OATH OF OFFICE - PIQUA POLICE DEPARTMENT
LIEUTENANT RICHARD BYRON

Law Director Stacy Wall administered the Oath of Office to Lieutenant Richard Byron.

PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 17, 2012

Renewal of an application for placement of farmland in an agricultural district filed by Ellen J. Allenbaugh for Parcel #44-100640 in the City of Piqua.

Moved by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Commissioner Vogt, to open the Public Hearing for public comment. Voice vote, Aye, Martin. Vogt, Wilson, Terry, and Fess. Nay. None. Motion carried unanimously.

City Manager Huff stated this is a public hearing for an application received from Ellen J. Allenbaugh for placement of her farmland in an agricultural district in the City of Piqua. After this public hearing the City of Piqua will have thirty days to act on this.

Public Comment

No one came forward to speak for organist the application for placement of the proposed farmland in the City of Piqua at this time.

Moved by Commissioner Terry, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to close the Public Hearing. Voice vote, Aye; Fess, Wilson, Terry, Vogt, and Martin. Nay; None. Motion carried unanimously.

Moved by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Commissioner Terry, to place the application on the next City Commission Agenda of May 1, 2012. Voice vote, Aye; Terry, Vogt, Wilson, Martin, and Fess. Nay; None. Motion carried unanimously.

PRESENTATION - PIQUA SKATE PARK - RICHARD DONNELLY

Mr. Donnelly came forward and presented a brief overview and designs of the plans for the Piqua Skate Park to be built at Pitsenbarger Park, and would be located next to the Municipal Swimming Pool in the near future. Mr. Donnelly stated he researched various different designs, and traveled around looking at numerous other skate parks in the area before completing his final plans. Weather permitting, construction on the Skate Park should begin in early May with a tentative completion date sometime the end of June or early July. This is something that Piqua has been neeeding for a long time, and is glad he is able to provide it, stated Mr. Donnelly.

City Manager Huff stated this is a considerable donation by Mr. Donnelly as he is donating the design and construction of the Skate Park to the City of Piqua. The city is very grateful to Mr. Donnelly for taking on the project, as it will be a great addition to the City of Piqua, stated Mayor Fess.

PROCLAMATION

Week of the Young Child

Mayor Fess read the proclamation for the Week of the Young Child and presented it to Commissioner Terry. Commissioner Terry stated it is ironic that just this past week there was a death in the City of a young child which reminds us how precious our children are. Commissioner Terry further stated it is very important to educate our children and adults, and honor the teachers, daycare providers, and all those who are involved in the lives of young children in our community.

RESIDENCE PRIDE AWARDS

Mayor Fess read the names and addresses of the Residence Pride Award winners while a slide was shown of each property. Mayor Fess thanked and congratulated all of them on taking pride in their homes, and also thanked those who nominated them. The winners include:

Randy & Carla Baker - 214 E. Main Street
Michael & Reva Ray - 1600 Manier Avenue
Carol Botts - 626 & 628 W. Ash Street
Jonathan & Kim Stevens - 720 Park Avenue
Paul & Irene Graham - 1010 Elm Street

Mayor Fess stated applications are available on the website or they can contact the City Manager's office to pick up a form to nominate a neighbor or a friend home.

REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING

Approval of the minutes from the April 3, 2012 Regular Piqua City Commission Meeting.

RES. NO. R-77-12

A Resolution accepting the resignation of Larry Hamilton as a member of the Community Diversity Committee

Moved by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Commissioner Terry that the minutes of the Regular Piqua City Commission Meeting of April 3, 2012, and Resolution No. R-77-12 be approved. Roll call, Aye: Wilson, Terry, Martin, Vogt, and Fess. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously.

RES. NO. R-78-12

A Resolution authorizing an agreement with Watchguard for the purchase of six (6) mobile video recorders for the Police Department cruisers

Police Chief Jamison stated the Police Department has been utilizing various grant opportunities over the past three years to replace in-car VHS camera systems with digital recorders that would be compatible with the in-house indexing and digital filing system for the recordings obtained in the field. Police Chief Jamison stated in May of 2011 the City responded to a Request for Proposals for JAG funding in the amount of $27,536.25. In January of 2012 the Police Department entered into an agreement for an award of $23,405.78, and Watchguard was chosen as the provider. Police Department Policy calls for recording certain police/citizen contacts, and has come to expect these recordings in the court system, and in the public domain. The recordings have become critical for successful prosecution of crimes such as OVI, as well as in defense of accusations against police officers, stated Chief Jamieson.

There was discussion on the capability of moving the recorders from one car to another as the police cruisers are replaced. Grant money was obtained to purchase the recorders, and is to be used for OVI stops. This will also be a great asset to the officers for recording conversations and incidents in the field, stated Chief Jamieson.

Public Comment

No one came forward to speak for or against Resolution No. R-78-12.

Moved by Commissioner Wilson, seconded by Commissioner Terry, that Resolution No. R-78-12 be adopted. Roll call, Aye: Vogt, Fess, Wilson, Terry, and Martin. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Fess then declared Resolution No. R-78-12 adopted.

RES. NO. R-79-12

A Resolution retaining the service of Horan to provide Health Insurance Consulting Services for the City of Piqua

Human Resource Director Elaine Barton stated HORAN has been the City's provider for the last two years and would like to continue with them for the 2012 year. HORAN has been very instrumental in working with the City on setting up an on-site clinic by bringing two different vendors to review proposals for the project. HORAN has met not only with the City, but also with the school system to discuss the needs with regards to an on-site clinic. HORAN has been able to negotiate lower health insurance premiums for the City for the past two years, and they were able to negotiate a rate pass (0%) for the 2011 benefit plan year, and a single digit (9%) increase for the 2012 plan year. Each of these years a higher rate was initially released but through negotiations HORAN was able to save the city thousands of dollars. HORAN has been able to keep the city informed with regards to the changes in recent health care laws, and the City does not incur broker fees with them, as they are paid a flat fee rather than a percentage of whichever health insurance coverage is chosen.

City Manager Huff stated in working with HORAN on the on-site medical clinic they have provided a tremendous amount of work, and if it comes to be, the city will see some tremendous cost savings in the future. City Manager Huff further stated he believes the city will be getting a bargain for the amount of money being spent.

Mayor Fess stated she has only heard good things about HORAN and is happy to have them working with the City of Piqua.

HORAN Account Manager Julie Tople, stated she wanted to thank the City for approving them two years ago, further stating it has been a great experience working with the City, and she is looking forward to working with everyone in the future. The on-site clinic is very exciting for HORAN. We have not worked with a project like this before but, City Manager Huff has pushed us to go forward with this project feels this will be an exciting process. This project will probably be used with other HORAN clients, as the City of Piqua has set the bar very high for providing an on-site clinic and saving money, said Ms.Tople.

HORAN Account Executive Eric Freudenberg stated it has been an honor to work with the City of Piqua, and they have truly fallen in love with the City. They are also looking forward to working with the Piqua Chamber of Commerce to. They are very appreciative of the quality of the staff in the City, and have enjoyed working with City Manager Huff, stated Mr. Freudenberg.

Mayor Fess stated the on-site clinic will be a great benefit for city employees, and will be very cost effective in saving the City money on health insurance in the future. City Manager Huff explained how the on-site clinic would operate, who would be eligible, what services would be offered along with the type of prescriptions that would be available, and the tremendous cost savings it would be to the City of Piqua.

Mayor Fess thanked the HORAN representatives for attending and providing the information, and further stated the city is looking forward to working with them in the future.

Public Comment

No one came forward to speak for or against Resolution No. 79-12

Moved by Commissioner Terry, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, that Resolution No. R-79-12 be adopted. Roll call, Aye: Vogt, Fess, Wilson, Terry, and Martin. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Fess then declared Resolution No. R-79-12 adopted.

RES. NO. R-80-12

A Resolution requesting authorization to enter into an agreement with O.R.Colan Associates for the right-of-way acquisition services for the County Road 25-A Phase II reconstruction project.

City Engineer Amy Havenar stated this resolution would allow the City Manager to enter into an agreement with O.R. Colan Associates for the Right-of-Way Acquisition services for the County Road 25-A Phase II Reconstruction Project. The project construction limits are County Road 25-A from Country Club Road to Looney Road with the project being consistent with the improvements made on County Road 25-A Phase I Reconstruction Project completed in 2008. The roadway will be widened to 4 lanes and will be modified from a rural cross-section to an urban cross-section with the utilities being updated as necessary. New curbs, gutters, and sidewalks will be installed the full length of the project. As with all projects utilizing federal money the city has to follow their rules when hiring a consultant. Three Requests for Qualifications were sent out and O.R. Colan Associates was chosen based on their qualifications, stated Ms. Havenar.

There was discussion of providing sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, and it was stated with the schools being located in the area it is necessary to install sidewalks. The question of bike lanes being installed on the roadway was also discussed, and it was stated the roadway would have five-foot wide sidewalks but would not have any dedicated bike lanes at this time. This is something with the Complete Streets Program that could be looked at down the road, stated Ms. Havenar. It was mentioned that maybe sidewalks could be installed only on one side and a bike lane be installed on the other side. We only asked for sidewalks at this time, and with this type of grant funding all we can do is just sidewalks at this time, said Ms. Havenar.

Public Comment

No one came forward to speak for or against Resolution No. R-80-12.

Moved by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Commissioner Vogt, that Resolution No. R-80-12 be adopted. Roll call, Aye: Fess, Wilson, Terry, Martin, and Vogt. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Fess then declared Resolution No. R-80-12 adopted.

Monthly Reports - January 2012

Monthly Reports for January 2012 were accepted.

Public Comment

This is an opportunity for citizens to address the City Commission regarding issues or to provide information. Comments are requested to be limited to five (5) minutes and specific questions should be addressed to the City Manager's office.

No one came forward to speak at this time.

City Manager's Report

Economic Development Update

Economic Development Director Bill Murphy announced the State of the Economic Development is scheduled for April 19, 2012 at the Ft. Piqua Plaza, 4th Floor from 5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. The speaker will be David R. Avdakov, Senior Portfolio Advisor from U.S. Bank, and will be highlighting several economic development projects from 2011 in Piqua.

Mr. Murphy stated for three weeks in a row companies from the City of Piqua have been featured on the cover of the Dayton Business Journal. These companies include Hartzell Air Movement for their high bay expansion project, WesCon Industries for their potential expansion of their growing business with the natural gas and energy sector, and Industry Products Company for their upcoming expansion that will add 125,000 square feet with up to 50 additional new jobs. The last two projects are subject to State Incentives and we will continue to work with the Dayton Development Coalition and Jobs Ohio, as we will be going to Columbus at the end of the month for the Industry Products project. Also will continue to work with the Ohio Department of Development, and the Ohio Department of Transportation on a rail spur for the WesCon project. This is great coverage and is very exciting news for the City of Piqua, stated Mr. Murphy.

Department Update - Police Department - Chief Bruce Jamison

Police Chief Jamison stated in light of the promotion of Lieutenant Richard A. Byron he would like to give a brief update on some of the little known facts of the Police Department Promotional Requirements. Chief Jamison stated the City of Piqua has a Civil Service Commission that is appointed by the City Commission, and consist of five dedicated citizens who establish rules related to hiring and promoting public safety employees.

Chief Jamison further explained the various steps to the promotional process for the Police Officers.

Chief Jamieson gave a brief history on the Police Department stating the first Chief of Police was appointed in 1903. The Civil Service Commission establishes the rules and regulates both the entry level and promotions. The recent Police Lieutenant test was made up of 50% Written Examination, 25% Assessment Process, and 25% of a Panel Interview. The written test was announced on December 21, 2011 with the test being given on February 21, 2012. After the written examination there were 18 Eligible officers. The next step was the Assessment Process which included the Human Resources Director, Chief of Police, Deputy Chiefs of Police, and a Lieutenant. The next step in the process was the Consultant Review of Organization, the Counseling Session, Oral Presentation, Written Problem-solving Exercise, and what they call an In-Basket Exercise, which was conducted on March 9, 2012. The next step was the Panel Interview held on March 16, the panel consisted of: Chief Jamison, the Human Resource Director, A City Department Head, and two Community Representatives. The candidates were then notified of their written test scores (Raw), Assessment and Interview Scores (Raw), and notified of their rank order on the eligibility list. Promotions will be made from the eligibility list for the next 12-24 months, stated Chief Jamison.

City Manager Huff stated also on Thursday April 19, the Building Sustainable Communities National Conference is scheduled at the Ft. Piqua Plaza with registration beginning at 7:30 A.M. and the program concluding at 3:30 P.M. This is a National Conference being hosted by the National Brownfield Association, and the City of Piqua is very fortunate to have this meeting held in Piqua. Attendees will be coming from all around the State into the community for this, and will be spending money in the city. This is a very positive thing for Piqua, and we would like to have this occur more often in the city, stated City Manager Huff.

City Manager Huff also explained the Drinking Water Notice that Piqua residents received in the mail recently. This notice was sent out due to water testing where the water was found to have exceeded the trihalomethanes level and a notice is required to be sent out. The water was always safe to drink, it just exceed the trihalomethanes level. Basically, this occurs when the water remains motionless in the water lines or in the water tanks for a period of time. New procedures have been put into place to prevent this from occurring in the future. Water lines will be flushed and the water in the water tanks will be turned over on a regular basis, stated City Manager Huff.

Mayor Fess asked how the Water Department would go about changing the water or turning the water over in the water tanks. City Manager Huff explained the process.

City Manager Huff reminded citizens that May 5, 2012 is the citywide cleanup day. This is being referred to as" Piqua Pick it Up and Clean it Day" This is a citywide volunteer effort to clean up the parks, paths, and any public areas and will begin at 8:00 A.M. and conclude at 12:00. Anyone wishing to participate is encouraged to go online at www.piquaoh.org and register, or contact the City Manager's office to sign up.

City Manager Huff stated the winter was certainly good to the city regarding the use of salt, but now the grass is growing earlier and faster than we can keep up with it. We have scheduled overtime to try to get caught up, further stating the City needs to be an example for the citizens by keeping our grass mowed, said City manager Huff.

At the last City Commission Work Session on April 12, a Special Work Session was set for April 26, 2012. At this time we are going to cancel the Work Session on April 26, and will provide the information regarding the Joint Water Study with the City of Troy at the Regular Scheduled Work Session on May 10, 2012.

Commissioner Comments

Commissioner Wilson stated the city has received a lot of great news recently. The Skate Park will be a great addition to the City, as he had several inquiries as to when it will be done already. Also other good news was the presentation that was presented last week at the Commission Work Session regarding the Canal Place Improvements between Ash Street and High Street. Commissioner Wilson thanked MainStreet Piqua for stepping up and undertaking this project.

Commissioner Terry congratulated Lieutenant Byron on his promotion noting she did not realize how much he had to go through for the promotion until she heard the presentation by Police Chief Jamison. Commissioner Terry congratulated all of the Residence Pride winners stating it shows they have pride in their homes and their neighborhoods. Also, if all citizens would take a moment to pick up and clean up the area in front of their homes this would make a huge difference in the community, stated Commissioner Terry.

Commissioner Vogt thanked Mr. Donnelly for making the Skate Park a reality, as it has been a long time coming. Commissioner Vogt also congratulated Lieutenant Byron on his promotion, and congratulated all of the Residence Pride Award winners.

Mayor Fess stated with the announcement of the three new expansions recently they will be providing about 140 new jobs in the City of Piqua, which is very exciting news. On Monday April 16, Abbott Laboratories in Tipp City had their ground breaking. Mayor Fess and Economic Development Director Bill Murphy attended the event and had the opportunity to speak with the Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Chairman of Abbott Laboratories reminding them the City of Piqua is here to help support suppliers of the new company.

Mayor Fess stated she has heard nothing but raves about the Government Citizens Academy from people who are attending stating they are thrilled with what they are learning about the City. One attendee stated to the Mayor they felt everyone in the city should go through this as it exciting and educational and thinks it is wonderful. Another Government Citizens Academy will begin again in the fall, and encouraged citizens to watch for the registration soon.

Mayor Fess stated she would be presenting a proclamation to the Rehabilitation Center in recognition of their 40 Years of outstanding work in the City of Piqua.

Moved by Commissioner Vogt, seconded by Commissioner Martin, to adjourn from the Regular Piqua City Commission Meeting at 8:30 P.M. Voice vote, Aye: Martin, Wilson, Vogt, and Terry. Nay: None. Motion carried unanimously.

______________________________
LUCINDA L. FESS, MAYOR

PASSED: ______________________

ATTEST: _______________________
REBECCA J. COOL
CLERK OF COMMISSION