City Commission

On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 8:30 a.m., the Dayton City Commission met in regular session in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Mims called the meeting to order. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken, and Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, and Turner-Sloss were present. The Clerk of Commission, Ms. Regina Blackshear, and the City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, were also present. Commissioner Shaw made a motion to excuse the absence of Commissioner Fairchild. Commissioner Turner-Sloss seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. INVOCATION Commissioner Turner-Sloss gave the invocation. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Mims led the public in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Shaw made a motion to approve the minutes from the January 17, 2024, City Commission meeting. Commissioner Turner-Sloss seconded the motion. The previous meeting minutes were unanimously approved. COMMUNICATIONS AND PETITIONS Communication #21867 State of Ohio, Department of Liquor Control – Permit Application No. 0689023 – New – D1 –Big Motion Lounge LLC, dba Big Motion Lounge LLC, 1718 W Third Street, Dayton OH 45402. The Clerk of Commission reported receipt of State of Ohio Permit Application No. 0689023 – New – D1 –Big Motion Lounge LLC, dba Big Motion Lounge LLC, 1718 W Third Street, Dayton OH 45402. The application was referred through the city for investigation. SPECIAL AWARDS/PRESENTATIONS Adopt a Storm Drain The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, invited Ms. Theresa McGeady, Environmental Scientist, at the Water Department, to the podium for a community update on adopting a storm drain. Ms. McGeady said stormwater is rain or melting snow that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground. In more natural areas, such as forests and wetlands, water is quickly able to soak into the ground, where it is stored and filtered. As urban areas have less vegetation and more impervious surfaces, less rain can infiltrate into the ground, and more runoff is generated. She said runoff picks up: pet waste, leaves, fertilizers, motor oil, detergents, trash, and during rain events, these materials get carried into our rivers and streams. Urban areas can be large contributors of pollution to waterbodies. Ms. McGeady said when it rains, the water is designed to drain from roads and away from homes and buildings to prevent flooding. Roads are pitched to direct the water to catch basins. The catch basins capture the water and direct them to the underground stormwater pipes below. The pipes then discharge to our rivers, without any treatment. Ms. McGeady said the Adopt a Storm Drain program is a new, interactive, mobile-friendly, and easy-to-use platform. She said it was developed in 2023 by WIMS-GIS. She said volunteers pledge to clean around the storm drain before a rain event, report spills or illegal discharges, and track their impact and volunteers will receive a “goody” bag to help get them started. Ms. McGeady said the goals and objectives of the program is for stormwater education and to empower people who live, work, and play to make a difference in their community and help protect Dayton rivers. She said clean rivers and streams are for all to enjoy. Citizens wishing to adopt a drain should go to www.daytonohio.gov/adoptadrain. Commissioner Turner-Sloss congratulated Ms. McGeady and asked how many drains had been adopted. Ms. McGeady said there were 14 drains adopted so far, but they are hoping over time there will be more adoptees. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked how many drains they would like to be adopted. Ms. McGeady said if they got 25 percent adopted that would be great. Commissioner Tuner-Sloss asked how many drains there were in all. Ms. McGeady said there were 20,000 drains in all. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked if they are coupling the adoption of the drains with the replacement of the drains. Ms. McGeady said they included the Dayton Delivers link for any complaints the public might have. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked about the catch nets to catch debris. Ms. McGeady said the struggle with nets is the long-term maintenance. Commissioner Joseph said he was in the process of adopting a drain during the meeting. Dayton Recovery Plan Demolition Monthly Update The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, invited Mr. Steve Gondol, Deputy Director, Planning Neighborhoods and Development, to the podium for a community update on demolition. Mr. Gondol said the total number of structures in the demolition program from 2022-2026 is 1,168. He said that based on a combination of favorable pricing, an increase in budget in CDBG, and adjustments to the ODOD grant, they have been able to increase the number of structures on the Dayton Recovery Plan Demolition program by 68. He said General Fund structures have increased due to a large number of structure fires in 2023. Mr. Gondol said there were 1,168 planned demolitions and in 2023 they completed 188 structures and 25 garages. He said there were 28 piles removed with 29 piles added for a total of 112 at the end of 2023. Mr. Gondol said they are starting 2024 with a robust schedule. Mayor Mims said because of the concerns raised from citizens regarding demolitions it is very heartening to see the progress that is being made. Commissioner Turner-Sloss thanked Mr. Gondol for his brief presentation and asked about fire piles that were removed and if it was with the contract for 2023. Mr. Gondol said those piles will be removed with the contract from 2024. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked for the total number of fire piles in the next presentation and the numbers as the piles are remediated. She asked if the 200 structures that will be demolished are out of the 597 structures listed. Mr. Gondol said the reasonable number is 112 because there are phases to the demolition of the structures. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked for a breakdown of funds that are being used for demolitions in the future. She said she can’t wait for the spring when they will see the fruits of their labor. Commissioner Shaw thanked Mr. Gondol for his work and said there is little that is more important to residents than blight removal which he has seen in a variety of neighborhoods. He said it helps to spark other types of investments like new paint, concrete, and siding. Commissioner Shaw said it's very impactful. Commissioner Joseph thanked Mr. Gondol for his work and said they could see the tangible benefits of the demolitions. 2023 United Way Employee Campaign The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, invited Mr. Mike Squire, Division Manager, Community Engagement, Planning Neighborhoods, and Ms. Meg Maloney, Sustainability Manager, Office of Sustainability, to the podium for a community update on United Way. Mr. Squire said United Way of the Greater Dayton Area’s mission is to lead a united community to uplift our neighbors. United Way generates financial and voluntary contributions to meet local needs and make lasting improvements to the region’s quality of life. He said this year their campaign goals were to increase the number of participants in campaign events and to surpass a $50,000 fundraising goal. Ms. Maloney said they could not have been successful without their United Way Planning team. She thanked Mr. David Lauderdale of D Fish D Chicken “Where the batter is blessed” for donating his food truck, resources, and time for the fundraiser this year and for past years. The Clerk of Commission read a proclamation from the mayor. The City Commission thanked Mr. Lauderdale for his contributions over the years. They also thanked Mr. Squire and Ms. Maloney for their work on the campaign. ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE CALENDAR There were no additions or deletions to the calendar. DISCUSSION OF CALENDAR ITEMS Calendar Item No. 5. Hazen & Sawyer-Contract Modification, Calendar Item No. 6. Peterson Construction Company – Contract Modification, Calendar Item No. 7. App Architecture Inc. – Award of Contract, Calendar Item No. 8. Moody’s of Dayton, Inc. – Award of Contract, Calendar Item No. 9. RA Consultants LLC – Award of Contract The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, said she invited Mr. Aaron Zonin, Deputy Director of Water, to the podium to clarify these calendar items. Mr. Zonin said calendar items five and six are related to the Anaerobic Digester Project. He said the project was a priority within the Water Reclamation Facility Master Plan. He said they went with a construction manager for this type of project which removed the City of Dayton from risk. He said calendar item five is the engineering design portion of the overall project and item number six is related to the construction portion. He said each of the calendar items is fully funded by the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund from the Ohio EPA. He said the construction will last four years and will cost $138M. Mr. Zonin said calendar items seven, eight, and nine are related to the PFAS reduction strategy. He said these items are zero percent interest principal forgiveness loans and are funded by a bipartisan infrastructure law for emerging contaminants. He said the overall strategy is to convey as much raw water from the Miami Campus to the Ottawa Campus to reduce PFAS at Ottawa. Commissioner Joseph asked if there were a lot of other municipalities that would qualify for the $41M tax credit. Mr. Zonin said other entities could apply but they are hoping they would be the successful ones. Mayor Mims said while in Washington D.C. for the US Conference of Mayors, he is always trying to secure more resources to address these issues. REPORTS 1. Purchase Orders, Agreements and Contracts: (All contracts are valid until delivery is complete or through December 31st of the current year). AVIATION A1. Nilfisk, Inc. (autonomous floor clearing machine) $72,695.00 HUMAN RELATIONS COUNCIL B1. Perez & Morris LLC (professional legal services as needed through 12/31/27) $60,000.00  HUMAN RESOURCES C1. Government Jobs. Com., Inc. dba NeoGov (NeoGov licenses, training, and implementation as needed through 12/31/26) 85,000.00 POLICE D1. A E David’s Uniform Company (police uniforms and related items as needed through 09/30/25) 111,334.08 D2. Kiesler Police Supply -P0240692- (sixty-one (61) Paladin ULW Level IIIA body armor vests with threat plates as needed through 09/30/27) 349,423.75 D3. Kiesler Police Supply -P0240695- (Holosun pistols and accessories) 17,585.34 PUBLIC WORKS E1. Deere & Company (ten (10) commercial stand-up mowers) 105,195.50 WATER F1. CDW Government, Inc. (consulting and project management services as needed through 12/31/24) 10,351.14 -Depts. of Aviation, Human Relations Council, Human Resources, Police, Public Works and Water. TOTAL: $811,584.81 2. App Architecture, Inc. – Service Agreement – Dayton Recovery Plan – Police Station Facility Design & Construction Administration Services (20% MBE Participation Goal/21.6% MBE Participation Achieved) – Department of Police/Support Services. $517,774.00 (Thru 12/31/26) 3. Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP – Service Agreement – to provide legal advice and counsel regarding public finance matters and upcoming debt issuance – Department of Finance/Tax & Accounting. $40,000.00 (Thru 12/31/24) 4. Dr. Stephen McConnell – Service Agreement - to provide psychological services for offenders on probation with the Court -Municipal Court. $15,000.00 (Thru 12/31/24) 5. Hazen & Sawyer – Contract Modification – second amendment to cover the balance of Design of the Combined Anaerobic Digester Project, Construction Phase Services, and Special Inspections during construction – Department of Water/Water Reclamation. $4,529,536.00 (Thru 06/30/28) 6. Peterson Construction Company – Contract Modification - Anaerobic Digester Project, Change Order No. 5, GMP #2, Digester Improvements Work Package – Department of Water/Water Reclamation. $102,599,441.00 (Thru 11/30/27) B. Construction Contracts: 7. App Architecture Inc. – Award of Contract – for the expansion of Dayton’s Central Water Quality Laboratory Design Project (15% SBE Participation Goal/13% SBE Goal Achieved) – Department of Water/Water Supply & Treatment. $360,000.00 (Thru 12/31/26) 8. Moody’s of Dayton, Inc. -Award of Contract – for the Rip Rap Well Field Improvements (10% SBE, 1% WBE, and 5% MBE Participation Goal/ 16.61% SBE, 11.4% WBE, and 5.21% MBE Achieved) – Department of Water/Water Supply and Treatment. $8,002,830.00 (Thru 06/30/26) 9. RA Consultants LLC – Award of Contract – for 48" Raw Water Interconnect between Miami Well Field and Ottawa Treatment Plant Design (15% SBE Participation Goal/15% SBE Goal Achieved) – Department of Water/Water Supply and Treatment. $2,500,000.00 (Thru 12/31/26) E. Other – Contributions, etc.: 10. Airport Council International – NA – Other – 2024 annual membership dues – Department of Aviation/AP Admin & Finance. $27,947.00 (Thru 12/31/24) 11. Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) – Payment of Voucher – for payment of outstanding invoice – Department of Recreation/Director’s Office. $7,241.23 CITIZENS’ COMMENTS ON CALENDAR ITEMS There were no citizens’ comments on calendar items. APPROVAL OF CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS Commissioner Shaw made the motion to approve the City Manager’s Reports. Commissioner Turner-Sloss seconded the motion. The City Manager’s Reports were approved with a 4-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, and Turner-Sloss. LEGISLATION ORDINANCE – FIRST READING Ordinance No. 32081-24- Officially Renaming Fairground Avenue, Jasper Street, and Frank Street between S. Main Street and Brown Street to East Fairground Avenue, East Jasper Street, and East Frank Street. PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Mims opened the Public Hearing regarding the 2024 Annual Appropriations. He asked Ms. Dickstein to proceed. Ms. Dickstein said the annual appropriation is a statutory process identified in the Charter. She said the public hearing was advertised on January 14, 2024, per Charter two weeks before the actual public hearing. She said important dates to note, that on February 4, 2024, the entire appropriation is published in the Dayton Daily Newspaper. Ms. Dickstein said from December 31, 2023, through February 3, 2024, the organization is working feverishly to close out accounts to have budget authority to move forward. She also reminded the City Commission that during the budget briefings, there was a full day of budget briefings that were live streamed then placed on the city of Dayton website for anyone who wanted to participate in the budget process to have ample opportunity to engage or see what the budget discussions, priorities, and recommendations. Ms. Jones said the budget presentation will include a summary of the budget process to date, a budget overview, a Dayton Recovery Plan Investment update, and key dates. Ms. Jones said the public process includes gathering of public input (Dayton Survey, Dayton Open Data, Community Conversations, CNDAB), identifying priorities, and communicating policy goals. She said key people include Dayton residents, businesses and stakeholders, the City Commission, the City Manager’s office, Procurement, Management and Budget, and various departments, directors, and fiscal staff. Ms. Jones said the administrative processes include revenue and expense projections, draft budgets, department submission and review, publications and public hearings, and passage of the appropriation. Ms. Jones said the 2024 General Fund major budget solutions include: increased vacancy savings, photo enforcement fund transfer, police and fire ARPA grants, one additional worker’s Compensation rate holiday, investment interest earning, additional revenue from rebate, and the use of ARPA funds. She gave an overview of the 2024 Budget Resolution. Ms. Jones said the Dayton Recovery Plan continues to take shape. As of December 2023, the City of Dayton has encumbered projects that totaled $39.9M. She said continued contracts for planned investments will further complement the 2024 budget. Ms. Jones said the 2024 appropriation dates include the first reading of the legislation will take place on February 21, 2024, and the second reading on February 28, 2024. Commissioner Turner-Sloss thanked Ms. Patel-Jones for her presentation and asked Ms. Dickstein if the public would still have an opportunity to comment on the budget. Ms. Dickstein said they would still have an opportunity until the final reading of the legislation on February 28, 2024. Commissioner Shaw thanked Ms. Patel-Jones for her presentation and for the robust budget process. Commissioner Joseph said this is the most transparent process they have had in his 20 years on the Dayton City Commission. He said people know what is happening because of the transparency which is always good for democracy. Commissioner Turner-Sloss noted for clarification that they did not talk about the budget at last year's City Commission retreat. Ms. Dickstein said that was correct. They had it on the agenda but did not get to that agenda item. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS ON THE PUBLIC HEARING There were no citizens’ comments on the public hearing. Mayor Mims closed the hearing. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS Citizens’ comments were received from the following: 1. Dr. Chrishondra Goodwine, 136 S. Ludlow St. - spoke about snow removal and the need to work together to clean the streets for children to attend schools. 2. Mr. Youssef Elzein, 4906 Amberwood Dr. – read a letter about the Israel and Hamas war. COMMENTS BY THE CITY MANAGER Service Line Compliance Program “Know Your Pipes” The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, invited Ms. Keshia Kinney, Division Manager for Water to the podium for a community update on Know Your Pipes. Ms. Kinney the City of Dayton Department of Water will take steps toward eliminating lead service from the community as part of the EPA’s nationwide program. She said Dayton does not have a lead or copper issue with source or treated water. She said Dayton is currently on a reduced testing and monitoring requirement due to outstanding water quality and management; however, they must still comply with the new rule changes. Ms. Kinney said the Know Your Pipes educational programs will kick off on January 31, 2024. She said field investigations will occur from February 14 through March 1, 2024, and the final inventory/predictive models will be ready on August 31, 2024. Ms. Kinney said the service line inventory will be submitted to the EPA on October 16, 2024. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked about the field investigative deployment. Ms. Kinney said five to ten percent of residents will participate in identifying their lines, but the contractor will help with the predictive model. Commissioner Joseph reiterated that the city of Dayton’s pipes have no lead problems. COMMENTS BY THE CLERK OF THE COMMISSION The Clerk of Commission, Ms. Regina Blackshear, had no closing comments. COMMENTS BY THE CITY COMMISSION Commissioner Turner-Sloss Commissioner Turner-Sloss thanked citizens and community leaders for their comments at the meeting. Commissioner Turner-Sloss highlighted the retirement of Ms. Nola Grooms for her 32 years of service. Commissioner Turner-Sloss highlighted the ribbon cutting of the new YMCA at the former Good Samaritan site. Commissioner Turner-Sloss highlighted Recreation's ten percent discount on family memberships. Commissioner Joseph Commissioner Joseph expressed condolences to the family of Mr. David Boston who was an entrepreneur and friend of the City of Dayton. Mayor Mims Mayor Mims highlighted the ribbon cutting of the new YMCA at the former Good Samaritan site. Mayor Mims highlighted Recreation's ten percent discount on family memberships. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:49 a.m. ___________________________________ Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. Mayor Attest: _____________________________ Clerk of Commission