FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, SERVICE,
ENGINEERING and GORMAN FARM
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
August 7, 2012
The Finance, Service, Engineering and Gorman Farm Committee met at 5:00 pm on August 7, 2012. Present during the meeting were Council Committee members Hartman, Albrinck, and Schaefer. Also at the meeting were Jim Bothe, James Jeffers, Joe Huster, Jack Cameron, Mayor Apking, and Chris Schuermann.
Gorman Farm
Christine Schuermann presented a request that the Council approve the trade of the large farm tractor for a golf cart with a dump bed and a four passenger cart. The committee was generally in favor of working out a replacement for the existing golf carts. One has a blown engine and the other is quire worn. It was suggested by the committee that we get the final result of the sale of several items from the county auction website. Chris Schuermann and Jack Cameron will get the information for the next meeting. Chris Schuermann is going ahead to try to initiate negotiations with a John Deer dealer. Once an arrangement is finalized, council will have to approve it.
The committee also discussed the proposed Ordinance limiting access to Village property in the overnight hours. The proposed ordinance ends at “dawn.” In discussing the matter, the Committee believed that it would be better to use 4:30 am rather than dawn. The fitness center opens a 5:00am and people are usually waiting in line.
Chris Schuermann also reminder people about the Row by Row fund raiser that everyone has been invited to attend on September 8, 2012.
The normal farm report is attached.
Finance/ Administration:
The June financial reports were presented:
July Cash Surplus w/o Evendale Commons: $ 144,689.80
Year to date Cash Surplus w/o Evendale Commons: $1,471,346.63
June Earnings Tax Receipts
(highest July ever): $ 1,148,855.34
Year to date Earnings Tax Receipts
(highest ever through July): $7,584,045.002
The Earnings tax receipts are running roughly $808,434 ahead of 2011. The budget assumption was $200,000 less than last year. So our income, to date, is running about $1,000,000 ahead of the budget assumption.
Joe Huster added a chart showing transfers to and from the general fund. The fund accounting system, so far this year, overstates income and expense by approximately $2,000,000.
The committee recommended that a supplemental appropriation ordinance be added to the agenda. The appropriation will be limited to the amount necessary, in addition to the current amount remaining in the contingency fund, to fund the following items:
- Demolition of old Fifth Third Building $ 14,500
- Reimbursement of Service Department funds
- used to repair water main break $ 8,400
- CIC funds for Gold Medal incentive $125,000
- I-75/Glendale- Milford Repair $ 45,000?
The committee requested that James Jeffers get at least 2 other quotes before the Council meeting. This is below the bid limit, but for this size project, the Committee wants to have multiple quotes before funding the project. If the best quote is under the $45,000 amount, then less money will be appropriated.
The committee also recommended that an Ordinance be placed on the agenda transferring money in the Recreation Department. Essentially, the Fitness Center Bid was below estimates while the Pool cost is above estimates. This transfer will cover all of the costs of both out of the existing appropriation.
There will be an Ordinance eliminating all of the gas and fuel appropriations from the departmental budgets and moving it to a single line item in the administrative part of the budget. This will make payment of the cost much simpler. The individual departments will still track their fuel usage.
Finally, the Committee discussed the content of the advertisement for the permanent Fiscal Officer. Jack is drafting the advertisement for approval of the entire council at the joint committee meeting on September 4th. The Committee expects that the position will be paid hourly and, except at certain times of the year, average 10 hours per week. The advertisement will describe the fiscal end of the job that Joe Huster currently performs. The advertisement will reference enhancement that, may be added to the position such as dealing with health insurers and worker’s compensation. There still is a question about these issues as they involve personnel that are supervised by the Mayor rather than council. In advance of the interview process, Jack is going to put together a series of questions
specifically dealing with the position for each candidate to answer. That way, when we decide on interviews, the Council will have the Application, Resume of each candidate, and answers to job related issues.
The time frame for hiring the person would require applications and resumes by the end of September. Interviews would occur by the end of October. And, training with Joe Huster, would beginning in November. Joe Huster would be eligible to apply. He has agreed to complete the budget year if another candidate is selected.
Service / Engineering
James Jeffers reported on the various projects.
Traffic Light Project ------ Proceeding on schedule. It is expected to be completed by February or March of next year. There is a question about when the new traffic lights should be operational. They could go into service before the fiber-optic line connecting and coordinating them is installed.
Glendale – Milford Striping -------- The western end is complete. We still are waiting on the eastern potion.
Plateau Place Cul-de-sac – James has Mrs. Duffy’s drawings for her driveway and is waiting to get approval from the Trammels who live at the end of the street.
Acton Street lights ---------- Duke is scheduling installation
Miscellaneous Repairs ----- This will be done when the Plateau Cul-de-sac is ready.
GE needs a Water Management and Sedimentation Permit for alterations on their property. An Ordinance will be on the agenda.
Catherine Hartman brought up an idea that Tom Blandford suggested. Apparently an article in the Enquirer described Cincinnati milling the dead ash trees into lumber. The committee asked that Jim Bothe look into the matter. Tom Blandford will forward the article to Jim Bothe.
Finally, Susan De Roos had suggested that alterations be made to the Giverny/Glendale-Milford Intersection. James explained that the intersection does not meet state warrant requirements for a traffic light. However, the other idea was limiting the exit on to Glendale-Milford to a single lane. The committee recommended that the service department do this with cones and barrels on a temporary basis. If the plan works to improve the intersection, striping can occur later.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.
___________________________
Christian J. Schaefer
Committee Chairman
Aug
Report to Village - GHF
August 7, 2012
Education
• 2012 GHFF Summer Camp Program is winding down. Next week is the last full week of Summer Programs.
• 2012 Summer Camp attendance came from predominately Evendale with Wyoming, Blue Ash, West Chester and Mason communities following.
• GHFF and Hamilton County Park District held a flower arranging class on 8-3-2012 in the Sunflower Room as part of the Green Market Program.
• GHFF is exploring affiliation with a local colleges and universities for the purpose of expanding environmental education certification for local teachers and education majors.
• Fall school groups are now being scheduled
• Winter programming for adult education is under consideration
Development/Administration
• Invitations are out for the GHFF Row x Row Fundraiser on September 8, 2012
in the Pavilion. This annual event will include a farm dinner, grand raffle, raffle prizes and dancing.
• GHFF implemented the new safety procedures recommended by Evendale Police Dept.
• GHFF is now closed on Sunday’s until 9-15-2012 as attendance on Sunday was too low to remain open.
Eagle Scout projects in process/completion
• path to fire pit- in process
• shade for pavilion-in process
• shield for dumpster-in process
• 2 run-in shelters for sheep-in process
• cover for the bee hive display
Farm/Garden
• Duke Energy will donate old telephone poles to GHFF for new fence posts.
• Orders for turkeys are now ready. GHF will have 125 turkeys for sale by end of July.
• Pork processing happened this week.
• Big sunflower field is now planted. Field corn will be harvested soon.
• WKRC interviewed farm manager regarding dangers of swine flu.
• Hand washing station has been added to the GHFF farmyard.
Staff News
• Local journalist Peggy St. Clair interviewed GHFF Staff members and will be now include Gorman Farm is her weekly blog about gardening and farm to table news.
• Chris Gordy recently conducted an interpretive training session to the Cincinnati Museum Staff. Chris will teach a class this Fall at NKU on the history of farming.
• Jamie Stoneham selected to be a U.S. Delegate for the Terra Madre International Congress in Turin, Italy was recently interviewed by WVXU. This interview will air on 9/2-2012 during the morning news show “Around Cincinnati.”
Volunteers
Give Back Cincinnati will send 185 volunteers on Saturday, August 25, 2012
from 8 am – 3 pm to work with the GHFF Staff members. There are 9 major
projects scheduled for this work day including clearing trails, painting, and
property maintenance and repairs.
All farm feeder volunteer slots are currently full and new volunteers continue to
offer help with feeding.
Three new volunteers are training to work the front desk on weekends.
Agriculture News
• The Farm Bill is still under discussion in Congress and current Bill expires in September 2012.
• Tom Vilsack is considering Federal Aid to parts of Ohio due to the recent drought.
• Outbreaks of swine flu recently have been connected to the Butler County Fair and the Ohio State Fair. Farms have been alerted and GHFF staff members have been reminded about proper hand washing.
Calendar
• August 13-17 last week of Summer Camp
• August 18 Honey Harvest
• August 24 Cinti Blind and Visually Impaired visit
• August 25 Give Back Cinti Sizzlin Summer Series
• August 29 Impact 100 Grant announcement
• September 1 Community Bake Day
• September 2 WXVU Around Cincinnati Interview airs
• September 3 Labor Day – Gorman Farm closed
• September 7 Chicken pick up day
• September 8 Row x Row Fundraiser 6-10 PM
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