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Hey.
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It's good.
You got just me today.
>> You got just me today.
» Once in a while.
» Not too often.
I'd like to call to order this
connecting city council committee
meeting for Monday, August 4th, 2020.
August 3rd
>> already. Oh my gosh. Where did the month
go already?
>> August 4th, 2025. Uh the first committee
is government operations.
>> Madam President, like to call order
government operations. We have one item
on the one item on the agenda today. Mr.
Williams.
>> Uh thank you. So I think the last time u
discussed this this was still in its
infantile stages. I'm excited to
announce that just waiting to hear back
from more feedback from the rest of the
board or not the board the committee
regarding um the nominated criteria and
how the applications will be received
from applicants. um hopefully hearing
back from the simple majority by
Wednesday and then we'll be able to at
least start receiving applicants and the
assumption we'll do that for a twoe
period. Um it's a lot of learning. I met
the process with including some
representatives from our academia. The
summer time might not be the best time
to have a reviewing committee meet. Uh
so I'm definitely taking a lot of notes
just due with the back to school efforts
with the colleges and also with the
school district. But sincerely I
appreciate everyone's involvement. Um, I
can definitely look to field some
questions, but I think ultimately in the
resolution that we passed, it had a
September 8th date identified, and I'm
confident that we'll still be able to or
the committee will still be able to
receive applicants, review them, and
then push forward a recommendation to
council on time.
>> Colonel, um, Mr. Williams, could you
tell me I can forget who's actually on
the selection committee?
>> Uh, I can send that to you. Uh, just I
just don't want to mispronounce any
names, but I can send that to the Great.
Thank you.
Mr.
>> Mr. Williams, when when you initially um
introduced this legislation, there were
certain groups that were going to be
represented. Is are those still the same
groups?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Okay. So, the individuals come from
those particular groups that were in the
legislation. Okay. Thank you.
» Any other questions, comments?
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Motion to any other business to come
before government operations.
Okay. Hearing none, I'll accept a motion
to adjourn.
So second
>> second all those in favor. We are journ
>> call to order the finance committee and
the first item is amendment to the US
finance agreement. That's correct.
>> Um I'm going to defer to s.
Thanks.
>> You're welcome.
>> Any questions?
» Yeah. So, this is an amendment. Could
you Can you tell us how this differs
than the original agreement?
>> Yep. The main difference in this
agreement is that the original agreement
that we did last year was for some base
work of eight courts with the
alternative work of 10. USA has provided
the additional funding so that we could
do all 18. So, we revised the agreement
to include all 18 and that USDA would um
come up with the additional funding. Uh
I've also, just so you're aware, I've
talked with the US today and I've asked
that the USDA Eastern provide you with a
letter of concurrence for your meeting
on Monday just so that you have that. Um
you have to remember Maxine, uh she did
a really great job working with them as
it went. But there is a section in here
that I'll call your attention to because
we don't want to get anybody nervous.
Section two, se part one. It says if the
costs are found to be in excessive, US
may terminate this contract. The idea
was is that USGA, we didn't think it was
fair to have them have a contract that
bind them into what the cost would be.
>> Um, and so we did get six bids. The low
bid was uh within our budget. actually
was a great bid contractor that we've
worked with and uh we've reviewed it and
we have a letter from our consultant in
the later portion of the packet and USA
will be uh sending us a letter to state
that they are comfortable with the bid
and will be providing us with the
additional funding. Um, the amount won't
be determined because if you were to
read into here, there's some other
things that they like a shed and things
like that. Those are things that they
may purchase additionally because like
it states in the agreement, the city
funding is capped at the funding that we
have available, but they realize that
this facility is important to their
operations for the next 20 years. So,
they want to make sure that the
investment is there initially.
>> Go ahead, please.
>> So, initially they were going to do 10
courts in Central Park and then the
Michigan Avenue. we were going to do
eight courts in Central Park and do some
repairs to Michigan Avenue. So now,
right now, we're focused on Central Park
and that we will have uh possibly an
agreement in the future for Michigan
Avenue, but they Central Park is
critical to their um essentially to
their season, to their schedule. So,
they want to put right now all their
eggs in one basket with Central Park. Um
Michigan is more critical to 15 Love
because a lot of educational things
happen at 15 Love. So, it is something
that we'll have to look at, but they
like to uh focus on Central Park
because, as we talked about prior, um
the June 1st deadline is going to be a
challenge. Um right after this gets
approved, we're going to have meetings
with um construction with Gallup and try
to move this forward as quickly as
possible.
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>> Any other questions?
Seeing none, may I
have a motion to move this item forward?
>> Second. All in favor?
>> I thank you.
>> The next item is just a reminder, 2023
consolidated annual performance and
evaluation report. The public hearing is
scheduled for August 11th at 700 p.m.
Are there any other business for
finance?
Seeing none, may I have a motion to
second?
>> All in favor?
>> I thank you.
>> Uh I'd like to call city development and
planning. We have six items on the
agenda. The first item is the new USDA
use agreement. Mash,
>> I will defer again to Mr. Watkins.
>> Okay. So, this is not necessarily my
subject matter. Um, it's a usage
agreement, not a finance agreement. So,
this is for um USA and their subsidiary
of 15 love to use these tennis courts
for a period of 20 years suspending
December 31st, 2046. Their previous
agreement was set to expire this year.
the USA uh requested that for the money
to be transferred over that they extend
this agreement so that the both happen
at the same time. They're making an
investment and the city's acknowledging
that we'd be able to they'll be able to
use the the courts for 20 years. The
only thing that I could point out on
this because I was talking with uh both
Maxine and Bill Maza is that this this
regards a waving of fees given their
commitment for USDA Eastern and 15 Love.
No other entities.
Now, the city has to probably get
something in place similar to the pool
where we have something that would make
sense for both the city and for the
patrons. But you know, right now the
courts are not a paid entity. So this
just takes place to USDA Eastern and
1511. That's what's stipulated in here.
» Mr. I'm sorry.
>> So just for clarity, so
after the investments made um and the
courts are done, you're saying that only um those are only entities but
people but we're talking about rather
citizens could use the courts for your
charge.
>> No,
it is in the code today that there is a
charge to use the central park tense
courts. The city has not
>> Oh yeah.
>> done it
>> right. But it is on the books. It is one
of these many things that is on the
books that we have. Um it was stopped uh
I believe several years ago because the
costs of staffing to
>> you know collect the fee ended up being
more than the fee.
>> Mhm. But what this agreement is talking
about is for the next 20 years, USDA
Eastern 15 love, if the city were to
come out with a fee structure and
enforce it, they would not pay for that
fee structure for their events.
It also I believe it gives them uh
priority to book ahead of time so that
if there were a USJ Eastern event going
up against a school event, the USJ
Eastern event would have the the
president. They would be able to book,
not the school event. Mr.
Mayor
>> defer to the chair.
>> Oh, I'm sorry.
>> Okay.
>> Uh, this has been a long-term
relationship for the city and it
continues to expand where we really had
more formal relationship with the junior
division. This is expanding that. So,
uh, they're making a significant
commitment, but there's also, uh, it's a
regional draw where it brings people
into the community. So people are
staying at the hotels. Uh they're going
to restaurants. Uh they're spending
money here in Skenctity and believe it's
a good partnership and we're had to
defer a little bit for Michigan Avenue.
Glad to look at that in the capital
budget for 26 and I submit that to the
council. Hopefully we'll be able to
address that uh have this move ahead. It
compliments the swimming pool, the A
diamond, the rose garden, the
greenhouse, uh,
>> music.
>> Yeah, music haven. And just it's really
an impressive record that we've put
together in Central Park.
>> Uh, so regarding um how long will the
courts be shut down? Because I get asked
that question a lot.
>> The courts uh anticipating that today is
4th. So if if the contractor would allow, they
would be closed from September 15th to
June 1st.
>> Okay.
>> Um the other thing is in regard to
parking since we're talking about having
these these tournaments there and
already park as you know parking is a
challenge. So um is there any thought as
these renovations are being done how we
can expand the parking to be able to
accommodate people or was that part of
the plan? Is that parking planned into
this at all? There's no parking as part
of this. Um there's been we have
right now are doing work on Fair Avenue
>> to upgrade that to uh reconfigure it uh
with uh millings and other things which
will provide parking for the swimming
pool, a diamond, tennis courts, uh some
of these things. uh music haven. It's a
little bit of a walk, but there would be
more parking within a reasonable
distance. And you know, there is some
parking on street around the tennis
courts. It does not uh meet the needs
when there is a major event or a lot of
activity at the tennis courts or the
swimming pool, but we're uh doing work
right now on Fair Avenue to increase
that capacity.
>> Right. So, and and frankly right now it
really doesn't even meet the needs in
the morning with the drop in quite
frankly starting to park like really
going down and just um on the other
because um on the other side where
there's grass there was a no parking
sign on the the tree
>> and um actually someone was getting a
ticket just the other day. So parking I
just wanted to bring forth the fact that
uh parking is already
>> trying to get a little revenue to pay
for some of this.
>> Well, except it was it's a whole thing.
I talked to Mr. wrong about it, but I
just want to make sure that as we're
considering it, we make sure that
people, you know, we know people are
coming that people um are accommodated,
especially those who um also live
locally and park there. So, you're not
going to take they're not going to take
away the parking that currently exists
in front of the courts that will not be
removed even though they're doing um
things on Fair Avenue?
>> No, there's no plan to remove anything
even though they've talked about the
shed and some other things. So, that
>> there's plenty of space for the front.
So, we're going to leave the parking
there. We're going to allow still
parking on the grass
>> um on opposite for events. Usually, that
works out pretty well. We'd like to make
sure the buses aren't there. They take
up a lot of space trying to get them to
Fair Avenue. The area that you're
talking about, um that is a no parking
area. One of the things that we need to
talk about internally is the whole
what's good for the goose is good for
the gander, which is it's easy to to
ticket one car that's parked there for
tennis. However, we have many events,
many very large events, Music Haven,
Caribbean Fest as such where people park
everywhere and then maybe the
enforcement is lax because it is just
overwhelmingly
uh out of compliance and then we have to
find out because then we would be
selective ticketing and we don't want to
do that. We want to make sure that what
we do is uniform. So, um you know what
we'd have to do is make sure that we
have enough enforcement to cover what
we're doing and have areas of it. But
technically that area that's no parking
is no parking. We've talked about it
internally and that is a no parking
area. We can put including grass or some
kind of a sign like that, but we just
feel that people are probably parking
there and if we put grass there, they'll
park on it. So then we're getting into
boulders and rocks and ropes and it's
something that we're going to have to
look at cuz the utilization of the park
is at an all-time high and it's only
projected to go higher.
>> Mhm.
» Uh any other questions from any other
council members?
If not, I'll introduce.
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» Thank you very much, Mr. W.
>> I'm here for a little while.
>> Oh, okay. You're right. Item number two
is authorizing the issuance of revocable
permit number 689 to Solstice Kitchen
LLC for a sign that will overhang the
city's right away on the facing building
at 515 State Street. Mr.
>> Yep. Uh Solstice Kitchen is the former
puzzles and Farmer Biblio Tech. Uh that
was the name of it. Um they are looking
to open up a new uh kitchen restaurant
and have a blade style sign similar to
what we have on the 400 block of State
Street. This is a revocable permit for
that sign. Um planning sees no issues
with this design and they submitted all
the required paper.
>> Any questions, concerns?
I do have one thing though that I'd like
to bring up. It's not about the sign
necessarily, but about the um I always I
spoke to Mr. W about about the
establishment. Um did all of you get the
email from Miss Michael about the 500
foot look um hearing on this uh
particular place. Um, and what it is,
the 500 foot hearings is if an
establishment that serves alcohol on
site, um, is within 500 ft of other
establishments that do the same thing.
So, this one does when we look at
there's one across the street, there's
Amber and Amber and Court down the
street and then there's 501. So, I just
want to make everyone aware that that's
out there. I'm not I don't think I don't
know what the implication is going to be
once they go to the hearing, but I did
even note the fact that there are
establishments within the 500 ft. So,
Miss uh Barash, um I if you could if you
could just um just provide for us
information, clarification whether any
of that's going to matter for this
particular establishment. I don't know
that it would matter with the sign
because maybe they could then decide not
to have alcohol on on on um on site and
the uh 200 foot there's also a 200 foot
um uh here rule and that has to do with
uh religious religious establishments in
schools and none of the the school
that's close to that is not within 200
feet because we already um established
that as well. So, I just wanted to make
you all aware desk school it's it's
within 500 feet but not within 200 feet.
So, I just wanted to make you all aware
of why you're getting that information
and what it's about and how it could
possibly impact us.
>> Did you have your hand up?
>> Did you have your Yes. So, I I just want
to say that, you know, whenever um we
own a property um and whenever
anything's opening close to us, there's
always a public hearing held and anyone
can go speak their their mind or object
to it. But I I don't understand what the concern is here.
>> Well, the concern is they're making you
aware that there has to be a hearing
because this place could fall in um
>> fall under that. And this public
hearing, by the way, is not in public.
It's very clear that if you want to make
any remarks, you you would send them in
writing, but no one can appear.
>> Okay?
>> So, this person, this um public, this
place in particular is serving alcohol.
So, whenever it's serving alcohol,
>> there's a public hearing that's within
500 ft. So, the concern is not the I
won't say the concern. I just want to
make sure that you're aware that it's
happening. That's what this is about.
So, that it's happening. And that
happens a lot in the city and we get,
you know, notices, but I I just don't
understand why today we're just hearing
>> Well, this property I don't remember the
last time I got a notice regarding um a
public hearing for something that was
going to be in there.
>> Right. Well, I do on Union Street when
things when bars and restaurants open. I
I'm just saying I just don't understand
why
>> that's you as an individual. This is us
as a municipality. So, the notice came
to the municipality to make us aware.
>> So, I'm making everyone aware of why
we're getting it.
>> Okay.
I I just wanted to note that um Novel
Bibliotic, okay, um did also serve um
wine. I I was never there at night, but
I know that they did have that on their
menu. So, I don't know. I I I know that
it's a separate establishment and they
have to go to the liquor authority as
well for their own bourment, but
>> um that that establishment did have
>> Well, it depends on it also depends if
you're serving food on the
establishment. It's it's not just that
they're serving alcohol. So, there's
some other things that come into place.
And the school is new.
>> Yeah. And the school was prior to was
prior to uh I mean came after five 151
came after 151.
>> Yeah.
>> Maj I saw your hand.
>> Defer the mayor.
>> Okay. Mayor
>> this is a standard notification that's
been given for every one of those
establishments. So
>> thank you. Thank you.
>> Except but this is like new. This is
like one of three within the area. So I
think it may fall in the root. We'll
see. But Miss Williams,
>> I don't think there's any issue with
getting more information. I think part
of the assumption that we often miss is
that people that are viewing our meeting
might not have a clear a clear
indication of what we are discussing. So
I think providing that additional
context should be valued and appreciated
and also make sure you give appropriate
consideration to anyone that is queuing
in for the first time.
>> Thank you. Any other questions or
concerns?
Yes, Mr. Rush. Um,
>> just for clarification as it relates to
the uh the matter at hand right now, the
revocable permit hearing um would not
necessarily have any um it wouldn't be
relevant to the permit because the
establishment could still open
>> um without liquor um if they were to uh
not prevail during their hearing.
>> Yeah, that's what I said. Yeah. But I
just wanted to make sure people still
were aware.
>> Sure.
>> Thank you.
>> Any other questions or concerns?
>> I'll move this.
>> Second. All's in favor.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Um
the next item number three is the award
the baby contract of Central Park Tennis
court improvements to Gallow
Construction Corporation. Mr. W.
>> Yep. So similar what we talked about, we
wanted to make sure all the agreements
and bids were together at once so that
we could be efficient. Um the city bid
the improvements to the Central Park
tennis courts. Uh we received seven bids
which is a nice amount of bids. Uh
several of them were very tight uh with
a low bid of Gallow Construction. Gallow
is a general contractor in the area that
we have worked with in the past. Um
originally we were hesitant and we did
call them um about that because they are
not a tennis specialty contractor. Uh
however um they have a subcontractor who
will be doing all of their tennis work
and their subcontractor is one of the
more respected in the northeast. So GW
will be local. They will be the GC doing
all the dirt work handling all the
grading and all the prep for the
subcontractor who will put in the
specialized concrete plane surfaces and
then a fencing contractor will come in
uh at the end and finish the fencing.
So, um there's a letter of
recommendation from our engineer who
spoke with Gallow um just to make sure
we have that and we are comfortable
moving forward
and and just know this is a
very competitive bid. We did a lot of
estimates and this is uh below those
estimates. I wouldn't say significantly
below but below which is good in today's
day and age that we got a bid that was
below our estimate.
>> Mhm. Well, I'm really I'm glad first of
all it was below the estimate, but also
that we're using a local company that
can subcontract. So, that's uh that's
important. I know that we init we signed
something um saying that they didn't
need to have an apprentice program
because we were thinking there may be
places that out of state, but that still
falls in place here. Is that that's
correct?
>> Correct. Okay.
>> The majority of the work will be the
subcontractor. The subcontractor work is
the bulk of the work. the the tennis
courts, they will be pouring all of the
concrete and that is the bulk of the
work, but they will be doing it as a
subcontractor to the local firm.
>> Okay.
>> Mr. Williams,
>> I was just speaking to your comment
earlier about the bid coming in below.
Is it too early to tell like whether the
uh just industry in general with like
supplies and like materials just
skyrocketing? Is it starting to ease
down or
>> I don't I don't think it's starting to
ease. I think that um we talked with
them. They uh being local um you'll see
like Classic Turf, the company
themselves bid, they were actually tied
for second. Um they were coming from out
of town. Uh the other bid might have had
a little bit more on it. I I think that
certain things are starting to ease, but
I don't think we're seeing a lot come
down, but we are able to at least
estimate where we are a little bit
better than, you know, 3 years ago where
you had to pad everything uh quite a bit
to get to where we are. So, we're
excited about this. I'm actually uh if it moves today, I'm going to be
making phone call tomorrow to try to
line things up so that we're trying to
expedite everything as soon as possible
to get on get on their schedule, get
them out there.
>> Any other questions or comments?
>> Entertain a motion.
>> Second.
>> All those in favor?
>> Thank you, Mr. Wall.
>> That's it for you. Um the next item is
the call for a public hearing on the
2025 2026 6 action um annual action plan
which just remind public hearing will be
on August
M 11. When's the public hearing?
>> Call for public hearing 11 and then the
actual public hearing.
>> Okay. The call for public hearing be on
the 11th.
>> Oh no. We're calling for the public
hearing.
>> We're calling for the public hearing.
>> Yes.
>> I'll move. We have to move that.
>> Yeah. We're calling for the public
hearing, so we have to move. Yes. So, I
move that.
>> Second.
>> All those in favor?
>> I.
>> All right. The last two um items have to
do with redemption of property. So, they
would be an executive session. Um all um
I'd like to call for I'd like to ask for
a motion to enter into executive
session. So, move second. All in favor?
I.
>> Thank you. Members of the public have to
leave.
Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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