Stewart to adjourn the meeting.
Ayes: Valentine, Sargent, Detrow, Wertz, Stewart
Council adjourned the regular session at 7:30 p.m.
Submitted by
Elaine C. Bucklew
Clerk of Council