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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDECEMBER 21, 2015COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA DECEMBER 21, 2015 The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana met in regular session in Room 101, 500 Quartermaster Court, Jeffersonville, Indiana at 7:00 pm, on Monday, December 21, 2015. Council President Gill along with City Clerk Conlin called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Councilperson Samuel gave the Invocation and Council President Gill asked those in attendance to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The roll call was conducted and those present were: Councilperson Smith, Councilperson Zastawny, Councilperson Wadsworth, Councilperson Sellers, Councilperson Webb, Council President Gill, Councilperson Julius, Councilperson Owen, and Councilperson Samuel. All members of the Council are in attendance. MINUTES TO BE APPROVED: Minutes from the Regular Council Proceedings November 16, 2015- Councilperson Samuel made a motion to APPROVE with Councilperson Zastawny seconding, PASSING on a vote, 9-0. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilperson Owen made a motion to APPROVE the agenda with Councilperson Sellers seconding, PASSING on a vote, 9-0. CLAIMS TO BE APPROVED: GENERAL — $3,473,040.03 Assistant City Controller Heather Metcalf presented the claim. Ms. Metcalf made note that one of the claims on page 9 is for four AEDs and it will need to be pulled because it cannot be paid for out of this year's budget and it will be added to the first claims submitted in 2016. The amount that will be pulled is $4,337.34. Councilperson Samuel asked what the claim to the Internal Revenue Service was for located on page 4 in the amount of $17,000. Ms. Metcalf stated it was a fee from where the city had too many 1099s in 2012 that they mailed out and now it will be sent out electronically to avoid fees. Councilperson Samuel also asked regarding the two claims to the Clark County Treasurer. Councilperson Samuel stated he assumed these were for the elections and asked that due to there being a referendum and it expanding beyond the City if the cost for the election was shared with the school system. Ms. Metcalf was unsure and stated she would have to check with the County. Council President Gill stated there was a School Board member in the audience who was shaking their head yes and requested to record that response. Councilperson Owen stated his question of these claims was if one was for the General Election and one was for the Primary Election (Ms. Metcalf stated yes) and then asked why they were for different amounts. It was unsure why the amounts were different. City Clerk Conlin stated she would scan in the invoice and send it to the Council, to make sure they opened it to review. Councilperson Owen also questioned that since there is a recount and there still is not a certified election, should we pull those claims until we have certified results. Councilperson 1 Owen originally made a motion to pull those claims until the certified results were posted, then amended his motion. Councilperson Owen made a motion to APPROVE the claims in the new amount ($3,473,040.03) on the condition the Finance Department would hold the check to the Clark County Treasurer's Office for the election until after the certified results had been posted. Councilperson Smith seconded the motion, PASSING on a vote, 9-0. REPORT OF THE CLERK: It has been an honor to work with you all through this last term and I appreciate everything that you all have done to help the Clerk's office. AGENDA ITMES: UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None NEW BUSINESS: None CITY COUNCIL ATTORNEY REPORT: Noting at this time. DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORT: Noting at this time. PUBLIC COMMENT: Christina Gilkey at 903 Dogwood Rd. Jeffersonville, IN 47130: (See attached for transcript) Ms. Gilkey presented information to the Council regarding a recent insurance change made to the City of Jeffersonville Employee Benefits package. Ms. Gilkey stated Mayor Moore inflicted a change that impacted 258 employees. Ms. Gilkey stated she retired from Aflac last year, however she feels as though it is her duty to come before the Council to speak because she feels as though the Mayor has abused his authority. Ms. Gilkey stated she attempted to appeal the decision to Mayor Moore privately but he refused to meet with her. Ms. Gilkey stated as a matter of transparency she would like for the Council to know that the Mayor's decision does impact her monthly renewal check from Aflac. Ms. Gilkey stated at a recent insurance information session employees were informed they would no longer have the opportunity to participate in Aflac as a pre-tax elective. Ms. Gilkey stated this would cost the employees approximately $21,168 in pre-tax cost savings. Ms. Gilkey stated this occurred because the Mayor gave the Voluntary benefit services contract to his ex- wife, Vicki Moore as a representative of Combined Insurances. Ms. Gilkey stated this is a conflict of interest as Mayor Moore still has direct financial ties to his ex-wife. Ms. Gilkey stated she finds this to be a direct violation of the State of Indiana enacted Anti - Nepotism law and stated she was unable to find any policy on the matter on the City of Jeffersonville's website. Ms. Gilkey stated her hope was that the Council would work to compel Mayor Moore to rethink his decision to leave Aflac and that the Council would work to develop and adopt a City policy regarding a Code of Ethics. Ms. Gilkey did say that employees had the option to keep their policy and provided a telephone number 1-866-622-3811. 2 COUNCIL COMMENT: Council President Gill handed out plaques to the Council members who would not be returning for the new term. Council President Gill thanked each of them for their service and dedication to Jeffersonville. Councilperson Smith: Councilperson Smith stated during his 8 years the Councils have been fiscally conservative and has built a surplus. This has allowed the Council to act quickly when unforeseen expenses arise. Councilperson Zastawny: Councilperson Zastawny stated is has been an honor to serve with everybody. This has been a difficult term as it is the first term after annexation so now there are 9 Council Members to compromise with. Councilperson Zastawny is proud of the tough decisions the Council has made to get it in the position that it is now. It is important to remember that every decision that is made paves way for future decisions and it builds along the way. The longer you stay here the more you realize how much decisions impact the future of the City. Councilperson Zastawny recognized individuals who stood up for the annexation. Councilperson Zastawny stated there will be a Council Retreat on January 9th to get everyone associated with the new Council. Councilperson Wadsworth: Councilperson Wadsworth thanked the people of Jeffersonville, the fellow Council Members, the Clerk, the Attorneys, and all of the support staff. This is an excellent example of dedication to the City. Councilperson Sellers: Councilperson Sellers stated a recent study has been released that ranks top in financial status. Councilperson Sellers stated this is largely in part because we plan for the unknown and we are fiscally responsible. Councilperson Webb: Councilperson Webb stated it has been an honor and a pleasure and welcome to the new Council Members. Councilperson Julius: Councilperson Julius stated during this term he feels as though the Council has made a lot of good decisions and they may not have always agreed with each other but they always compromised. Councilperson Owen: Councilperson Owen thanked the Council and the staff of the City and the Clerk as well. The Clerk does a lot to support the Council and plays an important role. It is strange to see Connie and Mike Smith leaving since they have been here since the beginning for him. Councilperson Owen stated he believes they did a tremendous service for the districts that they represented. 3 Councilperson Samuel: Councilperson Samuel recognized the new Director of Planning and Zoning (Nathan Pruitt). Councilperson Samuel stated he appreciates the time he has been able to spend with fellow Council Members. Council President Gill: Council President Gill thanked the Council and the Clerk and the Finance Department and everyone's service for the City. ADJOURNMENT: Council President Gill asked for a motion to adjourn, made by Councilperson Owen and seconded by Councilperson Smith. Meeting adjourned at 7:41 PM. APPROVED BY: Lisa Gill, 'resident ATTEST: Vicki Conlin, Clerk 4