Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 15, 2024 Council Minutes COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA July 15, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana met for the Regular Meeting on July 15, 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 Councilperson Burns Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Local BSA Troop 4010 ROLL CALL: The roll call was conducted by City Clerk Lisa Gill and present in Council Chambers were Councilperson Burns, Councilperson Anderson, Councilperson Reed, Council President White, Councilperson Webb, Council Vice President Hawkins, Councilperson Snelling and Councilperson Stoner. Councilperson Semones was absent. Let the record reflect that 8 Council Members were present in Council Chambers and 1 absent. APROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve the Minutes for July 1, 2024, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 8-0. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilperson Stoner made a motion to include 2024-R-9 added to the agenda right after number 10 for the Eagle Scout presentation, 10A, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 8-0. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve the Agenda as amended, seconded by Councilperson Snelling; motion passed, 8-0. CLAIMS TO APPROVE: Civil City$706,214.52 Council President White advised the Civil City Claims were in the amount of$706,214.52. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Anderson made a motion to approve the Civil City Claims, seconded by Councilperson Snelling; motion passed, 8-0. Parks$116,968.84 Council President White advised the Parks Claims were in the amount of$116,968.84. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Anderson made a motion to approve the Parks Claims, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 8-0. REPORT OF THE CLERK: Clerk Gill advised that before the next scheduled Council Meeting on August 5, 2024, there will be a budget workshop at 5:00 pm. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 1. Short-Term Rental Discussion Tabled Until August 5, 2024 Council President White advised that this Short-Term Rental Discussion was tabled at the last Council Meeting and asked if anyone wanted to make a motion to take it off the table or to continue it to the next meeting. Councilperson Burns asked Council President White if they were going to for a committee for this. Council President White advised that it was mentioned, do we want to do that. The one that City Attorney Les Merkley wrote was pretty accurate, but there may have been some hesitation as to whether or not they supported it. Councilperson Burns advised that he would like to see some more numbers that he supplied some places for Mr. Reischl to get numbers such as Southern Indiana Tourism, Mr. Reischl has been in touch with them, but he has not heard anything back yet. They apparently subscribe to one of those aggregating services that gives them data for that and they are willing to share. Councilperson Stoner advised he was under the impression that a moratorium was going to be done in order to figure out what was going on, so he was not sure why a committee was needed. Council President White asked if there was anyone that wanted to speak regarding the Short Term Rentals. Shane & Crissy of Jeffersonville Indiana advised they have heard of some issues in the area with having Airbnb needing more affordable housing. Why are people in the area worried about affordable housing, he thinks it was more about their tax rate going up more so than more Airbnb's being built. There has been a lot of infrastructure and building in the neighborhood. He took a dilapidated drug house, repurposed it and now it brings tax dollars in to the City. There are a lot of people that come for the concerts and other events that like staying in Jeffersonville and feel safe. As long as home owners are paying their taxes and keeping up with the property, he doesn't see an issue with what they do with their property. Council President White advised that owner occupied housing cannot be touched, as far as the affordable housing part, he has not heard anything about that. To his understanding, the investors that do not live here are buying homes, refurbishing them or buying new homes and turning them into Airbnb and VRBO's. Mr. Shane ask the question, were there other people willing to buy those dilapidated houses and invest in them like me and my friend have done. Most of those houses are 50 to 70 years old and need anywhere from $120,000.00 plus to get them back to where they are livable, most home owners are not able to do that, and a lot of those houses that are being refurbished come back on the market to be sold. If we are talking about affordable housing, long-term rentals aren't getting cheaper. If someone is buying for a long-term rental or short-term rentals, they need to be treated the same, you cannot put a moratorium on one and not the other. Some people that sign a long-term lease does not stay long-term and they do not necessarily take care their houses as well as the property owner that has people coming in weekly. Councilperson Reed advised that there have been some very valid points. Some of what they were wanting to do with the Moratorium was to find a way to regulate these and make sure that everyone was doing as good as a job as some of the people are in your neighborhood. She thinks the point of it was not to get rid of them completely, that the current ones would be grandfathered in, then the rest would just be paused to have time to learn how to regulate them. Paul Maynard, resident of Jeffersonville advised he has Airbnb's in New Albany and a couple in Jeffersonville. One of the properties was a $300,000.00 renovation, thankfully the banks are willing to loan the money. Taking those houses and refurbishing them brings a lot of people to Jeffersonville and New Albany that would most likely have stayed in Louisville. Jeffersonville has done a great job with downtown, people are excited to come and stay here. He also advised that he has seen different studies that show a 20% increase from restaurants and Airbnb's in that area. When people are on vacation, they tend to spend more than when they are at home. Mr. Maynard invites anyone to go look at any of their properties. They have not had any complaints from neighbors or police. They think the root cause of the complaints stem from the increase in taxes. Councilperson Stoner advised at the last meeting there was a large group of people that voiced their concerns. The Council is still in the fact finding phase. It was his assumption that the moratorium was going to be completely temporary.There is nothing that can be done with the owner occupied rentals, but as far as the non-owner occupied rentals we can require a variance and require a permit system. Council Attorney Larry Wilder advised, zoning would have to change to cause there to be special use area. That is something that has to happen with zoning and the requirements for permitting is a one-time fee of $150.00 as long as the permit stays in order. Councilperson Stoner advised there are other cities across Indiana that are taking these actions and also Louisville. The city needs to get a handle on it. To address the comment about the Police Department, the Code Enforcement Department, they are already struggling to enforce those measures as it is. So when there is a call about an Airbnb issue or a nuisance, they are already going out doing so much more, he was just trying to get them some additional help as far as enforcement. Mr. Shane advised that since he has been in Jeffersonville since 2018, crime has went down. It's not that people are buying houses, it's that the property value is going up. He feels in order to help the constituents that are complaining, we need to get to the root cause not that for effective people coming out and investing in the neighborhood. That is something that needs to be considered when making these regulations. As someone that is going to rent property, He would pass on the $150.00 tax or fee or anything on that doesn't help the people that are complaining. Councilperson Stoner advised that's why it's so important to have a pause so that we can bring all parties to the table and we can create a policy that will work for everyone. Councilperson Reed advised she appreciates them telling their side of this, there are two (2) sides to everything. Mr. Maynard advised all of these people are not just coming for vacations. He has one that has been rented for 4 month's now due to someone's house burning down. They work with insurance companies because their houses are furnished. This was not just for out of town people, it helps local people also. They also do a lot with traveling nurses. If the moratorium does happen, please make sure it is not singled out to Airbnb's, there are other short term rentals called different names. Council President White thanked them for their time and asked if everyone agreed to keep this on the agenda until next Council Meeting. Everyone agreed. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Preston Blackman-Eagle Scout Presentation on Completed Improvement Project at the Jeffersonville Animal Shelter Councilperson Stoner advised that the entire Council received a letter from a local Boy Scout Leader, Tony Bussey to inform them of a local Boy Scout, now an Eagle Scout who was in the process of completing a project for the Jeffersonville Animal Shelter, which has now been completed. Here to tell the Council about that project is Preston Blackman. Preston Blackman advised when he first joined the troop, they had done some service with the Animal Shelter, so he did not have to think long about what type of project that he wanted to do. When speaking with the shelter, he was told that they were in need of fences. Preston and his troop raised over$3,000.00 in supplies. They repaired all the exterior fencing with stakes, installed a 25 foot flagpole and put benches in the public and staff area. Council President White asked Preston if he had formally been made an Eagle Scout at this time. Preston advised the ceremony will be held on August 4, 2024. Council President White asked for them to let the Council know of any changes, those available would like to come and be a part of this. Councilperson Reed asked, what drew you to this service project. Preston advised, it was his love of animals and the opportunity that the Animal Shelter gave them back in 2017 and he wanted to give back. Councilperson Reed asked if Preston had any advice to other young people that wants to make a difference in our community. Preston advised to pick something that you like and stick with it, it doesn't have to have a huge impact to be important. Scout Leader Tony Bussey advised that Preston was simplifying things as he spoke, not only did Preston complete the project, he had to raise money, which was almost$2,000.00 for all the supplies that was necessary. He stood out in front of the Fire Station across form Sam's in temperatures as low as 22 degrees, sent emails and spent a lot of time working from home. The official ceremony has not been completed yet, but according to the counsel, he is an Eagle Scout. He has done a great job as a leader for the younger scouts as well. Councilperson Reed asked Preston how old he was, Preston advised he was 18. Councilperson Reed invited him to apply for the Youth Advocate position. Councilperson Stoner thanked Preston and advised that his interest in community service started in the 8th grade when he attended River Valley Middle School and Mayor Tom Galligan gave him an award in 2008 for some service. It is important for young people to get involved in their community and show leadership. Thanks to you and the troop for all that you have done. Councilperson Stoner read 2024-R-9 (see attached). If this resolution passes here, then it will go to the Mayor, then we will get it signed and get it to Preston. Councilperson Stoner made a motion to approve 2024-R-9, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 8-0. 2. Evan Stoner-Homeless Discussion/Update from Committee Councilperson Stoner advised that he, Councilperson Webb and Councilperson Semones had met in regards to the homeless situation and feel with the summer temps of a hundred degrees or more and low temps in the winter, there is going to be a continued need. He spoke with the City Controller, Heather Metcalf regarding a fund that exists within the budget, a donation fund. They are currently talking to other entities in the community and private companies in the region. They have come to the conclusion that it needs to be a public/private effort, we cannot do this alone and cannot do it just as a council. He feels it's time for the Council to reach out to other agencies. Councilperson Webb advised, the problem with the homeless comes up every year. He feels that some of the money that Councilperson Stoner referred to could be used as seed money to get this program started. There are a lot of agencies and businesses that are willing to help with the homeless situation, he feels they just have to get organized and get it started. There are a lot of businesses in River Ridge, smaller businesses and individuals that would be willing to help. There could be a fund set up for donation that could also generate a lot more revenue down the road. We do not have the legal bounds yet of where we set up a trust or a committee. He thinks this would be something that the Council needs to look at. Getting donation instead of always trying to grab taxpayers' money. Councilperson Reed advised she would like to have something in writing to give these new businesses when they start up to be able to donate. Councilperson Webb advised when he and Council President White met with META, they asked what they could do for Jeffersonville. He also advised that maybe the council should talk a little bit about this on August 5, 2024 at the next Council Meeting to get ideas and see what the legal boundaries are. Council President White asked what kind of things would be done with the money that would be donated. Councilperson Webb advised with the committee they could decide where to donate the money, to which homeless shelters. As it stands now, the Council is limited to $50,000.00. We are not trying to change anything,just trying to generate more funds. Councilperson Reed advised she has always thought public/private unisons was a great opportunity for us to do more for the community. She would like to appreciate the bipartisan support of this issue and seeing everyone work together on this. Councilperson Snelling liked the idea that Councilperson Reed had about passing out information to companies at ribbon cuttings regarding the donation process for this cause. Councilperson Webb advised that if some of the money could be used now to help generate more money to offset giving tax dollars away all the time, that would be the smart thing to do. Councilperson Stoner advised when he and Councilperson's Webb and Semones spoke with State Senator Chris Garten, he had some really interesting input and they had ask him a question about the ability for the City to collect or offer some sort of tax incentives whether it's a State partnership or local to companies that choose to donate to this cause. Mrs. Metcalf advised there is a donation fund already set up that any donations can be received into and also dispersed from, that the current donation fund that is set up should be fine to use for now. In spirit of bipartisanship, Councilperson Stoner asked that the Council reach out to friends and colleagues across the county and region to see if they would be willing to match the $50,000.00 that the City will be putting up and see if we can get something that really works. Council Vice President Hawkins advised not knowing what the money would be spent on would be difficult. He asked if they would be able to give more than $50,000.00 to entities that they deem acceptable to give money to, or are they taking the money and crating something new. If it is something new, then they need to determine what that is before they start asking people to donate. Councilperson Webb advised that the three organization that have been here to present their programs are the ones that they should go with. This would be a way to generate more money so that more services could be offered to the homeless instead of always giving tax payer money. Not to start new programs. Councilperson Stoner advised that the three organization that spoke earlier in the year offer the three critical pieces that are needed, Case Management, White Flag Program and Shelter in an emergency situation. Councilperson Reed asked if other organizations come forward to ask for donations, will they be turned away. Councilperson Webb advised anyone that wants to join in on this, can. There are corporation and individuals that want to donate money, that's the key. Councilperson Snelling asked, how long the Council has been giving$50,000.00 to the Homeless Relief. Clerk Gill advised she would forward that Resolution to the Council. Council President White asked if there has been any discussion on how to get people back home. There has not been any discussion on that. Councilperson Stoner advised that all of this was to relieve the tax payers of a burden. Everything has a cost, including the unhoused population whether it's through services that the Police Department proves or the strain that they have to deal with because of an inability to care for other causes in the community due to the focus in the homeless. 3. Heather Metcalf-2024-OR-36 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation Council President White advised 2024-OR-36 was an Ordinance of Appropriation for Law Enforcement Continuing Education in the amount of$15,600.00 to reappropriate $370.00 to the Police Merit Fund in Advertisement. Mrs. Metcalf advised this law enforcement continuing education fund is one that does not get consistent surplus funds. This is appropriating monies that are already in that fund. Councilperson Stoner asked if that is something that is added every year. Mrs. Metcalf advised it gets a small revenue stream and then it just depends on how that funding comes in, it is not always consistent. Council Vice President Hawkins made a motion to approve 2024-OR-36 on the First and Second Reading, seconded by Councilperson Burns; motion passed, 8-0. ATTONEY COMMENTS: Larry Wilder—No Comment Les Merkley--Absent DEPARTMENT HEADS: Police Chief Kavanaugh—advised that in regards to the Law Enforcement Continuing Education account, they have acquire two (2) new canines that's also within the contractual basis of supplies, which is needed while training the two (2) canine additions. The department is in hopes of having them certified within the next sixty (60) days or so via public announcement. Thanks for your support. PUBLIC COMMENTS No Comments COUNCIL COMMENTS: • Councilperson Burns—No Comment • Councilperson Semones---Absent • Councilperson Anderson—No Comment • Councilperson Reed—thanks to all of the scouts for coming and educating yourself on what civics looks like locally. Congratulations to Hunter's Brook Farm for winning the 4-H Urban Farmer Award. • Councilperson Webb—No Comment • Council Vice President Hawkins—thank you to all of the Scouts for coming and to the Scout Leaders. With being a high school teacher, he can usually tell who has participated in different clubs or programs, so thank you to those leaders. The word civility has been mentioned a couple of times during this meeting and he just wanted to say with all of the events recently, this Council has always been civil to one another and he so appreciates that. • Councilperson Snelling—No Comment • Councilperson Stoner—thanks to all of the troops and the troop leaders for all they do for our community. Echo what Council Vice President Hawkins said about praying for the recovery of former President Trump and hopefully continue that civility. • Council President White--Thank you to Preston Blackman, great job becoming an Eagle Scout. The work you do is important, and thank you to the rest of the troops also. Congratulations to the Urban Farmer Award winner from Jeffersonville. He encourages everyone to go out and support the 4-H fair this year. ADJOURNMENT: Councilperson Burns made the motion to ADJOURN the meeting at 6:47p.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: b1d Fottt Dustin White, Council President A ST: Lisp Gill,Clerk 2024-R- RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF PRESTON BLACKMAN-EAGLE SCOUT "What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good." WHEREAS, Preston Blackman volunteered with his fellow Scouts at the Jeffersonville Animal Shelter. In this he experienced the achievement and accomplishment of giving back to the community; WHEREAS, while giving his time and energy he recognized that there were unfulfilled needs at the Shelter; WHEREAS, Preston decided that it was his calling to take the necessary and affirmative steps to fill the void; WHEREAS, he concluded that it was his call to service to acquire and assemble an area that would include benches and picnic tables for the staff and visitors to use while at the Shelter; WHEREAS, Preston's vision did not end with these accomplishments. He took note of the storm damaged flag pole and fence at Shelter. He repaired the flagpole and the fence all the while revitalizing the surrounding flower beds; WHEREAS, as a result of Preston's hard work and service he has joined the ranks of Ernest Green, Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates, Justice Stephen Breyer, Hank Aaron and a litany of other individuals driven by the experiences of scouting to serve their communities, their country and humanity; WHEREFORE, the Jeffersonville City Council, accepts the gift of service from Preston Blackman by proclaiming this day in his name and honor. SO PROCLAIMED THIS 15TH DAY OF JULY, 2024. Creating Comfort for Jeffersonville Animal Shelter Preston Blackman Life Scout Project Overview When I was new to the Troop, we volunteered at the Jeffersonville Animal Shelter. I really enjoyed volunteering there and getting to play with the animals was a definite favorite part. I want to give back to that animal shelter with my Eagle project. I plan to purchase and assemble two metal benches that will be used in the back staff area. This area currently lacks seating options. I will also assemble a wooden bench that will be used in the outdoor animal area. They have also requested that I repair a portion of the fencing. I plan to organize a supply drive based on the needs of the animal shelter to provide dog food, cat food, blankets, etc. Materials Needed & Estimated Budget Wooden Bench - will build 300 Two Metal Benches- assemble / install 1000 Stakes to repair the fence 400 Food / Drink for Volunteers 500 Fundraising Ideas -� Friends & Family Home Depot / Lowes / Menards -3 Chewy in Louisville (Tony suggested) -3 Southern Indiana Animal Rescue (Tony has contact) • November - Parent Committee Presentation • November - Council approval • December - January - Fundraising • January - Build Wooden Bench (WORKDAY) & Order Metal Tim l� n Benches e e • February _ Supply Drive W K ( O R DAYS) • March- Install benches and repai. fence. Deliver supplies (WORKDAYS) • April - Sit for Eagle Board of Review • June 26, 2024 - 18th Birthday Workdays Bench Building Older Scouts / Adults 1 -2 workdays Assembling metal All Scouts / Adults 1 -2 workdays benches, Installing all benches, Repairing Fence Supply Drive All Scouts / Adults 1 -2 Workdays