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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-08-08 Study SessionDUBLIN CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION Monday, September 8, 2008 Council Chambers Minutes of Meeting Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. Present: Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, Vice Mayor Boring, Mr. Reiner, Mr. Gerber, Mr. Keenan, Ms. Salay and Mr. Lecklider. Staff members present: Ms. Brautigam, Ms Puskarcik and Ms. Grigsby. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that the subject for discussion tonight is the 2010 City Bicentennial. Ms. Puskarcik stated that the complete plan was provided in Council's binders. It was tiered based upon feedback from Council at the previous Bicentennial discussion. The cover memo highlights the goals staff would like to achieve tonight. Tier 1 contains items on which staff received clear direction from Council at the previous discussion -the hallmark events -- opening, midpoint and closing, to encompass a 250 day time period. Also included in that tier is a 250 member group of Emerald Ambassadors, which will provide some recognition of key community members. Tier 2 and Tier 3 propose items on which 1 or 2 members of Council have expressed some interest. Research was done on those possibilities. The plan provides for 4 program areas -Celebration, Recognition, Education and Innovation. The celebration would honor Dublin's past and present, and imagine its future. There is also a section covering Support Efforts, including a theme or branding. A consultant may be useful at same point. The plan looks at Council's role, the ceremonial component, of the Bicentennial. Council expressed a desire for community engagement, and several suggestions are made for ways for that to occur. Vice Mayor Boring inquired if the branding effort really requires spending $25,000 (page 41.) Ms. Puskarcik responded that this is one of the items for which the research expense can be eliminated if Council is satisfied with having staff do it. Vice Mayor Boring stated that a $25,000 brand fora 250-day event is excessive. Something effective could be created for a lesser amount. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher suggested that Council review the plan from the beginning. Tier 1: • Emerald Ambassadors. Because it would be impossible for Council to review and select 250 ambassadors, it is suggested that 79 City companies perform this function. A list of those organizations is suggested on page 6. Vice Mayor Boring stated that the plan suggests that each Council member could select 10 ambassadors. This will be an election year, sa couldn't that be a problem? Ms. Puskarcik responded that the selection could occur in mid-November to December, when the new Council members have been decided. There are different ways Council's Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 2 selections could occur, but those details could be worked out later. All of the 2010 Council members will also be Emerald ambassadors. Kick-off event - St. Patrick's Day. The first day of the celebration would include a luncheon and State of the City address, with approximately 500 invitees. The second day would be the St. Patrick's Day parade. This would be followed by events in Historic Dublin. There would also be abeard-growing contest. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired what the $10,000 for additional floats involves. Ms. Puskarcik responded that would be for rental of additional units, which can be obtained from parade companies. Mr. Keenan inquired if the parade company would be hired to build a float related to the Bicentennial theme. Ms. Puskarcik confirmed that would be the intent. The City did this 10 years ago. Ms. Salay stated that she realizes that St. Patrick's Day will be the beginning of the Bicentennial celebration, but the success of that event is very weather dependent, and that could be problematic. She would therefore hate to invest a lot of money and effort on that parade. Perhaps it would be better to expand the July 4t" parade and have the focus on the City's history during that parade. Ms. Puskarcik responded that could certainly be done. However, Dublin's St. Patrick's Day parade is usually well attended because it is the only one in the area. Dublin's July 4t" parade is less popular because other communities have them, so that probably makes the benefits comparable. Vice Mayor Boring stated that she agrees with Ms. Salay on this issue. Although she appreciates Ms. Puskarcik explaining her thoughts on the matter, Council does not appear to be able to make progress on limiting the budget in any area -- even though Ms. Salay's suggestion definitely has some merit. Ms. Puskarcik responded that she was not indicating it would not be acceptable to do it the other way. That is why a line item budget has been provided - so Council is aware of where the costs are. She suggested that she proceed with a quick review of Tier 2 and Tier 3 items, and then Council can go back and discuss any items they wish. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that she still has some questions about this one, however, and she would like to ask her questions as the discussion moves along. Ms. Puskarcik agreed. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher requested information about the music enhancement item (page 9). Ms. Puskarcik responded that is a suggestion to bring in bagpipers from another area. The intent is to look for one-time enhancements for this event that could be related to the Bicentennial. Mr. Reiner stated that $10,000 is a lot of money for musical enhancements for a parade. Are there enough groups that a $3,000 prize would entice them to come to Dublin to compete? Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 3 Ms. Puskarcik stated that typically, there are a large number of people in a bagpipe band, so transportation and accommodations are expensive. She suggested that Council consider the various ideas first. If they like an idea but not the associated cost, it may be possible to alter the concept. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that maybe this could be considered part of the July 4t" entertainment costs and not entirely a Bicentennial cost. Ms. Puskarcik responded that after Council reviews the July 4t" proposals, perhaps they can be more certain where they wish to place the history focus. • Storyteller. This idea involves using 200 individuals to tell their stories. The stories would be recorded and archived and could be used on DTV and the City's web. This is something the City could do with an intern, working with a vendor for the technical expertise needed. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired if the $10,000 price included the cost of the intern. Ms. Puskarcik responded that it does not. It is an example of something that could be done inhouse to avoid the high costs of a production company. Vice Mayor Boring inquired if the cost for photos could be handled internally as well. Ms. Salay stated that it depends what is wanted. Having formal portraits would require this budget, but more informal "mug shots" would not. Ms. Puskarcik responded that they believed that studio shots of the 200 participants would be desirable. Ms. Salay stated that she does not intend to minimize the importance of the City celebration of its 200t" birthday. However, the fact is that Council is considering spending ~/ million dollars on this event in these challenging economic times, and the public's perception of that may be unfavorable. She believes it is essential to reduce the costs of Tier 1 in some manner. Although staff is recommending that all of it be done, Council has some real concerns with the expense and is looking for ways to trim the costs. She likes the idea of the storyteller. She is trying to evaluate who these activities will be important to and, after the Bicentennial is over, haw will they be used in the future for posterity. She would like to focus on the items that are important to Dublin, and then select those items that will be most dear to the community long-term. In this plan, there are a lot of extraneous things that are not necessary. Ms. Puskarcik responded that what she hears Council would like to do is approve the concepts in Tier 1, not necessarily the budgets. Those can be tweaked. Vice Mayor Boring stated that she was trying to determine who would be looking at the photographs in the future. UVhy not take a photograph of the person in their natural surroundings? For future posterity, a photograph of a school cook in their apron and in their setting would be more valuable than a studio shot of them. It also seems more consistent with the purpose of the ambassador. Mr. Keenan agreed. Perhaps this is being looked at in reverse order. Maybe Council should agree upon a budget and let staff develop a plan that will fit the budget. Vllhat have other communities done, and what have other communities spent on a 200-year anniversary? Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 4 Ms. Puskarcik responded that information about other cities' bicentennials was provided to Council at the previous discussion, and the costs varied significantly. That is the reason it was decided to look at the various ideas first. At the previous discussion, Council seemed to believe the storytelling concept was important, and that is why the idea was researched. Mr. Keenan responded that would be one of the most important things to do with a Bicentennial - to capture the stories of people that will soon be gone. That will be a valuable resource for people. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that a line item discussion can be more difficult, but the reason Council requested this approach is that Council does not know what $200,000 will cover in the proposals. With this approach, Council can see what the cost will provide, and then it can become a matter of judging the level of importance because of the cost. It is possible to spend $200,000 on minor items, or it can provide three major ones. It is the philosophy of the staff members that determines the kind of activities suggested for that amount of money. In this discussion, the storytelling concept seems to be important to Council, but studio head shots are not. Mr. Keenan inquired what the process would be -will Council need to vote an each line item? Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher responded that it can be done in whatever way Council desires. Mr. Lecklider stated that the City of VIlesterville recently celebrated their 175-year anniversary. Vllhat was their budget? Ms. Puskarcik responded that information was provided at the previous discussion. She does not have it with her tonight. Regarding a budget amount, Council could set an amount or a range. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated in the staff memo there is a range of $384,000 to $874,000. At the $384,000 point, does that mean that in today's dollars, $384,000 would be spent on the three events? Ms. Puskarcik confirmed that is correct. Mr. Keenan inquired if a survey of the constituency was conducted to determine interest. Mr. Gerber stated that he would like to add another consideration. V11hen the nation celebrated its 200t" anniversary in 1976, a commission raised private money. Has that been considered? Ms. Puskarcik responded that they knew that some citizens would be interested in participating. ~n page 46, there is a list of ideas for community engagement projects. Mr. Gerber stated that additional projects are fine, but using the idea for the Bicentennial celebration itself is what he intended. As a city grows, often the residents and the corporations begin to contribute to the financial responsibilities related to some of its celebrations. It is appropriate that Dublin begin to look for this support and participation. Ms. Puskarcik responded that does occur here -through sponsorships and in-kind services, and staff will be seeking financial partners for the Bicentennial. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 5 Mr. Gerber clarified that his point is that the City begins to contribute less taxpayer money for an event and instead begins to rely upon these contributions for support of the events. If the budget is $384,000 for the year, the residents and corporations could contribute perhaps one third or one half of that. Ms. Puskarcik responded that the way this would occur is: if the July 4t" budget was $250,000.00, staff could set a goal to raise perhaps 50% of that amount from the community, and Council would approve the $250,000 budget. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher responded that if the goal is not reached, Council would have already pre-approved the budget dollars and would in the end pay far it. Ms. Puskarcik responded that projects can be set up a little differently, as was the Grounds of Remembrance project. Mr. Reiner stated that there are other ideas, too. For instance, the Sells and the Black Horse Tavern are mentioned. The third Black Horse Tavern site is now occupied by Donato's. Perhaps Donato's could be asked to participate by doing that particular float. Mr. Gerber stated that currently, the City plans and pays for the events and the residents are somewhat passive participants. If a stranger community spirit is desired, the residents need to be invited to become active participants. Ms. Salay stated that she agrees. This is similar to a family situation - if a car is purchased for a child, helshe appreciates it less than if they had to work and help pay for it. Ms. Puskarcik stated that if Council wants to do that with the July 4t" parade, the City could choreograph the parade with the City sponsoring a certain number of the elements. Beyond that, the community could sponsor the other elements. That does occur somewhat now, but the Bicentennial is the type of event that should became more of a community celebration and less a city led celebration. That was how the Grounds of Remembrance was handled. Vice Mayor Boring noted that as Dublin has grown, the residents have actually become less active. They no longer participate as they once did when the City did not have the revenue it now has, and when the residents participate, there is a more community spirit. Mr. Reiner stated there could be more creativity in the involvement. For a diorama, the students at the school are asked to be involved, and they pick a significant personage and dress up as that person. Similarly, characters from Dublin's history could be represented in the parade by the students. Vllhen people participate in that manner, it is something they always remember. Ms. Puskarcik responded that could also be done. If Council gives guidance by identifying the elements that are most important to them, a goal could be set for perhaps a 50-50 City- community effort. Mr. Reiner stated that he would like to see the schools involved and see what amount of student involvement could occur. This type of participation is also seen in certain other cities in the nation and especially for European historical celebrations -- the residents actively participate by dressing up for that period of history. Ms. Puskarcik stated that element is included in this plan. The City develops the framework for their participation and it would be up to them to implement and bring that project to life. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 6 Ms. Salay suggested that the newly-formed Dublin Alumni Association might be interested in this. Ms. Puskarcik responded that staff has already spoken with them, and they are interested in participating. Mr. Lecklider stated that a city celebrates its bicentennial only once, and Council members have shared 7 different perspectives on that. However, Council is in consensus on a concern about the Bicentennial budget. Personally, he is very uncomfortable with a $500,000 budget for the Bicentennial on top of what is already spent annually for events - good economic times or bad. He is uncertain what amount he would be comfortable with -- perhaps $100,000 or $125,000, but definitely not $500,000. In addition, given the pace of the lifestyles in this community, he is not sure many could become actively engaged for 250 days, nor that they would support the spending of'/ million dollars on that effort. Personally, he would prefer to spend ~/ million dollars on the purchase of parkland. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that she completely agrees with other Council members on this. Perhaps it is the economic times, but more and more people are beginning to talk about the amount of money the City is spending on what they refer to as "parties," and this is essentially a party. At this point, she cannot support spending anything above what is already in the budget. The activities already budgeted can be redirected to a Bicentennial focus. It is not just a matter of no longer growing the Community Events budget; it is a matter of the need to actually lower that budget. In view of that earlier discussion, she is astounded to have a budget of ~/ million proposed to Council. Her position is that no more than the existing budget should be spent on these three events. She also agrees that St. Patrick's Day is questionable in terms of events, based on the weather, and that is not where the Bicentennial specials should be focused. The July 4th celebration is traditionally billed as a more community-focused event, usually with the type of entertainment the community enjoys -but not like that which occurred this year about which Council received several complaints. Ms. Puskarcik stated that staff is not recommending an additional $500,000 being spent. That is the reason a line item budget was provided. Staff recognized that the total amount to do everything was very large. However, it did not seem appropriate not to share information on all the options that were researched, and that is why everything was provided. There may be an element or two in this plan that Council would like to have pursued and for which Council would either like to budget some funds or have community partnerships pursued. That could be the storytelling element or a 3-day weekend Fourth of July celebration. Vice Mayor Boring stated that the City has become very sophisticated. It is easy to throw a quality event when you have money because it is possible to hire contractors to do everything well. Personally, she found the Blarney Brothers on the Alley event very interesting. It was raining, yet everybody attended and had a good time. Vllhen things are "community," that occurs. Keeping that in mind, she would suggest that the ambassadors' photographs for the Bicentennial be geared in that direction, with the ambassadors' natural environment in the photographs. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 7 Ms. Salay suggested that those honored as part of the 200 be asked to submit their own photograph of how they would like to be remembered. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that the Bicentennial is two years away. If the schools joined in now, then the art, drama, music and history teachers could create curriculum that would include a Bicentennial focus. Ms. Puskarcik noted that is exactly what their plan proposes. On page 15, there is a proposal to partner with the Blarney Brothers. Staff was aware in presenting this plan that not everything could be done; that would be too much. However, all the ideas researched were presented for Council to select from. It is possible for staff to find a way to meet Council's goals through community partnerships, sponsorships and community engagement. The Fourth of July event could be tweaked to reflect a Bicentennial focus with perhaps one other element added. Mr. Reiner stated that staff did a great job researching every option for the celebration and then provided an estimated budget for each. That is a lot of work. However, the total budget has overwhelmed Council. Looking through these elements, he believes many could be done differently. For instance, it is not necessary for re-designing the City's flag to cast $5,000. In Alaska, everyone was invited to participate in a contest, and students and residents submitted proposed designs. A student won that contest with a simple but brilliant design. Dublin could do something similar. Ms. Puskarcik stated that could be done. Vice Mayor Boring stated that everyone appreciates all the work that has been done for this plan. However, with the Blarney Brothers element, it is proposed that Community Relations staff partner with them and HDBA to expand activities throughout the district. Vl/hy not have these two groups handle it entirely? They may be mare interested in participating. Ms. Salay stated that if it is presented to the community now, it would be possible to gauge the interest of the community in becoming involved. Mr. Reiner stated that the "Timely Treasure" idea is very nice. Since Dublin already has an art exhibit hall, perhaps the cost of new display cases wouldn't be necessary. Ms. Puskarcik stated that because of how these displays would be used, certain types of cases are necessary due to weathering issues. However, many of these concepts can be pursued differently than as posed in the plan and that would affect their cost. With the "Timely Treasure" concept, perhaps the art could be on display for a much lesser time frame, and an investment in new display cases would not be needed. Mr. Reiner stated that the type of art he would like to see for the Bicentennial celebration would be: (1) The City brings forward the photographs used in the Dublin history book, for which a large amount of money has already been spent, and re-frame those photographs for an art exhibit and re-utilize those stories. (2) At the same time, the Historical Society could provide many photographs and stories, such as Leatherlips. The exhibit could be on display for a few months at the Dublin Arts Center, then a few months in the City Recreation Center. This would provide an opportunity for people to be exposed to the City's history in two different locations. The Dublin Arts Council could make it one of their annual exhibits in 2010. Using this methodology would utilize existing resources and save money. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 8 Ms. Puskarcik asked Council to select the concepts they want staff to pursue with partnership or alternative financial support. Also, designate the preferred funding method -- a 50-50 shared financing, budgeting 10% additional funds or another funding method. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired if she would like each Council member to take the plan home and do that. Ms. Puskarcik asked if they could do that tonight. Council knows which concepts feel "right" to them now. If those are noted, then staff can go back and work on the concept and its budget. Mr. Reiner stated that in looking at the suggested concepts, he does like the Timely Treasure art exhibit idea, but not the "Babies Barn in 2010" idea. He sees that latter idea, with a cost of $6,000 - $10,000, as unnecessary. Ms. Puskarcik stated that some of the concepts Council want select, but others that Council may like are possible. Staff can work with the budget to make those concepts achievable. Mr. Reiner agreed. Not only does Council prefer that the community be involved, but their involvement could make many of these concepts possible without the City spending large amounts of the taxpayers' money. If the community is involved, a project would become theirs --they will take ownership. Ms. Puskarcik suggested that they proceed with the concept of having 200 ambassadors, done in an inexpensive way. Also, the three-day July 4th weekend could be the second concept. They could reach out to the community for those activities. The celebration closing could be something much simpler. Mr. Gerber stated that staff did a fantastic job with this plan; he really likes the concepts. However, he would like to take a different direction. He would prefer to present the Bicentennial celebration to the community at this point and find out what kind of ideas they have and what their financial commitment might be. Staff could report the results back to Council, and Council could facilitate at the appropriate venues, add their ideas, and go from there. Ms. Puskarcik stated that it appears that page 46, community engagement, is something Council wants to do sooner rather than later. Mr. Gerber responded yes --the entire plan needs to be the residents' plan. Council does not want to decide that for them. He wants to hear what the residents want to do to celebrate 200 years. Ms. Puskarcik inquired if Council would like staff to proceed with the concept on page 46 for community input. Council indicated they want this to proceed immediately. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that she is not sure that this concept outlined in the plan is what Council is requesting. Vllhat Council wants is that today, not in 2009, the community be brought together and asked how they would like to celebrate the Bicentennial. Page 46 indicates involvement from the community to take place in late 2009. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2Q08 Page 9 Ms. Puskarcik responded that is indeed what she was suggesting -take the community engagement concept on page 46 and proceed with that today. Mr. Gerber suggested that schools, businesses and the community via civic associations and business groups, and through DTV be invited to share their ideas for the Bicentennial. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that letters should be sent. There are many service organizations in town that should be contacted. Ms. Puskarcik inquired if Council wants to be involved in that process from the beginning, as well. Mr. Gerber stated that staff should keep Council advised of what is occurring and the input received -- the interest level determined, the ideas and the potential funds that could be raised. Then there would be something to work with. Ms. Puskarcik responded that they can make this the primary focus. Actually, some of the ideas in this plan came from members of the community. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that the community might not be as interested in those ideas, however, if they know the price tag. The community needs to also be more aware and involved in that aspect of the ideas. That is the reason this must be generated from the ground both in terms of organizing the activity and raising the money. The plan does not address the resources of staff and consultant time. Ms. Puskarcik responded that could not be estimated until the Bicentennial elements were known. Are there any projects in this plan that Council wants to keep and that staff could use as "hook points" in the discussions with the community? Mr. Lecklider responded that he likes the storytelling idea and the time capsule, as they would preserve history. They are preferable to costly celebration ideas. He also would also like to express his appreciation for what staff has laid out in this plan. Mr. Gerber noted that during goal-setting, Council talked about the need to build community and to bring the neighborhoods closer together. Perhaps staff could develop the theme for the anniversary celebration, as it would be a point around which the community could rally. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that the invitation to Delaware's Bicentennial recently went out. They are having a ball that will cost $30.00 to attend -the City isn't paying for it. Ms. Puskarcik stated that the revenue aspect was also not addressed by staff's plan. If there is one event that Council believes is important to keep, such as the street party in Historic Dublin, the business plan for that would establish the budget so that it pays for itself or even generates revenues money. Is there one hallmark idea that Council wants to choose? Vllhat she has heard so far is that Council wants staff to give the existing events a Bicentennial flair, and add the storytelling and time capsule ideas, and perhaps create a theme or branding that people can latch onto. Mr. Reiner suggested that staff reach out to the schools an this effort. Ms. Puskarcik responded that the schools, Historical Society and the Arts Council have already expressed an interest in being involved. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired if staff then has adequate direction, specifically that the community needs to be engaged in making the decisions about what they want to do for the Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, September 8, 2008 Page 10 Bicentennial. At this time, Council does not support using more funds than what is already budgeted for events. Ms. Puskarcik inquired if Council wants to form a committee to work on this, or would prefer to have an informal gathering to give people an opportunity to participate. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that the informal gathering should be the first step. Depending on what happens, there could be a community steering committee to take the lead, similar to how the Irish Festival planning is done. Ms. Puskarcik responded that staff would move forward accordingly. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher moved to adjourn to executive session for discussion of personnel matters and land acquisition. Vice Mayor Baring seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Vice Mayor Boring, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Ms. Salay, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes. The meeting was reconvened at 10:28 pm. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher moved to: approve the appointment of Marsha Grigsby for the interim period beginning September 27 and continuing until a permanent City Manager appointment has been made; that Ms. Grigsby's compensation during that time period be increased by 30% as she will be performing both the Finance Director and City Manager functions; that staff will draft legislation to effect this appointment for the September 15 Council meeting agenda. Ms. Salay seconded the motion. Mr. Keenan noted that typically the motion would specify that all other current benefits would continue. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher and Ms. Salay accepted this amendment. Vote on the motion as amended: Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes; Vice Mayor Baring, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Ms. Salay, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher congratulated Ms. Grigsby, thanked her for her willingness to serve in this capacity, and stated that Council looks forward to working with her. Ms. Grigsby inquired how this appointment would be announced to staff. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired if Ms. Puskarcik or Ms. Brautigam should make that announcement to staff. Mr. Smith suggested that Ms. Brautigam make the announcement. Ms. Puskarcik, who had to leave tonight before this action was taken, should be contacted. The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m. Clerk of Council