City Commission Agendas and Minutes

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CITY OF DOTHAN, ALABAMA REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 The Board of Commissioners of the City of Dothan, Alabama, met in regular session in the Commission Chambers of the Roy Driggers Municipal Building at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, September 2, 2014 with the following members present: Mayor Mike Schmitz, Associate Commissioners Kevin Dorsey, Amos M. Newsome, Jr., Albert Kirkland, John Ferguson, Taylor Barbaree and Hamp Baxley. Also present were City Manager Michael West, City Clerk Tammy Danner, Assistant City Clerk Wendy Shiver who recorded the Minutes of the Meeting, and the local news media representatives. Mayor Schmitz called the meeting to order. He expressed sympathy to Police Chief Greg Benton whose Mother passed away last night and asked everyone to keep the family in their prayers. Pastor Doug MaCormack, Crossroads Baptist Church, then led in prayer, afterwhich Commissioner Kirkland led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Commissioner Kirkland moved that the Minutes of the Meeting of August 19, 2014, be approved, motion seconded by Commissioner Barbaree and unanimously approved. Commissioner Dorsey recognized and expressed appreciation to members of the Dothan Fire Department for the professional and courteous assistance they provided to him during a recent fire which occurred next door to his residence. He said his home sustained some fire damage but the quick actions of the responding members saved his life and his home. Commissioner Dorsey reminded City Manager West, Chief Benton and EEO Training Officer Darryl Mathews about sensitivity/diversity training due to recent events occurring in the world. He asked for some feedback regarding this request as soon as possible. Commissioner Dorsey said he has received more than fifty calls over the past week in reference to light bills. As a result, he will have a community forum entitled “Light Bills – Ignorance is Expensive” at Andrew Belle Recreation Center on September 11th from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. to provide helpful information. Commissioner Barbaree reminded the public to lock their vehicles and note the curfew times, which are 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on Friday and Saturday. He said several vehicle break-ins have occurred in the Chapelwood Subdivision area after curfew hours and youth have been observed at the park in Grove Park Subdivision after midnight. He said he wants this to stop. He requested the curfew ordinance be enforced and city-wide neighborhood patrols be resumed. He asked City Manager West to report back to the Commission on how this is being done within the week. Mayor Schmitz said there have recently been some break-ins at Westgate and he thanked Chief Benton and Major Steve Parrish for their department doing a great job with the fast capture of those responsible. Mayor Schmitz introduced former mayor Larry Register and invited him to the podium to speak about a project he has been working on for several years. Mr. Register presented his idea of a sculpture/monument to be placed near the entrance of the Dothan Civic Center in honor of past leaders who worked hard to bring industry to the city. He provided details of the proposed sculpture designed by local architect Andy Gosselin and requested confirmation from the Commission that this proposed project works for them. The cost of the sculpture is approximately $60,000.00 and Mayor Schmitz said he is grateful to the community for raising the money. City Manager West expressed his condolences to Chief Benton. Minutes of the Board of Commissioners – September 2, 2014, continued. City Manager West announced Water World closed September 1st for the season. He said attendance was up this year. City Manager West said James Gregory will perform at the Dothan Opera House on September 6th and this is a charity event for the American Legion. He said the Bama Brawl event has been moved from September 13th to October 11th and will be held in the Civic Center. City Manager West urged everyone to register for the Wiregrass Economic Resource Summit which will be held at the Civic Center on Wednesday, September 17th from 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and he said there is no cost to participate. Mayor Schmitz said the focus this year is on entrepreneurship and this is a great opportunity to obtain business assistance from many resources. Mayor Schmitz introduced the application of Irene Chen for a Wholesale Table Wine & Beer Combined License for Adams Beverages, Inc., located at 3116 John D. Odom Road. Commissioner Barbaree moved for approval, motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkland and unanimously carried. Mayor Schmitz introduced the application of James B. Pittman, Jr. for a Restaurant Retail Liquor License for Red Lobster 0271 located at 3116 Montgomery Highway. Commissioner Barbaree moved for approval, motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkland and unanimously carried. Mayor Schmitz introduced the application of Robin Thagard for a Special Retail Liquor License – More than 30 Days for The Loft on Foster, located at 191 North Foster Street. Commissioner Newsome moved for approval, motion seconded by Commissioner Barbaree and unanimously carried. Mayor Schmitz introduced the application of April McDaniel for a Private Investigator License, located at 560 Westgate Parkway, Suite 4. Commissioner Kirkland moved for approval, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley and unanimously carried. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-228 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), confirming the cost incurred in notification and abatement of certain properties determined to be nuisances by Resolution Number 2014-194 and 2014-214 and turning the costs over to the County Tax Collector so that the amounts can be added to the next regular bills for taxes levied against the respective lots and parcels of land. Commissioner Kirkland moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley. Commissioner Ferguson reported one of the properties on the list is now owned by Reverse Mortgage Company. Mrs. Danner explained that the property owner information is obtained from the tax collector’s office. City Manager West advised that the levy stays with the property. There being no further discussion, the resolution was unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-229 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), entering into an Alabama Recycling Fund Grant Agreement with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to accept funding through the Alabama Recycling Fund in the amount of $150,000.00 to purchase equipment to assist with the City’s recycling program and appropriating funds for said grant. Commissioner Dorsey moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkland and unanimously adopted. Commissioner Kirkland expressed appreciation to Environmental Services Manager Ken Rice for overseeing this grant. Commissioner Barbaree asked if this funding will be used to purchase larger carts. Mr. Rice clarified that the 2013 grant will be used to purchase the larger carts that were bid last week. He explained that this item is for the 2014 grant and will be used to purchase an additional truck, and if needed, more bins and carts for the next year. Commissioner Baxley asked when the larger carts will arrive and how they will be distributed. Mr. Rice said the larger carts should arrive within sixty days and will first be distributed to current participants, then to new participants as requested. Commissioner Barbaree said he hopes for a lot of media exposure concerning the larger carts because he has received complaints about the current cart size not being big enough. Minutes of the Board of Commissioners – September 2, 2014, continued. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-230 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), entering into a contract with Polyengineering, Inc. for Professional Engineering Services for the design, construction administration and inspection of a sludge dewatering system for a total not to exceed amount of $139,380.00. Commissioner Kirkland moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Barbaree and unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-231 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), entering into an agreement with the Southern Regional Council on Aging (SARCOA) to administer and operate the Nutrition/Transportation Program of Title III of the Older Americans Act. Commissioner Kirkland moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley and unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-232 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), entering into a modified agreement with Motorola for maintenance of the Motorola Astro 7.4 800 MHz P25 radio system by reducing the cost from $17,897.06 per month to $10,709.81 per month beginning June 1, 2014. Commissioner Barbaree moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkland. Commissioner Newsome expressed concern with taking on more maintenance of aging equipment. City Manager West explained that last year the Commission allowed for additional personnel who have now been trained and we have been able to significantly reduce our cost by performing the same maintenance we were paying Motorola to do. Commissioner Barbaree said that at the time the decision was made to move to the Motorola system there were operational problems with the old radio system. He asked how the Motorola radio system is performing and if there are any spots where it does not work. City Manager West said this system is providing over 95%, while the previous radio system performed at 70%. He advised that this system may require software upgrades in 2017 to comply with changes in federal regulations and the desire of the state to have interconnectivity. Chief Benton concurred that this is a great radio system. He noted there are some places inside buildings where the system is unable to receive or transmit; however, this problem is very limited. There being no further discussion, the resolution was unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-233 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), renewing the contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama to provide and administer a Group Health, Accident and Dental Self-Insurance Program for City employees and eligible retirees for a one year period beginning October 1, 2014. Commissioner Kirkland moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley. City Manager West confirmed for Commissioner Barbaree that this contract does not increase the cost to the City or to employees and the last increase to employees occurred in 2003. Commissioner Barbaree also confirmed with City Manager West that the City pays 60% of the insurance cost for retirees. There being no further discussion, the resolution was unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-234 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), submitting a formal application to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for grant assistance from the Recreational Trails Program in the amount of $100,000.00 to be used to construct nine miles of trails and construct three trailheads on the Forever Wild property. Commissioner Kirkland moved for adoption, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley and unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-235 (recorded in Ordinance Book No. _______at Page_______), awarding the following bids and approving other purchases over $15,000.00 by the City. ITEM VENDOR AMOUNT 2014 City of Dothan/Houston Home Oil Company See Price in County/Dothan City School Cowarts, AL Description Board/Houston County Board of Education Joint Fuel Bid: Minutes of the Board of Commissioners – September 2, 2014, continued. Pricing: Short Loads - Cents 1 Per Gallon Above OPIS : All Grades Unleaded Gasoline, per gallon; Amount of Bid – (Markup): $.085; Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel without Additive- per gallon - Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.085; Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel with Additive, per gallon - Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.10; B20 Biodiesel Fuel, per gallon Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.085 Pricing: Transport Loads Cents 1 Per Gallon Above OPIS : B20 Biodiesel Fuel, per gallon Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.06 2014 City of Dothan/Houston Southeastern Oil Company See Price in County/Dothan City School Dothan, AL Description Board/Houston County Board of Education Joint Fuel Bid: Pricing: Transport Loads Cents 1 Per Gallon Above OPIS : All Grades Unleaded Gasoline, per gallon Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.037; Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel without Additive, per gallon Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.037 Ultra-Low Sulfur diesel Fuel with Additive, per gallon Amount of Bid - (Markup): $.047 Pricing: Fuel Cards - Cents Per Gallon Discount Off Posted Price: Amount of Bid - (Discount): $.12 Police Interceptor SUV Bondy’s Ford See Price in Quantity One (or more) Dothan, AL Description Year: 2014, Make: Ford, Model: Police SUV Price of Unit: $23,604.00 Additional Options at Dealer Cost: Yes; Delivery Time: 120 days 1/2 Ton Regular Cab Pick Up Bondy’s Ford See Price in Quantity One (or more) Dothan, AL Description Year: 2014 Make: Ford Model: F-150 Price of Unit: $17,130.18 Additional Options at Dealer Cost: Yes Delivery Time: 120 days 3/4 Ton Regular Cab Pick Up Stiver’s Ford Lincoln See Price in Quantity One (or more) Montgomery, AL Description Year: 2015 Make: Ford Model: F-250 Price of Unit: $18,880.00 Additional Options at Dealer Cost: Yes Delivery Time: 3 - 7 days Inspection & Rebuild of Bucket Terex Services $ 44,935.82 Truck 3160; Unit Price: $44,935.82 Birmingham, AL Inspection & Rebuild of Digger Altec Industries $ 43,638.03 Derrick Truck 3135: Birmingham, AL Unit Price: $43,638.03 Inspection & Rebuild of Digger Altec Industries $ 48,458.64 Derrick Truck 3125: Birmingham, AL Unit Price: $48,458.64 65-Gallon Refuse Container with Schaefer Systems Intl. See Price in 10" Plastic Snap-On Wheels, Charlotte, NC Description Standard Color Blue (For Recycling), Tagged with RFID Chip: Quantity to bid 900 (more or less) Bid Price per Container: $45.46; Total Cost of Minutes of the Board of Commissioners – September 2, 2014, continued. Containers: $40,914.00 Total Cost of Spare Parts: Included Total Bid Price: $40,914.00 95-Gallon Refuse Container with 12" Plastic Snap-On Wheels, Standard Color Blue (For Recycling), Tagged with RFID Chip: Quantity to bid 5,200 (more or less) Bid Price per Container: $48.87 Total Cost of Containers: $254,124.00 Total Cost of Spare Parts: Included Total Bid Price 9 Gallon Containers: $254,124.00; RFID Tags for Existing Carts: Quantity to bid 300 (more or less) Unit Price: Included in Bid RFID Handheld Reader Quantity to bid 1 (more or less) Unit Price: Included in Bid Grand Total: $295,038.00 Other Purchases: Motorcraft and AC Delco The Parts House $ 15,000.00 Original Parts as needed Dothan, AL through September 30, 2014 2 for Inventory 1 OPIS: Oil Price Information Service 2 For an estimated amount to cover “possible” inventory purchases until the Fiscal Year end. Commissioner Kirkland then moved for adoption of Resolution No. 2014-235, motion seconded by Commissioner Barbaree. City Manager West said the Joint Fuel Bid has produced additional savings to the City, Houston County and the school systems. Commissioner Barbaree said because of resources provided by our citizens the Commission is able to fund items such as a police interceptor SUV and a bucket truck. He noted that a lot of these purchases are from local vendors. He thanked taxpayers and residents for allowing us to have these assets. There being no further discussion, the resolution was unanimously adopted. Mayor Schmitz introduced Resolution No. 2014-236 (recorded in Ordinance Book No._______at Page_______), approving the following advance travel requests for City employees: NAME CONFERENCE AMOUNT Melissa Cason 2014 AMCCMA Annual Conference $ 3,928.00 Susan Grace Orange Beach, AL Eunice Knight Tonja Minnifield Lacy Schulmerich Institute of Police Technology and $ 2,089.85 Susie Peters Management: Interview and Interrogations Jacksonville, FL Jeb Howell Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center $ 5,400.00 Blake McCallister Selma, AL Daniel Mitchell Charles Simmer Alan Rhodes Crisis/Hostage Negotiations Level II $ 2,202.50 Michael Woodside Jacksonville, FL Chris Kelley FIREHOUSE Software Education & $ 2,630.44 Greg Dean Training Seminar New Orleans, LA Jimmy Ward FIREHOUSE Software Education & $ 1,972.72 Training Seminar New Orleans, LA Lindsay McDonald AWWA’s 2014 AL-MS Annual Conference $ 1,189.08 James Stewart Fairhope, AL Minutes of the Board of Commissioners – September 2, 2014, continued. Pat Parker CAOHC Approved Occ. Hearing $ 2,205.00 Susan Smith Conservation Training Mobile, AL Commissioner Kirkland then moved for adoption of Resolution No. 2014-236, motion seconded by Commissioner Baxley and unanimously carried. Commissioner Kirkland moved to accept easements from Warren Whitaker and wife Mildred Juanita R. Whitaker, Dr. Lewe West, and Lynda Pugh, necessary for the Jackson Circle Culvert Improvements project, motion seconded by Commissioner Barbaree. Commissioner Barbaree thanked Commissioner Baxley and the Engineering Services Division for seeing this important project through to completion. He also said the addition of the tank near Troy University Dothan has allowed for better water pressure in this area. There being no further discussion, the motion was unanimously carried. There being no further business, Commissioner Ferguson moved that the meeting be adjourned, motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkland and upon the unanimous vote of "yea," the meeting was duly adjourned. /s/Tammy Danner, City Clerk Approved: /s/Mike Schmitz, Mayor /s/Kevin Dorsey, Associate Commissioner /s/Amos M. Newsome, Jr., Associate Commissioner /s/Albert Kirkland, Associate Commissioner /s/John Ferguson, Associate Commissioner /s/Taylor Barbaree, Associate Commissioner /s/Hamp Baxley, Associate Commissioner BOARD OF CITY COMMISSIONERS