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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-11-21 Council MinutesRECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held October 11, 2021 CALL TO ORDER 20 Mayor Amorose Groomes called the Monday, October 11, 2021 Regular Meeting of Dublin City Council to order at 4:15 p.m. ROLL CALL Present were Mayor Amorose Groomes, Vice Mayor De Rosa, Ms. Alutto, Mr. Keeler and Mr. Peterson. Ms. Fox and Mr. Reiner arrived after the start of the executive session. Meeting_ Staff members present were Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Readler, Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Ranc, Mr. Earman, Mr. StifFler, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Robison, Mr. O'Brien, Ms. Rauch, Mr. Fragrell, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Brown, Mr. Somerville, Ms. Ocheltree, Ms. Murray, Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Dearth, Ms. Schoning, Mr. Ashford, Ms. Miglietti, Ms. Gee, Mr. Anderson, Lt. Lattanzi, Lt. Tabernik, Mr. Farrar, Ms. Nardecchia, Ms. Gilger, Mr. Hammersmith, Ms. Weisenauer, Ms. Willis, Ms. Blake, Ms. Steiner, Ms. Wigram, Ms. Rigano, Ms. Gilger and Chief Paez. Also present were: David Guion, Executive Director, Dublin Arts Council; Scott Dring, Executive Director, and Dr. David Lee, Board President, Visit Dublin Ohio. ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to adjourn to executive session for the purposes of: • Personnel Matters: Considering the appointment of a public official Ms. Alutto seconded. Vote on the motion: Ms. Alutto, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes. Mayor Amorose Groomes reconvened the meeting at 5:06 p.m. OPERATING BUDGET WORK SESSION Mr. StifFler provided a presentation that began with the operating budget review timeline. He stated that he would be presenting an overview of the operating budget with a focus on the expenditure side. Mr. Stiffer reviewed what materials were available to Council Members prior to the meeting in the packet. Operating Expenditures Overview The 2022 operating expenditures are $101.8 million which is a $7.4 million or 7.92% increase from the 2021 operating budget. The variance is attributed to a 4.4% increase in personnel (salaries and benefits), a 12.9% increase in operating expenses and a capital increase of 5.7%. Mr. Stiffler stated that according to the General Fund Policy regarding fund balance, this operating budget is in compliance with that policy. He stated that the General Fund Policy with regard to transfers includes language regarding General Fund Balances in excess of 75%. The policy requires the Director of Finance to transfer 25% of the amount in excess of 75% to the Capital Improvements Fund. In March 2021, Council accepted staff's recommendation and did not request this transfer to be included in the first quarter supplemental appropriations. The 2022 proposed operating budget does not include making this transfer and staff recommended that Council waive this transfer. The reason for the transfer is to lower the general fund balance and thereby giving more money to the City's capital needs. In 2021, the General Fund has encumbered $21.5 million on capital related items such as the purchase of the Jewett property and the purchase of North Riverview properties. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that these purchases meet the spirit of the policy, but would we have to still make the transfer if the General Fund reaches a certain amount? Mr. Stiffier stated that the Policy gives Council the option to make the transfer or waive the transfer as it determines to be in the best interest of the City. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held "0148 - -- October 11, 2021 age 20 Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that it is helpful to know what the requirements of that policy are. She asked if the transfer amount of $4.35 million were to be made, what would the impact be on the need to raise debt? Mr. Stiffler stated that the only debt funded project in 2022 was $23 million for the broadband project, so adding $4 million could be used in that project. He stated that he has confidence that funding will be found for the Riverside Crossing Park design and the promenade in the next few years. Mr. Stiffler provided a graph showing the Cost Recovery Policy with regard to the Recreation Fund. He stated that this fund has a great deal of seasonality. He stated that this year the cost recovery has rebounded and is currently at about 45%. This is a significant improvement over last year, however still falls short of the policy goal of 50%. The proposed 2022 operating budget does not include any expenditures of the American Rescue Plan Funds. The Treasury delayed reporting deadlines because many cities find themselves in the same situation as Dublin, in that, we are trying to understand the requirements of this funding. He would like to see policy options and share with Council what options are available. He is hoping this will be available in the second quarter 2022. Ms. Fox expressed her interest in on what and how to spend these dollars. She stated that it is important to understand how broadly these dollars can be used in addition to cost recovery. Mr. Stiffler stated that staff is working through the requirements to give Council the best policy options available. Operating Revenues Review Mr. Stiffer stated that the operating revenues are anticipated to be $93.3 million. This amount represents a 7.84% increase as compared to the 2021 operating budget. Mr. Stiffler provided a graphic that illustrated that the budgeted revenues are always under the budgeted expenditures, but the actual revenues are above the actual expenditures. Mr. Stiffler reviewed the projected variances versus the actual variances in past years and stated that for 2021, they are showing a positive variance of just under $4 million. 2022 Operating Budget - Expenditures Salary expenditures are at $39.4 million which is an increase of $1.1 million or 2.9%. Staff is proposing an increase to 418 full-time employees which is an increase of three from 2021. The wage increases are 2.5% for non-union and the union per the contracts. There are seven added positions proposed and the removal of four positions. Benefit expenditures are $17.6 million which is a 6.4% increase from 2021. This increase is slightly more than the 2021 increase. The costs of health insurance increased in single coverage to 6.1% and family coverage to 7.3% Staff proposes increasing the travel and training back to pre -pandemic levels. The OPERS contribution funding remains the same as in prior years. Operating expenditures includes Other Charges & Expenditures, Supplies and Contractual Services. Operating expenditures are $43.3 million which is a 12.9% increase over the 2021 budget. o Contractual Services increased 11.8% from the 2021 operating budget. Mr. Stiffler noted a few of the increases included in the contractual services increase. He noted that Tranportation and Mobility was moved from the CIP to the operating budget. o Supplies are decreasing 2.2% from the 2021 Operating Budget. There were some increases in equipment maintenance and shop supplies, but those were off -set by decreases in fuel costs and street salt. o Other charges and expenditures increased $2.9 million over the 2021 operating budget. Tax refunds is the largest portion of this increase at $2.2 million due to the potential tax refunds resulting from House Bill 110. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held ,2021 Page Im Capital expenditures are $844,725 which is a 5.7% increase from the 2021 operating budget. The reasons for this increase include recreation, pool and hotel/motel. 2022 Operating Budget Division Reorganization The budget was separated for the Deputy City Manager/Chief Operating Officer and the Division of Asset Management and Support Services which were previously combined. A separate budget was created for the Deputy City Manager/Chief Finance and Development Officer Division. The 2022 staffing changes include four positions being removed and seven positions added including two in Public Service, three in Police and two in information technology. Mr. Stiffler also shared that there are several position reclassifications, some with budgetary impacts and some without, that are proposed for 2022. Mr. Stiffier summarized his presentation by providing a list of the noteworthy changes from the 2021 Operating Budget. He then shared the non-recurring events that caused a change in the budget. All the non-recurring events that he mentioned are directly related to the pandemic. The 2022 proposed Budget provides for the following: • Fiscal Health: estimated 2022 year-end General Fund balance of 57.3% • Economic Vitality: subsidization of funding for Visit Dublin Ohio • Smart, Customer Focused Government: Continue to provide best in class City services, additional funding for solid waste removal, additional parks, horticulture and information technology staff and restoration of travel and training budget for staff • Community Engagement: Funding for comprehensive Community Plan update and subsidization of funding for Dubiln Arts Council; and • Safe and Resilient Community: additional police officers and information technology staff. Ms. Fox asked about the 11.8% increase on contractual services. She stated that it seems to increase year -after -year. Mr. Stiffier stated that a quarter of that percentage increase is moving the Transportation and Mobilility to the Operating Budget from the CIP. Additionally, there are parks increases and bringing a new park online will have more than inflationary costs. Ms. Fox stated it would be helpful to see what the increases were for the last five years. Mr. Reiner asked about the reduction of the electrician. Is it anticipating that it won't be needed? Mr. McDaniel stated that the contractual services will be discussed at each division level. Some of these costs are repetitive in nature and some are addressing new projects. Mr. Stiffier stated that the electrician position will be addressed by the department at their presentation on October 18. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that she would like to see the actuals added back in. Year - over -year we spend 75%, but she doesn't understand why we don't close the gap of what we expect to spend and what we actually spend. She would find it helpful to see actual expenditure increases, but it is difficult when we are always budgeting at such a larger amount. Where are we actually seeing actual expenditures increasing over time? Mr. McDaniel stated that when preparing the annual budget, staff compares actuals and the City Manager does trim that back. 2020 and 2021 are anomaly years. Staff was getting closer to spending 90% of their budgets in 2018 and 2019. When the pandemic arrived, staff "pumped the brakes" by 20%. The goal is to get the budget spent at 90% and execute on the work. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that knowing what will keep us at the 90% level is a more meaningful discussion. She would like to understand what the areas of concern are and where we anticipate the big spending in the future. Mr. Stiffier stated that the utilization reports do provide that detail. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that she did review those reports as well. Mr. Stiffier stated that he is comfortable at a 92% spend level because the City has a practice to have funding available to do the unexpected. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that this is exactly the kind RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held 1717 of discussion Council should have. Mr. Stiffler stated that the difficulty with the analysis is we are two years removed from a proxy year. So it is difficult to predict what the percentage spend will be with the last two years. Mr. McDaniel stated that he appreciates this discussion and suggested that the operating and contractual services may be the lines to analyze. Vice Mayor De Rosa agreed that would be helpful. Mr. Keeler stated that contractual services is difficult to analyze. Mr. Reiner agreed that the prices continue to go up and the supply chain is still struggling. Mr. Stiffier stated that the City of Dublin is still very much in growth mode. We are expanding services and bringing forward new projects. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that seeing the budget based on those core strategy areas of the City and changes would be helpful. 2022 Operating Budget Division Review • City Council/Clerk of Council Budget Ms. Delgado shared that there are no changes proposed for the 2022 budget from 2021. She explained that there are no staffing changes and contractural services include the codifier, American Legal Publishing and the contract for Council Communication Support. Mayor Amorose Groomes asked about the two theater technicians. Ms. Delgado stated that part of their wages will be coming from the Clerk of Council budget due to their assistance with Council meetings, however the staff positions will be presented in the Recreation budget. Vice Mayor De Rosa asked about the contractural service costs associated with the City Manager Search next year. Mr. Stiffier stated that those funds are in the Human Resources Budget. In response to Vice Mayor De Rosa's question regarding why those funds are located in the Human Resources budget, Mr. StifFler stated that historically, Human Resources is the department that manages employee searches, so they have experience with this contractual service. Ms. Delgado stated that the 2022 Boards and Commissions budget also reflects no proposed changes from 2021. She shared that the contractual services for this budget are for memberships and subscriptions of the board and commission members. Ms. Fox stated that she wanted to bring forward a payroll increase for Planning and Zoning Commission and she would like to begin a good will effort to offer something to Architectural Review Board. In response to Vice Mayor De Rosa's question regarding the history on the topic, Mr. Stiffler stated he would research that and report back to Council. Ms. Alutto also suggested checking with surrounding cities to see what they do for comparison. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that it is her understanding that the money for PZC came to be as a reimbursement for attending trainings and site visits, etc. and the out-of-pocket costs associated with those activities. It was an allowance to reimburse expenses, it was never to compensate them for their time. Ms. Fox stated that it is worth looking into. • City Manager's Office Budget Mr. McDaniel stated that the reorganization plan that was started the last few years continues and this 2022 budget shows it settling out. The Deputy City Manager/Chief Finance and Development Officer is now reflected in their own budget. The International and Government Relations position that was formerly in the City Manager's Office has been shifted to the Deputy City Manager/Chief Finance and Development Officer as a Management Analyst. The Chief Information Officer is reflected in the staffing as a contractual employee. The General Fund items shows an increase in contractual services and in Other Charges/Expenditures. The initiatives in the City Manager's Office will continue. Many of these iniatives reflect the City's core initatives; one of those is Broadband. This office also carries many of the memberships with other entities on the City's behalf. Held RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS of Dublin City Council 20 Mr. McDaniel reviewed the noteworthy changes in the City Manager's budget. The contractual services shows the Broadband initiative coming forward. He stated that the coalition may or may not reimburse Dublin for these early expenses. Other Charges includes the Boardband analysis, which is a goal of Council's and includes the Fiber to the Home Study. The ICMA 2022 Conference will be held in Columbus. Dublin will likely have a large role in that conference. It is a great opportunity to showcase our City. The City Manager's miscellaneous account has an increase in 2022 due to the Worker's Compensation contingency. This account needs to be replenished due to a few accidents this year. Communications and Public Information Budget Ms. Weisenauer stated that the 2022 budget reflects no changes to staffing. There is one change in title only to the Multimedia Communications Strategist which better reflects the role and mimics industry standards. The proposed 2022 budget reflects an overall increase of 8.1%, largely due to the increase in contractual services. The contractual services includes website services, marketing and development of a strategic communication plan, Dublin Life and a community survey that will be happening in 2022. Mr. McDaniel stated that the $100,000 requested in the website services, marketing and the development of a strategic communication plan, was added at his request. He asked CPI to engage an outside service to critique and provide suggestions. Some needs may lend themselves to outsourcing the services as opposed to adding staff. After the outside assessment, the feedback will be evaluated and actions developed. Ms. Fox asked if the communications plan will have an RFP to get a variety of firms to reply? Ms. Weisenauer stated that an RFP has been issued. Ms. Alutto asked if this communication plan would be external communications focused or internal or both? Ms. Weisenauer stated that they would start with external communications and move inward from there. Finance Department Budget Mr. Stiffier stated that there are 12 full time staff proposed for 2022 which represents no changes. He stated there are inflationary increases in Personal Services and a small increase in contractual services attributed to additional accounting and auditing consultation related to Single Audit and American Rescue Plan funding. The increase in Other Charges/Expenditures represents the Hotel/Motel Community grant funding, the Visit Dublin Ohio Grant and the Dublin Arts Council increase due to the hotel/motel revenue increase. Mr. Stiffier presented the budget request from Visit Dublin Ohio of $300,000 in addition to the 35% of hotel/motel revenues. 2021 revenues were budgeted at 40% of 2019 actuals, but year-to-date actuals are 58%. 2022 revenues are budgeted at 60% of 2019 actuals, but Mr. Stiffier stated he is hopeful to see the increase similar to this year. Ms. Fox stated that the additional $300,000 helps to get them back to where their 2019 levels were. She asked if there is any concern about the $300,000 being enough. Mr. McDaniel stated that this has been helpful to Visit Dublin Ohio. This is subject to change if needed. Ms. Fox stated she is hopeful that this allows them to operate at the level they need to operate. Mr. McDaniel stated that this keeps them whole. This is the request that they made. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she anticipates them doing better than the projected 2022 revenues. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that the room rates continue to rise. Mr. McDaniel stated that another factor will be the rate at which our businesses come back. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that this is a good way to budget but it is very conservative. Ms. Alutto asked if there was a plan to look at traffic volumes to tell us how people are traveling for business or work. Mr. Stiffier stated that staff continues to monitor that. The 2022 Operating Budget request from the Dublin Arts Council is $234,000 for general operations which includes $84,000 in rent forgiveness, $75,000 Arts In Public Places (AIPP) allocation, and $75,000 from either the fund balance or RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council sasor - T) October 1, 2021 Held 20 a prior year AIPP allocation. Mr. Stiffler explained that the AIPP funding is retained by the City from the 25% allocation that the Dublin Arts Council receives from hotel/motel tax. It is retained specifically for the AIPP program. In the last few years, the $75,000 has not been retained by the City and has been given to the Dublin Arts Council to assist them through the pandemic. Mr. Stiffler suggested that AIPP funding is a policy question for Council consideration. He provided a chart showing the AIPP fund from 2019 through 2022. The fund currently has $150,000 available which staff is suggesting could provide the additional budget request. Mr. Stiffler stated that this topic can be revisited at the second or third budget discussion, once Council has the opportunity to review the materials. The Finance Miscellaneous account reflects a 5.8% increase due to auditing and accounting services. Taxation Budget Mr. Stiffler stated that the Taxation Department has six full time positions and two part time positions. There are no proposed staffing changes to this budget. Mr. Stiffler noted that there is an increase in Personal Services as well as the $2 million tax refund amount added to Other Charges/Expenditures as previously discussed. The Personal Services increase is attributed to turnover in employees who have made different benefit elections. Mr. Stiffler reviewed again the $2 million income tax refunds. In response to Mayor Amorose Groomes' question regarding adequate staffing levels to manage the refunds, Mr. Stiffler stated that he would like to see how it goes first and believes there may or may not be a reason for concern. He believes staff can handle the returns as they come in. He stated that staff is looking at services for assistance if needed. Vice Mayor De Rosa asked about a Cyber Protection Audit. She stated that protection of taxpayer and business data is very important. What would it look like to add this to the annual review? Mr. StifFler stated that staff would research that and be prepared to discuss this as part of the IT Department budget review. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Mr. Keeler to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS • Arts and Humanities Month Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Mr. Guion forward to accept the Proclamation of October as Arts and Humanities Month. Mayor Amorose Groomes read the Proclamation and thanked Mr. Guion for the services that Dublin Arts Council offers to the community. Mr. Guion thanked Council for the Proclamation and for all the support they provide to the Dublin Arts Council. • Dublin Hospitality Industry Update Dr. Lee thanked Council for their support of Visit Dublin Ohio. He noted that Visit Dublin Ohio is working with City Staff on DEI efforts. Mr. Dring provided an update on hotel occupancy rates from January through August. He stated that the rates have been climbing. The bed tax revenues are rebounding but are still not to 2019 levels. Business travel has been hit hard by the pandemic. Luckily, Dublin is a diverse market with group tours, leisure activities and youth sports. He briefly reviewed the award winning regional campaign. The regional campaign results for 2021 have shown 49 million media impressions which is 220% over their goal. There was a 170% increase in regional website visits. Restaurant revenues increased as well. He reviewed the Visit Dublin Ohio initiatives they are currently working on. He stated that a "Work In Dublin" campaign has begun. Mr. Dring shared a brief video demonstrating how they are showcasing different businesses and amenities that can only be found in Dublin. Mr. Dring stated that this is his final update for this year, so he took the opportunity to thank Mr. Peterson for everything he has done for this community. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held Octo ear fi'r, 2021 20 Mr. Reiner stated that he was happy to see riverboxes in the video. He asked Mr. Dring the status of the bicycle trips that were being developed. Mr. Dring stated that City staff was taking the lead on that and that this collaborative effort will provie great connectivity. Mayor Amorose Groomes thanked Dr. Lee and Mr. Dring for the update and everything they do for this community. • CAPRA Accreditation Mr. Earman stated that the Parks and Recreation Department received their first accreditation in 2010. He stated that this accreditation is through the National Recreation and Park Association. He congratulated staff on the accreditation and thanked them for all their efforts and work. He recognized Ms. Rigano, Ms. Brooks, Ms. Wigram and Ms. Steiner. Mayor Amorose Groomes congratulated the staff and expressed her appreciation for their service and representation with excellence. • Economic Development Recognition Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Ms. Gilger to come forward and speak regarding the Ecoomic Development team's recognition as the International Economic Development Organization of the Year. Ms. Gilger stated that this award was for communities of 25,000 — 500,000 in population. The City of Dublin was awarded along side the City of Pheonix as the two Economic Development Organizations of the Year. The awards were given last week in the Nashville, Tennessee. Mayor Amorose Groomes thanked the Economic Development Team for bringing home this coveted award. She thanked them for all the hard work they do. Ms. Gilger thanked Council for their support and thanked her current and previous teams for the large effort. CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. CONSENT AGENDA • Approval of Minutes of September 27, 2021 Regular Meeting Notice to Legislative Authority of a New D5I Permit for Corazon Country Club LLC, dba Corazon Country Club, 7155 Corazon Drive, Dublin, Ohio 43017. There was no request from Council to remove an item from the Consent Agenda. Mayor Amorose Groomes moved for approval of the Consent Agenda. Mr. Reiner seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes. SECOND READING/ PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCES Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to waive the Council Rules of Order to consider Ordinances 61-21 through 63-21 together. Mr. Keeler seconded. Vote on the motion: Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes. Ordinance 61-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with property owners Merri Blum and Steven Blum along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council ctober 11, Held C1 LU! Ordinance 62-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with property owners Chad A. Brennan and Laurie L. Brennan along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Ordinance 63-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with property owner Steven D. Parish along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Mr. Earman stated that there is no change for these Ordinances from the first reading. There were no public comments. Mayor Amorose Groomes thanked these residents for their partnership for this improvement on this greenway. Vote on the Ordinances: Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes. FIRST READING/PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCES Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to waive the Council Rules of Order to consider Ordinances 64-21 through 67-21 together. Ms. Alutto seconded. Vote on the motion: Mr. Keeler, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes. Ordinance 64-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with Property Owners Keith and Catherine Gasper along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Ordinance 65-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with Property Owner Carol Roston along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Ordinance 66-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with Property Owner Maryanne Testa along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Ordinance 67-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Easement with Property Owners Holly and )errid Williams along the Indian Run Meadows Planned Use Development Corridor for Landscape Maintenance Ms. Alutto introduced the Ordinances. Mr. Earman stated that these Ordinances are the City's continuing efforts to improve the Indian Run Meadows Corridor landscape maintenance. These additional four will bring the easements received to 19 of the 28 properties. There was no public comment. Second reading/public hearing is scheduled for October 25, 2021. Ordinance 68-21 Adopting the Annual Operating Budget for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2022 Ms. Alutto introduced the Ordinance. Mr. Stiffler reviewed the timeline and summarized the discussions of revenues held on September 27. He briefly reviewed the overall expenditures in this proposed operating budget. This proposed budget is in compliance with the General Fund Policy. This RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held October 11, -1Pag€J of 15 _20— budget 0_ budget is in line with both the pandemic year that was experienced last year, but is also in line with the previous years' budgets. He illustrated the budgeted amounts versus actuals to show that the revenues are above expenditures. This budget continues to provide high-level services and advances Council's goals. There was no public comment. Second reading/public hearing is scheduled for October 25, 2021. INTRODUCTION/PUBLIC HEARING/VOTE — RESOLUTIONS Resolution 57-21 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with AARP Ohio and to Accept $20,000 in Grant Funding from the 2021 AARP Community Challenge Grant Program Ms. Alutto introduced the Resolution. Ms. Willis stated that this Resolution is regarding a grant recently awarded to the City of Dublin from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Ohio in order to construct a mobility hub at a site adjacent to the Senior Lounge at the Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC). In order to expand the City's investments in senior mobility options, Dublin staff submitted an application for $20,000 in funding from the AARP Community Challenge grant program in order to purchase and install an accessible shuttle shelter at a site adjacent to the Senior Lounge at the DCRC. In addition to the shelter, the scope of proposed work includes the relocation of existing bike racks and modifications to an existing sidewalk by installing an ADA -compliant curb ramp for low -stress boarding and alighting from the Dublin Connector shuttle. The final design of the proposed DCRC mobility hub will be completed by February 2022 and construction is anticipated in late spring 2022. The total cost of the DCRC mobility hub project is approximately $100,000. Staff recommended that City Council adopt Resolution 57-21 to accept the grant funding from AARP Ohio and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with AARP Ohio. Ms. Alutto asked about the reserve senior parking and whether or not some of the reserve spots could be relocated closer to the proposed mobility hub. Ms. Willis stated that they will work with Recreation staff on that possibility. Mr. Reiner congratulated staff on this grant. Ms. Willis recognized J.M. Rayburn for his efforts in putting together the grant application. Vice Mayor De Rosa suggested staff look at the curve coming into the mobility hub area as she has noticed some visibility concerns when biking in the area. Ms. Willis will look at the area. Vice Mayor stated that this will be used by the community as a whole. Ms. Fox congratulated staff for the work on this grant. She is hopeful that this mobility hub will begin thoughts about other modes of transportation. There was no public comment. Vote on the Resolution: Ms. Fox, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes. Resolution 58-21 Waiving Competitive Bidding and Declaring Sole Source and Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Columbus FiberNet's Proposal for the Purpose of Fiber Installation Mayor Amorose Groomes introduced the Resolution. Mr. McDaniel stated that as part of the construction of roadways and utilities associated with the re -construction of Riverside Drive and development of Riverside Crossing Park and Bridge Park, the City constructed a multi -conduit system designed to accommodate and carry fiber optics. As Council is aware, the City of Dublin deploys its own fiber optic bundle throughout this conduit system. This bundle of fiber is referred to as dubLINK. Previously this year, Council authorized a revised lease schedule for dubLINK fiber and extension of the maintenance of dubLINK fiber by the Fishel RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 844-224-3338 FORM7Z0_1 0 T4_8 Held October 11, 2021 go] Company/Dublink LLC. As part of that Agreement, the City will have the Fishel Company/Dublink LLC manage the conduit and fiber optics in this specific area. Staff has sought a quote from the Fishel Company/Dublink LLC for the deployment and splicing of fiber optics in the City -owned conduit in this area. The total cost for deployment and splicing is $189,345. Mr. McDaniel stated that these prices are consistent with the market and previous work performed. It is important to also note that additional conduit capacity owned by the City will be available in the area. The City will be able to allow access to this conduit at a significantly reduced rate in order to incentivize competition and capacity while minimizing construction activity and negative impacts on the infrastructure. Mr. McDaniel stated that the justification for declaring sole source and waiving competitive bidding is as follows: 1. The Fishel Company/Columbus Fibernet/Dublink LLC built and has managed and maintained the Dublink conduit system and City -owned dubLINK fiber optic since its inception. 2. Council recently passed a revised lease structure and authorized a maintenance agreement for the same to manage and maintain the dubLINK fiber system going forward, as well as, the conduit system within the area under consideration. 3. Having Fishel Company/Columbus Fibernet/Dublink LLC construct this portion of the system is in the City's best interest because they will manage the system after the fact and insure all connection points to various laterals are properly constructed. 4. It is imperative, as in the past, that only Fishel Company/Columbus Fibernet/Dublink LLC conduct the splicing to the existing active fiber optics, which they have been and will continue to manage. This is the most sensitive part of this project. There was no public comment. Ms. Fox asked what construction will look like when this happens. Mr. McDaniel stated that the multi -conduit system that is currently in place will allow them to just pull the fiber optic into the existing bank. Mr. Reiner stated that Fishel has been very good partners with the City. Mr. McDaniel agreed. Vote on the Resolution: Mr. Peterson, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes. OTHER BUSINESS • DORA Update Ms. LeRoy stated that the composting bins have been ordered as have the cups, but there is no update as to when they will actually arrive. A trash collection map has been created to show where regular trash and composting bins will be located in the DORA area. Staff is not recommending an extension of the area subject to the DORA. The times and days of the DORA is one of the changes staff is recommending. Below is the chart that Ms. LeRoy offered to show current and proposed hours by day with changes shown in green: Current Hours Proposed Extended Hours Monday/Tue/Wed None 4 p.m. — 8 p.m. Thursday/Friday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. 4 p.m. — 10 p.m. Saturday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. 1 P.M. — 10 P.M. Sunday None 1 p.m. — 8 p.m. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held Me f�age II of 15- 20 Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that the changes to the days/times matches the intention of Council. Ms. Fox expressed concern over how many responses to the survey were received. She stated that she would feel more comfortable extending it to every day if there were more input from the neighborhood. She is still feeling apprehensive about extending it to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ms. LeRoy stated that the survey is showing the amount of people who responded with their location. The original survey results showed far more responses that did not provide their location. The responses offered for this meeting were only those that gave their location of business or residence. Ms. Fox asked how many survery responses there were in total. Ms. LeRoy stated that she believed it was around 150 responses. Ms. LeRoy stated that regarding the costs of the DORA, many were one time expenses that were attributed to the start-up costs and research completed by staff. During the Pilot, the costs were determined to be $.51 a cup. Going forward, staff has determined to be closer to $.25 per cup. In response to Ms. Fox's question regarding how many cups were sold, Ms. LeRoy stated that staff is unsure of how many cups are being sold per month. 75,000 cups were sold during the pilot. In response to Ms. Fox's questions regarding the cup sales from retailers, Ms. LeRoy stated that the businesses have reported increased sales and some have designated specific areas in the bar for the DORA sales. Ms. Fox stated that she is not opposed to having the DORA everyday, but she believes that we should step softly because it is around schools and the library etc. She is willing to see how it goes. Vice Mayor De Rosa asked about the compostable cups being ordered. Ms. LeRoy stated they were ordered in May. Vice Mayor De Rosa asked what the cost per cup was at the time she ordered them. Ms. LeRoy stated that they were $.15 a cup. Staff is still researching to find out what they will cost going forward. In response to Vice Mayor De Rosa's question regarding the cost of the cups, Ms. LeRoy stated that they will know more when the cups arrive. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated her belief that the cost of the cups should be more at the $.50 level. She added that she has no concerns about the DORA operating every day and she does agree with the time changes on Sunday. Mr. Keeler agreed with Vice Mayor De Rosa's comments and added that he is supportive of increasing the cost of the cups. Mayor Amorose Groomes agreed with raising the cost of the cups to $.50 and she also agrees with the time and day changes. She appreciated seeing the location of the survey responders. Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to approve staff recommendations regarding the change to the days/hours of the DORA as discussed and the cost increase to $.50 per cup. Ms. Alutto seconded. Vote on the motion: Ms. Alutto, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Vice Mayor De Rosa, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she also was interested in the sandwich board signs and finding something that is nicer and more permanent. • Proposed City Entryway Updates Mr. Ranc stated that staff has taken the last several months evaluating the condition of the City's entryways. Staff found the following regarding City's entryway signs: • the signs are not consistent to current City branding; • the landscaping surrounding the City's entryway signs lacks aesthetics and a consistent level of maintenance; • there is an opportunity to install monument signs at key City entryways; and RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held 20 • site specific issues should be addressed at the Frantz Road and US 33/SR161 entryway, the Sawmill Road and I-270 interchange and the I-270 corridor. Mr. Ranc stated that Transportation and Mobility and CPI staff worked together to come up with some options that reflect the current branding. Mr. Ranc provided illustrated options of updated signs. Mr. Ranc proposed moving the signs associated with school athletic accomplishments to be more toward the schools so the sign can be associated with the appropriate school area. He also stated that he has reached out to the high schools to ensure that we are using the proper branding as some have been updated recently. Regarding landscaping, staff recommended maintaining a landscaping package of an attractive mulch bed with flowering plants and tall decorative grasses. He added that these costs can be aborbed in the Public Services operating budget. Mr. Ranc introduced monument signs and stated that staff's recommendation is to enhance six entryways with monument signs. These six areas are key entrances that are heavily trafficked. He provided illustrated views of what the monument signs could look like. Mr. Ranc stated that the following assumptions were made concerning the proposed monument signs: • The monument signs are assumed to be approximately five feet wide and three to four feet tall; • They would include a dry -stacked stone facing similar to the walls in Veterans Park; • There would be a limestone or precase concrete cap each monument sign; • The message portions of the monument signs are mounted to the monument with the ability to remove and replace the various elements; • The proposed monument signs will either need to be crash worthy or include a breakaway base. Staff is assuming crash worthy based on the size of the signs, which will require ample foundation. • If lighting is desired, small solar -powered flooklights can be considered. Hardwiring could also be a possibility; and • Some level of design is expected to coordinated, either with a sign manufacturer or a design engineer. The current estimates for the monument signs (including landscaping and design cost) would be from $174,000-$234,000. Mr. Ranc stated that after review of these costs with the Finance Department, it has been determined that these costs can be met within the current CIP. Mr. Ranc stated that there are a few additional items for consideration. The first is an informal u -turn that has been created by both the police and civilian motorists west of the intersection of Frantz Road and US-33/SR-161. The police division has determined that it no longer needs to use this location. Staff will work with ODOT to have guardrails placed in this location to prevent u -turns and then work on rehabilitating the landscaping. The Sawmill Road and I-270 interchange maintenance responsibility is shared between ODOT and the City of Columbus in addition to Dublin. The City is proposing an agreement with ODOT and Columbus to have Dublin take over maintenance of the entirety of this interchange to ensure it is maintained to Dublin's standards. This would be included in the 2022 operating budget. Ms. Fox asked about the I-270 interchange. Mr. Ranc stated that he would like the City to take over both the east and west side. In the median areas, it would be mowed and weed removal completed. Mr. Reiner stated that it would be beneficial to do some plantings to define Dublin and show a change on the interchange area. Mr. Keeler appreciated the suggestions and report from staff. He asked if it would be possible to have volunteers pull the weeds as part of a community service project. He asked about turf maintenance. He stated that the contractors that assist with maintenance need to do a cleaner job with weed control. He is not sure about the monument signs. Mr. Reiner asked if Council would refer this to the Community Development Committee (CDC). Mayor Amorose Groomes is supportive of this going to committee. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held 20 Mayor Amorose Groomes suggested the idea of having a Champions Park. She stated it could be a space within an existing park where we could honor all of the state champions as a community. They could be recognized in perpetuity. She suggested collaborating with the schools on this to make sure everything was covered. Mr. McDaniel asked if that would be at each high school. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that it could be, but some of the state champions are a conglomerate of multiple schools. She stated it would be neat to recognize them all as a community. Each high school does do a Hall of Fame, but she is not certain how consistant it is. She would like this to be part of the referral to CDC. Ms. Alutto agreed that it would be nice to have something that everyone has access to. If the recognition is inside a high school, then a person may not have access to that to show kids or grandkids. She state that one of the struggles of the signs is a lag time to get them posted. Mr. Reiner stated that it could be something like a plaza that could be walked through. Mr. Peterson was very supportive of Mayor Amorose Groomes' idea regarding school recognition. He stated that he agrees with Mr. Keeler that he is unsure about the monuments. He stated that it is important to mark the entryways and the rest speaks for itself when you are in Dublin. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that additional design conversation would be good. She asked how it was determined where the monuments would be. Mr. Ranc stated that it was the heavily traveled areas that determined where they would be placed. She agreed that it needs more discussion and agreed with the referral to CDC. Mr. Ranc circled back to Mr. Keeler's statement regarding contract management for turf maintenance. He stated that the maintenance is a direct reflection of the staffing issues that the industry is suffering from. He is changing a position title and description in his department that will soley focus on contract management and ensuring that these contracts are performing as intended. Ms. Fox stated that she was not fond of the font that is used on the sign illustrations. She prefers the font that is currently on the old signs. She believes the font speaks to the community whereas the new font looks trendy. She is supportive of this being referred to CDC. Mr. Keeler stated that we want to be consistent in messaging and signage. He would recommend asking the branding person that CPI was planning on contracting with. Mr. McDaniel stated that the City is not looking to reinvent the brand, but he is in agreement that this is what Committees are for is to go into these details. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that there is a CDC meeting on November 30 and this item could be added to that agenda. Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to refer this discussion to the Community Development Committee for the November 30 agenda. Mr. Reiner seconded. Vote on the motion: Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Vice Maor De Rosa, yes; Ms. Alutto, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mr. Peterson, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes. STAFF COMMENTS Mr. McDaniel had no staff comments. COUNCIL REPORTS • Committees o Administrative Committee: Vice Mayor De Rosa shared that: ■ Virtual/Hybrid Meeting Ordinance will come before Council for first reading on October 25; ■ Council Rules of Order will come before Council for resoluton on November 8; ■ Proclamation Policy will be coming forward at the October 25 meeting; and RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council 44- 4-3 .10148 Held - October 11, 2021-- R�g� 20 ■ The Council Chamber Building Use Policy was discussed and will come before Council for discussion at the October 18 work session. She also shared that the Committee had some preliminary discussion regarding the processes for the succession of the City Manager. o Community Development Committee: Mr. Reiner shared that: • The next meeting is October 25 at 5:00 p.m. and also on November 30. • He asked if staff could contact ODOT regarding plantings for I-270 and report back. Mayor Amorose Groomes asked Ms. O'Callaghan to confirm the date and time for the Committee. o Public Services Committee: Ms. Fox stated that their next meeting is October 13 at 5:00 p.m. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE o Mr. Keeler stated that Dublin Life had an article about a Veteran and he shared a quote that was from the article, " Dublin is like a movie set, it is perfect." He stated that it isn't perfect, but it is the work of this team working so hard for the residents. He is very proud of the work of staff. He thanked staff for going above and beyond. o Ms. Fox stated that there is a new restaurant coming that is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant. Staff noticed an issue that was able to be resolved. It is complimentary to see that we all have the wellbeing of the City at heart. She shared that an audience member at a PZC meeting stated that, "you are thorough, you are careful and you care about how it all comes out." She thanked staff for their work for the residents. o Mayor Amroose Groomes shared the following: ■ thanked the Board and Commission members who met with her and Vice Mayor De Rosa recently regarding virtual/hybrid meetings; ■ A school board meeting was held in the Chamber and 38 students were honored as National Merit Finalists; ■ Congratulated Chase Bank on their opening; ■ Attended the Legends Luncheon, which was a great showcase for our City; and ■ A new ARB Member has been sworn in. • She also shared that on October 1, she and the City Manager both participated in the COMMA meeting. The City Manager led a discussion regarding broadband and Mayor Amorose Groomes led a discussion on the municipal income tax issue. There was significant support from the COMMA members on both of those issues. ■ She congratulated the Dublin Arts Council on a successful Sundays at the Scioto series. ■ A new business in historic Dublin opened ACS Title Company and Berkshire Hathaway. ■ October 6 was the inaugural Leadership Dublin Class this year. ■ She attended the MORPC Executive Committee meeting and she is responsible for the Executive Director performance review this year. ■ She attended the Evolution Theater and watched, "The Story of My Life" where our own Joe Bishara starred. She stated it was very well done and thanked Mr. Bishara for representing us with excellence. ■ She had lunch with the Mayor of Shawnee Hills, Dan Mathews, and engaged in rigorous conversation. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Held G Mayor, — Presiding Officer 20