Council Chambers
Regular Meeting
January 11, 2010
7:30 p.m.

Council met in regular session with the following eight members present:  Ames, Cross, Lester, Patrick, Proehl, Sharp, Siberell and Trutschel.  (Mrs. Malone absent.)  There were 3 media representatives and 11 other visitors present, in addition to Mayor Sulzer, City Law Director Eddy, and City Auditor Spetnagel.  The meeting was broadcast live by Time Warner Cable and by Horizonview.

The invocation was given by Evangelist Mark Hatfield, of the Church in Chillicothe, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Mrs. Lester moved and Mrs. Patrick seconded that the Minutes of the regular meeting of December 28, 2009, and the Minutes of the Organizational Special Meeting of January 4, 2010, be accepted and approved, as submitted by the Clerk.  All members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared the motion adopted.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Engineering Committee: 

Mrs. Ames reported, in the absence of Mrs. Malone, on Item #3 to approve the proposed rezoning of property located at 15 Western Avenue from R-0 to C-4, on tonight’s Agenda for its second reading.  She said that due to a mistake at the Chillicothe Gazette, the ad for the Public Hearing was published in the Newark Advocate, instead of the Chillicothe Gazette.  As a result, she said that the Public Hearing is rescheduled to February 22, 2010.  Mrs. Ames moved and Mrs. Patrick seconded that Item #3 not be read tonight.  All members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared the motion adopted.  Mrs. Ames reported on Item #4 to approve the proposed rezoning of property located at 605 E. Main Street and 15 N. Brownell Street from R-8 to C-2, on tonight’s Agenda for its first reading.

Finance Committee:

Mr. Siberell reported on Item #1 to appropriate $650.00 for a washing machine for Fire Station #4, on tonight’s Agenda for its third reading.  Mr. Siberell reported on Item #2 to appropriate $1,104.61 for a new computer for use in the Civil Service Commission Office, on tonight’s Agenda for its third reading.  

REPORTS OF OFFICIALS

Report of Mayor Sulzer: 

Mayor Sulzer urged the passage of Item #1 and Item #2 tonight.  He noted that Martin Luther King Day is next Monday, January 18, 2010, and said that the city will have an event beginning at the Ross County Courthouse at 10:00 a.m.  He said that then the event will move to the Academy for Early Learning on East Main Street, and that at this location on that same day there will be a Red Cross Blood Drive from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Mayor Sulzer also indicated that with the warmer weather predicted for later this week, the city will need to get the street drains open as the winter snow melts.  He said that residents in the area of these drains should try to assist the city crews in locating these drains. 
 
Report of City Auditor Spetnagel:
 
Mr. Spetnagel thanked everyone in the city for welcoming him.  He said that the Finance Committee of Council is holding a meeting this Wednesday, which will include discussion of the 2010 budget.  He also reported that he has cut out two telephone lines in the Auditor’s Office for this year, as they are unneeded.

Report of Law Director Eddy: 

Mrs. Eddy welcomed the new Council and Pres. Arnold.  She then provided her Annual Report of the Law Director’s Office.  She indicated that they have now closed out the first federal grant on domestic violence, and that they need an ordinance from Council before the end of the month to return funds.  She also reported that her office prepared 128 ordinances and 26 resolutions this past year, and she provided the numbers of Workers’ Compensation cases, bankruptcy cases, and federal and common pleas court cases that her office was involved in.  She said that she prepared 117 legal opinions to law enforcement and 5 additional legal opinions to City Council or city officials.  She provided statistics on the Diversion Programs handled, as well as the number of criminal and traffic cases closed out in 2009.  She expressed her thanks to the Assistant Law Directors and also to her office staff for their work during the past year. 

OLD BUSINESS

Mr. Sharp commented on Item #1 and Item #2.  He said that he checked with the Chillicothe Fire Department and learned that the washing machine that is the subject of Item #1 had already been acquired.  He said that Mr. Siberell also checked with the Civil Service Commission and learned that they had already acquired the computer that is the subject of Item #2.  He expressed concern that this is not the procedure that should be followed.

NEW BUSINESS 

Mrs. Patrick indicated that the meeting of the Nuisance Abatement Board for this week has been canceled. 
 
Mrs. Patrick moved and Mrs. Lester seconded that Council excuse the absence of Mrs. Malone.  All members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared the motion adopted.
 
Mrs. Ames stated that she attended an event on Saturday concerning the transfer of the operation of the Adena Mansion from the Ohio Historical Society to the Adena Mansion and Garden Society.  She distributed copies of a brochure containing information about this, and stated that they need the support of the community. 
 
Mr. Trutschel commended the city crews for a great job done on snow removal. 
 
Mr. Sharp said that with respect to the assignment to the City Services Committee on the authorization to the Safety Services Director to advertise for bids and enter into contracts for annual supplies and maintenance and repairs, there will be a meeting of the committee this coming Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in the first floor conference room of the Administration Building. 
 
Mr. Siberell confirmed that there will be a meeting of the Finance Committee on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the first floor conference room of the Administration Building to discuss the 2010 budget.

COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS AND CALENDAR

Pres. Arnold announced the following Council Committee assignments to be included in the Journal of Council: 

1. Pres. Arnold announced the following Council Committee assignments to be included in the Journal of Council: Finance-Request legislation to return $1,128.09 in unspent funds to the U.S. Department of Justice
   
2. Development-Request to appropriate $53,150.00 for the FY 2008 Community Housing Improvement Program
   
3. Parks & Recreation-Request to accept $510.00 from the Brewer Heights Entrance
   Club
   
4. City Services-Request for an ordinance authorizing and directing Safety Service
   Director to advertise for bids and enter into contracts for the annual supplies and
   Maintenance and repair of the equipment for the use of the City of Chillicothe
   
5. Development-Request for legislation to authorize the Mayor to enter into a Housing
   Revolving Loan Fund Agreement
   
6. Finance-Request for appropriation of $3,700.00 to pay Walter H. Drane Co.
   
7. Finance-Request to enter into a “Codification Supplement Agreement” with the Walter
   H. Drane Co. to integrate into the city code or the Codified Ordinances from the previous
   legislative year
   
8. Development-Request to appropriate $74,101.11 for the FY 2008 Brownfield Grant
   
9. Development-Request to appropriate $45,000.00 for the FY 2008 Community Housing Improvement Program Grant
   
10. Development-Request to appropriate $12,000.00 for the FY 2008 Formula and Distress Grant
    
11. Development-Request to appropriate $40,000.00 for the FY 2008 Downtown Revitalization Grant
    
12. Safety Services-Request to appropriate $30,000.00 to purchase a new repeater based radio system and a new generator for Truck 1 in the Fire Department
    
13. Human Resources-Review and report regarding why Chief Moore and Chief Vaughn did not receive pay increases in 2009.

READING AND PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION

Ord. No. 3-10 appropriating $650.00 to purchase a washing machine for Fire Station #4, and declaring an emergency was read for the third time by title only.  On final passage, all members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared Ord. No. 3-10 adopted.
 
Ord. No. 4-10 appropriating $1,104.61 to purchase a new computer for use in the Civil Service Commission Office, and declaring an emergency was read for the third time by title only.  On final passage, all members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared Ord. No. 4-10 adopted.
 
An Ordinance approving the action of the Planning Commission of the City of Chillicothe in rezoning property located at 605 E. Main Street and 15 N. Brownell Street, Ohio from R-8 to C-2 was read for the first time by title only. 
 
Mrs. Lester moved and Mrs. Ames seconded that the meeting be adjourned.  All members present voted “yea” and Pres. Arnold declared the motion adopted.  Adjourned at 8:00 p.m.