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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 1, 2024 Council Minutes COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA July 1, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana met for the Regular Meeting on July 1, 2024. Council President White along with City Clerk Gill called the meeting to order at 6:01p.m. The meeting was open to the public in person as well as live streamed via the City Website using Zoom. INVOCATION: Led by Jeff Cover Pledge of Allegiance: ROLL CALL: The roll call was conducted by City Clerk Lisa Gill and present in Council Chambers were Councilperson Burns, Councilperson Semones, Councilperson Reed, Council President White, Councilperson Webb, Council Vice President Hawkins, Councilperson Snelling and Councilperson Stoner. Councilperson Anderson was absent. Let the record reflect that 8 Council Members were present in Council Chambers and 1 absent. APROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilperson Stoner made a motion to approve the Minutes for June 17, 2024 Special Meeting/Workshop, seconded by Councilperson Burns; motion passed, 8-0. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve the Minutes for June 17, 2024, seconded by Councilperson Semones; motion passed, 8-0. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilperson Reed made a motion to approve the Agenda, seconded by Councilperson Burns; motion passed, 8-0. CLAIMS TO APPROVE: Civil City$2,654,627.55 Council President White advised the Civil City Claims were in the amount of$2,654,627.55. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Anderson made a motion to approve the Civil City Claims, seconded by Councilperson Burns; motion passed, 8-0. Parks$163,234.51 Council President White advised the Parks Claims were in the amount of$163,234.51. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Snelling made a motion to approve the Parks Claims, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 8-0. REPORT OF THE CLERK: None UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 1. Heather Metcalf/Kim Calabro 2024-OR-35 (Public Hearing) Ordinance of Additional Appropriation Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes from the last meeting. Council President White stated this Ordinance was for Human Resources in the amount of$50,000.00 for Computer Software/Maintenance Fees. Council President White opened the Public Hearing at 6:05 pm, there were no members of the community present to speak for or against the matter. Council President White closed the Public Hearing at 6:06 pm. Councilperson Webb made a motion to approve 2024-OR-34 on the Third and Final Reading, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed, 8-0. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Dustin White—Short Term Rental Discussion Council President White advised that himself and Councilperson Stoner had attended a Neighborhood Association meeting at Port Fulton and Franklin Commons and had heard a lot of concerns from residents regarding short-term rentals, Airbnb's and things of that nature. He felt it was important to bring it before the full council so residents could voice their concerns. Council President White opened a public hearing at 6:07 pm, those present to speak on this topic was as follows: Paulette Feldman who resides on Graham Street and is part of the neighborhood association. She and her husband moved here eight years ago, loves the community and feels the government here is accessible to citizens. Her concern of the growth of short-term housing is it needs some oversight and monitoring and that it has grown so much in Jeffersonville because Louisville has tightened restrictions on short term rentals. She feels having so many short term rentals could lead into more of a tourist situation and having strangers instead of neighbors which could lead to problems with people not wanting to be in the neighborhood. Another concern is these short-term rentals are knocking out opportunities for first time homeowners. She feels it is turning into a commercial property, not residential. She is asking for a moratorium so that the City be cognizant of what is going on in the community. She would also like to see a permitting process for short-term rentals be put into place. Veronica Magnuson who resides on Graham Street advised that she is living in her family home that was built in 1951. She would like to see a special exception application or permitting through the Zoning Board for all Airbnb, VRBO or any other Short-Term Rentals. There are concerns that without such a process properties may not be insured properly or up to building occupancy and fire codes. This would protect both the owner and guests. Then there are concerns about parking, excess trash, excess noise, foul language, late night parties, an increase in crime, and a reduction in properties for resident families. There are many people that showed up at the meeting to voice their concerns. She would like to see a discussion and the issue addressed for how many short-term rentals is too many. She would like to urge the Council to catch up to the sudden proliferation of these types of businesses within their single family zoned neighborhoods and communities overall. Katie Ames who resides on Fulton Street advised that she does not have a problem with Airbnb's. Being a first time home buyer was excited when the houses down the street from her was being refurbished that she would have neighbors however one of them was turned into an Airbnb. There is currently an Airbnb close to her residence and there are different people in and out, lots of noise, excess trash in the alley and because of people parking in the front, she has to park in the back on her lawn. Mary Pardon who resides on Court Ave advised she bought a house in Jeffersonville 50 years ago and is still there. Her concern with not putting a limit on the number of Airbnb's that can be put in is the effect it will have on first time home buyers who start out in these neighborhoods.The children in the neighborhood do not have local friends that they can play with and walk to visit. There is not the same sense of pride and ownership with Airbnb's. There was a comment on Facebook about someone that use to live in Jeffersonville and they were glad to hear about the Airbnb's because it is such a good place to come back to visit. It is such a great place to visit because of the homeowners that take care and pride in their neighborhoods. Judy Lloyd who resides on Court Ave advised there is an Airbnb on their street that has three people living in it which means there are three additional cars parking on street. She has a garage, but some of the neighbors have to go to the end of the block and unload their groceries because all of the parking is taken up. It was her understanding that another Airbnb is being planned for the corner of E. Court and Graham. The parking is already bad. There is plenty of room in the alley for parking. The owners of the Airbnb should have to provide parking for the guests. She feels the number of Airbnb's should be limited because it is bringing neighborhoods down. Carol Stenbro who resides on Market Street advised she owns the Market Street Bed and Breakfast and she would like to see the playing field leveled. They are the only Bed and Breakfast as far as she is aware of in Clark County, but there are over 330 Airbnb's in Jeffersonville alone. She would like to see that they are permitted to do business as an Airbnb and also that they would be licensed to collect the taxes that are due. The retail tax is 7%and the lodging tax is 6%; at 330 Airbnb's that would be a lot of money that Jeffersonville might be missing out on as far as tax dollars are concerned. She would like to see that addressed and also agrees with everyone regarding the other issues. Councilperson Semones asked Ms. Stenbro where she got the information regarding the number of Airbnb's in Jeffersonville. Ms. Stenbro advised from a search on Airbnb. Councilperson Semones asked if she had looked at other short-term rental sites a well or just Airbnb. Ms. Stenbro advised she only looked at the Airbnb website. Councilperson Semones asked if she had a filter on that to limit the radius or was that all within the city or county. Ms. Stenbro advised it was for Jeffersonville only. Susan West who resides on Penn Street advised that her and her family have lived here for 25 years and now her son is looking to buy his first home. By the time he is able to set up a viewing, the houses are sold. There are not a lot of empty homes in Jeffersonville, which is a good thing. She is in favor of the moratorium for one year for short term rentals. She is also in favor of no new taxes for anyone. She thinks the short-term rentals already have a tax in there. She would like the short- term rentals, no matter what group they are with, to register with the City so the City knows where they are. Also if the police department is called to that residence for an emergency and no one answers, they need a name and phone number to reach the owners at that time instead of waiting until the next day. Fran Evola who resides on Artic Springs advised that she used to live on Court Ave and ran an Airbnb out of her house which was owner occupied. She rented out part of her house, which at that time the City had no regulations as long as the neighbors did not complain, and has done the same thing since living on Artic Springs. All of a sudden there are 4-5 Airbnb's on her street alone. Her concern with having that many is a neighborhood is at its safest when you know your neighbors, what kind of car they drive, what their animals look like and so on. With all of the Airbnb's going in, she feels their neighborhoods are not as safe as they use to be. She is in favor of the moratorium and would like to know what the penalty is if someone decided to open an Airbnb anyway. As far as taxes, she never had to collect or pay in any taxes, the Airbnb organization collects money for each night out of what Ms. Evola would receive, but it was her responsibility to pay income taxes, so she feels that the City is missing out. There's also no inspection process. Ms. Evola also advised that Bed and Breakfasts are under different regulations and are required to have inspections. Councilperson Semones thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and voicing their concerns. This was a good starting point for discussion and an issue that the City should spend some time looking at. Lots of good points were raised both in their concerns and in their requests. She advised she had stayed in a short term rental recently and enjoyed it, but never thought about it from the perspective of the neighbors who see them come and go. She appreciated the opportunity to get the perspective from people who live in neighborhoods with short term rentals. This has already sparked a lively conversation among her colleagues and some members of city government. She feels this was a good starting conversation and looks forward to continuing the discussion to evolve best practices that can address the needs of both the residents and the travelers. Councilperson Stoner agreed with Councilperson Semones and thanked all of the citizens for coming forward with their concerns. He would like to encourage the Council to discuss the permitting and inspection process and also how to contact the short term rental property owners. Maybe they need to reach out to Louisville or other municipalities who has dealt with these issues. There needs to be a way to communicate with those short term rental platforms to let them know of the ordinance that will be passed, so they are able to have accountability on their end. It needs to be determined how that process is going to work, if it will come directly from the City Council Attorney or from an Executive position. He believes most residents want the moratorium and to see an immediate stop on the Airbnb's so they are able to study the issue and find a long term solution. He also feels that this cannot happen without having a conversation about Code Enforcement Officers having the ability to manage the permit system. Councilperson Snelling asked how many Code Enforcement Officers the City has. It was advised that there are 2 Code Enforcement Officers. Building Commissioner Larry Wallace advised there are 2 Code Enforcement Officers and 4 Inspectors and they get very few calls for inspections or permitting on Airbnb's unless there was a remodel job and they are there doing inspections already. Councilperson Stoner advised that the 330 number of short term rentals was only for Airbnb's. Jeffersonville has surged to somewhere between 51,000 and 53,000 people. With all of the new businesses and the growing population, he feels the City of Jeffersonville needs to address the personnel need immediately. In 2023 alone, 250 new single family homes, 133 accessory structures and 197 fences were added. This year(2024) to date there have been 159 new single family homes permits have been issued with approximately 279 more expected along with 149 fences. He asked Mr. Wallace if there were only 2 Code Enforcement Officers to cover that work load. Mr. Wallace advised, yes. Mr. Wallace advised there are 4 total employees on the Building Commission, himself, Mary Frye, Bing Lovan and Kailey. Mary and Linda split up the week and go out to help with the heavy load. Linda is over the permits and Code Enforcement.The office personnel is stretched thin. Councilperson Stoner asked Mr. Wallace if his office was strained, he advised yes. Mr. Wallace advised that he has been here for 23 years and have had the same amount of personnel every since. Councilperson Stoner has spoken with a few other cities comparable to Jeffersonville and they have 5 code enforcement officers and still struggle with staying ahead. If it was totally up to him, he would push to have this taken care of immediately. Mr. Wallace advised Meta alone is going to be a huge undertaking. They are asking if there will be an inspector there at all times. Mr. Wallace advised them that would not be possible. Harold met with the electrician today, they are planning on pouring footers in the ground August 1st, 2024. Councilperson Stoner asked Mr. Wallace, when it comes to something like short term rentals, if he felt like he already had such an increased workload, and a new permitting system for Airbnb's were added, if would that put additional strain on his department, Mr. Wallace advised, yes. Councilperson Stoner advised with all of the growth, there needs to be more personnel to cover that growth. He does support the moratorium. It is a good idea to get an immediate stop and then figure out the long term solution. Council President White asked Mr. Wallace what kind of inspections other than plumbing his department has. Mr. Wallace advised there is plumbing and heating done by Jeremy, Harold does electrical, Mike's Kruer does framing and Larry fills in when anyone is out. Council President White clarified that they are not Code Enforcement Officers. Mr. Wallace advised that is correct. Each inspector will go out at least 2 to 3 times for each new single family construction, residential and commercial. Commercial projects are much more involved. Councilperson Burns asked if each inspector goes out 2-3 times on each construction. Mr. Wallace advised, yes. Councilperson Burns advised that he has worked with great inspectors. Mr. Wallace advised that on Commercial Inspections, the Fire Department also goes out on the inspections with them. Council President White advised that Code Enforcement has nothing to do with this process. Code Enforcement would handle projects that require permits to make sure someone is able to do business or live in a home. Council Vice President Hawkins advised that if there was a permit given, then Code Enforcement would go out on a typical Airbnb because someone is not building that, they are buying an old house and fixing it up, painting it, turning it into to an Airbnb, most of the stuff that they do, they wouldn't even call for an inspection, would they, unless they are messing with the electrical panel or plumbing. Mr. Wallace advised, that is correct. Council Vice President Hawkins asked if it is the Code Enforcement Office that action needs to be taken or is it the Inspectors office. Mr. Wallace advised it would need to be the inspectors. Chad Reischl-Planning and Zoning Director advised that most of the Code Enforcement would fall under his department as a zoning issue, not a life safety or property issue. If it was an issue of someone owning an Airbnb not cutting the grass, that would go to Larry's department. A registry program would go to Mr. Reischl department because it would be a zoning issue. The Building Commission, Planning and Zoning and Code Enforcement work together to solve issues. Councilperson Stoner asked again, if there was a permit process put in place for the Airbnb's, would that put a strain on their department. Mr. Reischl advised, yes it would put a strain on his department. The biggest issue is finding all of the addresses and sorting out who is running the Airbnb's at any given address. There are companies out there that can get that information for us, there is a cost to this. You need to know where they all are. The only way to figure that out would to go through the Airbnb's and VRBO and any other site platforms and individually write down every single one of them, there is not enough staff time that would be available to do that kind of work. There is so much data that needs to be collected and analyzed before anything can be enforced. A registry is one thing, but if there is 20-30 cases a year coming to BZA, that creates a huge amount of work for his department. Council President White asked if special exception would go to BZA and not Plan Commission. Mr. Reischl advised, that is correct. The special exception and variances go to BZA, Mr. Reischl advised that is correct. Council President White asked if these companies received a letter from your office, would Airbnb and VRBO send you a list of people in this area code or a list of addressed. Mr. Reischl advised, he does not know the answer to that. Mr. Reischl advised he spoke with a company that compiles that information, it was called Granicus. They sweep all the platforms and create a snapshot. They can create snapshots of their community. He took a snapshot of this communities previous month and said there was indeed 330 listings in the city of Jeffersonville. When looking at this list, that would include people that have their house up for sale, people renting their house for Derby or big festivals. Under Indiana Statute, in Indiana, if you own your house and rent it out while residing in that house, nothing can be done. The only exception would be a non-owner occupied someone from Naples, Florida, someone from Nevada, someone from Louisville buying a house over here and renting it out and living elsewhere. One thing that would have to be figured out and sort through is finding out who is actually living and selling the unit versus who is not living and selling the unit. Councilperson Semones asked Mr. Reischl if he got a quote from the company that he spoke with. Mr. Reischl advised they are working on a quote for him.They have software and monthly updates that they can provide. It is easy to put a moratorium on a gas station because he knows when it is under construction, whereas when a house is being turned into an Airbnb, it's not so obvious. Council President White would hope that if a moratorium is set in place and it's sent to those platforms, they will cooperate and not register any new ones. Mr. Reischl advised that he would not put that much faith in Airbnb or VRBO. Councilperson Stoner advised that they have to comply by the rules. Again he feels that there needs to be discussion with other municipalities that have done this and get their input. Councilperson Reed advised this has been a great conversation and our community is leading a concern that is meaningful to them and bringing it up so that we can work through that process. She feels this is something that could be handled through a committee, so that information could be gathered. Council President White advised he would like to see the Council handle this together. City Council Attorney Larry Wilder advised,just so everyone understands they would be capped at$150.00 one time per owner per Airbnb. The only way they would get any more money would be if the owner sold their Airbnb. So if there are 300 and they charge $150.00 it would be $45,000.00. Council Vice President Hawkins advised there are thousands of questions going through his mind, a committee would be a good if that would be the will of everyone else. His thought on a moratorium is that if it take effect on August 1, by the end of July there will be 8,000 people register for Airbnb's. He is not against the moratorium, but is fearful of the unintended consequences. Councilperson Stoner advised as the moratorium is currently written it would take effect immediately upon the adoption of this ordinance and expire in 365 days unless terminated or extended by further action by the Council. He reaffirmed that he was in support of the moratorium. The Indiana legislature has given the local municipalities the authority to implement a permit process for both owner occupied and non-owner occupied short term rental properties. Whereas the Council desired to initiate and consider a proposal to amend the Jeffersonville Zoning Ordinance to regulate non-owner occupied short term rental property. Essentially they would be doing this moratorium so that they can have the time to study and do a committee as Councilperson Reed has suggested, which he agrees with and making sure that they are listening to all of the people that need to be included on this discussion such as Planning and Zoning, Building Commissioner and Plan commission. He thinks this needs to be done now. Council President White asked if this Ordinance would have to have three readings, Mr. Wilder advised yes. Council President White asked, knowing that, how the Council felt about passing this on the first reading due to this happening quickly, having two versions of the moratorium and the hesitation from some. Councilperson Semones would said she would like to table it and feels they are nowhere near the end of the conversation. Councilperson Semones made a motion to table the Ordinance for the short term Airbnb/VRBO until the August 5, 2024 Council Meeting. She would not be in favor of a moratorium today. Council President White asked for clarification: to table it until the July 15 meeting or August 5 meeting. Councilperson Semones advised August 5 due to her not being at the July 15 meeting. Councilperson Burns seconded the motion. Councilperson Stoner advised he is struggling to understand, he thinks they want to do the moratorium because it's sort of like the Wild, Wild West right now with how this is happening in the city and asked Director Reischl if he agreed. Mr. Reischl advised he would agree. When Mr. Reischl spoke with the gentleman at Granicus he suggested that in the past year alone Jeffersonville has added close to a hundred new listings. The number of calls that he receives is growing and the number of units are growing at a fast rate. He thinks that is a growing concern and that it's something that needs to be thought about and needs to be studied, but also be rash about. Councilperson Stoner said he agreed with Councilperson Semones about not being close to the end of the conversation regarding this, but he feels the moratorium would help to come up with a solution. Councilperson Semones advised she understands the concerns of the constituents that are here today, however, she would like to gather more information so that she can verify the data that has been presented today and look at some other things. She understands that if a temporary moratorium was done today, they could come back and ask Council President White to amend it at a later time. Council President White advised there is a motion to table the matter. Councilperson Stoner advised he would like to see this passed on the First Reading, giving the Council additional time to research to see if there are changes that needed to be made to the Ordinance presented and to take into consideration how the community feels along with the experts' opinions. Councilperson Reed asked for a point of clarification. With the ordinance before them today, is it clear that this will affect any short term office space rental options. They have some shared working space options that repurposed older buildings and they have done a really great job of repurposing those older buildings into shared working spaces. Does this Ordinance affect those office spaces? Mr. Reischl advised this Ordinance is for housing and would not have an impact on those spaces. Councilperson Burns said he is not against the moratorium or against coming up with some kind of rules or regulations but agreed with Councilperson Semones they needed more information. If someone closes on a property today and is planning on turning it into an Airbnb, how would that affect that persons decision with the Ordinance being passed on the First Reading tonight. Councilperson Semones advised that the point the Councilperson Burns brought up a notice being issued was a good one. Notice to the public and an opportunity for all sides to be heard is important. This Ordinance was not on the agenda, in fact there are 2 versions of this Ordinance floating around so she is not sure they all are talking about the same thing. It has not been published, which would be the important way to move forward. Council President White advised there are two versions floating around, it was not in the packet that went out to the public or to the media. If something is going to be done, it needs to be done in a thoughtful and appropriate way. Councilperson Snelling said he agrees with Council Vice President Hawkins; if something is not done, there are going to be a lot of owners in the next month or so to turn their property into Airbnb's. Council Vice President Hawkins said he is not against the moratorium but is afraid of the unintended consequences. He is going to vote to table this just because he has many questions that cannot be addressed tonight. Councilperson Webb said he agreed there needs to be a moratorium, there are a lot of problems out there, but more information needs to be gotten before the moratorium happens. Councilperson Reed agreed and said the public has voiced this is a problem and as public servants they want to do what is best for the public and their neighborhoods, but they also want to do what is right for property owners. She would support Councilperson Stoner on leading up a committee to bring the data to the Council to make an informed correct decision. Councilperson Stoner asked if there be a difference from passing this Ordinance on the first reading today and then still doing that same due diligence that is being discussed and coming back at the next meeting and making edits. Council Vice President Hawkins advised that this could be passed on the on the first and second reading but it would not slow anything down or making anything faster. Councilperson Burns advised that everyone has heard that there are two version of the Ordinance floating around, just received information today. They are generally a Council that tries to do things right the first time and not just pass something to pass it. Councilperson Semones advised the answer to Councilperson Stoner question is no; either way ends up at the same place. Councilperson Stoner advised he does not think a Council committee alone can do what needs to be done. In the Ordinance, section 8, it states the Planning and Zoning Department is hereby directed to diligently proceed with consideration of an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to regulate non-owner occupied short term rental property pursuant to Indian Code 36 1-24-9, that the State Department to implement a permit process. Councilperson Semones advised that she has a problem with passing something today that tells Mr. Reischl's department to do something they are not yet prepared to do and without having a dialogue with them and being respectful of that. Council President White advised this was done hastily, he tried to get it together quickly and was not done in a way to give everyone clarity on how to move forward. He advised it is important when legislating to legislate in appropriate way; legislation should not happen quickly because it effects an entire city. If we are going to do something that effects the city, we are going to do it right. It should be done in a thoughtful, methodical way and make sure that we have input from those who are department head, experts and to figure out how to move forward. Councilperson White advised Councilperson Semones had made a motion to table this Councilperson Burns seconded the motion. Councilperson Semones requested a roll call vote: Councilperson Semones made a motion to table the discussion on the Short Term Rental Properties, seconded by Councilperson Burns; roll call: Councilperson Burn-Yes Councilperson Semones-Y Councilperson Reed-Y Council President White-Y Councilperson Webb-Y Council Vice President Hawkins-Y Councilperson Snelling-Y Councilperson Stoner-N; motion passed 7-1. 2. Donna Reed-City Council Youth Advisor/Advocate, IUS Scholarship Opportunity Councilperson Reed advised the City Council Youth Advisor will be launching the application for the first Youth Advocate position. This position is being put together by the community because it take a community to raise and mentor the next generation of community leaders. Chancellor Ford from Indiana University Southeast thanked Councilperson Reed for her leadership on the initiative to bring the Youth Advocate program to Jeffersonville. She advised that they believe in the power of partnership and look forward to implementing this program and helping a youth advocate find a way to attend Indiana University Southeast. They will be offering a four year, $500.00 scholarship to the youth advocates and promises to support them because as you see their leadership potential and help them understand how government work as future students and graduates of Indiana University Southeast. Council President White thanked Chancellor Ford and welcomed her back to meet the Youth Advocate that is chosen. Wendy Dant Chesser advised at this time in our country when supporting the young people in government has never been more critical than it is now. As we open eyes to what goes on in our government process, providing a stipend to ensure that the students can get here for their meetings was important to her, so she would like to offer her support of a $200.00 travel stipend. Council President White thanked her for her support and welcomes her back to meet the Youth Advocate that is chosen. Councilperson Reed advised that the application is open and all of the Council will be getting access to the backend to review those applications. It will be open for 6 weeks, closing on August 12, 2024, at that time we will get the Council's feedback. Then Council President White will appoint the first youth council advocate. ATTORNEY COMMENTS: Larry Wilder-He feels the choice that was made over the moratorium was a well thought choice. This is a complicated state statute that they have to maneuver around. Les Merkley-Absent DEPARTMENT HEADS Larry Wallace-Building Commissioner-requesting to hire a new Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer with the way the City is growing and all the work being done in the River Ridge area, they are backed up. Council President White asked if Mr. Wallace had talked to HR about the request. Mr. Wallace advised he was told to ask the Council. Councilperson Stoner asked when the last time a new employee was added in his office. Mr. Wallace said he started in 2001 and there has not been any new positions created since that time. Councilperson Stoner advised he would be in favor of hiring 2 new positions and will speak further with Heather about the process. Councilperson Semones advised she does not know the process to create a new position, but would be happy to inquire about it. Councilperson Stoner advised that he has a copy of a letter from Mr. Wallace that he will pass around to the Council. Council Vice President Hawkins asked Mr. Wallace if he hopes that these 2 positions would be filled as soon as possible if approved. Mr. Wallace advised that their office is in need of an administrative person that would also go out and collect signs out of easements as needed when they are caught up in the office,the Street Department does not do that. Both Mary and Linda fill in where they are needed which takes away from their jobs at times. There was an online system put in about 2 years ago that allows builders to go onto and pay for their permits and schedule inspections. Councilperson Reed asked if this request was part of the Capital Improvement Plan. Council President White advised that the Capital Improvement Plan did not include the need for manpower. Mr. Wallace advised that he had the Salary Ordinance for the Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer that can be passed around with the letter that Councilperson Stoner has. Councilperson Stoner asked Mrs. Metcalf about the Mobile Command Center and how that was going to be paid for, did the last Council decide how to pay for it. Mrs. Metcalf advised that there were multiple options discussed as far as paying for the Mobile Command Center with the last Council, but a final decision had not been made. It was approved to be ordered. It had been discussed to put some monies down and finance the rest. Councilperson Stoner asked if anyone remembered when it was approved, no one was sure. Councilperson Snelling asked Council Attorney Wilder for clarification: the last Council approved the Command Center which came back for this Council to handle, then last meeting the Assistant Police Chief inquired about a 4-5 years plan regarding the Taser program that the Council could not approve due to the contract being too long. Mr. Wilder advised he gave the same advice to the last Council and they chose to go the way they did and the consequences of that could be that the new Council could choose not to spend the money then get sued. Councilperson Stoner asked Mr. Wilder if he advised them not to do that. Mr. Wilder advised Councilperson Stoner, there will be a lot of advice that he will give that will not be liked. Council President White said it was explained in the last meeting that historically department heads would come before the Council whenever there was a major purchase that needed to be made, to let the Council know that it would be taken to Board of Public Works and if the Council had concerns or did not think it was necessary, then it would not be presented to Board of Public Works, if the Council did not have any concerns, then it would be taken before the Board of Public Works. The Council cannot approve or deny those contracts. In most major purchases such as Fire Trucks or Command Centers, they have to be ordered many months in advance due to it taking up to 38 months to build a Fire Truck.JFD Chief Grant advised there is a 36 months lead time before they can ever start to build a truck, so they have to wait 3 years before they do so, it was the same way with the Mobile Command Center. The previous Council approved it, but he worked together with the Police Officers on the Command Center. They can only give the Council what they need and then the Council approves to fund it or not. Chief Grant advised they are at the mercy of the companies that are building them and the City is not the only entity in this country that are buying. There is a backlog on the mobile command as well as the fire trucks. PUBLIC COMMENTS No Comments COUNCIL COMMENTS: • Councilperson Burns—there was some healthy conversations regarding the short-term housing and he looks forward to working with the committee and meeting with the owners and having conversations with the Council. He would like to be on that committee and feels it needs to be established sooner than later. He received his first call regarding the Fireworks Ordinance today. The latest Ordinance is dated 2017. Councilperson's Burns and Semones chatted briefly and he feels the Ordinance needs to be updated and time periods for fireworks to be shortened. After this holiday he would like to see this addressed by forming a committee or draft for review. • Councilperson Semones-Happy 4th of July, she is blessed to have had Juneteenth, the 4th of July which makes America so great. Thanks to Jeff Cover for leading the invocation. Mr. Cover and she are seeing what they can do to make Jeffersonville a Tree City USA, so that's some fun green stuff in the works. She is also working with the Soil District on some fun green ordinances. She will be out for the meeting on July 15, 2024. She appreciates the discussion in regards to the short-term rentals and has made her think about things in a different perspective. Councilperson Semones recognized Councilperson Reed for all the hard work on the Youth Advisor Program, not only did she take a law that existed that wasn't being implemented here to bring in the voice of our time constituents, but the level of professionalism that she has shown in putting together the platforms, the materials so that we all can not only support that here, but by spreading the word in our community. Grateful for a community that can come together, that when there are issues, the elected officials will come together to support the youth in different ways. • Councilperson Anderson—Absent • Councilperson Reed—grateful for the upcoming 4th of July and the float for the City Council, everyone is invited to participate. Parade starts at 10:00 am on Main and Spring Street by the Main Street Association. • Councilperson Webb—thanks to Councilperson Stoner for bringing the issues of Airbnb's to light, it is a great topic, don't get discouraged that it was tabled because he was torn about it, he just feels it needs to be discussed more, he had no idea there were that many Airbnb's in our community. • Council Vice President Hawkins—Happy 4th of July. Thanks to Councilperson Stoner for bringing up the Airbnb's, he thinks they will come up with something that works for people, it will take time. Thanks to Councilperson Reed on her hard work on the Youth Advisory, he has student in mind already to have them to look into it. • Councilperson Snelling— Thanks to Councilperson Stoner for bringing up the issues with the Airbnb's, we will all come together and get it figured out. • Councilperson Stoner—respects everyone's thoughts on the Airbnb discussion. Councilperson Stoner asked Mr. Wilder if there was a legal reason that Council members could not have a key to Council chambers, Mr. Wilder advised that would be something to discuss with the Building Authority. Mr. Stoner asked if there is a state statute against Council members having a key to Council Chambers, Mr. Wilder advised, no, advised him to speak with the Building Commissioner. Councilperson Stoner advised there is an update on the homeless situation and would like it to be put on the agenda for July 15, 2024 Council meeting. He had a conversation with Ms. Metcalf regarding the Economic Development Abatement, money that the City receives annually from companies that were given the abatements. The current balance is $447,470.79. This is money that the Council controls and can be spent on Economic Development projects around the city. He thinks reinvesting this money into to community would be great. He had brought up some concerns regarding personnel issues within the City, with the continued growth and the expansion of parks, facilities and new projects, we are not expanding personnel to cover this increase. He is committed to bringing this issue to light. • Council President White—Thanks to everyone for the lively discussion on the Airbnb issue. The request for more staffing is the first time since he has been on Council, look forward to continue that discussion. There is 1.2 to 1.4 million dollars that the City receives annually. The question then becomes, how we pay for additional personnel. There has been a fire study for the fire territory, were looking to see how that comes about. If that happens, that may be some relief. We are doing the property tax levy appeal. We are doing these things to see if we are able to access additional revenue, so that we can grow, as the City has grown with personnel across the board. Once we get numbers, then we can decide what we want to do with it. That is in the works and that will depend on the council's pace. Happy 4th of July. ADJOURNMENT: Councilperson Burns made the motion to ADJOURN the meeting at 7:35 p.m. DISCLAIMER: These minutes are a summary of actions taken at the Jeffersonville City Council meetings. The full video archive of the meeting is available for viewing at www.cityofjeff.net for as long as this media is supported. APROVED BY: At4D------ki.L.4 _ mot Dustin White, Council President ATTEST: Li a Gill, Clerk CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE 'PSOt Building Commission: Strengthening Our Team for a Growing City Current Team Structure: • Building Commissioner: Oversees office/City Hall routine maintenance and assists with daily inspections. Monitors City Hall fire alarm/security 24 hours 7 days a week. • Electrical Inspector • HVAC/Plumbing Inspector • Building Inspector • 2 Code Enforcement Officers: Handle daily complaints, grass, signs, and various other issues. • 1 Code Enforcement Supervisor/Permit Clerk: Issues all permits,manages billing, and files/releases liens. • 1 Administrative Assistant II: Assists with all tasks, including accounts payable and code enforcement, and conducts fieldwork. • 1 Administrative Assistant I: Greets customers, registers contractors across various specialties. Context and Rationale for Expansion: The Building Commission has not expanded its workforce in approximately 20 years. This has resulted in a significant strain on our current staff as the city continues to grow and develop. Consider the following points: 1. City Growth: o The population has surged to approximately 51,000 residents. o New construction projects include multiple apartment complexes and neighborhoods. o Significant developments in the River Ridge area, including major projects like Meta and a Solar Energy Company. 2. Increased Workload: o In 2023,the city saw 250 new single-family homes, 133 accessory structures, and 197 fences. o In 2024, so far, 159 new single-family permits have been issued, with approximately 279 more expected, along with 149 fences issued this year. 3. Daily Operations: o Code enforcement officers handle 15-20 inspections daily, each requiring a visual inspection,photographs, documentation, and potentially contacting property owners. o Responsibilities also include removing unauthorized signs from easements, corners, and telephone poles, tagging and towing of inoperable vehicles. 4. Geographical Coverage: o The two current code enforcement officers cover extensive miles within our city, managing not only complaints but also the maintenance of newly created detention basins in residential and commercial areas. CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE O Inspection Demands: • Single-family inspections: Building(footer, framing, final), Electric(temporary, rough- in, permanent service, final), Plumbing(ground rough, rough-in, final), HVAC (rough-in, final). • Multi-family inspections: Each building requires multiple inspections from the ground up, including clubhouses,pools, and garages. • Industrial inspections: Expansive developments like Meta and other River Ridge projects require timely and frequent inspections. Conclusion and Request: Given the outlined growth and increasing demands,the need for an additional inspector and an office administrator/code enforcement officer is clear. This expansion is essential to maintain the high standards of service and safety our community expects and deserves. We urge the City Council to support this proposal to ensure our Building Commission can effectively manage the city's growth and uphold its commitment to the community. Thank you for your consideration. • An equal opportunicy employer.