City Council notes – 1/19/2010

Notes from tonight’s City Council meeting.

All council persons available with the exception of Councilman Tim Pape.

Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development – Tom Didier has been nominated as the Council appointee.  All voted in support of the nomination.

S-10-01-13

Goes toward the consent decree obligations.  It is failing septic systems and such.  Bonar Group is the contractor.  A lift station will be a part of this – the major part.  Bonar Group will stay involved even into construction to insure it meets the standards of the City.  186 homes affected by this project.  Aqua Indiana is the water source in the area.

Councilman Mitch Harper:  there is some extra capacity in the line under I-69 if it would be needed.

Approved by all.

S-10-01-11

Replacing sewer lines along Lima Road in the 3rd district.  Close proximity to the new Lima Road lanes could add stress to the existing lines, hence the replacement.  $60,000 under the engineers estimate.  This is a continuation of a current project Insituform Technologies is working on which is part of the reason for the savings.  It is part of the consent decree work.

Do Pass by all.

S-10-01-07

Dan Brenner, property manager for the City.  This extension terminates the end of this year, same prices as 2008 and 2009.

Councilwoman Karen Goldner is asking about supervision in outlying buildings.  Dan is responding that there is a person in each outside area that is responsible for signing off on the work.

Councilman Didier – why hasn’t it been bid back out?  Cost savings to the taxpayers.  Not any major changes this year, that’s why the extension.

Councilwoman Liz Brown – asking about addition of 200 E Berry Street to the contract.  Expecting the contract to be rebid for next year.  Creighton (the police station) will be coming off.

Do Pass by all.

S-10-01-08

Matt Gratz, City’s solid waste department.  National Serv-All agreed to extend their current pricing into this year.  Includes all departments.

Councilman Didier – why?  When it was bid last time, Defiance County Ohio was the only other respondent.  By the time you add transportation costs, prohibitive.

Purchasing Director Jim Howard – normally after two contract extensions, we do bid out.

Possibly looking at recycling, reclaiming some of the street sweeping materials.  Catch basin clean ups from storm sewers.  They allow it to dry, then take it to the landfill.

Do Pass by all.

S-10-01-09

Fort Wayne Police Department Chief Rusty York before the Council.  Operates computers in the officer’s cars.

Councilwoman Goldner – reason we need it?  Not enough bandwith available over current radio system.  Will this go away with new radio system?  Not sure.

New officers will be getting new cars and need the vehicles – two year cycle.  New class will be replacements for retirees.  They are currently 7 officers below current budget.  Possible April class.  600 initial applications, narrowed down to 40.  People will stay on the list for possibly a year.  Hopes will have consolidated 9-1-1 system by the time the new radios will be in place.

Councilman Glynn Hines – will there be a heavy police presence in the Y facility?  Officers will typically report there at the beginning  of the day, then sporadic throughout the day.  Would McKinnie and Anthony be a better location for a police outpost?

Monthly fee is between 40 and 42 dollars per month.  Detectives do not have access to computers.  A few unmarked cars have them, most do not.  Reason is that uniformed officers “live by” the information provided.

Do Pass by all.

S-10-01-10

Chief Rusty York still before the Council. This year spent almost all, except $8,300.

Councilwoman Brown is  asking where the evidence is stored.  Response, Creighton, just collected at the center.  Even if police headquarters moves, still have to account/provide for.

Councilman Harper – how far back do we keep evidence?  Only destroyed on court or prosecutor orders.  Are we going back through pre-DNA cases?  York – we do not have the ability to do it right now.  There would be a timeliness advantage to have an outside lab, rather than the State Police agency.  Seeking a grant for trace-DNA examinations from Criminal Justice Agency.

Councilman Hines – if we don’t approve this, where does it come from.  There is no mechanism to fund for this.

Do Pass by all.

S-10-01-03

Three year agreement.  1.5% increase for 2010.  Negotiated prior to budget sessions.

Councilwoman Brown – If negotiated in August, why only now?  Actually tentatively  reached in October.  Final ratification in December.  This is the only union in the Parks Department.  Future negotiations dependent on current financial situations.

Councilman Harper – asking about growth in Parks.  Al Moll – less in last decade.  Probably down 3 or 4, down 100 over last decade.

Councilwoman Goldner

Bender – yes
Brown – no
Didier – yes (because it will be looked at again next year)
Goldner – yes
Harper – yes (because of departments ability to raise revenue)
Hines – yes
Pape – absent
Shoaff – yes
Smith –  yes

7-1, passes.

S-10-01-03

Supplemental agreement.  In 3rd district.  Several right-of-way issues.  Expecting to receive over $1 million in stimulus fees.

Do Pass by all.

Z-09-05-11 and Z-09-05-12

Kim Bowman, Director of Planning before the Council.  This had been deferred several times.  Plan Commission recommends Do Not Pass because of developers lack of action in meeting with neighbors.

Councilman Smith is talking about developer’s lack of communication.

Councilwoman Liz Brown – staff made recommendation for written commitments.  Owner will now have to go through the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Councilwoman Goldner – asking about redrafting of zoning laws.  Bowman – this is the year when chapters are aligned.  Permitted uses are down the road yet.

Do Not Pass by all.

S-10-01-06

Indiana Code allows for designation of up to 15% of a City’s territory as Economic Development Target Areas – about 4% currently.  If this is approved, would equal about 3.7% of the city’s area.

New areas – Goshen Road, Columbia Street, Tennessee Avenue and St. Joe Road, Sherman Street and Spring Street area (Green Frog), Spy Run along Clinton (former Kroger store) and a little farther north on Clinton (Fairfield Coin), Downtown areas (McCulloch House), Paulding and Hessen Cassel, South Anthony.

Councilman Shoaff is asking about the affects of such designations on neighborhoods and if the various neighborhood associations have been consulted – which they haven’t been.  Elissa McGauley responding it is something we should be doing.

Councilwoman Liz Brown commenting that the Green Frog raises a red flag when talking about the Commercial Facade Grant program.  The CFG program uses the EDTA’s as a requirement for awarding.  Asking if other areas of compliance, like smoking violations, are taken into consideration.  Elissa is responding that  proper zoning and payment of taxes is being looked at.  Ordinances can be aligned to check for this.

Councilman Harper is asking if Barry Real Estate is the only company not having any activity.  One from 2006, for the most part, most have done what they said they would do.  Project in 2002, Bruce Wilds that was never done, along Calhoun Street.  Councilwoman Goldner is pointing out that if a project doesn’t happen, the abatement is moot.

opposed – Harper and Shoaff, rest in favor.

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