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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 1, 2024 Council Minutes COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA April 1, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana met for the Regular Meeting on April 1, 2024. Council President White along with City Clerk Gill called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.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: ROLL CALL: The roll call was conducted by City Clerk Lisa Gill and present in Council Chambers were Council President White, Councilperson Burns, Councilperson Semones, Councilperson Anderson, Councilperson Reed, Councilperson Webb, Council Vice President Hawkins,Councilperson Snelling, Councilperson Stoner. Let the record reflect that all 9 Council Members were present in Council Chambers. APROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilperson Stoner advised he had one proposed change to be made to Assist Chief McVoy's comments and he wanted to add that McVoy stated they were really close the breaking point in regards to the homelessness crisis. Councilperson Stoner made a motion to amend the minutes of March 18, 2024 to read as follows: "Assist Police Chief McVoy stated they were really close to the breaking point in regards to the homelessness crisis", Councilperson Semones seconded the motion; motion passed, 9-0. Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve the amended minutes, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed, 9-0. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve the Agenda, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed, 9-0. CLAIMS TO APPROVE: Civil City$2,321,421.35 Council President White stated the Civil City claims were$2,321,421.35. Mrs. Metcalf advised that was correct and there were no changes. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve Civil City Claims, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed, 9-0. Parks$141,295.66 Council President White stated the Parks Claims were$141,295.66. Mrs. Metcalf advised that was correct and there were no changes. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve the Parks Claims, seconded by Councilperson Webb; motion passed, 9-0. REPORT OF THE CLERK: None UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 1. Kim Calabro 2024-OR-19 Ordinance Amending 2024-OR-8 and fixing the Salaries of Appointed Officers and Employees for all the Departments of the City of Jeffersonville Council President White advised this was 2024-OR-19 Ordinance Amending 2024-OR-8 and fixing the Salaries of Appointed Officers and Employees for all the Departments of the City of Jeffersonville. Mrs. Calabro was not present for the meeting. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve 2024-OR-19 on the Third and Final Reading, seconded by Councilperson Snelling; motion passed, 9-0. 2. Kim Calabro 2024-OR-20 Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Ordinance 2004-OR-74 Establishing Retiree's Health Insurance Benefits for City Employees Council President White advised this was 2024-OR-20 Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Ordinance 2004-OR-74 Establishing Retiree's Health Insurance Benefits for City Employees. Mrs. Metcalf advised there were no changes. Councilperson Reed made a motion to approve 2024-OR-20 on the Third and Final Reading, seconded by Councilperson Semones; motion passed, 9-0. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Chad Reischl 2024-OR-21 Rezoning Change Request for Property Located at 5500 Block of Charlestown Pike from A1(Agriculture)to Proposed Zoning R3 (Single Family Residential-Small Lot) (Public Hearing) Mr. Reischl advised Hilton Farm Development, LLC requested to rezone 139 acres of property located at 5500 Block of Charlestown Pike from Al (Agriculture)to proposed zoning R3 (Single Family Residential Small Lot)to build a subdivision, not sure of how many units at this time. Currently, Charlestown Pike is being widened for the purpose of growth. The project meets the Comprehensive Plan and comes with a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission. Council President White opened the public hearing at 6:09 pm; no one was present in the Council Chambers to comment for or against the matter. Council President White closed the Public Hearing at 6:09 pm. Councilperson Snelling asked if Mr. Reischl said 140 acres. Mr. Reischl advised, yes he said 140 acres. Councilperson Stoner asked if there were any public comments at the Redevelopment meeting. Mr. Reischl advised, yes there were. One of the questions was about the traffic flow on King Road behind the subdivision which is a very narrow road. That would have to be determined at that point and time how to improve that road. Councilperson Stoner asked if the land in question was a family farm prior to the developers buying it. Mr. Reischl advised yes. Councilperson Reed advised that she and Scott Hawkins were at that meeting and the public comments were not negative, they were looking for clarification on some things. The developer done a great job of answering their questions regarding landscaping, visual issues and drainage. Mr. Reischl advised this would go to the Plan Commission for platting and also go before Drainage Board as they go through the development process, so the public will still have plenty of time to speak regarding this re-zone. Council Vice President Hawkins made a motion to approve 2024-OR-21, seconded by Councilperson Reed, Councilperson Burns abstained; motion passed, 8-0-1. 2. Chad Reischl 2024-OR-22 Rezoning Change Request for Property Located at 1800 Block of Charlestown-New Albany Road from Cl(Commercial-Medium Lot)to Proposed Zoning M1(Multi- family Residential-Small Lot) (Public Hearing) Council President White advised this Ordinance was a Rezoning Change Request for Property Located at 1800 Block of Charlestown-New Albany Road from C1(Commercial-Medium Lot)to Proposed Zoning M1(Multi-family Residential-Small Lot) Mr. Reischl advised that William Sprigler,owner of the property and Klein Homes would like to add to their existing Mystic Falls Subdivision. They are requesting that this property be rezoned to M1 (Multi Family)to match the other property although it isn't technically multifamily as each of those homes are parceled onto their own lot and they are for sale. This will being done to keep from having a mixed zone district for the same subdivision. This rezone meets the Comprehensive Plan and comes with a unanimous favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission. Council President White opened the public hearing at 6:13 pm; no one was present in the Council Chambers to comment for or against the matter. Council President White closed the Public Hearing at 6:13 pm. Councilperson Stoner asked if there were any questions regarding this re- zone at the Plan Commission meeting. Mr. Reischl advised there were none.Councilperson Semones advised that she attended that Plan Commission meeting and the property is weird shaped and adjacent to another property and will blend in with what is already there. Council Vice President Hawkins made a motion to approve 2024-OR-22, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 9-0. Mr. Reischl advised that there was another re-zone scheduled for this evening, however the applicant nor his representative could attend tonight's meeting and asked to be put on the agenda for the next Council Meeting on April 15, 2024. 3. Amy Hoene and Emily Essex-Big Brothers, Big Sisters Emily Essex with Big Brothers/Big Sisters advised they serve three (3)counties in Indiana and seven (7) in Kentucky. Ms. Essex advised that they might get confused with other agencies and organizations such as Boy's and Girl's Club, but Big Brothers/Big Sisters are so different, she advised they are the best. They have been in this industry for over 100 years,specifically in Kentuckiana for almost 60 and they have a national agency supporting their efforts. Everything they do is tracked and marked. They have the highest youth protection services and systems in place. It is hard to be big, it takes a lot of work. They do background checks, interviews, research and data. There is a lot to do before they match a Little with a Big. A Big is an adult that is willing to do two(2)things,two (2) hours,and twice a month that is it to be a mentor. There are two(2)things. First, preventative. There are some amazing organizations on this side of the river that do wonderful work. She has worked with Dare to Care and Red Cross and other nonprofits in Southern Indiana,they are reactive agencies. Big Brothers/Big Sisters are preventative. They know that when a Little is matched with a Big, 100 percent of them graduate on time and 100%of them stay out of the juvenile justice system. All of these programs,all the things they talk about actually prevents and changes systemic problems. There may be situations to where the parent is too busy to interact with the child or the grandparents are just not connecting with their grandchild,that is some of the reason Little's need Big and Big needs Little's.The Big and Little get so much out of this program. It cost$96,000.00 a year in the state of Indiana for a juvenile Justice to help a youth for one (1)year. It cost$2,800.00 a year to match a Big and Little for an entire year. They were not here to ask for anything other than an understanding that they are there,they are serving your community,the youth in your area.They continue to try and get Big's to volunteer. Amy Hoene advised they currently have 33 active Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Clark County and a total of 67 in Southern Indiana. There is a program called School to Work which is where they bring a group of High School students to a workplace and they meet in a group setting with workplace mentors once a month that is a supervised interaction,each student has an individual mentor,so they can get that one on one relationship. One of the most successful cohorts was with Sam Tech and Greater Clark County Schools,with the first one being Jeffersonville High School in 2016. They also work with New Albany High School and Heartland Global Payments and South Harrison and Fred Smith Fixtures. They have a waiting list and while they are on a waiting list,they do a lot of activities for the youth and their families. At this time, there are 37 Clark County Youth that are waiting to be matched with a mentor. Ms. Hoene advised that she would leave a folder with information to be passed along with anyone that would be interested in volunteering or anyone that needs their services. Councilperson Semones asked,there is no way you have a 100% success rate. Ms. Essex advised they do in fact have a 100%success rate. Councilperson Semones asked what the retention rate was for the first year of the matches staying together. Ms. Essex advised the majority of the matches last three years or longer. There are many reason a match may not survive such as a child moving, an adult moving, starting a new job/career, health reasons, etc. There is consistent relationship with a match support specialist for the entirety of the match,they check in once a month. Councilperson Stoner asked where their physical address was located. Ms. Essex advised the only physical address is on New Burg Road, Louisville, KY. Councilperson Stoner asked where their funding comes from. Ms. Essex advised the last two (2) years, Indiana has really taken over, and they have done a lot of work with organizations such as Ogle, Samtec and Heartland, Caesars, a lot of family foundations and a lot of individual giving. The majority of their funding is from Louisville because that is where most of their Big and Little's are from. They currently have 500 tittles that they serve and another 500 on the waiting list. Councilperson Stoner asked most of their funding is from private donors or private foundations, not a lot of help from the state. Ms. Essex advised they do not get any of that. They have not pushed for funding from the State. They have been to the Capitol in Washington, Capitol in Kentucky and now working to go to the capitol of Indiana. So yes, at this time their funding comes from grants, individual donors and corporate donations. Councilperson Stoner advised the Council had done a $10,000.00 donation to Southern Indiana Works for a program where students could go and work to get training, maybe at some point the Council could do the same for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Ms. Essex advised they would be willing to talk to anyone or email any information needed. The waiting list keeps them up at night, it's very hard to think about all of the little's that are waiting to be matched. Ms. Hoene advised she is always looking for opportunities to speak with anyone about their program, whether it be at a workplace, club or an individual. Council President White advised them to keep in touch with Councilperson Stoner and also maybe a partnership to where we could get your contact information on the Council's website and Facebook page for any of the followers to get your information. Ms. Essex advised they are planning another big recruitment night for Southern Indiana in the next two (2) months or so and the Council will receive an invitation. She also advised they would send out any information needed as soon as possible. 4. Les Merkley 2024-R-5 Resolution Approving Plan Commission Order Approving an Amending Declaratory Resolution of Redevelopment(Inner City Road) Council President White advise this was a Resolution Approving Plan Commission Order Approving an Amending Declaratory Resolution of Redevelopment(Inner City Road). City Attorney Les Merkley advised State Law requires that when a project is specifically bonded by TIF proceeds that the plan for each TIF be amended. This includes the Charlestown Road widening project and both the plans for Inner City Road and falls Landing TIF area.The Bond Resolution has already been approved, now moving forward, in hopes of having this closed by the first week in May 2024 so construction can begin as soon as possible. In order to move forward, State Law requires that both plans be amended. The first Resolution would be for the Inner-City Road project. The second Resolution would be for the Falls Landing project. This is a statutory requirement. Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve 2024-R-5, seconded by Councilperson Webb, motion passed, 9-0. Les Merkley 2024-R-6 Resolution Approving Plan Commission Order and Amending Declaratory Resolution of Redevelopment(Falls Landing) Council President White advise this was a Resolution Approving a Commission Order and Amending Declaratory Resolution of Redevelopment (Falls Landing). Councilperson Burns made a motion to approve 2024-R-6, seconded by Council Vice President Hawkins' motion passed, 9-0. 5. Heather Metcalf 2024-OR-23 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation Mrs. Metcalf advised she had presented the HSA increased contributions for the Police Department, however, not for Fire and civilian employees. Mrs. Metcalf advised this appropriation would be for the increase in HSA contributions. Council Vice President Hawkins made a motion to approve 2024-OR-23 on the First and Second Reading, seconded by Councilperson Stoner, motion passed, 9-0. 6. Heather Metcalf 2024-OR-24 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation Mrs. Metcalf advised this Appropriation would be for Building Commission for repaving of the parking lot,to come out of their Capital Improvement Fund. Council President White asked if it would be for the parking lot around here. Mrs. Metcalf advised yes, in the Quadrangle. Councilperson Stoner made a motion to approve 2024-OR-24 on the First and Second Reading, seconded by Councilperson Burns; motion passed, 9-0. 7. Heather Metcalf 2024-OR-25 Ordinance of Transferring of Funds Within the Same Department Mrs. Metcalf advised the first one was for the Building Authority Operating Fund, she did not budget enough for the accrued benefits account. The transfer will come from their Professional Services line into the proper account. The next one for Parks Department. Amber Powell, Depot Manager advised when the budget for the Depot was done, they wasn't sure how things would play out and now with scheduling and planning events,there is a larger need for supplies than was expected. The request is to transfer money form Professional Services to Supplies. Councilperson Reed asked if these were already budgeted dollars that are being reallocated. Ms. Ridings advised yes. JPFD Chief Grant advised their transfer would be to purchase five (5) sets of turnout gear. They have several sets that getting ready to expire and needs replaced. Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve 2024-OR-2025 on the First and Second Reading, seconded by Councilperson Reed; motion passed, 9-0. 8. Heather Metcalf Civil City 2023 Annual Finance Report, 2023 Redevelopment Annual Finance Report.Top 20 Salaries, Encumbrances and Vendor Activity Mrs. Metcalf advised the Council all they need to do was accept the 2023 Annual Finance Report into the minutes, set a meeting to discuss it and then accept it into record for the multiple reports. Council Vice President Hawkins made a motion to accept the report into the record, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed, 9-0. ATTORNEY COMMENTS: Larry Wilder-Absent Les Merkley-No Comment Zach Stewart-No Comment DEPARTMENT HEADS: Heather Metcalf Mrs. Metcalf advised the Council that she had sent out an email in early March regarding budget workshops. She will be out of town in October and would not be able to attend the meetings and requested the budget be moved up to September. First budget meeting on September 3, 2024 and the budget adoption on September 16, 2024. Everyone would need to be present to vote. Mrs. Metcalf advised that the budget has to be adopted by November 1, 2024,there will also be the Salary Ordinance that would coincide with those same dates for 2025. Council President White asked if that would be approved at the same time, Mrs. Metcalf advised yes. Mrs. Metcalf advised that budget workshops also need to be set up. Everyone agreed, with the first one being on August 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm, second one on August 13, 2024 at 5:30 pm,the third one on August 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm, all to be held in Council Chambers. Mrs. Metcalf advised the workshop cannot go past August 21, 2024 due to her having to advertise by August 22, 2024, and to please contact her with any questions prior to the workshops. PUBLIC COMMENTS: No Comments COUNCIL COMMENTS: • Councilperson Burns—No Comment • Councilperson Semones—Thanks to Big Brothers/Big Sisters for their presentation, it was great. Everyone stay safe and watch the eclipse. • Councilperson Anderson—No Comment • Councilperson Reed—Be safe with the upcoming weather, GCCS art show will be at NOCO in about a week, come out and show your support. • Councilperson Webb—No Comment • Council Vice President Hawkins—very productive meeting tonight with Heather in regards to negotiations. Thanks to her and she is greatly appreciated. • Councilperson Snelling—Thanks to Heather for being so patient,they are still learning. • Councilperson Stoner—Congratulations to Derby City Pizza on opening a new business on 10th street in the old Pizza Hut. Reminder to the Council,there is still $562,500 dollars in the Opioid Settlement Fund. He advised it would be great if the Council could start thinking of ways that money could be used to help support public and private partnerships that are dealing with substance abuse and misuse in the community. Also to promote educational and prevention and rehabilitation efforts. Talking with some of the State leaders,the biggest problem is grandparents and guardians of children that their parents have passed due to opioid crisis and they are having legal issues. He advised there is a legal fund that they are trying to support and he would like the Council to be mindful of that and to make sure some of that money is reinvested into actually preventing the substance misuse in our community. Councilperson Stoner thanked all the Council members that were involved in the Homelessness conversation at the last Council meeting and hopes to get a committee set up regarding the homelessness. Council President White advised they would set that up today. As so right now that committee will consist of Councilperson Webb and Councilperson Stoner, anyone else that would like to serve on this committee, please speak with Councilperson Stoner. • Council President White—Thanks to Heather for her patience, thanks to the Fire and Police Departments for all the work you do as well as the unions for taking time to represent their perspective departments,that is a very important role. We look forward to continuing our meetings with you. ADJOURNMENT: Councilperson Burns made the motion to ADJOURN the meeting at 6:46 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: ig Dustin White,Council President ATTEST: Lis Gill,Clerk