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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-11-18 CITY OF LIVONIA – CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF STUDY MEETING HELD NOVEMBER 18, 2019 Meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m. by President Laura Toy. Present: Brandon Kritzman, Scott Bahr, Cathy White, Kathleen McIntyre, Brian Meakin, Jim Jolly and Laura Toy. Absent: None. President Toy passed the gavel to Vice President Jolly to allow him to Chair the meeting. Vice President Jolly stated the meeting will be started off with the Pledge of Allegiance by Councilmember Brandon Kritzman and Boy Scouts Nate and Lucas from Troop 782 from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Five Mile. Elected and appointed officials present: Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and Economic Development; Todd Zilincik, City Engineer; Paul Bernier, City Attorney; Susan M. Nash, City Clerk; Mike Slater, Director of Finance; Linda McCann, Director of Community Resources, Tom Goralski, Livonia Police Department, and Dave Varga, Director of Administrative Services. Councilmember White announced that a member of the City’s family was involved in a car crash earlier this morning on I-275. Police Officer Greg Yon, Jr., was seriously injured and asked everyone to pray for him and for his recovery. President Toy sent well wishes to Mayor Dennis Wright who is recovering from his recent surgery. AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: None NEW BUSINESS: 1. REQUEST TO APPROVE NOTICE OF INTENT RESOLUTION TO ISSUE REVENUE BONDS NOT TO EXCEED $12,500,000.00 AND DECLARING INTENT TO REIMBURSE: Department of Finance, re: to construct, furnish and equip improvements to the water supply system of the City’s existing Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System through the approved State Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) loan to be closed on June 12, 2020. Mike Slater, Director of Finance, presented this request to Council. He stated as you know the City has been approved for a Drinking Water Revolving Fund loan. Bond Counsel has prepared for consideration a Notice of Intent to be published in the newspapers, which is one of the steps that’s required to issue the bonds. The Committee requests that City Council adopt the resolution. Councilmember White offered an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda. 2 Councilmember Bahr asked if this is a routine item that we deal with and Slater replied it’s a requirement to issue bonds, so every bond issue that comes before Council, the Notice of Intent is a requirement under State law. Bahr then asked if this is a new bond that we’re taking part of now and we’re paying back within a year and Slater replied that this is the Drinking Water Revolving Fund loan which has come to Council from Engineering and DPW previously. In fact, the engineering for this was just approved with OHM last meeting or the meeting before. This is low interest financing that we apply for and hopefully get, it’s 2% interest on these loans and it’s going to be used to replace water mains, but the Engineering Department can speak more to these bonds. Councilmember Kritzman stated he wanted to make a point of clarification for those watching in the audience or at home. The State program for the Drinking Water Revolving Fund is a program that was set up by the State of Michigan, I believe about five or six years ago now, and Livonia has been pursuing studying our system and seeing what improvements we can make. And if I recall correctly, Mr. Slater, I think we actually did a first round for this program already and this is the second round, certainly much bigger than the first round. Slater replied that the City has had two previous DRWF loans. Kritzman went on to say he knows that this is something that the City has been working on as a community for quite some time, the Engineering Department has been very involved and certainly one of our local engineering firms, OHM, has been really involved in this from the start and he looks forward to supporting this item. Councilmember Meakin stated we have been working with the DRWF for at least five years and this is helping fix our drain systems along the south side as well as the north so that we can maintain so that we can maintain a proper pressure so that we can eliminate some of the water main breaks. It helps the community throughout Livonia to make sure we have the best water system through the City so it’s been a good project. It sound bigger than it is but it’s well worth every penny and he looks forward to supporting it. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 2. AWARD OF BID: Division of Police, re: for the purchase of police uniforms for a period of two (2) years, with two (2) one-year extensions, from budgeted funds. Tom Goralski, Livonia Police Department, requested a sealed bid for the purchase of uniforms as our contract was ending with Allie Brothers. These bids were put nd on MITN and were opened on October 22. There was one bidder, Allie Brothers. You may know they’ve been our vendor since 1974, so for a very long time, they’re an excellent vendor and they’re also the vendor for the Fire Department. We ask 3 for approval of that and if approved, the bid prices will be in effect for two years st with options for two one-year extensions beginning January 1, 2020 and they are from budgeted funds. Councilmember Meakin stated that Allie Brothers is a longstanding Livonia business, and he’s known the owner John for a long time, he knew him as a Jaycee even before his time, an outstanding community leader for Livonia and he’s happy to offer an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 3. REQUEST TO APPROVE CONTRACT FOR CARETAKING SERVICES IN THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE AT GREENMEAD: Department of Community Resources, re: with independent contractor, Jeffrey Ronayne, for the period February 1, 2020 through November 30, 2022, with an option to renew for two (2) additional two-year terms at the discretion of the Mayor of the City. Linda McCann, Director of Community Resources, presented this request to Council. She stated she is before Council to ask approval for the contract with Jeffrey Ronayne for the caretaker position out at Greenmead. He will live in the caretaker’s house out there and check all the buildings, make sure there’s no water in the buildings, the heaters are working, lights are off, doors are locked. President Toy offered an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda. Councilmember White asked through the Chair to the City Attorney, stating she has no objection to this but wouldn’t the renewal of the contract be at the discretion of the Council as opposed to the Mayor. Bernier replied if the Council approves it, you’re giving the Mayor the authority to do it so it would be at the Mayor’s discretion if the Council approves it. Because you are in advance giving him or her the authority to pass that, to sign it. Councilmember White asked if that was a little unusual and Bernier replied that it’s not unusual in the circumstance of Greenmead, it’s what we’ve done in the past. It’s pretty much the same contract we have done with the prior caretaker. When you get one that actually is someone who you like out there and who is taking care of Greenmead the way it should be, we like to keep them there. Councilmember White stated she has no objection, she’s known Jeffrey Ronayne for quite some time, and she thinks he’s the perfect person to do this, but it’s just that it seems to me that contracts that are renewed should come to the Council for that renewal but I’ll defer to the rest of my colleagues. 4 President Toy asked if they would like to eliminate the verbiage about the Mayor and put the Council in and White replied she would prefer that. President Toy said she accepts that. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 4. REQUEST TO WAIVE THE FORMAL BIDDING PROCESS AND APPROVE CONTRACT WITH HARD ROCK CONCRETE: Engineering Division, re: for the Fire Station No. 3 Parking Lot Improvement Project at unit pricing awarded in Contract 19-C. (CR 54-19) Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented this request to Council. He stated that obviously next year prices will go up most likely on concrete and removals and he is trying to take advantage of getting the prices locked in now. They’re been familiar with doing the Fire Station No. 3 last year, and we did Bicentennial in front of there, along with just completing Fire Station No. 1. About five years ago we did some repairs to the joints that are failing and deteriorating in the back and looking to get that completed by September 12, 2020 in preparation of the Open House for the Fire Station they usually have there and he is looking for City Council’s approval and to waive the formal bidding process and award a contract in the amount of $150,675 from budgeted funds from 2020 again for them to complete that work next year, get in and get out, and get that area completed for the Firemen and use it for the upcoming Open House they have in October. Councilmember White offered an approving for the Consent Agenda. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 5. REQUEST TO WAIVE THE FORMAL BIDDING PROCESS AND APPROVE CONTRACT WITH NAGLE PAVING: Engineering Division, re: for the 2020 Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center Parking Lot Improvement Project, Phase II at unit pricing awarded in Contract 19-A. (CR 119-19) Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented this request to Council. He stated that there are budgeted funds for 2020 to take care of Phase II which if you look at your diagram, just south of the existing location that was done during the shutdown which helped improve that area for handicapped parking and other patrons along the front entrance there. We’re looking to complete the area south of that location and further east in front of the maintenance facility to make it safer for pedestrians and again do it during the shutdown of next year. The majority of the unit prices area from 19-A of which the majority of it is from the asphalt price of $92.80 per ton and the cold milling, the rest is miscellaneous items. But again, taking advantage of the unit prices before they go up and getting it done during the shutdown of August 2020. 5 Councilmember Meakin offered an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda and state that Nagle Paving is an outstanding Livonia based business. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 6. REQUEST FOR ADDITIONS TO THE LOCAL STREET SYSTEM FOR ACT 51 COMPUTATIONS: Engineering Division, re: for streets, or portions thereof, newly opened during 2019. Todd Zilincik, City Engineer, presented this request to Council. He stated as you know the City has approximately 370 miles of roadway that we maintain, 60 of major. Each year we come to you before City Council to approve it, if there’s any City streets that have been paved that can come back onto our system again it helps with our funding, for Act 51 funds that we get from the State. Here we have three streets, one which is Mystic Creek, which is Milana Drive, just under approximately 700 feet. The other two were paved last year at this time, Mallory and Elia Street, that’s over on Heritage Square Condos of which approximately seven people have moved in now. So we’re taking advantage of getting these approved through City Council, giving it to the State under the Act 51 map that it will send to us next spring, and again, help us out in the future for collecting additional funds from the State. We’re looking for approval for approximately just under a half mile of new streets to come onto our network. Councilmember Bahr stated he thought Milana Drive was a private drive but apparently it isn’t and Zilincik replied it’s off of Wayne Road so it will be a dedicated City road, just like the other two. So once it gets approval we will end up being responsible to plow those streets for those residents that actually live there. Councilmember White offered an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda stating if there is anything that we should jump on is a chance for funding for road improvements. DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT 7. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LIVONIA CODE OF ORDINANCES AS AMENDED: Department of Law, re: to Section 020 and 070 of Title 8, Chapter 40 (Noxious Weeds and Refuse) of the Livonia Code of Ordinances, to bring into alignment with the State of Michigan’s list of noxious weeds. Paul Bernier, City Attorney, presented this request to Council. He stated when they were asked the question about our Noxious Weeds Ordinance and we took at a look at State law and we found out that our Noxious Weed Ordinance was not in compliance with State Law. For instance, milkweeds we had as a noxious weed. Well, the butterfly community would be very mad at us if we were cutting down milkweeds because that’s what attracts Monarch butterflies. So we wanted to 6 bring our ordinance in compliance with State law and that’s what this is designed to do. Councilmember Bahr stated he likes Monarch butterflies and he then offered an approving resolution for the Regular Agenda. DIRECTION: APPROVING REGULAR AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION None Vice President Jolly thanked President Toy for the privilege of chairing the meeting and that he has learned a lot from President Toy over the last few years and it was an honor to serve as her Vice President. As there were no further questions or comments, Vice President Jolly adjourned the Study Session at 8:21 p.m. on Monday, November 18, 2019. th For the 1,886 Regular Meeting of December 2, 2019 DATED: November 25, 2019 SUSAN M. NASH, CITY CLERK