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Home My WebLink AboutS013023 MinutesCITY OF LIVONIA – CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF STUDY MEETING HELD JANUARY 30, 2023 Meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m. by Council President Jim Jolly. Present: Scott Morgan, Brandon McCullough, Kathleen McIntyre, Scott Bahr, Rob Donovic, and President Jim Jolly. Absent: Vice President Laura Toy. Elected and appointed officials present: Susan Nash, City Clerk; Paul Bernier, City Attorney; David Lear, Assistant City Engineer; Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and Economic Development, Josh Sabo, Director of Communications and Casey O’Neil, Information Systems Director. Councilmember Morgan ledthe Pledge of Allegiance. AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: NONE Scott Bahr announced that Spectrum is having a problem with the audio for the cable viewers watching tonight’s meeting. NEW BUSINESS REQUEST TO WAIVE THE CITY’S NOISE ORDINANCE: Gale Wilcox, Anastasia & Katie's Coffee Shop, re: to host a car show with a DJ, in the parking lot of business located at 19215 Merriman Road on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ian Edgar, an employee of Anastasia & Katie’s Coffee Shop, presented the request to Council. Councilmember McIntyre offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Ian gave flyers for the eventto Council to be posted in City Hall.DIRECTION: APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE ONE (1) 2023 LIFE LINE TYPE-1 SUPERLINER AMBULANCE: Fire Department, re: to replace the current frontline vehicle in our vehicle replacement program, from budgeted funds. Livonia Fire Chief Jennison presented the request to Council. Councilmember McCullough offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE ONE (1) POWER LOAD AMBULANCE COT LOADING SYSTEM: Fire Department, re: to be placed in frontline vehicles and improve worker and patient safety, from budgeted funds. Livonia Fire Chief Jennison presented the request to Council. Councilmember Morgan offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Councilmember Donovic asked if the Power Loading System is the device that lifts patients into the ambulance. Chief Jennison indicated it not only lifts the stretcher but also locks it into place, so it is unable to move during transport. DIRECTION: APPROVALCONSENT AWARD OF BID: Division of Police, re: to replace the network firewall and switching infrastructure that is currently at end of life and out of warranty, from budgeted funds. Livonia Police Chief Goralski presented the request to Council. Councilmember Morgan offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO WAIVE THE SEALED BID PROCESS AND PURCHASE ELEVEN (11) MARKED AND UNMARKED POLICE VEHICLES USING STATE OF MICHIGAN COOPERATIVE BID PRICING AND MACOMB COUNTY CONSORTIUM BID PRICING: Division of Police, re: from budgeted funds. Livonia Police Chief Goralski presented the request to Council. Councilmember McCullough asked when we are expecting to get the vehicles. Chief Goralski said he is hopeful that we will get most of them by summer. Councilmember McCullough offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Councilmember Bahr asked if this request is for all vehicles that will be purchased for the year and if the vehicles are pool cars or individually assigned. He also asked if they would stay in the department for the lifetime of vehicles. Chief Goralski indicated this is the projected need of all vehicles for the year out ofbudget funds. He also said most vehicles are individually assigned to different areas within the department and are kept until they are reassigned within the city or sold at auction. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST TO APPROVE HOURLY RATE INCREASE: Civil Service Department, re: for the classification of Police Reserve Officer. Jeannine Laible, Human Resource Director, presented the request to Council. Councilmember Donovic asked how many Reserve Officers we have and if the rate increase will help us to hire more Officers. Chief Goralski said we currently have 41 but he hopes to increase it to 45. He feels the rate increase will help to hire and retain Reserve Officers. Councilmember McIntyre indicated she feels the increase is in order. Councilmember McIntyre offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Councilmember McCullough asked if this rate is comparable to other cities and if it shouldbe higher than the current request. Jeannine Laible said we are still on the low side, but we do work to stay competitive and willreevaluate the market again after this increase. Councilmember Morgan asked what other communities have Reserve Officers that are utilized like ours and how we arrived at these figures. He feels this amount is too low for someone with the responsibilities that our Reserve Officers do. Jeannine Laible said other communities use volunteers or have officers that are paid more. She indicated Livonia staffs the position and utilizes them more than many surrounding communities. Councilmember Donovic asked what our Crossing Guards get paid right now. Jeannine Laible indicated they are paid $15 per hour as well. President Jolly thanked our Reserve Offices for the job they do. Councilmember McIntyre said our Reserve Officers also oversee our CERT Program.DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST TO APPROVE CITY OF LIVONIA AFSCME UNION LOCAL 1917 CONTRACT AGREEMENT FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1, 2022, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2025, Civil Service Department, re: same. Jeannine Laible, Human Resource Director, presented the request to Council. Councilmember Morgan offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Councilmember Bahr asked for explanation of the stand-by procedure listed in the contract. Jeannine Laible explained this is a person the police department would contact to dispatch the correct department personnel in the event of an after-hour need. Councilmember Bahr asked if “memorialize the current stand-byprocedures”means it is something we already dobut it’s not part of the contract. Jeannine Laible said yes, we are trying to make it a standard part of the contract as well as increase the wage. Councilmember Bahr asked about the option for alternative work schedules, specifically four-day work weeks and if we would still have people available five days a week. Jeannine Laible said that is correct. Councilmember Bahr asked about going to an optional insurance plan rather than the reimbursement plan for dental and optical expenses mentioned in the contract and how that might pertain to Council members. Jeannine Laible explained that we will continue with the current reimbursement plan for one more year and then will transition to a group dental and optical plan. Councilmember McIntyre asked if combining paid time off banks is happening in the world of represented employees. Jeannine Laible said it is not being considered at this time. Councilmember McIntyre voiced her concerns about allowing people to take a buyout of their sick time when they leave. Jeannine Laible said employees hired prior to 2011 get sick time paid out directly, but after 2011 it goes into the retirement plan health savings account. There is also another provision to help maintain attendance, so people don’t use accumulated sick time before they leave. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO AMEND THE 2016-2021 CONSOLIDATION PLAN AND 2019-2020 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN: Livonia Housing Commission, re: to allocate CARES Act Funding to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to include activities that prevent, prepare for, and respond to the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (CR 14020, CR 178-19 and CR 181-16). Ermon Sims, Interim Director of Housing, presented the request to Council. Councilmember Donovic asked what type of activities the Housing Department has planned. He also asked if this is more specific to businesses and how the city is helping businesses. He also asked if we had this program prior to Covid 19 and the Cares Act. Ermon Sims indicated the purpose of CDBG is to provide preparedness training for small businesses in Livonia in the case of a future pandemic and to help businesses still in need of assistance as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic. She also said we did one round with the funding from the Cares Act. Councilmember Donovic asked how much money is left in the CDBG fund. Ermon Sims said it has about $50,000 to do other things within the community. We have done some mental health programs at the senior facilities in Livonia. Councilmember McCullough offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. DIRECTION: APPROVALCONSENT AWARD OF BID: Public Works Division, Forestry Department, re: for the Cityowned tree audit and update of inventory database, from budgeted funds. Doug Moore, Assistant Director of Public Works, presented the request to Council. Councilmember McCullough said this is very exciting that we will be able to use this program paired with GIS technology. Councilmember McCullough offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. Councilmember Bahr asked if the primary difference between our current system and this one is the GIS component. Doug Moore said yes, and it able to update the information we currently have as well. Councilmember Bahr asked if the older system has more room for error. He also asked about the grant given by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation andwanted to verify that they are investing $500,000.00 into trees. Doug Moore said it is an earmark that is presented as a grant and confirmed that his understanding is that Michigan Economic Development Corporation is providing the money for trees. Scott Bahr asked if there are any plans to plant trees on major thoroughfares. Doug Moore indicated that the thoroughfares on major roads are property of Wayne County, but we might be able look into something like that with the extra funds. Councilmember Donovic asked if we are tracking trees on private property. Doug Moore said we only track trees on the right-of-way and not those on private property or in parks. He also explained how the GIS will work. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT AWARD OF BID AND REQUEST TO AMEND THE CONTRACT WITH OHM ADVISORS AND AUTHORIZATION FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION: Public Works Division, re: for the construction administration services for the Building Controls System Upgrade Project, from the Capital Projects Fund. Jacob Rushlow, Assistant Director of Public Works, presented the request to Council. Councilmember McCullough offered a motion to refer this to the Capital Outlay and Infrastructure Committee for review. Councilmember Bahr asked when we would see the results of this Capital Needs Assessment. Jacob Rushlow indicated a meeting is being scheduled and they will invite Plant Moran and Cressa back to present the information to Council. DIRECTION:REFERRED TO CAPITAL OUTLAY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE REQUEST TO RELEASE DEVELOPMENT BONDS: Engineering Division, re: for Capri Court Site Condominium, located on the west side of Farmington Road between Norfolk Avenue and Eight Mile Road in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 4. (CR 304-19) David Lear, Assistant City Engineer, presented the request to Council. Councilmember McIntyre offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. DIRECTION: APPROVALCONSENT REQUEST TO ACCEPT STORM WATER FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT: Engineering Division, re: from LS Equity, LLC, in conjunction with the construction of a storm drain system that provides adequate drainage for property located on the north of Plymouth Road, east of Middlebelt Road, in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 25. David Lear, Assistant City Engineer, presented the request to Council. Councilmember Morgan offered an approving resolution for the Consent agenda. DIRECTION:APPROVALCONSENT AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: NONE As there were no further questions or comments Council President Jim Jolly adjourned the Study Session at 8:48 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023. SUSAN M. NASH, CITY CLERK