Toledo City Council Meeting - Dec. 18, 2012

Notes from Sherry:

In attendance: Councilmen Martinez, Copeland, McNamara, Steel, Collins, Waniewski, Ludeman, Craig, Riley, Sarantou, Councilwomen Webb, Hicks-Hudson, Mayor Bell.

Item 581 – Resolution – Recognize Councilman Phil Copeland – adopted – all voting yes.

Item 582 – Resolution – Recognize Sheriff James A. Telb – adopted – all voting yes.

Item 583 – Resolution – Recognize Recorder Jeanine Perry – adopted – all voting yes.

Item 584 – Resolution – Recognize Whitmer High School Football Team – adopted – all voting yes.

Item 585 – Resolution – Recognize Central Catholic High School Football Team – adopted – all voting yes.

Item 586 – Appointment – Walbridge Park Advisory Board – confirmed – all voting yes.

Item 479 – Amend TMC Ch. 1767, Vacant Residential Building Registration:

* Hicks-Hudson – Amend - I'm letting colleges know we worked with Loan Department on how codes are enforced.
* Collins – Have the Realtors and stakeholders signed off on this?
* Hicks-Hudson – The City knows of the foreclosures.
* Collins – Council thought it was a bad thing to take - 1st Reading on this – look for Realtors and stakeholders.
* Martinez – Agrees with Hicks-Hudson – let liens on homes be an issue.
* Ludeman – Agrees with Collins - had been asking about this for days, no response – 2:00 PM today email about this – vote today – wait two weeks – read, digest it, then vote – all parties part of the decision.
* Sarantou – More discussion on this with Banks etc. - we have a bunch of vacant buildings – find out things to pass something – (repeats what Ludeman said about time).
* Steel – 4d (TMC) a Hold supersedes an Amendment – graduated fee for multiple units, based on how large structure is.
* McNamara – move to postpone, 1st Reading ... Hicks-Hudson has done a lot of work on this.
* Webb – This has been on the radar for months – communication is a two way street – she wants to vote on this tonight.
* Hicks-Hudson – no point holding legislation – no input from stakeholders, input from Council – do we care about blight? Realtors not from here – have these properties registered? Falls within confines of the State – Department of Neighborhoods not in charge of these issues.
* Martinez – most important piece of legislation – up or down vote.
* Riley – Appropriate hard work by Hicks-Hudson – this effects a big buildings and property owners – now beyond scope of this – voting against this.
* Craig – Property owners need to clean up – many houses don't get any attention – tired of his district being treated like a trash can – this is pro-real estate, not anti-real estate.
* Collins – no vote – thinks Hicks-Hudson did a great job – asks for two weeks to study it more – stakeholders play a part in the community.
* Sarantou – Just asking for two weeks – nobody on Council likes blight.
* Riley – They need to take care of their property – make sure it's not an eye sore – do the right thing.

Vote – yes to postpone, no don't postpone.
Yes: Collins, Ludeman, Riley, Sarantou, Steel, Waniewski.
No – Webb, Copeland, Hicks-Hudson, McNamara, Craig, Martinez –
Tie: Mayor votes yes, 1st Reading.

Item 595 – accept ODNR grant for Cullen Park boat launch improvements, $850,000 – passed – all voting yes.
* Webb – thanks group waiting for this.

Item 601 – Zone change at 1065 Garden Lake Parkway (Approved 4 – 0) – passed – all voting yes. (Copeland leaves)

Item 602 – Zone change at 3131-3162 St. Bernard Dr. and 2100 Giant St. for Toledo Hospital (Approved 4 – 0) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 563 – Providing for 2013 Assessed Services Program – Street Services, $18,517,895 ('12=$21,146,410) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 564 - Providing for 2013 Assessed Services Program – Citywide Street Lighting, $4,167,645 ('12=$3,908,076) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 565 - Providing for 2013 Assessed Services Program – Downtown Street Lighting, $250,948 ('12=$256,199) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 566 - Providing for 2013 Assessed Services Program – Street Trees, $5,385,867 ('12=$4,942,125) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 567 - Providing for 2013 Assessed Services Program – Surface Treatment, $802,233 ('12=$856,940) – passed – all voting yes.

Item 568 – Approve final 2011 expenditures, all funds, allocate 2011 surplus of $326,000 to Budget Stabilization

* Sarantou – commend – clarify our finance report.
* Mayor Bell – we have a surplus – we stand by our numbers – including our recycling and landfill – like making a car payment – put rest in Rainy Day Fund, this is the conservative thing to – this is nothing new – you can go for either policy – this could effect our bond rating.
* Collins – in 2000 we didn't tax CIP – stabilize our budget – car payment argument didn't work – we borrowed money from CIP – ask Auditor about this.
* Wheelock (auditor)– this transaction should not take place at this time.
* Collins – Cause has been made to borrow from CIP to pay for General Fund.
* McLean (City Treasurer) – Myths – GF has a positive balance of $326,000 – cannot put money in Rainy Day Fund – false – we have a signal to Wall St. and the Business Community.
* McNamara – What is our balance?
* McLean – Restricted assets – Can we do it? Yes, same to Martinez – self regulating ourselves.
* Martinez - Do we have to pay back CIP?
* McLean – no.
* McNamara – Restricted Funds to Rainy Day Funds?
* McLean – Not the rest.
* Hicks-Hudson – used to work at Budget Management – this is a policy decision – not right or wrong – do we want to strengthen our need to decide policy – we should have excess money in the Budget Stabilization Fund.
* Steel – Clarify 3/4%, passed with the rest.
* McNamara – 1/3 to GF, 1/3 to CIP, 1/3 Police and Fire Departments.
* Steel – Entire thing borrowed for the GF?
* McLean – Borrowed is the right word.
* Steel – What is the ideal amount in Stabilization Fund?
* McLean – 1-2 months worth of funds.
* Steel – Last time we had anything in?
* McLean – '08 – still looking at money from CIP.
* Sarantou – To the CPA – you came to us and said it shouldn't be done – go to my minutes of 3:52 PM – I need to have a conference call with Mr. Rhodes – if there is evidence that I'm wrong, I will concede – move forward on the amendment.
* Martinez – Transfer something we don't have to pay back – we need a Rainy Day Fund – we have come a long way.
* McLean – Undesignated?
* McNamara – 5.7 mil in undesignated funds.
* McLean – don't understand – we are borrowing from a deficit? We send a bad message to Wall St.
* Collins – Recycling balance.
* McLean – $5.8 mil deficit.
* Collins – to Sarantou – why get a call at 3:52?
* Martinez – How to move forward – no policy?
* Wheelock - No we don't. To Martinez – put money in Savings Bonds for the streets.

Wheelock and the Mayor go back and forth on having a mortgage and putting extra money in a Savings Account. Which would you borrow on, house or saved money?

* Wheelock – We owe on no bills right now.
* Sarantou – Back me up on this – ignore the Law Department – ask for help.

Vote yes to remove the $326,000
Yes: Collins, McNamara, Riley, Sarantou, Waniewski.
No: Webb, Steel, Hicks-Hudson, Ludeman, Craig, Martinez.

Motion on allocation failed.

Vote on the rest:
No: Collins, McNamara, Sarantou.
Yes - Webb, Steel, Hicks-Hudson, Ludeman, Craig, Martinez, Waniewski, Riley.
Passed.

Item 570 – Temporary Appropriation for January – March 2013, $152,393,947 All Funds – passed – all voting yes.

Item 571 – Contract for banking services, Fifth Third as Central Depository & KeyBank as Secondary Custodian – passed – all voting yes.

Item 572 – Expenditure to Toledo Sister Cities Int'l for 2012 contribution, $25,000 Federal Fund, Finance Dept. Vote: No – Waniewski, rest yes.

Item 587 – Waive TMC Ch 2101, pension pick up & monthly health care premium for 4 employees of City Council

* Waniewski – move to Amend – overdue for adjustments.
* Collins – we are responsible for these employees – tried to raise rate 20%, rejected - Herwat 10 days later – ranges are already present, $213.4 mil – pointed this out, Mayor thanked Collins for this the next day – then the Mayor asked for 15%, failed. Health care his choice – (gives example) still not fair – this is a choice the Mayor has to make not voting for this – agrees to what was previously accounted for.
* Ludeman – leave credit assistance.
* Waniewski – not in favor of pay raises – support something I can swallow.

Vote yes for Waniewski Amendment
Yes: Martinez, McNamara, Riley, Sarantou, Steel, Waniewski, Webb.
No – Craig, Ludeman, Hicks-Hudson, Collins.
Motion passed.

Item 588 – Resolution – Urge Congress come to bipartisan & balanced plan on spending cuts & revenue enhancement. adopted – no – Waniewski, rest yes.
* Waniewski – I'm not a fan of this kind of Resolution. The Federal Government brings in $5 Billion a day, we spend $11 Billion a day in entitlements, $11.7 Billion a day just in interest, we've already gone over the cliff.

Item 589 – Resolution – Urge creation of task force on responsible banking as it relates to the investment policy. Passed – no – Waniewski, rest yes.
* Webb – I met with our only “green” bank, Fifth Third.
* Sarantou – Investment Advisory Committee should be considered for this also.

Item 590 – Claims settlement – Gary Daugherty for 2008 termination, $200,000 Risk management Fund
* Collins – we have heard from Finkbeiner (letter), haven't heard from the Administration.
* Adam Loux – I was confirmed by Council, haven't regretted it. I am preparing to go to court on 2/11/2013 – tough issue – vote how you want it.

No: Collins, Waniewski, Sarantou
Yes: Webb, Steel, Hicks-Hudson, McNamara, Ludeman, Craig, Martinez, Riley.
Passed.

Item 591 – Accept Port Authority grant for Fire for TruDefender Fti Detector to identify unknown chemicals, $49,000. Passed – all voting yes.

Item 592 – Contract with Bender Communication for upgrade of radio communications, system, all non-safety forces. Passed – all voting yes.
* Hicks-Hudson – thanks Administration for amending this.

Item 593 – License for Cityworks software for unlimited users , 3 years, $90,000 per year, Utilities Administration Fund. Passed – no – Sarantou, rest yes.

Item 594 – Resolution – Support TMACOG and the Transportation Legislative Agenda for 2013 & 2014. Adopted – no – Martinez, rest yes.

Item 596 – Contract with Taylor Construction for sewer repairs, 1 year + 2 options - 1st Reading.

Item 597 – Contract with Gleason Construction for storm sewer repairs, 1 year + 2 options. Passed – all voting yes.

Item 598 – Approve 2013-2017 CIP Plan, appropriate $27,884,140, all except Fire Stations #3 and #12 – to Finance and Planning Committee.

Item 599 – Appropriation for Fire Stations #3 and #12, $4,500,000 2013 CIP. Passed – all voting yes.

Item 600 – Extension of agreement with ADP, Inc. for payroll services up to 1 year. Passed – no – Martinez, rest yes.

Item 603 – SUP for convenience store at 5831 Dorr St. (Plan Commission Disapproval) (Disapproved 5 – 0)
* Collins – vote no – spacing issue - 3rd time through.

Failed – all voting no.

Item 604 – Lease former Leverette Middle School from TPS for PAL, 5 years + 5 year option
* Steel – how are utilities run?
* Herwat – bids to run lines, $2,000 per month.
* Steel – Able to use for anything else?
* Herwat – need for ball field.
* Steel – City fixes it – schools have the right?
* Herwat – after the 1st of the year we will try to acquire it.
* Martinez – Budget tax?
* Herwat – I can give you that at a later date.
* Ludeman – good site, boxing ring set up – can this wait two weeks?
* Herwat – this is included in the budget.
* Riley – What do we get?
* Herwat – Gym and property.
* Riley – lease the building too?
* Herwat – yes.
* Hicks-Hudson – Why do we need this tonight?
* Herwat – We need to have this for improvements. We are stepping in the shoes for PAL.
* Ludeman – Gym built after the building – fabulous facility.

Passed – no – Martinez, rest yes.

Last Call:

Collins – Best Wishes for Holidays. Reflects upon tragedy at Grade School. Savage acts, faith the only thing to get through.

Craig – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ludeman - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Martinez - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sarantou - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Steel - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Waniewski - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Webb – What requirement do food trucks have? 12/20 caroling at the Friendship Center (starts), Santa will be there. Coyotes and foxes spotted at Point Place. Small animals have gone missing.

McNamara – One of our colleges did not receive public records. Needs to be given.