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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-05-2024 Council Meeting MinutesRECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting BARRETT BROTHERS - DAYTON, OHIO Form 6101 Held February 5, 2024 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Amorose Groomes called the Monday, February 5, 2024 Regular Council Meeting of Dublin City Council to order at 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present were Vice Mayor Alutto, Mayor Amorose Groomes, Ms. De Rosa, Ms. Fox, Mr. Keeler and Ms. Kramb. Mr. Reiner was absent. Staff members present were Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Hartmann, Chief Paez, Ms. Weisenauer, Mr. Stiffler, Ms. Rauch, Mr. Gable, Ms. Wawszkiewicz, Ms. LeRoy, Ms. Gishel, Mr. Hammersmith, Ms. Blake, Ms. Goliver and Mr. Ament. | Others present: Eric Richter, Kevin McDowell and John Donahue, Washington Township | Fire Department; Craig Lobdell, Aladdin Shriners; Scott Dring and Dave Cecutti, Visit Dublin Ohio. ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to adjourn to executive session: e To consider the purchase of property for public purposes; e To consider confidential information related to a request for economic development assistance that involves public infrastructure improvements that are directly related to an economic development project, and which executive session is necessary to protect the possible investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project; e Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment; and e Conferences with an attorney for the public body concerning disputes involving the public body that are the subject of pending or imminent court action. Vice Mayor Alutto seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes. The meeting was reconvened at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Craig Lobdell, Aladdin Shriners, to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. SPECIAL PRESENTATION e American Heart Month Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Ms. LeRoy to come forward. Ms. LeRoy shared that last year, NFL player Demar Hamlin went into sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 24 and a few months later, Lebron James’ 18 year-old son experienced a similar medical emergency. These incidents shed light on the fact that over 356,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States. Of that number, 2000 young, seemingly healthy people under age 25 do not survive a sudden cardiac arrest event. The quick use of an automatic external defibrillator, or AED, can double the chances of survival. Last year, staff began to research the possibility of bringing AEDs into Dublin Parks. The City has now purchased seven outdoor AEDs. The purchase was funded through the City of Dublin, Washington Township and through a generous grant awarded by the Aladdin Shriners. The weatherproof AED cabinets are equipped with lights, sirens, a heating unit and a wi-fi enabled alert system. She thanked the generous partners that helped make this project possible. Deputy Chief John Donahue, Washington Township Fire Department, RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting BARRETT BROTHERS - DAYTON, OHIO Form 6101 February 5, 2024 Page 2 of 5 Held y g commented on the positive impact of having defibrillators and pacing machines available to paramedics for their patients. He expressed gratitude that they are more available to the public. He thanked staff for the work on this project. Mr. Lobdell, Aladdin Shriners, stated that it was his pleasure to disperse funds for such a great purpose. Mayor Amorose Groomes read the proclamation for February as American Heart Month. She encouraged everyone to educate themselves on basic life-saving techniques and the locations of AEDs in public places. e Visit Dublin Ohio Update Mr. Dave Cecutti, President of the Board of Trustees for Visit Dublin Ohio, thanked Council for their support and introduced Mr. Dring. Mr. Dring shared the 2023 tourism progress report that shows a 10% increase in hotel bed tax revenue and a 5% increase in restaurant sales. He stressed the importance of bringing visitors into Dublin to support our restaurants and retailers. He shared that there were 850,000 website visits in 2023 as well as 50 million worldwide earned media impressions. He showed the impact of regional campaigns in Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The Dublin Visitor Information Center recorded that people from 47 states and 13 countries signed the guestbook. Upcoming projects for Visit Dublin Ohio include: e a walking map in conjunction with the Historical Society as well as a new museum space that will be opening at 35 South High Street. e He mentioned the eclipse that will be happening on April 8. He described the packages that are being offered to experience the eclipse since Dublin is in the path of totality. e He announced that, in collaboration with City of Dublin staff, the first online merchandise store called “Everything Dublin” will be launched in the coming weeks. e He expressed excitement about the possibilities of Darree Fields and offered to help in any way they can with the improvements. e They are working with a company called Wheel the World which is helping to make communities more accessible to those with accessibility challenges. He thanked Council for their continued support. In response to Ms. De Rosa’s question regarding the regional campaigns for 2024, Mr. Dring stated that they determine what cities to focus on by drawing a three-hour circle around Dublin. Targeting families within a 3-hour driving distance is where they focus their attention. CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no public comments. CONSENT AGENDA e Minutes of the January 22, 2024 Regular Council Meeting e Minutes of the January 29, 2024 Special Council Meeting e Application for Placement of Farmland in an Agricultural District — Floyd Miller - 60.422 acres of land located at 5274 Cosgray Road, Parcel No. 274-001218-00 There was no request to remove an item from the Consent Agenda. Vice Mayor Alutto moved to approve the items on the Consent Agenda. Ms. Kramb seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Ms. Kramb, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes. INTRODUCTION/PUBLIC HEARING/VOTE — RESOLUTIONS Resolution 01-24 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting BARRETT BROTHERS - DAYTON, OHIO. Form 6101 February 5, 2024 Page 3 of 5 Held. Accepting the Lowest and Best Bid for the River Forest Storm and Roadway Improvements Project (19-021-CIP) Vice Mayor Alutto introduced the Resolution. Mr. Gable stated that staff conducted a competitive bid process for the River Forest storm and roadway improvements project. The project includes the rehabilitation of roadways, drainage improvements to alleviate roadway and roadside flooding and the restoration of roadside ditches within the right-of-way. On January 16, 2024, two bids were received and publicly opened. Strawser Paving Company submitted the lowest and best bid of $2,155,198.60, which is 0.01% over the Engineer's Estimate. This bid is nearly half a million dollars lower than the bid received in June of 2023 when the project was initially advertised. Construction is expected to commence in the spring of this year and be complete by October 2024. Staff recommended approval. Tim Solack, River Forest resident and past president of the HOA, came forward to thank Council for this resolution and expressed excitement for the work to begin. Mayor Amorose Groomes thanked the residents of River Forest for their patience and stated that rebidding this project allowed the City to save a half million taxpayer dollars. Vote on the Resolution: Ms. De Rosa, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes. Resolution 02-24 Accepting the Lowest and Best Bid for the 4130 Tuller Road Demolition Project Vice Mayor Alutto introduced the Resolution. Ms. Blake stated that staff conducted a competitive bid process for the 4130 Tuller Road demolition project. The scope of this work is necessary for the future Tuller Road to Emerald Parkway over 1270 Crossing project. The Engineer's Estimate for this project is $385,000. The project is funded from the 2023-2027 CIP. On January 24, 2024, six bids were received and publicly opened. Complete Clearing Inc. submitted the lowest and best bid of $387,692. The work is expected to commence as soon as possible to address the safety risks associated with vacant structures. Completion of the project is expected by May 2024. Staff recommended approval. There were no public comments. Vote on the Resolution: Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes. OTHER BUSINESS e Adult-use (Recreational) Marijuana Legislative Update and Options Ms. O'Callaghan stated that in November 2023, Ohio voters approved State Issue 2 to legalize the commercial sale, recreational use and home cultivation of marijuana for persons 21 years of age and older. Issue 2 took effect December 7, 2023. The Ohio General Assembly has expressed their general intentions to change the law, but to what extent is still to be decided. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and conversation. The City of Dublin has an existing ban on medical marijuana businesses, including cultivators, processors and dispensaries, which means that there are no operations that have a right to an adult-use license in Dublin. The City adopted this legislation as both a zoning and a business regulation in 2017. She referenced the memo that was provided to Council in advance of the meeting, and stated that it includes a comprehensive update as well as legal analysis and options that are available to Council. She stated that staff will continue to monitor the legislative updates and she recommended placing this topic on an upcoming work session agenda for further discussion. There were no public comments. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting BARRETT BROTHERS - DAYTON, OHIO Form 6101 February 5, 2024 Page 4 of 5 Held Ms. Fox stated that a moratorium was one of the options mentioned. She shared some research that she had conducted, which was: e In Ohio, there are 44 cities that have a six month moratorium; There are 17 that have placed a 12 month moratorium; One that has placed an 18 month moratorium; One that has placed a 24 month moratorium; and Three that have put permanent bans in place. Ms. Fox suggested a moratorium gives an opportunity to take time to understand the research and to determine what the legislature might be doing. Ms. Kramb stated that the draft ordinance that was provided in the packet would be a very minor change to the regulations already in place in Dublin. She suggested moving forward with the ordinance to add adult-use marijuana to the regulations. In response to Ms. De Rosa’s question regarding this topic coming forward to a future work session, Ms. O'Callaghan stated that she wanted to provide this comprehensive information to Council and introduce the topic, but have a more comprehensive discussion at a later date when perhaps more information will be available. Ms. De Rosa stated she liked the work session idea because this is still a relatively new set of actions and a lot of municipalities around the state will be having discussions. It would be a good opportunity to hear about some of the approaches before moving forward. She suggested the work session should be scheduled sooner rather than later. Mr. Keeler agreed and stated that he would like Dublin’s voice to be heard, but would like more information. He would also like a work session sooner rather than later. Vice Mayor Alutto stated that she agreed with having a work session earlier rather than later. Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that it is important for the community at large to know that there are many things to consider and Council intends to act judiciously. She added that Council will make sure that we continue to monitor things and trust that staff will bring back the appropriate language at the appropriate time. STAFF COMMENTS There were no staff comments. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Ms. Kramb thanked Washington Township for being at the meeting and thanked them for the service they provide to the City. Ms. Fox shared that she and Mr. Keeler will be attending the Japanese Etiquette seminar on Tuesday (February 6). She also stated that they will be going to the Emperor's Birthday celebration in Detroit in the coming weeks. She also shared that she attended the Asian American Commerce Group’s Economic Development Conference. She expressed appreciation for the event and the sharing of information. Mr. Keeler stated that he was grateful for the large number of people who came to the Metro Center Revitalization conversation. He shared his perspective regarding the Metro Center area and offered suggestions about mitigating challenges that may surface in this process. He also offered a suggestion regarding the leftover promotional items that the City uses for various events and that they could possibly be used by the new online store that Mr. Dring spoke of earlier. Mayor Amorose Groomes reported that: e she participated in the NPR Radio Show and she thanked Council for their support in that; e January 24 was the Whistle Stop Tour at MORPC which was very informative for the future of rail; e She and Council Member Fox had the opportunity to meet with the Aztec Robotics Club, who were preparing for an upcoming competition; RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting BARRETT BROTHERS - DAYTON, OHIO Form 6101 Held February 5, 2024 Page 5 of 5 She attended the Business Impact Breakfast with Council Members Kramb and De Rosa, which provided an informative presentation regarding Intel and its impact on the region; She will be attending Data Day at Ohio University hosted by MORPC on February 7; Joe Nardone will be the speaker at the Commission Luncheon for MORPC on February 8. Mr. Nardone is the CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority; February 11-15, she will be in Washington DC at the NARC Conference (National Association of Regional Councils). There are meetings scheduled while she is there with Senate and House Representatives as well as the US Department of Transportation with the Federal Rail Administration to continue conversations about rail; and February 22-23, she is going, with MORPC, to Orlando where there will be meetings with Brightline and Amtrak. These trips are at the expense of MORPC. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m. gh fp B— Mayor — Presiding Officer Cera Latha Cigfk of Céuncil