Board of Mayor & Aldermen

MINUTES BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN REGULAR MEETING JUNE 19, 2012 Board present Staff present Mayor Billy Paul Carneal City Manager Paul John Nutting Alderman James Hubbard Asst. City Manager Regina Holt Alderman Shane Shoemaker City Recorder Jane Shugart Murphy Alderman Ann Schneider City Clerk Connie W. Watson Alderman Bruce Head City Attorney Jim Balthrop Board absent Vice Mayor Jerome Ellis Alderman Willie Mason 1.0 Mayor Billy Paul Carneal called to order the regular meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at 7:30 p.m. The meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance to the American flag. 1.2 Public Hearing: 1. Ordinance 12-06, an ordinance adopting the annual budget and tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. 2. Request from the Springfield Police Department to submit a Justice Assistance Grant application. 3. Ordinance 12-07, an ordinance amending the Springfield Zoning Ordinance by rescinding Ordinance 08-30 and Section 11-608 and substituting a new Section 11-608. 1.3 Mayor Carneal presented Tony Felts, Director of Parks and Recreation, with a proclamation in recognition of Dixie Youth Baseball Week, July 13-18. 1.4 Alderman Shoemaker moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen held on May 15, 2012 and the special meeting held on June 5, 2012. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. 2.0 Legislative 2.1 Alderman Hubbard moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-05 on 3rd and final reading, an ordinance rezoning property located at 2113 South Main Street from R7, Residential to R20, Low Density Residential for owner Mac Baggett. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 2.2 Alderman Schneider moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-06 on 2nd reading, an ordinance adopting the annual budget and tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. The motion was seconded. The City Manager stated that Ordinance 12-06 was amended on first reading by eliminating the proposed five cent ($0.05) tax rate increase and keeping the tax rate at eighty-nine cents ($0.89). The $164,601 loss in General Fund revenue, due to the elimination of the five cent tax increase, was substituted with an additional appropriation of reserves in the amount of $164,601; with the understanding that revenue and expenditure line items would be further amended on successive readings of the ordinance so that the appropriation of the additional reserves would not be necessary. Mr. Nutting introduced a proposed amendment to the ordinance on second reading that increased certain General Fund revenue line items and decreased certain expenditure line items to reduce the amount of additional reserves appropriated from $164,601 to $47,320. The proposed amendment also included a new revenue line item for a Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $15,509 and a new matching expenditure line item in the Police Department for firearms in the amount of $15,509. The proposed amendment also increases revenue in the Water Department budget by $90,000 due to an expected reimbursement by FEMA for flood damage repair. Alderman Schneider moved to amend Ordinance 12-06 as outlined and recommended by the City Manager. The motion was passed by 4-1 roll call vote. Ayes: Shoemaker, Schneider, Carneal, Head Nayes: Hubbard The motion for the approval of Ordinance 12-06 was brought back and passed by 4-1 roll call vote. Ayes: Head, Carneal, Schneider, Shoemaker Nayes: Hubbard 2.3 Alderman Shoemaker moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-07 on 2nd reading, an ordinance amending the Springfield Zoning Ordinance by rescinding Ordinance 08-30 in its entirety and by rescinding Section 11-608 in its entirety and substituting a new Section 11-608. The City Manager introduced two proposed changes to the ordinance for the purpose of clarification. The first proposed change is in the cover ordinance, at the third “Whereas.” Mr. Nutting stated that the proposed change should read as follows: “Whereas, it is the intent of the City of Springfield to allow (by adding  the word “such”) such businesses more options with regard to the choice of durable and decorative materials to be used in the construction of their buildings.” He noted that the other proposed amendment is on the second page, the last sentence of the second paragraph, (from the bottom of the page). Mr. Nutting stated it should read as follows: “Such buildings may be constructed with other durable and decorative materials, if required by their (by adding the words “national or regional”) national or regional corporate owners or sponsors and approved by the Springfield Planning Commission. Alderman Hubbard moved to amend the ordinance as outlined by the City Manager. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. The original motion to approve the ordinance was brought back and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 2.4 Alderman Hubbard moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-08 on 2nd reading, an ordinance rescinding Ordinance 10-18 and setting a new schedule of rates and charges for the Springfield water system. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 2.5 Alderman Shoemaker moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-09 on 2nd reading, an ordinance rescinding Ordinance 10-19 and setting a new schedule of rates and charges for the Springfield sewer system. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 2.6 Alderman Hubbard moved for the approval of Ordinance 12-10 on 1st reading, an ordinance amending Ordinance 05-19 and Title 17 of the Springfield Municipal Code entitled “Refuse and Trash Disposal” by amending Chapter 1 entitled “Refuse” by rescinding Sections 17-113 and 17-114. The motion was seconded. The City Manager informed the Board that the proposed ordinance amends the Springfield Municipal Code to reflect the recent policy changes with regard to curbside collection of rubbish and bulky waste. The ordinance states that rubbish consisting of limbs, branches, tree trimmings, brush, grass cuttings, chips and shavings only will be collected once a month, and that all other rubbish and bulky waste will be collected during months designated by the City. The ordinance also increases the allowable length of limbs from six (6) feet to eight (8) feet, and increases the length of time that rubbish or bulky waste can be kept on the curb from fifteen (15) days to twenty-one (21) days. Alderman Hubbard moved to amend Ordinance 12-10 as outlined by the City Manager; the motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. The original motion was brought back and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.0 Administrative 3.1 Alderman Hubbard moved to approve the TVA wholesale fuel cost adjustment from the current amount of $0.02363 cents per kilowatt-hour to $0.02490 cents per kilowatt-hour effective July 1, 2012. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. This adjustment represents an increase of 1.5 % in the wholesale electric rates resulting in an increase of $1.00 to $2.50 on an average residential electric bill. 3.2 Alderman Shoemaker moved to approve the retail gas rates of the Springfield Gas Department for the month of June as presented. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.3 Alderman Schneider moved for the reappointment of Mr. Gary Dilliha as the City Judge and Ms. Charlotte Fleming as Interim Judge. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.4 Alderman Hubbard moved for the appointments and reappointments of members to the following boards and commissions: 1. Historical Preservation Ward Mary Dudley Onstott 2. Cemetery Commission Ward Leroy Ellis 2 Roger Carroll 4 Jim Campbell 6 3. Beer Board Ward Steve Heiber 1 Joseph “Sonny” Long 3 Albert Dale 5 4. Industrial Dev Board & Health Ward Facilities Board Dave Fisher 5 The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.5 Alderman Hubbard moved to approve the agreement with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) for regional bus service between Nashville/Davidson County and Springfield. The motion was seconded. The City Manager informed the Board that, due to grant funding, the City’s matching share for the bus service would be $813.00 for the contract beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. The motion was brought back to the table and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.6 No action was taken on a possible appeal of a decision of the Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals to uphold the decision of the Codes Administrator to remove four (4) unsafe structures on 17th Avenue East under slum clearance regulations. Mr. John Warner did not file an appeal to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. 3.7 City Attorney Jim Bathrop briefed the Board on the acquisition of the property from Hail and Cotton to be used for the future expansion of the Police Department. No action was taken. 3.8 Alderman Hubbard moved to approve the application submitted by Diane Johnson, Event Chairman of Whiskers and Paws, to hold a “Whiskers & Paws 5k Run/Walk, For the Cause,” on September 29, 2012, starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 9:30 a.m. The motion was seconded and passed by 5-0 roll call vote. 3.9 The City Manager briefed the Board on the current status of the City’s request to have Robertson County pay its proportionate share of the E-911 communications dispatch costs based on calls for service. He stated that County Mayor Bradley had informed him that there has been no action taken by the Robertson County Commission to address the requested increase in funding. The City of White House has also sent a letter requesting that the County pay its proportionate share of the costs. The City’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 will require the County to increase its contribution by well over two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). Mr. Nutting advised the Board that he is having discussions with Greer Communications and AT&T about the estimated costs to reprogram the dispatch consoles so that each jurisdiction can answer its own calls for service. He stated that the fiscal year 2013 budget will be significantly impacted should the County decide not to pay its fair share of dispatch costs. No action was taken. 5.0 City Manager’s Report Mr. Nutting reported that a total of thirty-one (31) unsafe structures have been demolished in blighted areas since January 1. Twenty-two (22) have been removed by the owners and nine (9) have been removed by the City. A total of six (6) structures are undergoing repair. The Carr Creek sewer interceptor line has been repaired and the contractor is in the process of placing rip rap along the stream bank to protect the line. Mr. Nutting also reminded the Board that monthly heavy trash pick-up will end at the close of business on June 29 and will now only be provided during the months of October and April. He stated that monthly limb and brush collection will continue. 6.0 Adjournment With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned. ______________________________ Billy P. Carneal, Mayor Attest: ______________________________ Jane Shugart Murphy, City Recorder