CITY OF ROCKY RIVER

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

The Committee-of-the-Whole was called to order by Mr. Moran, President of Council, at 8:00 p.m.

Council Members Present: Mr. Hunt, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Mylen, Mr. Furry,

Mrs. Arabian Whitman, Mr. Long, Mr. Moran

Administration: Mayor Bobst, Mr. Linden, Mr. Thomas

Law Director: Mr. Bemer

Press: Ms. Macho, Ms. Pritchard

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

MAYOR'S REPORT:

The Mayor thanked the Police, Fire, Service and Parks Departments for their work following Sunday's windstorm. Many issues are still being addressed, and as quickly as possible, but downed power lines have been dealt with. An update from Karen Goodson, the City's CEI representative, has been distributed to Council members. Ms. Goodson indicated that from the 4000 original wire down calls, there are now 3800 which are the first to be addressed. CEI crews sent to Texas and Louisiana to assist with hurricane damage have been recalled, and 40 crews from Baltimore and 11 crews from New Jersey will be here tomorrow. In Rocky River, outages are not widespread, although there are clusters of homes still without power.

The Mayor also discussed rainfall and the ensuing flow to the WWTP which she asserted showed the effectiveness of the efforts made by Rocky River and the other cities which share the WWTP facility. On Saturday, there was a significant rainfall which began at 12:40 p.m. in Rocky River; at 2:42 p.m., the flow peaked at 98 million gallons, well under the 125 million gallon capacity. The Mayor commented that this shows that the restrictor placement and other measures have had a positive effect, otherwise, the peak would have come closer to the beginning of the rainfall and been far larger. Rainfall and flow information is prepared by Superintendent Harrington following every significant rainfall, and interested Council members can call the Mayor's office for updates.

Regarding the railroad Quiet Zone, the Mayor today called Ron Reis, Director of Crossing Safety for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), asking for his opinion on reports forwarded to him by Congresssman Kucinich's office. Mr. Reis advised the Mayor that no reports were received by him. He did say that the FRA does not render opinions on cost estimates for required updates because of their complexity. However, a cost/benefit analysis showing what upgrading circuitry would mean to communities was done several years ago, and he will forward a copy to the City. He also suggested contacting ODOT and the PUCO, seeking costs of recent train notification projects, although they may be more comprehensive than the City's needs for constant warning time and the power out notification.

On a related matter, there is information available on the Commuter Rail Coalition, which is different from All Aboard Ohio, which was working on a Lorain - Cleveland commuter rail project. The Commuter Rail Coalition's project is from Sandusky to Cleveland, and they have been working directly with Norfolk-Southern to develop this commuter rail line. On Wednesday, September 24, they will host an informational session at the Cleveland Yacht Club, outlining their history and future plans.

The pump at the indoor pool broke down today. However, it was under warranty and repaired promptly, being back in operation by 2:00 p.m.

This weekend will see the following activities:

• •Saturday morning will feature Junk in the Trunk at the Senior Center.
• •There will be a community Shredding Day beginning Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The Mayor asked that residents limit their materials to two standard-sized boxes and encouraged everyone to come as early as possible to avoid being shut out. In the spring, the truck was filled after two hours.
• •There will also be a health fair at the Senior Center on Saturday morning.

Discussion: Mr. Moran mentioned the effectiveness of e-updates and asked how many residents have signed up for the program. The Mayor said there were 960+, soon to be 1000. She said there has been much positive feedback, and noted that each update deals with only one topic, which means that sometimes two or three are sent in one day. The reason for this is to make it easier for residents to find information that interests them without having to read messages that do not apply.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Ordinance No. 94-08: Mr. Hunt indicated that this ordinance authorizes an easement for AT&T which was discussed two weeks ago; it was not read last week. He invited comment from other Council members.

• •Mr. Long asked if discussions have been held with AT&T regarding modifications to the present installation on Bonnie Bank at Wooster. Mayor Bobst said that the issue was raised last week with Kevin Lynch of AT&T who said that he would meet with the engineers. He will come in with plans on Thursday, both for landscaping and addressing the installation, as promised in the past.
• •Mr. Shepherd said that he is waiting to see the plans before discussing the issue.
• •Mr. Furry asserted that his opinions, too, have not changed.
• •Mr. Moran noted that Council was told two weeks ago that in some installations, there is no room for landscaping. The Mayor was told that AT&T is not in the landscaping business, but the City does not intend to take over the installation or maintenance landscaping on such sites. Mr. Moran also asked about the dollar paid for the easement. Mr. Bemer said that the reason for this is that is removes the element of gift. Asking about Bonnie Bank, it was pointed out that that installation is in the right-of-way, which is different from a private easement.

Mr. Hunt indicated that discussions will continue following review of Mr. Lynch's plans.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS: NONE

COMMITTEE REPORTS: NONE

NEW BUSINESS:

Resolution No. 97-08: Mr. Long explained that this resolution authorizes the City to apply for a grant to help implement a portion of the City's Master Plan. This Plan, completed and accepted in 2005, featured streetscape enhancement of Detroit Road from the Lakewood line to St. Christopher's Church. This resolution will apply for funding of $75,000 from NOACA in order to facilitate some of the necessary work. Because approval of this resolution is necessary for the application, he urged Council to pass this resolution. He commented that 10,000 vehicles pass through Detroit Road daily, and streetscaping upgrades such as pedestrian enhancement and traffic calming will improve the quality of life in the area. If the City obtains the grant, the City's share will be appropriated in next year's budget. (Consent Agenda)

• •Mr. Mylen asked about the amount of the City's contribution. Mr. Long said that it is $18,750.

Ordinance No. 98-08: Mr. Moran commented that this ordinance is necessary for supplemental appropriations for current expenses. This is the second amendment to the budget passed last year. The last was Ordinance No. 53-08, needed primarily for the purchase of property voted by Council.

Finance Director Thomas explained the following items:

• •$1,642,000 in General Government is the next step in allocating the Estate Tax for Capital Improvement purposes as mandated in the Codified Ordinances. This is an appropriation for the transfer to the Capital Improvement Fund.
• •In several accounts covering different departments, appropriations have been increased for fuel. The total for gas and oil within this amount is $123,000. In a number of departments, the budgeted amount has been reached at the end of August, so some increases are in the 25% to 33% range.
• •Health insurance claims have been higher than expected, which necessitates the $200,000 increase.
• •Where an increase and decrease is indicated, a department head has freed funds from one kind of expense and cited the need in another area.
• •Also included is an appropriation for part of the severance expenses of some Court employees who were not rehired. Although the payment was made earlier in the year, the budget figures were reached at this time of the year.

Mr. Moran asked if real estate taxes have been collected. Mr. Thomas said that it is complete, having been collected in January and July. There will be a homestead and rollback distribution not yet received, which will be allocated to each fund with a property tax levy.

• •In the General Government account, the $1,642,000 is the amount received through the end of August from Estate Taxes. There will be more, and Mr. Thomas is making certain that all receipts are allocated according to the Code.

Mr. Moran asked Mr. Thomas to comment on the Senior Center's gas and oil savings.

• •Mr. Thomas noted that the Senior Center has not had to increase its budget for gas and oil because, first, $1000 was transferred from another amount, but primarily because of their more fuel-efficient vehicles, including two new cars and a smaller van which all use less gas. While activities have not decreased, operating costs have. (Consent Agenda)



• •Mr. Shepherd asked about the amount appropriated because of increased health claims, and whether the City is self-insured. Mr. Thomas responded that the City is partially self-funded. Mr. Shepherd confirmed that this is the increase in the parts covered by the City. He also asked about the $17,500 switched at the WWTP. Mr. Thomas indicated that this budget switch is because all the chemical account was not needed, so it was moved to salary where overtime was necessary to cover vacation time.



• •Mr. Furry asked if the increase for the Municipal Judges fund is actually for the judges or for the bailiffs that were not rehired. Mr. Thomas said that the bailiffs are employees of the judges and this appropriation is concerned with the turnover of the judges' employees. Responding to another question from Mr. Furry, Mr. Thomas commented that there is debate about whether the funds of the Municipal Court are public monies, but he prefers to err on the side of conservatism and ask that City Council appropriate those monies. Mr. Bemer noted that judges' salaries are set by statute, but the revenue source for those salaries as well as for the bailiffs is a matter of controversy and dispute between the court and the county. This has been ongoing for some time, and it may receive further review.



• •Mr. Mylen asked if the extra amounts appropriated in this ordinance would lower the amount expected in the General Fund at the end of the year. Mr. Thomas said that it would revise the fund projection, but that the balance would still be in the acceptable range. Some surplus is necessary, and the City must be reasonable in its expenditures, but there is not a goal for this year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Mr. Moran noted the passing of active Rocky River resident Sally Case, the wife of Norm Case. Norm is a past School Board member and has been very active in supporting the school program in the City. Mr. Moran extended condolences to the Case family.

As there was no further business by members of Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.

______________________________ ______________________________

James W. Moran Misao Kurokawa

President of Council Clerk of Council