M I N U T E S
The Village of Evendale
Regular Council Meeting
April 15, 2004
The Village of Evendale held a Public Discussion Session prior to the Regularly Scheduled Council Meeting. Pat Finan spoke about the extensive efforts by twenty residents over the past few years to secure grant monies to help solve problems along Cooper Creek. Since 1991 there has been considerably higher volume of storm water surging through the private properties along Cooper Creek as a result of additional developments in the area. He indicated that Evendale’s political clout would help to secure grant monies. There was discussion concerning short-term solutions to a few properties with severe problems along the creek. It was agreed that this is a problem that must be addressed. Grant applications will be a part of future long-term solutions. The next round of grant applications are due in spring 2005 with grants being
awarded in the fall.
The Village of Evendale held its Regular Council Meeting. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Don Apking. Upon roll call, the following members were present: Mr. Bill Puthoff Jr., Mr. Stiney Vonderhaar, Mr. Jeff Albrinck, Mr. Chris Schaefer, Mrs. Smiley-Robertson and Mrs. Catherine Hartman. Also present were: Village Solicitor Tim Burke; Village Chief Fiscal and Accounting Officer, George Snyder; Village Engineer, James Jeffers; Police Chief, Gary Foust; Recreation Director, Dave Nichols, Economic Director, Linda Fitzgerald, Fire Chief, John Vail and the acting Village Clerk, Cindy Vaske.
Mayor Apking presented the consent calendar and asked for a motion to accept the consent calendar as amended. A motion to accept the consent calendar as amended was made by Mr. Vonderhaar, seconded by Mrs. Hartman and unanimously approved.
Mayor Apking presented the Mayor’s Report. He mentioned two properties, one on Otterbein Road and the other on Woodleigh Lane that are in horrible condition. Evendale is working to solve the problem of properties that are not maintained. Tim Burke mentioned that the concealed carry law is now in affect. Public Buildings are required to post a notice that concealed weapons are not permitted.
There was no Police Department Report.
There was no Fire Department Report.
Mr. Albrinck gave the Recreation Department Report. Membership at the Recreation Center is up significantly from this time last year; 569 to 1414. Revenues are up 14% and usage of the fitness center is up 132%. The Art Show is this weekend. The Community Health Fair at the Fitness Center is on April 24 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.
Mayor Apking mentioned that the Griffith property field is nearly cleaned out. Next spring they will be able to plant flowers. They will stock the pond with fish for catch and release.
Mr. Albrinck gave the Finance Department Report. Cash balance at the end of March was $14,245,000 and the unencumbered balance was just over $11 million. George Snyder, CFO, has provided two projection reports for council. The first projection, entitled 2004 YEAR END CASH PROJECTION and the second projection, entitled COUNCIL FORMAT CASH PROJECTION was suggested by Chris Schaefer.
James Jeffers gave the Village Engineer’s Report. Mr. Jeffers stated that the bid for street repairs has been delayed. At the Griffin Farm, the contractor has raised the levy three feet. When it warms up they will raise the catch basin in the lake. A fountain will be added and grass will be planted. Cincinnati Water Works was supposed to fill in the hole in the landscaping islands this week but it has not yet been done. The Imperial Lodge asbestos removal has begun. It will cost $25,000 to remove the asbestos. FEMA ordinance must be passed at the May Council meeting. Mr. Jeffers mentioned that a retention pond at the portion of Cooper Creek on the property the Village owns near Reading Road would not help because most of the water has already bypassed all the properties that are affected. Mr. Jeffers congratulated Bill and Sandy
Puthoff on the addition of their baby girl.
Linda Fitzgerald gave the Community Improvement Corporation Report. The next meeting of CIC is Tuesday, April 20 at 6:00 pm. It is a joint meeting with Planning Commission. The Main Item on the agenda is a first look by the two groups on the work of Poggemeyer Design Group has done to date on the Reading Road Revitalization Plan. There is a site visit on Saturday, April 17 at 9:00 am to look at sites that Anchor has done. Anchor plans to come to the May Planning Commission meeting.
There was no Gorman Heritage Farm Council Committee Report.
Dan Hackett gave the Gorman Heritage Farm Foundation Report. Saturday, April 17 is volunteer day at Gorman Heritage Farm. May 8th is the rededication day from 9:00 – 3:00. There are a number of activities planned and some animals at the farm. The farm will not be fully operational on May 8th. Since April 1 the Foundation has hired four staff members; Monica Mazzone started this week and a formal search for the Executive Director is currently being prepared. Mr. Hackett recognized Chuck Melampy for his nearly 100 hours of volunteer work building the beautiful new front desk at the Gorman Farm. He also thanked Joe Wiehe and George Snyder for their help through the transition.
Mayor Apking presented Ordinance #04-19, “Ordinance Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into a Commercial Credit Card Company Agreement with Fifth Third Bank and Declaring an Emergency.” Mr. Schaefer said he was opposed to issuing credit cards to employees. Mr. Schaefer prefers per diem method of expenses. A motion to table Ordinance #04-19 was made by Mr. Schaefer, seconded by Mr. Vonderhaar. Mr. George Snyder discussed issues with credit cards. He stated that it would be less paper work for the Village to use credit cards. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson, Mr. Puthoff and Mr. Albrinck voted no to table Ordinance #04-19. Mr. Schaefer, Mrs. Hartman and Mr. Vonderhaar voted yes to table the ordinance. Mayor Apking voted no to table the ordinance. The motion to table Ordinance #04-19 failed. Mayor Apking asked for a motion to suspend the
third reading of Ordinance #04-19. A motion was made by Mrs. Smiley-Robertson, seconded by Mr. Puthoff. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson, Mr. Puthoff, Mr. Vonderhaar and Mr. Albrinck voted yes, Mr. Schaefer and Mrs. Hartman voted no. After some discussion is was determined that Ordinance #04-19 will be put on the May agenda for a Third Reading.
Mayor Apking presented Resolution #04-10, “Resolution Approving a Village Policy Governing the use of Village Credit Cards and Declaring an Emergency.” There was discussion on per diem versus credit cards. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson stated credit card is more state of the art. She also stated that flagrant misuse of a credit card would call for an employee to be reprimanded. Mr. Albrinck stated that Mr. Vonderhaar, Mrs. Smiley-Robertson and Mr. Albrinck sat down and discussed all of the issue and unanimously came to the conclusion that it can be properly managed by the department heads with instruction on how it is to be used and laying out a policy. It was also concluded that it makes George Snyder’s job easier in accounting. George Snyder recommended the Credit Card Policy and the committee was all in favor of it. Mayor Apking
stated that Resolution #04-10 will be put on the May Council agenda as a Third Reading.
Mayor Apking presented Resolution #04-11, “Resolution Adopting a Village of Evendale Investment Policy and Declaring an Emergency.” Chris Schaefer stated that the Investment Policy needs to be more restrictive. George Snyder stated that the old policy was so restrictive that all they had was Star Ohio. The current average maturity rate on all investments in the Star Ohio plan is sixty days. Interest rates are .98%. Changes in the investment policy were discussed. Mr. Schaefer mentioned his concern on investing all monies in one place. Mr. Albrinck mentioned that this will not be an issue. Community involvement was suggested using the investment expertise of residents and that sound investment policy dictates that we don’t put all of our eggs in one basket. Mayor Apking stated that this is why we hired Fifth Third as well
and that we are restricted by State Law. Mr. Snyder mentioned that he extracted most of the items out of the State Law and included them in the Investment Policy. Mr. Smiley-Robertson attended the investment policy seminar. Some of the employees also attended the training and stated that the Village was not making money that they should be making if we were being responsible with the Village’s assets and that we were missing out on opportunities with the current investment policy that we have. There are safeguards in place. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson stated that if we hire people to do a certain job we ought to allow them to do that rather than legislate as a Council how they do that. Council’s job is to safeguard that they don’t go in excess and we can do that by looking at the reports they provide us versus legislating limits in our investment policy. Mr. Snyder stated that Fifth Third is an expert in investing and that’s why they were hired. Mayor Apking asked
for a motion to suspend the third reading of the Resolution #04-11. A motion was made by Mr. Vonderhaar, seconded by Mr. Albrinck. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson, Mr. Puthoff, Mr. Vonderhaar and Mr. Albrinck voted yes. Mrs. Hartman and Mr. Schaefer voted no. Mayor Apking stated that Resolution #04-11 will be put on the agenda as a third reading at the May Council meeting.
Mayor Apking presented Ordinance #04-23, “Approving Additional Appropriations in Various Funds, Transferring Funds and Declaring an Emergency.” A motion to read Ordinance #04-23 by title only was made by Mr. Puthoff seconded by Mr. Vonderhaar and unanimously approved on roll call. A motion to suspend the second and third readings of Ordinance #04-23 was made by Mr. Puthoff, seconded by Mr. Vonderhaar and unanimously approved on roll call. A motion to adopt Ordinance #04-23 was made by Mr. Vonderhaar, seconded by Mr. Puthoff and unanimously approved on roll call. Mayor Apking declared Ordinance #04-23 adopted as an emergency measure.
Mayor Apking presented Ordinance #04-25, “Authorizing Purchase of One Ford F-250 Pick-up Truck, From the State Cooperative Purchasing Plan and Declaring an Emergency.” A motion to read Ordinance #04-25 by title only was made by Mr. Puthoff seconded by Mr. Albrinck and unanimously approved on roll call. A motion to suspend the second and third readings of Ordinance #04-25 was made by Mr. Vonderhaar, seconded by Mr. Puthoff and unanimously approved on roll call. A motion to adopt Ordinance #04-25 was made by Mrs. Hartman, seconded by Mr. Puthoff and unanimously approved on roll call. Mayor Apking declared Ordinance #04-25 adopted as an emergency measure.
Mayor Apking presented Resolution #04-12A, “Resolution Granting SignVariances for the Surgery Center of Evendale, 3155 Glendale-Milford Road, and Declaring an Emergency.” Mr. Otto Bauer Nilson with Al Neyer, Incorporated, is the architect for the Surgery Center. Mr. Bauer Nilson stated that the shops in the Evendale Crossing Shipping Center have rights to the marquee that is currently erected on the property. Al Neyer, Inc. owns the shopping center but not the property the Surgery Center is on; Al Neyer, Inc is the contractor for the Surgery Center. The agreement with the Surgery Center included an off premises sign since they don’t have road frontage on Reading Road nor Glendale-Milford Road. The proposed sign is in the right of way. Mr. Albrinck is concerned that the sign is too close to the sidewalk and is a safety
issue. Dr. Mangel spoke and stated that under the PBD Council approved a sixty square foot sign. The sign being proposed is only fifty square feet. The extra space on the sign is for phases II and III of the expansion of the Surgery Center. The PBD that was adopted by Council makes an exception for a sign off of the Surgery Center’s premises to be placed on Glendale-Milford Road at a location to be negotiated by the Surgery Center, either in the public right of way or on the shopping center premises. There was extensive discussion on options for a compromise for the sign. The Mayor appointed a committee to look at signage for the Surgery Center on Glendale-Milford Road and Reading Road. Mr. Puthoff, Mr. Vonderhaar, Mr. Schaefer and Linda Fitzgerald were appointed to this committee. A motion to table Resolutions #04-12A and#04-12B was made by Mrs. Hartman, seconded by Mr. Vonderhaar and unanimously approved on roll call. Resolutions #04-12A and 04-12B were
tabled.
Mayor Apking asked for a motion to spend $15,000 on Cooper Creek. Bill Puthoff said he was okay with this as long as Mr. Gates states that it will not negatively affect the future phases of the project and that we need to address the whole stretch. Mrs. Smiley-Robertson asked for input from the property owners. Mr. Pat Finan stated that the four properties in question gave letters of intent to allow easements for work on the creek. A motion to authorize the Mayor to spend $15,000 for Cooper Creek was made by Mr. Vonderhaar, seconded by Mrs. Hartman and unanimously approved on roll call.
Mayor Apking wants to revisit a Charter Review to raise bid limits to the state level which is $25,000 and putting it back on the ballot. It would make our job a lot easier.
Mr. Vonderhaar state that retired Captain Robert E. Ahern passed away March 31. He was a long time officer at Evendale and retired in 1976. The book for Gorman Heritage Farm has been printed and will be handed out on May 8th to all residents that attend.
Mrs. Hartman asked when the Imperial will come down. Mr. Jeffers said they began working on it on Monday. It is in the works. Mrs. Hartman also asked about the Hardees and when it is expected to come down. Linda Fitzgerald stated that plans include demolition of both the Pizza Hut and Hardees buildings. The Reading Road end of the center will be taken down and rebuilt north and south for more exposure on Reading Road.
Mrs. Smiley-Robertson asked what the long-term solution to Cooper Creek would be. It was determined that the new Administrative Assistant to the Mayor would be responsible for securing Grant monies for the Cooper Creek restoration.
Mayor Apking wants council to meet with the top candidates for the Assistant to the Mayor position on May 4th at 5:00 pm.
Mrs. Smiley-Robertson mentioned Evendale has had several valedictorians over the years. She asked the Mayor to put in the Mayor’s newsletter for people to call the Administration Office and inform us of valedictorians so that we can recognize them.
Mr. Vonderhaar mentioned that Evendale Elementary is having open house on April 22 at 6:30 and will have the new plans for the school available to review.
Mayor Apking asked for a motion to adjourn. A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Albrinck, seconded by Mr. Vonderhaar and unanimously approved. Council adjourned at 9:20 pm.
_______________________
Mayor
Attest:
__________________________
Village Clerk
| 
