City Council

MINUTES OF THE LAFAYETTE COMMON COUNCIL March 7, 2016 REGULAR MEETING The Common Council of the City of Lafayette, Indiana met in regular session on Monday March 7, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 20 North 6th Street, Lafayette, Indiana. President Campbell called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. The Pledge of Allegiance was given to the flag of our Country. The following members were present: Present: Heide, Klinker, Nargi, Reynolds, Brown, Ahlersmeyer, Weast-Williamson, Downing and Campbell City Clerk Cindy Murray and City Attorney Ed Chosnek were present. Councilwoman Ahlersmeyer moved to approve the minutes of the February 1, 2016 Council Meeting. Councilman Brown seconded. Motion passed on a roll call vote 8-0. There were no Claims, Petitions or Communications: The Clerk stated the following reports are available in the City Clerk’s Office: Fleet Maintenance Department Monthly-January Water Works Department Monthly-January Water Pollution Control Department Monthly-January and 2015 Annual Report Fire Department 2015 Annual Report Ordinances for Second Reading: . The Clerk read Ordinance 2016-02 (An Ordinance to Amend Amended Ordinance 2015-27 An Ordinance Fixing the Salaries of the Appointed Officers and Employees of the City of Lafayette, Indiana, for the year 2016, Excluding the Sworn Protective Occupation and Law Enforcement Member of the Police and Fire Departments) by title only on second and final reading. Councilwoman Weast-Williamson moved for passage, Councilman Downing seconded. Ordinance 2016-02 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on second and final reading. Ordinances for First Reading: The Clerk read Ordinance 2016-04 (An Ordinance Amending Section 2.01.020 (A) of the Lafayette Municipal Code to Change the Time of Regular Common Council Meetings) by title only on first reading. Councilman Heide moved for passage, Councilman Klinker seconded. Councilman Reynolds recommended the change to align the Council meeting time with other government meetings. Lloyd Wells, 3717 Rawlings Dr. asked what time the meeting would start. President Campbell responded 6:30 pm. Perry Barbee, 3700 Redbud, suggested waiting till 2017 to change so the public gets notice. President Campbell responded that ample notice would be given to the public regarding the time change. Ordinance 2016-04 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first reading. The Clerk read Ordinance 2016-05 (An Ordinance for Appropriation of Local Option Highway User Tax Fund-County Wheel Tax-Fund#249) by title only on first reading. Councilwoman Nargi moved for passage, Councilman Reynolds seconded. Mayor Roswarski spoke regarding the ordinance. Ordinance 2016-05 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first reading. Councilwoman Ahlersmeyer moved to set a public hearing on Monday, April 4, 2016 at 7:01PM, Councilman Brown seconded. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. Resolutions: The Clerk read Resolution 2016-04 (A Resolution Concerning Redistricting Reform) by title only on first and final reading. Councilwoman Nargi moved for passage, Councilman Reynolds seconded. Sherry McLauchlan spoke regarding the resolution. Resolution 2016-04 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Resolution 2016-05 (A Resolution to Amend the Comprehensive Plan for Tippecanoe County to Include an Update of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan) by title only on first and final reading. Councilwoman Ahlersmeyer moved for passage, Councilman Downing seconded. Ed Chosnek, Attorney spoke regarding the resolution. Resolution 2016-05 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. There were no Reports of Standing Committees. There were no Reports of Special Committees. There was no Report by the Mayor. Miscellaneous or New Business: Tim Clary, Deputy Controller presented a list of Cancellation of Warrants and unclaimed checks. Departmental Updates: Parks Department Claudine Laufman, Park Superintendent gave the following update: 3.7.16 City Council-Parks & Recreation Department Report The Parks and Recreation Department manages over 20 properties and over 600 acres of land and includes the following:  Three family aquatic centers  One regional park (Columbian Park)  Seven community parks  Nine neighborhood parks  Linear park trail system  Series of parks along the Wabash River  Community recreation center  Zoo As a Department, we have 32 full-time employees, several part-time year round staff persons, and rely on an additional 175 seasonal employees to accommodate the busy summer season. Over the past few years, many noticeable changes have occurred within our department including changes in leadership, organizational structure, and organizational culture. As we look to the future, we anticipate implementing additional changes as the City’s needs change and our department grows. These changes will occur not only with our physical facilities, but also with our staff in the way of professional development, training, and organizational ownership. Project Updates  Since our last report, Subaru South Tipp Park was completed and dedicated  Sterling Heights: construction started fall of 2015 and we are planning a late spring dedication this year  McAllister Park/former Municipal Golf Course: Partnering with WREC and the firm Rundell, Ernstberger, Associates (REA), to conduct re-use study for the North Reach area. Final report is expected later this month  At the Zoo, the Animal House kitchen was completely renovated through a gift from Friends of Columbian Park Zoo. The Lafayette Kiwanis Club generously sponsored the new outdoor “Education Station”, which is an outdoor education presentation area. In addition, 17 large commercial planters were added through the generosity of a donor  The Rush Pavilion and Boathouse received a fresh coat of paint and deck stain. 20 new hanging baskets were installed on the veranda of Rush Pavilion. Late in the year, several new tables and chairs reflecting the Victorian area were purchased for installation this coming spring. The tables and chairs were made possible through the generosity of a donor  The basketball courts at Centennial and Armstrong were resurfaced along with the roller hockey court at Shamrock Park; new striping was added to the existing tennis courts at McCaw Park to create a total of eight new pickle ball courts to accommodate the growth of pickle ball in our community  At McAllister Recreation Center, new rubber flooring was installed in half of the cardio area and new wall mirrors were installed in the free weight area.  Memorial Island was renovated through a successful partnership with SIA and numerous donors. Several veterans memorials previously scattered throughout the City were relocated to the island and a new granite monument honoring the Gold Star families was commissioned and installed on the island. Construction was completed in late May and a dedication event coincided with the annual Memorial Day celebration. Many families of fallen local veterans were in attendance, along with Herschel “Woody” Williams, who is the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the battle of Iwo Jima. Personnel Updates:  Recently, the McAllister Recreation Management team was restructured to reflect a more linear chain of command with a Manager, Assistant Manager, and a Program Coordinator position  In the Maintenance area, we successfully combined two work departments into one central team. Within the central team, we have recently created four specialized work teams in the areas of Building Construction, Mowing/Snow Removal, Aquatics/Equipment, and Landscaping, which  will improve efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the Urban Forestry position was relocated to the Engineering Department late last summer and the Natural Resources Coordinator position was reviewed, the responsibilities were modified to fit the department’s needs, and the position was retitled to Natural Resources and Recreation Planner  Professional development: Various staff members have engaged in several opportunities over the past year including attendance at Indiana Parks and Recreation Association’s annual conference, management training seminars, and safety training seminars. In addition, three of our staff members successful attained certification as Certified Playground Safety Inspectors, bringing our total certified to six; three of our staff members attained certification as Aquatics Facility Operators, five staff members attained certification as Certified Pool Operators, and nine staff members attained certification as Pesticide Applicators. Two Zoo staff members attended a management course offered through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A total of seven zoo staff members attended online courses through the San Diego Zoo Global Academy which included webinars on such topics as safety, conservation, interpretation, customer service, and a variety of animal-related topics such as nutrition, handling, and behavior. Impact Numbers for 2015:  A total of 3,989 Daily fitness passes were sold at McAllister Recreation Center  2,450 employees and/or their family members utilized the fitness area at McAllister, which is a 76% increase in usage over 2014  On average, 163 kids attended summer camp at McAllister each day  Over 7,200 annual flowers, accent plants and perennial plants were planted in our Parks and other City locations  38,017 individuals of all ages participated in the Zoo’s educational programs  36,399 riders rode the Columbian Park Express train ride  Volunteers logged 14,109 hours at the Zoo Programs:  The Park Department continues to provide and facilitate a variety of programs for a variety of audiences. Just a sampling of these offerings include the following: Adopt-A-Spots, roller hockey, basketball, disc golf, baseball, softball, Zumba fitness, dance, art, swim lessons, Junior Counselor & Zoo Teen programs, and yoga, among others.  We have begun to successfully expand the Park Department’s Volunteer Program. The volunteer program at the Zoo is highly successful and has been used as a model for the entire Department. Last summer, we continued our partnership with the YMCA Trailblazers group. These pre-teen and teen participants in Camp Straight Arrow were led by former Mayor’s Youth Council participant Mason Fisher. Approximately 15 kids met our staff once weekly during the summer to “beautify” our park facilities. In exchange for their hard work, the kids received a courtesy pass to one of our amenities each week.  Our popular Art in the Park music and art series will continue on a regular basis at Memorial Island in Columbian Park this summer. Our fitness series, “Walking Towards Wellness”, has also been successful and will also begin in late May for another summer session of weekly walks. “Tails on the Trails”, will again encourage dog-owners and their dogs to enjoy our trails during the cooler fall weather. Public & Private Partnerships:  In early 2015, the Parks Department began discussions with MKE Sports regarding a partnership to bring a collegiate baseball team to play in Loeb Stadium. In late 2015, a successful partnership was announced and the public was invited to help name the team. “The Aviators” was selected from a long list of suggestions. Their first game in Loeb Stadium is slated to take place on June 1 and I’d like to extend an invitation to each of you to attend.  The Zoo also embarked on an important conservation partnership with Purdue University and The Indiana Department of Natural Resources to house three juvenile Eastern hellbenders and maintain them for future release in the wild. Hellbenders are the largest salamanders in North America and are fully aquatic. They are considered endangered in Indiana. The Zoo held a “Help the Hellbender” special event last summer in collaboration with both Purdue University and the DNR to raise awareness for this interesting amphibian.  The Parks Department continues to embrace numerous public and private partnerships both for short-term and long-term goals. From the Lafayette Parks Foundation to Friends of the Zoo to Tree Lafayette, dozens of organizations have partnered with our Department to ensure its success and commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents of Greater Lafayette. We look forward to continuing these partnerships in the future to provide many more fun and recreational opportunities in our community. Traffic Department: Fred Koning, Traffic Foreman gave the following 2015 Annual Report for the Traffic Improvement Department We were able to add two more intersections to our ATMS, bringing the total to 93. We replaced 75 One Way signs with larger and more reflective faces. We replaced the streetname signs at 58 intersections. We replaced the School Advance and School Crosswalk signs at 146 locations and refurbished the School legends at 8 locations. All of the thermoplastic pavement markings for school crosswalks were redone. Four of the School flashers were replaced with solar units. We replaced the controller cabinets at 4 intersections. We realigned the lanes on Elmwood Ave to accommodate bike lanes. We recapped the thermoplastic pavement markings at 26 intersections. We replaced 96 LED signal bulbs. We repaired 27 pedestrian pushbuttons and 7 pedestrian signal assemblies. We installed a speed bump along with warning flashers and signs at 26th and Gregory. We maintained all of the LED streetlights that have been added to the City’s inventory. We assisted wherever needed in the various construction projects going on. We were able to help with parking removal, road closures, and special event signage for the Farmers’ Market and various festivals, weddings, church events, block parties, and the annual Christmas Parade. Reports by Council: Councilwoman Nargi praised the Fire Department for their improved insurance classification. Public Comment: Lloyd Rawlings, 3717 Rawlings Dr. expressed concern over lost revenue for the businesses during long term street reconstruction projects. Cheryl Chapman, 1408 Howell Street, spoke against microchipping of animals. Perry Barbee, 3700 Redbud, encouraged everyone to participate in The City’s Clean Sweep Program. Cindy Murray, City Clerk stated it will be May 14th. Mr. Barbee also encouraged everyone to support the new Lafayette Aviator Baseball team playing in Loeb Stadium this summer. Councilman Heide moved to adjourn, Councilman Reynolds seconded. Meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM Minutes prepared by Cindy Murray, City Clerk Complete audio of meeting available in the City Clerk’s office or at www.lafayette.in.gov