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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/07/2004 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS -----. Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting DAYTON LEGAL BlANK. INC.. FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Held 20 Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher called the regular meeting of Dublin City Council to order at 7:00 p,m. on Monday, June 7, 2004 at the Dublin Municipal Building. I ROLL CALL Present were: Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, Vice Mayor Lecklider, Mrs. Boring, Mr. McCash, Mr. Reiner and Ms. Salay. Mr. Keenan was absent (excused), Staff members present were: Ms. Brautigam, Mr, Smith, Ms. Grigsby, Mr, McDaniel, Mr. Ciarochi, Mr. Hammersmith, Chief Epperson, Ms. Crandall, Mr. Hahn and Ms. Richison. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mr. McCash led the Pledge of Allegiance, APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of the minutes of the meeting of May 17, 2004 was postponed until the June 21 meeting. CORRESPONDENCE The clerk reported that a Notice was sent to Council from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control regarding the transfer of liquor permits from Dublin Suites to Dublin Suites, LLC in Metro Center. There was no objection from Council to the transfer of these permits. SPECIAL RECOGNITION/PROCLAMATIONS . Outgoing Board and Commission Members Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that the outgoing board and commission members were invited to the Dublin history book unveiling on Saturday evening and presented with a copy of Dublin's Journey. She invited those present tonight to come forward to accept their books. The following were announced and recognized as outgoing Board and Commission members: Lynn McCurdy, Board of Zoning Appeals; Dr. Jim Stoycheff, Community Services Advisory Commission; Dona Givens, Natural Resources Advisory Commission; Tim Haab, Natural Resources Advisory Commission; Cheryl Wiot, Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission; Mark Stemm, Personnel Board of Review; Keith Blosser, Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission; Ed Ostrowski, Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission; Sugu Suguness, Community Services Advisory Commission; I I David pagnard, Community Services Advisory Commission; Tom Keenan, Natural i I Resources Advisory Commission; Steve Gyuro, Dublin Fund; Chris Hogan, Community I i Services Advisory Commission; Brent Davis, Board of Zoning Appeals; and Dan Livingston, Natural Resources Advisory Commission. . American Cancer "Relay for Life" Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher presented a proclamation to Casey Cseplo recognizing the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" event to be held on June 11-12 in Dublin. CITIZEN COMMENTS I , I i I Wallace Maurer. 7451 Dublin Road noted that: I I 1. Mr. Reiner gave an eloquent and compelling statement at the last Council meeting regarding "the City's last chance for creative development" in conjunction with a proposed six-month residential development moratorium, He asked that Mr. I Reiner set aside a date and time for the "blistering exchange" that he would like to i have with him, as discussed at a previous meeting. 2. Council has never understood or grasped what he has been seeking in the past couple of years with regard to the Kindra firing, and he will clarify this in his meeting with Mr. Reiner. 3. He read in the newspaper that a group of Russian lawyers were visiting Dublin recently. If they did not attend a Council meeting, they have missed a massive lesson in democracy, where the citizens can challenge the governance of the City at the podium. 4. In regard to a report sent recently to the Mayor, has she had an opportunity to review this? RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ---- Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting. ---------- DAYTON LEGAL BLAN~. INC.. FORM NO. 10148 . -- June 7, 2004 Page 2 Held 20 Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher responded that she would meet with him soon to have this discussion. She added that one member of the Russian delegation did attend a Council meeting. 5. In regard to the firing of Bobbie Clarke, he asked the City Manager and Law Director to verify that Ms. Clarke's duties were taken over and shared by Frank Ciarochi, Gary Gunderman and Brandol Harvey, and that a national search is underway for a new Director of Planning. Ms. Brautigam responded that Mr. Ciarochi is serving as Interim Director of Planning, and the duties are being divided among three other staff members. The interviews have been held, and two finalists have been selected for Planning Director. They will visit Dublin next week, as part of the final selection process. Mr. Reiner invited Mr, Maurer to dinner at his home on Tuesday, June 8. In addition, there is a meeting on Wednesday night regarding the conservation design matters, and he invited him to attend. Sherman Liddell. 3838 Summitview Road, Dublin thanked Council for the "surprise" at the last meeting regarding sewer and water services for Indian Hills and sewer services for Summitview, although the item was not scheduled for discussion on that night. He has a question regarding finances. The minutes were not transcribed when he requested them, but he was able to listen to the tape from the Council meeting and took notes on Council's action. He heard a term that he hopes was not taken seriously in regard to funding, namely, that unless there were a real crisis situation, some things would not have to be addressed within a time element. He doesn't believe that dealing in a crisis mode is the best way to do things. His question is, in view of the pending inflationary times, construction of sewers and expenses associated therewith will only increase. He does not believe that either Indian Hill or Summitview area is more important in priority than the other. He proposed that Council consider some of the following: 1. Implement a freeze on new development by imposing an additional surcharge for water and sewer for homes larger than the median or houses that have more than a certain number of baths. 2. Look into obtaining some creative financing, such as government assistance, grants, etc. 3. The current water and sewer rates are very reasonable, even with the Dublin surcharge. In other parts of the country, such as Punta Gorda, Florida and Isle of Palms, South Carolina, rates are much higher. In comparing these communities with Dublin, Dublin's rates are much lower. 4. He is not aware of hardship situations in his area, but with home equity ,I loan rates very low, people could fund the connections with that means. i 5. Perhaps property owners could borrow the funds for connection from the City, at a reasonable rate, and pay the loan back with interest. This could speed up the extension to these areas. SPECIAL PRESENTATION . Indian Mounds - Holder property Mr. Hahn stated that tonight's presentations would focus on the Holder property, the McDowell tract, and the Thomas parcel. The area is bordered by Bright Road on the north, Riverside Drive to the west, Grandee Cliffs to the east, and 1-270 to the south. He noted that Mr. Roth will address the historical significance of the area and unique features of the stream; and Dr. William Dancey, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University Department of Anthropology will address the Hopewell mounds which have been the subject of much of his research. In addition, members of the Holder family are present tonight, including Kay Meyers who is from out of town, Mr. Hahn noted that there are four separate legal parcels involved: two under the Holder name; one under McDowell; and one under Thomas. He also delineated on the slide the needed alignment for the future phase of Emerald Parkway, which will parallel 1-270 at the southern edge of the Thomas and Holder tracts. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of DJdblin City Council M~eting DAYTON LEGAlBLANK.INC.. FORM NO. 10148 -_.,._...~-- m_ June 7, 2004 Page 3 Held 20 Randv Roth, 6987 Grandee Cliffs noted that he will focus on the Holder house, which dates to 1820; the Ferris cemetery, which formerly was located on this tract; and the stream. The information regarding the house came from the daughters, Joan and Kay. The cemetery information came from their cousin, Jim Thompson, who is writing a history of Perry Township and who is a member of the Linworth Methodist Church Historical Society. The pictures of the creek are from Lynn Johnson, his spouse and his son. The house was built in 1820 by Joseph Ferris, Josephine Holder's great grandfather. He married Sara Smith in 1819 and moved onto the farm. This was the first frame house in this part of town - everything else was a log cabin. The home was remodeled in 1942-43, and the exterior was changed. The Ferris cemetery location is not verifiable, but the approximate location is identified on the map. Josephine's maiden name is Wright, and thus the name Holder-Wright property. The Dublin Historical Society placed a marker on the approximate location of the cemetery along the river. The location of the grave markers is not known. The property is currently being farmed. The tributaries of the Scioto River were very important to the Native Americans. Prior to the Griggs Reservoir construction, the river was very lively in terms of waterfowl, mussel species and fish. The tributaries, Indian Run and this one, known as Wright's Run historically, were where the Native American habitation has been for thousands of years. The Wyandotte settlement was located by the Indian Run falls. There are also many village sites on the east side of the river, which were abundant with wildlife. He then described the topography and rock on the site from east to west, including the falls, the ravine and the caves, which descend 40 feet and are considered somewhat of a liability issue. There is a tunnel under Riverside Drive, which leads to the Scioto River. There are many fossils in this area. Originally, the vision was to link the entire Riverwalk Park together, and continuous ownership could be realized by obtaining some land from Mr. McDowell. I ! i Mr. Hahn noted that in the future land use map in the Community Plan, it shows the northern two-thirds of the site as parkland, with the bottom third as office development. Professor Dancev provided background about the Hopewell Indian mounds. The slide is a 1961 aerial photo of the square enclosure on the Holder tract land, which shows up as a crop mark or soil mark. The dark, center portion is the remains of a rock mound, which I was excavated in the 1920's. He described his background, consisting of 30 years of archaeological work in the Central Ohio area, most of it tracking the living sites of the II Woodland burial period people. In 1996, he performed a review of this site for the Dublin Division of Parks and Recreation. At the invitation of the Holder family, he had the opportunity to revisit this site. The artifact locations were systematically recorded. In addition to the systematic surface collection, they also performed a magnetometry survey. The site was first recorded in 1880 in a history of Franklin and Pickaway Counties written by the Williams brothers. The first known map was made in 1895, where it was recorded in a Smithsonian Institution volume published by Cyrus Thomas who established in this book that the mound builders were predecessors of the Indians. The significance of this site was recognized by William Morgan, an architect who published a book entitled, Pre- Columbian Architecture in Eastern North America. The property was excavated first with i seriousness in the 1920's, although the work was never published. There was a sketchy ! report by the Ohio State Museum in 1922. This report indicates that the northeast circle was clearly represented, the ditch was viable and held water. The main purpose of the work in 1922 was to excavate the stone mound in the middle of the square, He described the excavation done in the various enclosures. The graves were constructed mostly by assembling the bones of the dead and piling limestone slabs over the top. A table shows 23 internments mapped. He reviewed the list of Hopewell artifacts found on the Holder-Wright property. He displayed a map of the confirmed earthworks in Ohio. He pointed out that the Holder- Wright site forms one of a cluster in the Franklin County area. There are others in the Newark, Chillicothe, and Cincinnati areas. In Franklin County/southern Delaware County, there is a cluster, which includes the Orange Township works in the Highbanks Metro Park and the Worthington Works. He showed a slide of the geophysics, which was done on the site, which will define the remnants of the earth works and possibly even more. In summary, he noted that this site was added very late to the Hopewell sites they are aware of. Most sites were mapped and drawn in the early 1800's, and the Holder-Wright wasn't added until 1880 or 1894. The investigations have been interesting, but the publications have been limited. In 1961, there was clear evidence of structures outside of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of _____Dublin City Council Meeting --- DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC" FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 4 Held 20 the embankments, and so they suspect that there is more to be known about other than the burial mounds and enclosures. The significance of this place has been lost to the larger complexes around the state, and in fact eclipsed so that little is heard about the Franklin/Delaware cluster. It represents clearly part of a unique Hopewell population cluster in this area, and Holder-Wright represents one of the last of the remaining earthworks making up this polity. Finally, there is still much out there in spite of years of farming, land improvements and archaeological excavation. Mr. Hahn stated that this concludes tonight's presentation, which was to provide Council with information specific to this site. He asked if the family members want to comment. Kay Meyers thanked Council for this opportunity and for adjusting their schedule. They are pleased with Council's interest in the historical significance of the Hopewell Mounds, as well as the surrounding property. Their family has lived this heritage for many years, and appreciates through their extended family the broad, important, interest and value - educationally, scientifically, and historically - to the Dublin area. They have made recent visits to other such Earth Works and look forward to a cooperative venture with the City of Dublin. They value the City's vision and believe that if the mounds are viewed as an investment for the future, along with the contiguous Wright Creek and deep caverns, this could become another state destination and landmark. Mr. Reiner noted that he recalls that years ago, former Council Member Dave Amorose found several Indian skulls in the cave and contacted OSU to excavate the remains. Is there any record of that excavation? Professor Dancey responded that at the time, the Ohio Historical Society was located on the OSU campus, and perhaps they did the work. He is not aware of any record, but he offered to research this. Mr. McCash asked if the McDowell and Thomas parcels were part of the original Holder property. Ms. Meyers responded that they were part of the original Ferris property, and at some point were divided. At one point, prior to the time Riverside Drive was built, the Ferris and Smith families owned all of the land. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher thanked everyone present for providing this information, which adds to Council's education as they move forward in decision-making regarding the property. LEGISLATION SECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCES REZONING Ordinance 144-03 Rezoning Approximately 5.092 Acres Located on the South Side of Brand Road, Opposite Lombard Way, from: R-1, Restricted Suburban Residential District, to: PUD, Planned Unit Development District. [Case No. 03-150Z - Preliminary Development Plan - Freshwater Farm (Humbert Property) - 6325 Brand Road.] Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher reported that the developer's representative has requested that this rezoning be postponed until the June 21 Council meeting. Mr. Lecklider asked when this request was received. Ms. Brautigam responded that the request came in on Friday. Earlier in the week, when the staff report was being prepared, it became evident that during the development process, the status of the parkland dedication was not made clear to the developer. The developers believed that they could provide cash in lieu of the land dedication, but staff now believes that the portion by the creek at the south end should be dedicated to the City. This recommendation was then communicated with the developer who felt they needed more time to study the issue prior to the public hearing before Council. Ms. Brautigam informed the developer that she would recommend that Council postpone the I hearing until June 21. Ms. Salay asked that in the future, she would appreciate an e-mail or fax advising Council of a request for postponement. Mr. Reiner moved to postpone the hearing until June 21. Mr. McCash seconded the motion. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC" FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 5 Held 20 Vote on the motion: Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes; Ms. Salay, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. McCash, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes. INTRODUCTION IFIRST READING - ORDINANCES TAX BUDGET Ordinance 36-04 Adopting the Proposed Tax Budget for Fiscal Year 2005. Mr. Lecklider introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that this is the beginning of the preparation for the 2005 budget and is required by state law. At the second reading, staff will be requesting passage by emergency. There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. COMPENSA nON PLAN Ordinance 38-04 Amending Section 3 (Performance Bonuses) of Ordinance No. 98-96 (Compensation Plan). Ms. Salay introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that this amendment to the compensation plan would allow immediate reward and recognition for innovations or unusual situations where staff has gone above and beyond the call of duty. In working with the management team, the concept of an "instant bonus" program is being proposed for employees. It would provide approximately $24,000 per year to reward employees for exceptional work or exceptional innovations in government. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that the memo indicates that discussions have been held with the unions regarding this proposal, and that the new contracts would include this provision as well. I Ms. Brautigam stated that she would expect this provision to be included in the union contracts. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher asked how these contracts could be held to the total of $7,500 as outlined in the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that staff would not recommend anything exceeding that amount. The contract would be written to state that bonuses would be allowed at an amount set by City Council. It would not be a matter of negotiation in the contract. There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. BID ACCEPTANCE Ordinance 39-04 Accepting the Lowest/Best Bid for Pool Chlorine and Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Procurement of Said Commodity Ms. Salay introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that staff is recommending acceptance of the low bid at the second reading. There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. Ordinance 40-04 Accepting the Lowest and Best Bid for Fitness Equipment and Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Procurement of Said Equipment. Mr. Lecklider introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that the amount budgeted was $49,000 and the bid was approximately $5,000 less. There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. STREET NAME CHANGES Ordinance 41-04 Requesting Approval to Change the Name of Frontage Road to Sharp Lane in the City of Dublin, Ohio. Mr. Lecklider introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that this involves the road in front of LaScala and other properties to the south of 161. The name, "Frontage Road" is not descriptive and staff recommends changing the name to "Sharp Lane" which reflects the original ownership of the land. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher asked if the addresses of the businesses would be affected. Ms. Brautigam responded that they are actually addressed on Dublin-Granville Road, not on Frontage Road. I II RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC. FORM NO. 10148 -- June 7, 2004 Page 6 Held 20 There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. Ordinance 42-04 Requesting Approval to Change the Name of Carnoustie Court to Carnoustie Circle in the City of Dublin, Ohio. Mr. Reiner introduced the ordinance. Ms. Brautigam stated that the map explains why this should be renamed, and added that the numbers would not change. Mr. Lecklider noted that the memo indicates that the Homeowners Association has already changed the name on the sign. Mrs. Boring commented that her understanding is that it was not changed - the sign always read this way. Discussion followed. Mr. Hammersmith clarified that it had been signed as "Carnoustie Circle," but the plat designates this as "Carnoustie Drive." The goal is that of consistency. There will be a second reading/public hearing at the June 21 Council meeting. INTRODUCTION/PUBLIC HEARING - RESOLUTIONS INTENT TO APPROPRIA TE Resolution 28-04 Intent to Appropriate a 0.024 Acre, More or Less, Fee Simple Interest, and a 0.040 Acre, More or Less, Temporary Construction Easement, from Saltergate N-W Investment Co., Ltd., Located East of Sawmill Road and North of Saltergate Drive, City of Columbus, County of Franklin, State of Ohio. (Emerald Parkway - Phase 5A) Ms. Salay introduced the resolution. Mr. Smith stated that this relates to the corner piece of land needed in conjunction with the intersection improvement. He expects this will be given to the City, but this preserves the City's option so that the project will not be delayed. Mr. McCash noted that this property is in Columbus. Mr. Smith stated that this area is in a setback or no build portion, so he expects it will be donated to the City. Mr. McCash stated that it appears that Dublin is improving an intersection located in Columbus. What is the rationale? Mr. Hammersmith explained that, currently, Saltergate is a three-lane roadway and Dublin is building a five-lane roadway at Emerald Parkway which requires that the signal be rebuilt. Columbus has no desire to upgrade the intersection to accommodate Dublin's needs. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that another issue is the school traffic from the east side of Sawmill. This project will have impacts for that group of school students. Vote on the Resolution: Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes; Mr. McCash, yes; Ms. Salay, yes. AGREEMENT Resolution 29-04 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter an Agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) and CaBotics for the Use of Fiber Optics. Ms. Salay introduced the resolution. Ms. Brautigam stated that the agreement benefits all parties involved. Apparently, AEP planned to upgrade its lines by installing certain fibers from the substation along Emerald up to Sawmill. This would have been above ground. Instead, Mr. McDaniel J recommended that they use some of Dublin's underground fiber. In exchange, Dublin can use some of the fiber installed from Hard Road north to their substation. CaBotics will provide some connections in this three-party agreement. Mrs. Boring asked if the CaBotics connection would be underground. Mr. McDaniel responded that it would be underground, likely through some existing storm sewer. Mrs. Boring stated that it is a good example of cooperation of the parties. Mrs. Boring asked if the high voltage transmission lines could cause interference. Mr. McDaniel stated that this is not problematic. I Vote on the Resolution: Ms. Salay, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes; Mr. McCash, yes; Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes. OTHER . Residential Parking Permit Area - Pilot Program RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting - - --- DAv:TON LEGAL BLANK, INC.. FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 7 Held 20 Chief Epperson noted that this pilot program was outlined in the packet. He noted that the majority of the area is in Shannon Village, with a couple of streets in Hemingway Village. Currently, these neighborhoods are signed to restrict parking Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to overflow student parking in the neighborhoods when parking was insufficient at the high school lot. Another problem was created, in that the residents cannot park in front of their own homes. Particularly in Shannon Village, many homes have shared driveways and single-car garages, and this has been very problematic over the years. Officer Todd Evans and Assistant City Manager Michelle Crandall have handled the complaints from residents. There have been approximately 55 complaints since the beginning of 2002; 22 citations have been issued; and 18 warnings for parking. Staff is proposing this pilot program, which would allow each resident in the area to have two permits for street parking during the restricted hours. The signs will now indicate something similar to, "Parking by permit only, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., August 15 to June 15." This limits the restrictions to the hours affected by school traffic. This will address the residents' concerns about inability to park by their homes. The Police division will issue the permits, will track them, and will respond to complaints. At the end of the year, staff will report back regarding the pilot program to determine its effectiveness. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher asked about a situation where people host a dinner party with multiple guests - would they contact the City to secure additional permits? Chief Epperson responded that after 4 p.m., this parking would not require a permit. The focus is on weekdays, during school hours. They would like to avoid issuing temporary permits. Ms. Salay noted that a resident of Celtic Court has a group meeting on Tuesdays during the day. She has had to arrange with neighbors for parking in adjacent driveways, and she wondered if it would be possible to obtain additional permits for these situations. On another occasion, a guest who was not aware of the parking restriction was cited. She suggested that staff consider these options in conjunction with the program. In any case, the resident is pleased that the City is trying to address their concerns. Chief Epperson responded that the program is modeled after Upper Arlington's. The combination of two permits plus driveway parking seems to be sufficient in most cases. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that it is an interesting approach. There have been people in Mayor's Court who were cited, and there should be a means to handle these situations where people have guests. Chief Epperson stated that the issuance of many such temporary permits could negatively impact those not requesting them. I Mr. Lecklider commended staff for this creative solution. Is there a resident who served as a point person within Shannon Village for contact purposes? Ms. Crandall responded that she would research this and forward the name to him. Mr. Lecklider added that another concern is with special events, and this system would not address those issues. Chief Epperson responded that staff works very hard with the residents during the events. This pilot program is not targeted toward special events. In those situations, posting may be different to suit the needs. Existing signage can be bagged to prohibit any parking when necessary or to allow parking as needed. Staff will report back to Council at the conclusion of the pilot program. . Report re Community Survey Results Nancy Richison. Communications Specialist presented the survey results. The survey was conducted by Clary Communications and 2,500 surveys were sent to random households identified through the GIS system. The response was from 754 residents - a 30 percent return - which is considered very high. To encourage the high rate of return, the City offered incentives such as t-shirts and Irish Festival passes. New questions this RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting ------- DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC., FORM NO. 10148 June 7,2004 Page 8 Held 20 year included those related to Historic Dublin, restaurants and hospitality. She noted the following snapshot of those who took the survey: . The demographics represent the typical Dublin resident, and the largest age group #It, represented was between 35 and 54. . The response from the wards was fairly equal. """"- . The biggest increase since 2002 in reasons for moving to Dublin were safety, good planning and proximity to work. . Voters versus non-voters were evenly split, and the number of registered voters has declined to 85 percent in 2004 versus 91 percent in 2002. . A new range for total annual household income was added this year of $200,000 ,i or more. . The highest response (23 percent) was from those who work in Dublin. In terms of the findings of the survey: . Ninety-eight percent rated Dublin as excellent or good, an increase of one percent from the last survey. . Excluding the "don't know" responses to show results of those who had opinions, 83 percent rated traffic and roadways as excellent or good in 2004 versus 59 percent in 2000. . In the unaided responses to the question, "What could the City do to delight you?" - more restaurants has made the list for the first time. i . The items, which were identified as delighting the residents, also mirrored Council goals. City services, including the "don't know" responses: I . Residents' opinion of traffic has greatly improved from the 2000 survey; less than one percent answered, "don't know" about roadways and traffic. . For customer service, the City received excellent and good ratings and the ratings have improved. . Parks continue to receive good ratings from the residents, with three percent responding, "don't know." . In term of ranking park priorities, Scioto River park issues rated in the top three. Developing more parks along the Scioto River also ranked second in 2002. . Police services continue to increase in the excellent to good rankings. The number one concern was with responding quickly to calls. . Recreation Services - the excellent/good responses are fairly consistent with previous years. . For the Rec Center, it should be noted that the Phase 2 opening in 2000 might have created a larger awareness of the Center at that time. . The people with an opinion of the Municipal Pool were evenly split with "don't know" responses to this new question. . Residents are continually satisfied with the services of snow plowing and chipping. . There was a six percent increase in excellent/good ratings for public information. I . For web services, a new question, 20 percent indicated a desire to see more ways i to do business on the web, but very few provided specific suggestions. . The top preferences for receiving information are newspapers, City newsletters, web pages and e-mail. Residents receive their news fairly equally among the Dublin News, The Villager and Dublin Life. . Asked what they enjoy about living in Dublin, special events were the top of the list in an aided response question. . Regarding City Council responsiveness, the biggest increase was in the number of "don't know" answers; after excluding the "don't know" responses, the excellent/good responses are at 64 percent. . In regard to youth sporting, the "don't know" responses exceeded 50 percent. . In regard to attending community meetings and the need for information, the positive image of City government increased by 13 percent over the past two years. . Participation in government, via attendance at Councilor Planning Commission meetings has decreased since 2002. . The top four community activities were visiting a park, visiting the Rec Center, curbside recycling and dining in Historic Dublin. Ii RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting DAYTON LEGAL.BLANK, INC.. FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 9 Held 20 . Attendance at the Irish Festival increased, while the Independence Day attendance decreased, likely due to the storm situation. . Regarding hotels and hospitality, half of those responding did use hotels. - . In regard to the DCVB. only eight percent indicated, "don't know" indicating a high awareness of the Bureau. Thirty percent indicated that they visited the Information Center for event and attraction information. . New this year were questions about dining, shopping and health care. Responses indicated they like the current options, but want more restaurants. I They were satisfied with grocery and retail shopping overall. . For health care - pediatric counseling and alternative options showed high rates of "don't know" responses. . In the summary of residents' opinions of Historic Dublin, they have noted a desire , for parks in that area; 69 percent rated the area as excellent/good; Historic Dublin Ii overall earned high ratings for dining and shopping options. . Goals for Dublin, with aided responses in order of priority were: improve roads to enhance traffic flow; create more bikepaths; develop new recreational facilities; develop new parks; offer public transportation/light rail; combine City offices; build new municipal building. . Goals for Dublin, with unaided responses in order of priority were: control growth; roadwork/traffic; quality schools; safety; reduce/control taxes; sense of community; quality of life; green space; control City spending. For the report card overall, 98 percent rated the City of Dublin as an excellent or good place to live - an eight percent increase over 2002. Mr. Reiner noted that if controlling growth and traffic are high priority in unaided responses, perhaps those should be added to the aided responses for the next survey. "". Ms. Richison noted that the survey will be used as a guide in the decision making process for the City. The City Manager has challenged staff at a recent retreat to use this information in planning for the future. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher asked how this document would be publicized, and commented that a plan of action is needed. Ms. Richison will check and advise Council of the many ways in which this will be publicized; certainly, the information will be included in Dublin Life Magazine. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that this is an excellent marketing tool, and citizens who completed the survey would like to know the next step, i.e., what the City will do to address their top two or three priorities. Ms. Salay commented that residents expressed interest in Council controlling or lowering taxes. This reflects a misconception about the property tax bills - only a small portion of which relates to the City. It is important to educate the citizenry about the property taxes and the percentage allocated to the schools, the City and to other entities. She acknowledged staff's efforts in producing an educational booklet regarding taxes. Mr. Lecklider added that it is important to educate the citizens about the efforts of the City in reducing the school tax burden by controlling the density of development, the I partnership with the Metro Parks, and other residential development decisions. In making land use decisions, the City always takes into consideration the school impacts. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher suggested that a letter be sent from the City Manager to the School Superintendent and from the City Council to the Board of Education about the j,/r results of the survey and the priority of quality schools in the survey. While Council has some responsibility for the Schools, it is only in a limited capacity. It is important that the School Board understand how residents view the schools in their priorities for the City. CITY MANAGER/STAFF REPORTS . Medical Benefits Update to Administrative Committee Ms. Brautigam reported that approximately a year ago, Council adopted changes in the medical benefits plan for the City, some of which took effect in January or February of 2004. Staff had planned to bring the benefits plan back to the Administrative Committee of Council in a report form in June of 2004. Staff is recommending that this review be delayed until the end of August for the following reasons: a benefits consultant has been retained to explore options; the changes were only recently implemented in the pharmacy RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meetin& DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC., FORM NO. 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 10 Held 20 plan and it is too early to determine their impact; a cross-functional work team has been assembled from the employee group to make recommendations on benefit changes in response to criticism of the Administration for not involving the employees in the process. She asked for Council's feedback. ,...'" Ms. Salay responded that this sounds reasonable. She lauded the City Manager for involving the employees in the process. There was no objection from Council to delaying the review by the Administrative Committee until late August. COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS/COUNCIL ROUND TABLE Mr. Reiner commended staff for their hard work on the Memorial Tournament. He congratulated staff on the excellent ratings in the survey, especially the Service Department. Mr. McCash noted that he is aware that the former Cooker Restaurant property at Metro and Frantz is in bankruptcy proceedings. However, could the City address the weed situation, in view of the high visibility of this property? Mr. Smith acknowledged that they are under the protection of the courts during this process. The City could undertake some of the landscape maintenance, if it is Council's desire to do so. There was no objection from Council regarding staff performing landscape maintenance on the property in view of the high visibility location and the bankruptcy situation. Ms. Salay commented: I 1. She is "in awe" of Dublin this week, with the opening of the new pool. She I remarked on the experience of being involved in the planning process and now I seeing the project completed. The History Book project was also remarkable, and the event was a pleasure to attend. ,I 2. She uses the bikepaths frequently and has noted fewer problems with geese this year. She asked staff to comment. Ms. Crandall stated that the work by the Division of Grounds and the Ohio Wildlife Center has been very effective, especially the use of the dog. Mr. Lecklider commented: 1. Hats off to the Division of Community Relations for the Tournament efforts as well as the History Book event. Thanks also to all of staff, and especially the Service Department for their hard work during the Tournament. 2. In regard to the cable bulletin board channel, is there a requirement that this be aired? He had understood that this was a contractual obligation for a cable provider. He has converted to Wide Open West and found that they do not carry the local government access channel information about Dublin. Mr. McDaniel responded that the cable providers are required to provide community bulletin boards and dedicated government channels. Wide Open West is the original Adelphia deployment and they are not as large as Time Warner. He is not certain that there has been pressure on them collectively from the communities for this. A similar situation exists for the Paxton cable, which is now owned by Adelphia. Unlike many communities, Dublin has three cable providers. He will follow up on this and report back. 3. The speed limit along Perimeter Loop is 35 mph near the Crown dealerships. This seems too high a speed for safe travel. New signage was recently posted along Holt Drive between Perimeter and Post Road, limiting the speed in that location to 25 mph. He added that exiting the BP or Shell stations along Perimeter Loop is difficult in view of the 35 mph speed limit in the vicinity. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher commented: 1. Thanks to all of staff for their hard work on the History Book and the unveiling event. She assumes that rave reviews were received from everyone present. 2. Many visitors thanked the City for the invitation to the Hospitality Tent. It was a wonderful Tournament week in Dublin, and served as a reminder of all of the amenities of living in Dublin, which are often taken for granted. 3. She is pleased to see that Ms. Devlin has been hired as a new Planner II. Will Council have the opportunity to meet the two finalists for the Director of Planning, in view of the fact that the Commission members will have this opportunity? i II RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of DublinCitl' Council Meeting DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC.. FORM NO: 10148 June 7, 2004 Page 11 Held 20 Ms. Brautigam responded that the Chair of Planning Commission attended a luncheon with each of the candidates. She explained that these meetings were scheduled during the daytime hours and most Council Members work downtown. She added that the City Manager appoints the Planning Director, and she takes this responsibility very seriously. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that she does not disagree, but Council has a significant vested interest in the position, more so than the appointed volunteer who currently chairs the Commission. She suggested that Council Members be afforded the opportunity to meet the candidates, and that those who are available to meet with them do so. Ms. Brautigam stated that she would work with Mr. Harding to arrange this. The dates of the final interviews are June 15 and June 17. 4. In regard to the memo about the spruce trees on Innovation Drive, she asked Ii for clarification: is the City paying for the landscape improvement or is the i Homeowners Association paying for this and the City providing some assistance to them? Ms. Brautigam responded that an earlier e-mail she had sent provided incorrect information. The City has a landscaping fund and the practice is to use some of this funding to assist the private party who is responsible. The plan here is for a 50/50 partnership between the City and the Homeowners Association. Thereafter, the Homeowners Association will be required to maintain it. It is a one-time arrangement, and if something happens to the trees in the future, it will not be a City responsibility to replace them. Ms. Salay commented that the Homeowners Association in this area is voluntary, and is a loosely knit organization. She believes that the funds of the Association are limited, as they have only 30 percent participation. She asked if this landscaping is on private land. Ms. Brautigam stated that she believes this is located on land owned by the Association. Ms. Salay stated that she believes it is either privately owned or City owned land. The civic association in this area made a decision years ago not to maintain the perimeter landscaping and determined that it would be the responsibility of the homeowner, as there was no way to enforce the dues collection. Legally, there is no ability for them to effect anything in terms of paying for this landscaping. She believes that a review of the survey will reveal that the land is privately owned by the homeowners. Ms. Brautigam stated that she had understood from Mr. Jones that this was a Homeowners Association responsibility, but in view of this additional information, she will seek further clarification prior to taking any action. Mrs. Boring stated that this has been an ongoing problem for the subdivision. She believes it is recorded on the plat. Legal staff has been working on this for sometime. Mr. Smith responded that he would provide a memo on this prior to the next meeting. Ms. Salay clarified that there are two separate areas of Heather Glen. One portion predates the Planning & Zoning Commission's requirement for forced and funded homeowners associations. It is important that staff clarify the two different areas, which have distinct situations. Mrs. Boring noted that her concern is that there are older neighborhoods throughout the community who have landscape maintenance issues. The residents on Cara Road have an island area and were told by a City employee that the maintenance is the residents' responsibility. There are other older neighborhoods whose entryways are on City right-of- way, and they have been told that they will have to pay for any maintenance work done by the City, whether there is a homeowners association in place or not. There is a need to be consistent in the application of the policies. Mr. Reiner commented that he would not want to see a precedent set in this case. He would hope that the residents have enough civic-mindedness that they are willing to do something for their own neighborhood. Ms. Salay responded that she believes the property in question is private, and the course of action would be to enforce the P&Z action from the late 1980's, which indicated that the " , buffer would consist of certain varieties of trees. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher summarized that staff will report back with further information. 5. In regard to the report from Mr. Stevens, there was reference made to a corporation moving to the Perimeter area and that the company had put the decision on hold. Is there any further information about this available? Ms. Grigsby stated that the company had some internal issues and plans to reconsider this matter in July. I I Ii RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ___d__ Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting ------ DAYTON LEGAL BLANK, INC., FORM NO. 10148 ----- ----- June 7,2004 Page 12 Held 20 6. She complimented Ms. Brautigam, Ms. Grigsby and others involved in the response to the BMW decision to move to Hilliard. She has indicated to those who contacted her that City Council and the City of Dublin did offer a responsible incentive package to BMW and will stand by that, although the City regrets they are leaving the community. The City has a responsibility to its citizens to ensure that the right mix of incentives is offered, and that the future tax base will be available to support the City services and infrastructure needed for the expansion of a corporation. The City will continue with an aggressive economic development plan that has been successful over the years. 7. Happy Birthday to Council Member McCash and Ms. Hoyle who have birthdays this week! ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher moved to adjourn to executive session for discussion of land acquisition and legal matters. Mr. Lecklider seconded the motion Vote on the motion: Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes; Mr. Reiner, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. McCash, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes; Ms. Salay, yes. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that the meeting would be reconvened only to formally adjourn. No further action will be taken. The meeting was adjourned to executive session at 9:30 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 10:05 p.m. and formally adjourned. I '", ~ , , ~ . <-kJ I Mayor - Presiding Officer' ~~- ()~ , Clerk of Council ---.." I il