Committee of the Whole

200 South Hamilton Road City of Gahanna Gahanna, Ohio 43230 Meeting Minutes Committee of the Whole Merisa K. Bowers, Chair Karen J. Angelou Nancy R. McGregor Kaylee Padova Stephen A. Renner Michael Schnetzer Trenton I. Weaver Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council Monday, December 12, 2022 7:00 PM City Hall, Council Chambers A. CALL TO ORDER: President of Council Stephen A. Renner, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting was published on December 9, 2022. Vice President Merisa K. Bowers was absent from the meeting. All other members were present. Councilmember Karen J. Angelou arrived at 7:01 p.m. There were no additions or corrections to the agenda. B. ITEMS FROM COUNCIL OFFICE: RES-0038-2022 A RESOLUTION HONORING AND CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GAHANNA LINCOLN FOOTBALL TEAM DURING THE 2022 SEASON Councilmember McGregor said she sent the draft text to members. If anyone has any additions or corrections, she is happy to consider those. She said she was able to obtain the information from the season records online. President Renner said he did not have any questions. He thought the draft was really nice. Recommendation: Introduction/Adoption on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. C. ITEMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES: ORD-0078-2022 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE SALARIES FOR PERSONNEL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2023, WAIVING SECOND READING AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Miranda Vollmer, Director of Administrative Services, discussed the proposed 2023 Salary Ordinance. Vollmer’s report outlines the changes in the Ordinance from last year to this year. It includes the positions that are in the 2023 Budget. Changes include reorganizing the organizational table, increasing pay rates for seasonal, variable, and temporary employees, City of Gahanna Page 1 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 12, 2022 provides how the step program works, and the budgeted 3.25 percent increase for employees outside the step program. Emergency and waiver are requested so that this can take effect on January 1, 2023, for the unclassified personnel. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver and Emergency on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. ORD-0079-2022 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE BENEFITS FOR PERSONNEL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2023, WAIVING SECOND READING, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Director Vollmer stated that the proposed 2023 Benefits Ordinance is the companion piece for the unclassified personnel. Modifications to this includes some changes in definitions, changing the probationary period from six months to one year for new hires and staying at six months for promotions or transfers, clarifying different definition sections, an increase of $50 in the service credit per each category, following suit with the unions’ annual service credit. The service credit can go to an employee’s health savings account (HAS) should this be desired, clarifying vacation language, cash out payment of vacation leave up to 40 hours (consistent with union counterparts), removal of cash payment for waiving insurance, aligning with bargaining unit provisions under sick and injury leave to be up to 1200 hours at 50 percent (reduction from 60 percent), removal of the payment of sick leave upon resignation, and adding holidays for part-time employees. This is also requested to be adopted with emergency and waiver to begin January 1, 2023. All the funding for these changes is included in the 2023 Budget request. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver and Emergency on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. D. ITEMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION: RES-0035-2022 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE PLAN DATED NOVEMBER 9, 2022 FOR THE CITY OF GAHANNA, OHIO Stephania Ferrell, Director of Parks & Recreation, noted that pursuant to Code, it is the responsibility of the Landscape Board to review the Comprehensive Landscape Plan every three years and recommend changes. Ferrell said that the majority of the edits proposed are minor. A couple edits do have some substance. In Section V, B. Tree City USA Benefits, language was updated to mirror what is put out by Tree City USA. In Section VI, B. Invasive Species List, this was updated to reference the Ohio Department of Agriculture rather than the Ohio Invasive Council. Recommendation: Introduction/Adoption on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. E. ITEMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE: City of Gahanna Page 2 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 12, 2022 ORD-0084-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT FOR 2023 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, WAIVING SECOND READING, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Mayor Jadwin noted that Interim Director Rob James was not able to attend. Therefore, Joann Bury, Director of Finance, would present on this item. Director Bury noted this item is the annual Franklin County Public Health contract for providing various services as outlined in Appendix A of the contract. This costs the City about $9.60 per capita or about $343,000, constituting a two percent increase over last year’s contract. This amount is set aside in the 2023 Budget. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver and Emergency on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. F. ITEMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING: ORD-0082-2022 AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A SIDEWALK PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT ALONG SCIENCE BOULEVARD CONSISTING OF 0.107 ACRES ON PARCEL NO. 027-000113 FROM SCIENCE ONE, LLC Mayor Jadwin noted that Tom Komlanc, Director of Engineering, was not able to attend. She stated that this is to accept a sidewalk easement related to the ADB Safegate project located at the corner of Science Boulevard and Tech Center Drive. Pursuant to Code, the City requires sidewalks to be installed; however, an easement is needed in order to create the public access along this roadway. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading on Regular Agenda on 12/19/2022; Second Reading/Adoption on Consent Agenda on 1/2/2023. RES-0037-2022 A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THE NECESSITY AND INTENT FOR ACQUIRING/EXPANDING AN EASEMENT FOR THE CLAYCRAFT ROAD WATERLINE AND BOOSTER STATION IMPROVEMENTS Mayor Jadwin noted this the City is doing work on the Taylor Station and Claycraft Road intersection, which includes waterline. Expansion of the existing easement is needed to facilitate waterline and booster station improvements. This is within the project limit. This action will allow the City to proceed with obtaining the easement. Recommendation: Introduction/Adoption on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. G. ITEMS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE: ORD-0080-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - State LETF Contract Services and Police Pension Fund City of Gahanna Page 3 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 12, 2022 Director Bury said the City received funds from the state into the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF) for cases from 2019 and 2020. These were unanticipated. There is a required disbursement to Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office for this. The supplemental amount is for $8,500 for contract services. Additionally, Bury noted that the City makes transfers from the Public Safety Fund over to the Police Pension Fund to cover the portion that is not covered by real estate taxes. In 2022, real estate taxes came in just a little lower than anticipated. The City also had a supplemental for the FOP contract. This totals $56,000 in transfers out. The request includes waiver of second reading so that these can be in place before 2022 appropriations lapse. Councilmember Schnetzer said it was not long ago that the state was debating increasing the employer share to the Police & Fire Pension Fund. Is any of this related to that? Bury said, no, this is solely related to the negotiated contract. When their wages went up, their pension cost also went up. Property tax also came in under what was anticipated. She reiterated none of this is related to what Schnetzer stated. She believed the proposal he referenced was still being reviewed at the Statehouse. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. ORD-0081-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE REDUCTION IN APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - Capital Improvement Fund Director Bury noted that this item and the next couple items are related to the amended Science One contracts and the Tech Center Drive extension and waterline improvements. The City had everything in place for the first round of agreements. Now that these have been amended, appropriations need shifted. The first action is to reduce appropriations for the Capital Improvement Fund. Those were increased, as the City was planning on receiving State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) loan proceeds. Now that the City will not be issuing the SIB loan, we need to reduce those appropriations by $1,164,900. A waiver is requested to get this in place before the 2022 appropriations lapse. Councilmember McGregor asked whether Bury needed these adopted with emergency as well as waiver of second reading. Bury noted that supplementals do not have the 30-day wait. They just require two readings. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. RES-0036-2022 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS - Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund, Central Park TIF, and Water Capital Fund Relating to Tech Center Drive Extension Director Bury noted that this item transfers appropriations. Within the 4320 Fund that was created for the security deposit to repay the loan, the City City of Gahanna Page 4 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 12, 2022 appropriated for principal retirement. However, this money is going to be used to reimburse for the actual construction of Tech Center Drive and waterline. This moves the money from principal retirement to capital improvement. This also renames the fund the Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund since the City will no longer be using it for the loan payment. With the Central Park TIF and the Water Capital Fund, the original plan was to spend directly from there for capital improvements. Instead, those monies will be transferred to the Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund, which will be used to reimburse the developer for a portion of the construction. The request is to transfer within those funds from capital improvements to transfers out, so the money gets into the new fund for the developer reimbursement. Councilmember McGregor asked whether the developer was paying any portion of the road construction. Bury responded that the developer has a portion of it. The final cost was estimated to be up to $1.5 million. She believes it might be coming in a little bit lower than that. Of the $1.5 million, the developer will get about $692,000 back. So, their portion is the remainder of whatever the construction cost is. Recommendation: Introduction/Adoption on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. ORD-0083-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund Director Bury said that once funds are transferred into the Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund, there needs to be appropriations in order to pay the funds back to the developer. This is a supplemental for TIF money being transferred over, the Water Capital money that is being transferred over, and the two grant revenue sources that should be coming in for this project. This will ensure that the City has the funds appropriated and ready to pay the developer back once the grant funds and everything is moved around. A waiver is requested to get the appropriations in place before the end of 2022. Councilmember Schnetzer said this was needed for a clean audit next year. Recommendation: Introduction/First Reading/Adoption with Waiver on Consent Agenda on 12/19/2022. H. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Committee of the Whole, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 7:16 p.m. Jeremy A. VanMeter Clerk of Council City of Gahanna Page 5 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes December 12, 2022 APPROVED by the Committee of the Whole, this day of 2023. Stephen A. Renner City of Gahanna Page 6