FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING

 

MAY 16, 2017

 

 

Committee Member Mr. Evers opened the meeting at approximately ­­­6:00 p.m. Members of the Committee in attendance were Mr. Evers, Mr. Hoefle and Mr. Zuren.  Present from Council were Mr. Meyers, Mr. Kasunick, Mr. Spotton and Council President Ms. DePledge.

 

 

In attendance from the Administration were Mayor Morley, Fire Chief Whittington, CBO Menn, City Engineer Gwydir, Finance Director Schindel and Law Director Klammer.  Police Chief Reik and Service Director Rubertino were absent and excused.

 

 

There were no members of the public in attendance.   

 

 

PROPOSED:

 

1. To enter into a contract with Bush Trucking Leasing, Inc. for the purchase of a 2017 E450 Step Van

   Mr. Evers: Ms. Schindel?

   Ms. Schindel: This is coming to you guys because of the limited authority that the Finance Director has in terms of signing purchase orders, even though the money is within the budget.  The money is in the budget on this, it is something that the Chief felt that he needed and I’ll turn it over to Chief Whittington to explain exactly for what purpose.  But I can assure you this is something that is in the budget and it is something that Chief Whittington has the ability to makes his decisions as to what is most critical, with a certain dollar amount.  We don’t have a lot of funds but this fell within the amount that he was able to manage this year.  Chief Whittington did you want to tells us why this is a request?

   Chief Whittington: We talked a little bit and usually what we’ve done is we’ve tried our best to recycle the ambulances that are retired out.  Two ambulances that were retired out were really what we had all of our tech rescue equipment in and that has been deemed out of service for the last year.  We’ve actually been putting it on the trailer or putting in another vehicle and sometimes even on the floor.  The guys have to grab it as we go so this would essentially replace the ambulance.  The new one that we just took out of service…and obviously you guys know all about the problems with the motor and we really didn’t have an option so we researched it and this is essentially a…truck.  The guys are going to do all of the work and the vehicle itself is under $150,000.00.  They will put together the shelving and that type of thing.  I told you guys that we would probably have to buy a radio for it, which is about $3,000.00.  We would have to stripe it, which is probably another $1,500.00 to $2,000.00.  For the lights on it we are thinking about $1,000.00 and then some shelving, which might be another $1,000.00 there.  There would be some other costs involved, because it really isn’t an emergency vehicle.  We are buying it from a company that supplies…and we would have to do some of the work.  We would handle as much of the work in house that we could.  The guys put together the trailer when they came in, when we bought that.  I am pretty confident in the work that they can do.  Fairness is the thing that we’ve been trying to do, because of some past issues before I became the Fire Chief.  To tell you exactly what the work is going to need to be put into it then you can put a dollar amount to it so that there are no surprises when the CPO or whatever the case may be.

   Ms. Schindel: And this was a purchase.  It is a flat out purchase.

   Mr. Evers: What is the total cost between striping, radio, and the vehicle what are we looking at here?

   Chief Whittington: It was a guess, because I don’t know the numbers on as far as shelving goes.  But the rate is about $3,000.00, striping is about $2,000.00, lights are about $1,000.00 and the shelving is about $1,000.00.  It is about $57,000.00 total.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Zuren?

   Mr. Zuren: Finance Director Schindel can you point out where in the budget the money that is for this?  I just want some clarity on it.

   Ms. Schindel: It is the original Fire Levy and the number is 410.

   Mr. Zuren: Okay thank you.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Hoefle?

   Mr. Hoefle: Did we get something in here at all that says how much what the $50,000.00 is for, because I am not seeing anything in my packet.  And do we have to go out for bid on this?

   Ms. Schindel: No we don’t have to go out for bid.  First of all the product that we are buying this one place is under $50,000.00 number one.  Number two this is state minimum pricing.

   Mr. Hoefle: Okay.

   Ms. Schindel: In addition to that the Chief went see if he could do something about it.  So this is the best that we can do.  So we touched all of those bases.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Spotton?

   Mr. Spotton: Chief Whittington is there any other radios in the older vehicles that could be forward?  I know that the County is probably looking forward to every ten years or so to get a new radio system and we are probably close to the end of its life line.  I don’t want to have to buy a new radio and then have it need to be replaced in the next three years again.

   Chief Whittington: We have already stripped all of the vehicles, so the new squad that got put into service we stripped the old radios out of those squads.  So we have no…

   Mr. Spotton: The last actual vehicles don’t have them?

   Chief Whittington: No because we stripped that to put it in…and we might have used that for…so it is pulled out somewhere.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any other questions?  Move it forward?

   Mr. Hoefle: I am okay with moving it forward as long as everything in the budget.  We have money for it we are okay then.

   Mr. Zuren: I am okay moving it forward.

   Mr. Evers: That item will move forward to Council. 

2. East 344^th Street Pavement Improvements Bid Results

   Mr. Evers: I turn it over the Mayor Morley or City Engineer Gwydir.

   Mayor Morley: Bids came in last week for Fabrizi Trucking and Paving and they came in as the lowest and best bid for $334,979.50.  Mr. Gwydir was in on the bid and if he has anything else to add to it.

   Mr. Gwydir: Just real quick every year we do interviews with….the Road Fund and OPWC is paying for 50% of this project in its total.  That the engineering and the road way and the nice thing about it is the estimate was $390,000.00 and the lowest was $334,979.50 like the Mayor said it came in $55,000.00 underneath the 50/50 funding.

   Mayor Morley: As that we are asking is that they accept the bid.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Hoefle?

   Mr. Hoefle: Just a real quick question is this East 344^th between Vine and…

   Mayor Morley: Eastlawn Street and Stevens Boulevard.

   Mr. Gwydir: Stevens Boulevard and Eastlawn Street.

   Mr. Hoefle: Stevens Boulevard and Eastlawn Street.

   Mr. Gwydir: Yes sir.

   Mr. Hoefle: Thank you.

   Mayor Morley: It is the one that we had last year and they pulled out after they Okayed it and then they didn’t okay it, because they didn’t have enough funding.  Then this year they Okayed it.

   Mr. Gwydir: Mayor I’m not sure how you wanted to approach this…the contract that your discussing Council’s discretion would be awarded either before July 1^st or after July 1^st, but it can’t be signed until after July 1^st.

   Mayor Morley: We wanted to award it now in case there was anything that came up in between now and July.  So we are going to award it but we’re not going to sign off until July 1^st, because that is when the money…

   Mr. Gwydir: What happens is the funds don’t become available from OPWC until after the 1^st, so it can either be awarded now and the Mayor can sign it right after the 1^st.  Or you can wait until the first meeting in July and award it typically from the time it’s awarded until the time it starts is a minimum of six weeks.  This is a short job so it will beat winter.

   Mr. Evers: Ms. DePledge?

   Ms. DePledge: Mr. Gwydir remember when we did Stevens Boulevard and the cement was so bad…what type of quality control is there going to be for the cement mixture so that we don’t have the same issue that we had.

   Mr. Gwydir: There are a couple of things that we do first of all it is a cement or concrete pavement that we use.  It is an 800 lb mix that probably doesn’t mean anything, but it is a very dense type of mix.  There is a full time inspection on it and there is also quality control testing on the set.  It is just a matter of course.  Stevens Boulevard happens to be reaching its useful lifetime at this moment on both ends.  It comes apart after about twenty to twenty-five years.  The joints fail and then the centers fail afterwards.

   Ms. DePledge: About probably ten years ago I remember there was a problem with the quality of the cement that we had on one contract job.  Again I’m not saying it is going to happen again, but I just want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

   Mr. Evers: I think that we were told that there was too much fly ash mixed in with it at the time.

   Ms. DePledge: Something was wrong with the cement when it was made and I just want to make sure there is quality control so that we don’t have that issue again.

   Mr. Gwydir: Going into it we mix designs in that are approved.  ODOT mixed designs that ODOT accepts for their highway projects that we approve.  There is no free lancing off of that.

   Ms. DePledge: Thank you.

   Mr. Gwydir: Yes mama.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any other questions?

   Mr. Klammer: Could you have Mrs. Simons put a reference in there that it is not going to be signed until July, because I swear that we had a provision that required it to be signed within thirty days of passage.  As long as it is in the legislation we will be alright.

   Mr. Evers: Mrs. Simons…

   Mr. Klammer: I swear that we have it in here somewhere.

   Mr. Evers: Committee move it forward?

   Mr. Hoefle: I am okay with moving it forward.

   Mr. Zuren: Move it forward.

   Mr. Evers: Council is going to go ahead and move it forward Mrs. Simons, but they are going to accept the bid but we are not going to sign the contract until July 1^st for the Mayor and Mr. Klammer.  So if you would put that in the legislation please.  That item is moved forward.

3. To discuss a lease through Penn Care for a new 2017 F40 4X4 Braun Chief XL Ambulance

   Mr. Evers: I will turn this over to Ms. Schindel.

   Ms. Schindel: We talked about it when we’re talking about the ambulance…about refurbishing the one ambulance that is not in very good shape.  We thought that we would look to see what the cost of a new one is verses refurbishing and we are looking at $100,000.00.  So it is more obviously, but it’s one that’s life time is going to be significantly longer for the extra money that you are paying.  I am bringing it to you now because we actually have the ability…and this is not in the budget.  I am very clear this is new money’s, but we have the ability to bring it in house to use and to make payments in arrears.  So we don’t have to make a payment until next year at this time.  It is going to be the dollar buy out, so it is something to consider.  It is something that they have…the financing company standing there going yes I can see that this is passed and we are willing to extend you the credit.  Penn Care says yes we can offer you the same discounts as what you had before or similar, so that you can get something that is going to be a little longer nature.  Again this is not in the budget it has to go into next year’s budget, but it gives us the ability to have a good ambulance as a second one this year.  And not have to wait for next year to refurbish and get all of that process in place and that would take awhile.  We didn’t do refurbishing because I wasn’t sure we could even get financing on it and I didn’t have the cash to make that payment.  That is why we bring forth this idea.  There is a whole new one and we’ve got financing available.  Chief Whittington it’s all yours.

   Chief Whittington:  It is the same kind of situation.  Braun has the demo…that we just bought.  It is ready to go and delivery time is about three weeks.  All we have to do is give them the go ahead.  It actually has…it’s a newer model then the one that we just bought.  Even though we just bought a 2017 this is a 2017 plus a little bit more.  Actually a 2016 plus a little bit more.  It has some new standards on it and that type of thing.  It’s an opportunity and I know that we talked about it.  The one thing that we were going to try and put in a new box or take a box off and put it on a new chase and that was about $100,000.00 worth of work there.  It would be out for about six months.  It was just an opportunity that we talked about.  It will be almost exactly what we just got and it is a demo so we saved about $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 by going to demos.  If we specked out and bought it out right.

   Ms. Schindel: The stripping and all of that is still something that they have.  All of the designs for the wrap so they said it was actually for them a beneficial time as well.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Zuren?

   Mr. Zuren: Which ambulance and what is the year of the ambulance that this would be replacing?

   Chief Whittington: Off the top of my head it would probably be the 2009, which is the one that the motors keep failing on.  We have replaced that motor at least three times and we’ve probably blown eight turbot’s in it.  It is because it’s the EPA standards and we continue to have motor problems with.  As a matter of fact it is in reserve statues, even though age wise it is only about eight or nine years old.  The motor just keeps failing and I put a tremendous amount of money into the motor goes bad.

   Mr. Zuren: Are there four that are currently in service now?

   Chief Whittington: There are three.

   Mr. Zuren: There are three…the 2009, 2017…

   Chief Whittington: And the 2006.

   Mr. Zuren: Which one is the one that you have to plug in, because of the issues?

   Chief Whittington: That’s the fire engine.

   Mr. Zuren: Okay that’s different.

   Chief Whittington: That’s a different meeting.

   Mr. Zuren: I just think that we have to be really careful and I think that the public kind of gave us a blessing on passing the Fire Levy.  It’s great to have the public behind you and they showed that they believe in us and they have faith in us to pass a $2 Million tax increase and thank goodness for that.  I think that we need to consider any actions based on the public and they are starting to get behind us and have faith and leadership in the city.  I think that is a very powerful…buying two ambulance’s within a couple of months…I know the need but since you also consider that the money isn’t going to be coming in until 2018.  I know that the first payment isn’t due until June or July of next year…I think that we have to consider all of that as what is in the best interest for the city.  One thing that I really wanted which I have not asked for is a list of the Fire Department, Police Department and the Service Department deem as an immediate need, possibly a need within six months, and a need within a year or longer.  To have that list and to actually work on long term infrastructure for the city…I know that the roofs have got to a main…something that is near the top.  We have the bowed wall over in the Police Station that has to be top on the list.  Lifesaving equipment absolutely that is up there, but when you factor in the whole atmosphere of the city and they are behind us…public perception…I am just concerned that maybe we should take a step back and get all of the imformation on what is really needed and make a decision on if the roof is it the most important thing, or is the Police wall the next thing and have all of the information before we start buying stuff that is $200,000.00.  Because we have so much money…more… and I thing that we need to do our due diligence and we need to make a through investigation before we decide what to spend this kind of money on.

   Mr. Evers: Mayor Morley?

   Mayor Morley: I think that we’ve done our due diligence for one and I think that we haven’t bought anything for a long time, and I think that we could wait on this and next year it could be $250,000.00.  So we can do that and we won’t have to make a payment until next year, but the price is going to be $250,000.00 next year.  So we either wait and spend the fifty…I’ve told the director’s that we are going to sit down and look over it.  But again what I’ve told them this is not going to be a feeding frenzy.  This is something that we need and that we’ve needed it for a while.  From our prospective we’re showing hey you passed the levy and we are using the money on what we said that we are going to use it for. We are going to buy an ambulance with the levy money.  That is our due diligence.  The Chief does his and does all of the work and gets our best pricing on things.  From that prospective again next year it could be $250,000.00, so if Council decides that they want to wait that is what you’re going to look at.  It is possibly another $50,000.00.  We are doing what we said what we said we were going to do.  We are going to take care of the safety in the city with this money.  And don’t forget this money is for the Fire Department.  It isn’t for the Police or the Service Department need.  The Fire Department Levy was passed for the Fire Department.  This is for the Fire Department not hey we need a police car, we’re not going to use the money from there for a police car.  This money that passed is for their department.  This is what this will do.

   Mr. Evers: Ms. Schindel?

   Ms. Schindel: When talked about last year in the budget or actually earlier this year in the budget.  To re-furbish that other vehicle, which would cost us $100,000.00 and we would have to wait six months.  We were going to put that money…that money in the budget.  What we’re not asking for really is another extra $100,000.00.  It is going to last you longer than the five years that this other vehicle might have lasted.  It is going last you ten years or is should.  It’s brand new it should last ten to fifteen years.  Because we’ve got the ability to finance, which we did not have before, I’ve got the ability to make the payment be less in next year’s budget.  Just because of the financing.  And that $100,000.00 I don’t really think that anybody was going to step forward and finance.  I checked around I didn’t have anybody.  This one I can finance and my payments less…the city’s payment.

   Mr. Evers: Chief according to the quote it’s got to be done within fourteen days of the date of the letter. 

   Chief Whittington: The reason they have that in there is because that is a demo model.  And offer that up to anybody.  So with us just buying one we called them when we were looking at stuff…we called them again they me they would hold it.  Honestly and truly because of the way that the amount of finance are in the city…those demo’s have become a premium, because again they take them to shows.  This ambulance that we just got was going to some of the trade shows that they have and they want to show their Cadillac version of them.  They do make the best and they do get sucked up pretty quick.  Not to say that this is the last one that they will have as a demo.  But that is why you see that kind of mark on there, because they will probably have two or three other people lined up that are interested in buying demos.  So that is why they have that.

   Mr. Evers: Ms. Schindel when can we start seeing money from the tax levy that just passed?  I know that it is next year.  Is it the first quarter or second quarter?

   Ms. Schindel:  On a normal basis you would get your first half…February or March.  You would get a little bit in February and the rest of it in March.  We call it the settlement.  So yes we will have half of those funds in the first quarter of next year.

   Mr. Evers: There is no compounded interest or anything like that being put on this for the rest of this year.  It is a flat rate price and we don’t start paying on it until January.

   Ms. Schindel: Actually we did an annual so once we accept this we will make the payment a year from that date.  So it will be a year from June that we will make this payment.  Three year, four year, five year it is a flat dollar amount.  So if you went three years at $70,000.00 that is still less than $100,000.00 that we were willing to do for a re-furbished.  Which myself I would rather have a brand new one.

   Chief Whittington: If I could just add I know and I heard…saying that the Mayor obviously we want to present a plan.  So there is a plan and I know that it seems probably because of the fact we bring it to you guys…there is a plan there is a replacement plan as far as that goes and it was a opportunity.  I have no inclination…first of all obviously I can bring a plan to the boss and the boss can sit down with Ms. Schindel and they bring it to you.  So I have a lot of people that have to approve things before…but my plan is just a plan.  So obviously whatever I present it is going to be based on the fact that I think it is the best but it is also based on the fact that I also know that we don’t have to spend everything at once.  The replacement of vehicles and some of the stuff around the station…we started talking about getting some different types of training and that type of thing.  It is a progressive plan and I continue to update the five year plan.  I think that the Mayor has request us to sit down as a group here…so before I finalize my plan I just need to talk to him about a couple of things and then we will have something.  It will all be a plan that we have it’s just not shooting from the hip kind of deal.  I have waited for this for nine years.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any other questions from any other member from Council?  Move it forward?

   Mr. Hoefle: I am okay with moving it forward.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Zuren?

   Mr. Zuren: I am okay with moving it forward.  I would really like to see a breakdown of the items that you feel need to be addressed.  Just so we…

   Chief Whittington: From the fire side?

   Mr. Zuren: Yeah I would love to see that just to have it.  Put everything in prospective on what you feel is the most important and list it from there.  Thank you.

   Mr. Ever: We will move this item forward to Council.

   Ms. Schindel: And the leasing…we need to talk about the leasing on it.  Three years is my recommendation.  It is still less than the re-furbished amount.  That would be $70,870.98 for a year.  That is a recommendation.

   Mr. Evers: Okay.

   Mayor Morley: That is also my recommendation.  Ms. Schindel and I talked about it in detail and Mr. Vuckovich as well.

   Mr. Evers: Okay Chief Whittington?

   Chief Whittington: Absolutely.

   Mr. Evers: Three year?

   Chief Whittington: That is good.  I’ve been working with Ms. Schindel and we’ve been looking at expenditures along with a plan expenditures over that time frame.  I am well aware of it.  After nine years I still learn something new about my budget.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any concerns?  None okay then we will move it forward to Council.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

4. To discuss a Grant Proposal from ODNR Nature Works

   Mr. Evers: I will turn it over to Mrs. Brewster and I am with the Chagrin Water Shed Partners.  We are a non-profit organization that serves thirty-four different member communities.  And the City of Eastlake is one of our member communities.  So recently we assisted the city for the completion of a grant application to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Nature Works Grant Program.  So that grant program funds all sorts of things like parks within the State of Ohio.  So that can be to park improvements, playgrounds are a common request and so assisted the city with an application to the Development Natural Playground at Erie Road Park.  So Natural Playground is similar to a traditional playground, but it incorporates natural components like: wood, sometimes water, sand, vegetative plantings and so forth…a lot of time boulders as well.  The grant request was for $42,620.00 from ODNR and the total project cost was $56,860.00.  So there is a 25% match requirement for this grant opportunity and so we were able to gather in-kind contribution commitments from local businesses.  For example Big Dig offered an in-kind contribution for excavation services, Hurtz Brothers also offered some materials for the playground, and the Port Authority offered some time with assisting with movement of materials for the installation of the playground.  The actual grant funds would go towards hiring the contractor for utility and site work, fencing, play elements, and the installation of those elements, vegetative plantings, benches, picnic tables, trash and recycling receptacles, and the project sign.  For this grant opportunity it is a reimbursement grant.  Meaning that projects sponsors must have the adequate funds to finance the grant project prior to receiving reimbursement, so I am asking the Finance Committee to consider if they would be willing to pay for the services to be reimbursed.  From the procedural guide from this grant it does state that all items submitted for reimbursement must correct, complete, well documented, and within the limits of the awarded grant.  If all forms and documents are acceptable…so those are things like receipts, proof of payment for the services and so forth.  The participant can usually expect reimbursement within forty-five days.  If the Committee is interested in that there is a resolution of authorization that would be required from the applicant.  It is due to ODNR by one month after date with May 1^st.  So it would be due on June 1^st and if that is something that you would like to consider I did draft up a draft resolution that you can take a look at.  There are several copies of those.  A little bit more information the grant award announcements will be made in the fall of this year.  That is the time line that we are looking at.  One more item is that the sign, which is required at all ODNR Nature Works Improvement areas is a little less than one hundred dollars and that to be split…75% reimbursement and 25%….I am sorry I have it backwards it is 25% reimbursement.  Anyways there would have to be a twenty-five dollar payment for that sign from the applicant the City of Eastlake.  With that I can pass around.

   Mayor Morley: The money from the city would come out of the Land Acquisition Fund and it would just be reembersed like you did with the Block Grant.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Zuren?

   Mr. Zuren: I have a couple of questions.  The inkind contribution which is about $14,000.00…my question is there any cost at all to the city besides the cost of the sign?

   Mrs. Brewster: In the end after reembersment?

   Mr. Zuren: Yes.

   Mrs. Brewster: No it would be twenty-five dollars for the cost of the sign.

   Mr. Zuren: One other question is there a possibility of disqualified for reembersement?  Has it ever happened to your knowledge?  In the situation where a city puts forward the money and then gets reembersed?

   Mrs. Brewster: I am not aware of those kinds of situations, but I can contact ODNR and ask them about that, if that is information that you would like.  I think that would only happen…I don’t have the actual procedural guide with me, but I think that only in the case of spending funds on items that you did not propose that you would be spending funds for…so an unapproved purchase.  But I can check with ODNR to see if there have been cases like that.

   Mr. Zuren: Okay thank you.

   Mr. Evers: Mr. Hoefle?

   Mr. Hoefle: Where is this park actually located on Erie? Where on Erie?

   Mrs. Brewster: It is that the corner of Erie Road and Admiral Drive.

   Chief Whittington: The Salmon Association their department is down there.

   Ms. DePledge: Where the Little League used to be down in that area.

   Mr. Hoefle: That’s where I thought it was.

   Mr. Evers: By the sewer plant.

   Chief Whittington: Sanitation.

   Mr. Evers: I believe that we had a meeting on this last night Mr. Kasunick.

   Mayor Morley: Mr. Hoefle was not there.

   Mr. Kasunick: I don’t thing that anybody had any objection in principle to having a playground that wasn’t an unpopular…there were some ideas that were apart of the park plan that were popular.  But the playground is kind of a non-contriversal thing in my opinion.  The only concern the residents had would be the on going expenses with it.  Even though its no cost to the city that it would be ongoing expenses.  Do to that I don’t think that this is something that is high maintenance if you have anyother information on that as far as ongoing expenses regarding the playground.

   Mrs. Brewster: In the grant application we did have to demonstrate what kind of maintenance and who would be responsible for maintenance.  So we provided the Lease Agreement that the Port Authority has with the City of Willoughby currently and there is some language in there regarding the current maintenance requirements for the park.  Debris and trash removal, snow removal and so forth so we included that language within the grant application as far as general maintenance of the park.

   Mr. Kasunick Also worthy of note the Salmon Club helps to maintained this and the people at the Livery as well will help maintained that area.

   Mr. Evers: I believe the City of Eastlake also cuts grass down there.

   Mr. Kasunick: Yes.

   Mayor Morley: I was down there today and I found a couple of interesting things while I was down there.

   Mr. Evers: Found what?

   Mayor Morley: I found a couple of interesting pathways while I was there today.

   Mr. Evers: Would you like to share it with us?  Mr. Zuren?

   Mr. Zuren: I have another question for Mrs. Brewster.  For the $56,860.00 what type of equipment would that include?

   Mr. Brewster: Natural playgrounds are typically…they vary and I want to drop an example from Penitentiary Glen.  They are just literally opening up their natural playground and it is much larger than this one would be.  It is all sorts of things like trails, wood materials; they also incorporate slides into the hillside…so using the existing topography to incorporate playing materials.  Their playground has tunnels that were actually installed through the ground o the kids can climb over them or go through them.  They have a little pond down that wasn’t in this grant application, but there are bamboo shots, a little forest that the children can run through.  I am just trying to think of other examples.  Balance beams are another one, sitting areas.  Just a lot of natural materials and one of the benefits is that there aren’t any tall structures and…and it is supposed to be a little bite safer for children as well.  And to also expose them to nature, to help them to express creativity outdoors and so forth…natural expression and what not.  They can be very visually pleasing as well.  I don’t want to give the impression that tree stumps and sort of thing…it can look very nice.  I should have brought some pictures.  I’m sorry.

   Mr. Kasunick: There are some pictures on there I believe.

   Mr. Brewster: Yes.  I do encourage you to check out at Penitentiary Glen it is pretty nice.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any other questions?  Mr. Kasunick?

   Mr. Kasunick: As far as the exact location within the park there was also the issue that one resident brought up as far as making sure things aren’t on the flood plan.  So that can cause some pretty serious damage or even wash things out if it’s improperly placed.

   Mrs. Brewster: Within the grant proposal we said that the final design would determine the ultimate location of the playground.  We were pretty vague and the map that is included I think we put a box around a huge area.

   Mayor Morley: Add on to a couple of things that are down there now.

   Mrs. Brewster: You could place it right where the existing.

   Mayor Morley: Right where we had the existing.  On the right hand side when you go down the drive.  There is plenty of room there.

   Mrs. Brewster: Of course that would be up to the city and the Port Authority.

   Mr. Evers: Are there any other questions?  Committee move it forward?

   Mr. Hoefle: I am okay with moving it forward.

   Mr. Zuren: I think it’s a great idea and Mr. Kasunick did a great job. Absolutely move it forward.

   Mr. Evers: This will be moved forward.

   There were no further questions or comments.

   PENDING:

   There was nothing under Pending.

   There were no further questions or comments.

   MISCELLANEOUS:

 

There was nothing under Miscellaneous.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments.

 

 

REGOGNITION OF PUBLIC:

 

There was no one who wished to speak.

 

 

MAYOR’S COMMENTS:

 

Mayor Morley had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments for the Mayor.

 

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT:

 

Chief Whittington had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments for the Fire Chief.

 

 

BUILDING DEPARTMENT:

 

Mr. Menn had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments the Chief Building Official.

 

 

CITY ENGINEER:

 

Mr. Gwydir had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments for the City Engineer.

 

 

FINANCE DEPARTMENT:

 

Ms. Schindel had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments for the Finance Director.

 

 

LAW DEPARTMENT

 

Mr. Klammer had nothing to report.

 

 

There were no further questions or comments for the Law Director.

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m.

 

 

tms     

APPROVED: ___________________________

 

 DATE: ______________________________