CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 14, 2003
The Honorable Council of the City of Evansville met on regular session at 6:30 pm on Monday, July 14, 2003 in the City Council Chambers, Room 301 Civic Center Complex, Evansville, Indiana with Finance Chairwoman Robinson presiding. The following business was conducted.
These minutes are not intended to be a verbatim transcript. Audiotapes of this meeting are on file in the City Clerk’s Office.
ROLL CALL:
There being six (6) members present and three (3) members absent and six (6) members representing a quorum, the Finance Chairwoman Robinson declared this session of the Common Council officially opened.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilman Angermeier led the pledge of allegiance this evening.
COUNCIL ATTORNEY
John Hamilton is Council Attorney this evening.
SERGEANT AT ARMS
This evening Officer D. J. Thompson is our Sergeant at Arms.
READING AND AMENDMENT OF MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETING
Is there a motion to approve the minutes of the June 30, 2003 meetings of the Common Council as written?
Councilman Melcher moved and Councilman Kniese seconded the motion that the minutes of the regular meeting of the Common Council held June 30, 2003 be approved as written. Voice vote. So ordered.
REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
IN YOUR JULY 11TH PACKET:
*City Council Agenda for July 14, 2003 meeting.
*Committee meeting schedule.
*Minutes from June 30, 2003 City Council Meeting.
*Ordinances G-2003-17, G-2003-18, G-2003-19, F-2003-11, and F-2003-12.
*Resolution C-2003-18 and C-2003-19.
*A copy of a letter to Building Commissioner Roger Lehman from the Vanderburgh
County Soil and Water Conservation District regarding compliance of property located
At 2030 Green River Road.
*A revised schedule of CDBG Timeline.
*Board of Park Commissioners Agenda for July 9, 2003 meeting.
*A letter from IDEM regarding sewer permit application from Three I Engineering
for Mead-Johnson Nutritionals.
*A News Release regarding Southwest Indiana Local Elected Officials Lobby for Ozone
Attainment.
*A letter from Lynette Shoemaker, former Whirlpool Employee.
*Board of Zoning Appeals Agenda for July 17, 2003 meeting.
*Evansville Redevelopment Commission Draft Agenda for Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Meeting.
*A list of public events to coincide with the docking of the LST 325 at Marina Pointe.
*A News Release regarding Mayor Lloyd participates in Bizvoice Magazine’s
Roundtable on Economic Development Scenarios.
*A Notice from the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding the LST 325
will sail past the Riverfront at Noon on Friday, July 11, 2003 and welcoming press
Conference at 5:00 p.m.
ON YOUR DESK THIS EVENING:
*AMR 911 Ambulance Call Summary for June 2003.
*Board of Park Commissioners Agenda for July 16, 2003 meeting.
*A News Release regarding Tree Damage on the North Side.
*A letter regarding a petition form Wadesville-Blairsville Regional Sewer District.
*A Notice of a Presentation by the Narcotics Interdiction Officers of the Evansville
Police Department.
*A News Release regarding Mayor Lloyd Confirms Final Homestead Tax Credit
Figures.
Councilman Melcher moved and Councilman Angermeier seconded the motion to receive, file and make these reports and communications a part of the minutes of the meeting. Voice vote. So ordered.
CONSENT AGENDA
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES OR RESOLUTIONS
ORDINANCE G-2003-17__ ASD (ANGERMEIER) KNIESE
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 13.131.11 OF THE EVANSVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE
ORDINANCE G-2003-18__ PUBLIC WORKS BAGBEY
AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE CERTAIN PUBLIC WAYS OR PUBLIC PLACES WITHIN THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC ALLEY ADJACENT TO AND SOUTHEAST OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 512 N.W. FIRST STREET, EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
ORDINANCE G-2003-19__ FINANCE (ROBINSON) KIEFER
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA CONCERNING PARK IMPROVEMENTS BY THE BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS THROUGH THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF BONDS, AND OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH
ORDINANCE F-2003-11 FINANCE (ROBINSON) KNIESE
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE’S LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND
ORDINANCE F-2003-12 FINANCE (ROBINSON) KNIESE
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS WITHIN VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS AND FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FROM VARIOUS CITY FUNDS
RESOLUTION C-2003-19 FINANCE ROBINSON
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE APPROVING SUBSEQUENT STATEMENT OF BENEFITS FOR BERRY PLASTICS CORPORATION LOCATED AT 101 OAKLEY STREET
Councilman Melcher moved and Councilman Angermeier seconded the motion to adopt the Consent Agenda as written. Voice vote. So ordered.
CONSENT AGENDA
SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES OR RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION C-2003-18 FINANCE ROBINSON
A CONFIRMING RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE CONFIRMING THE DECLARATION OF AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR TAX PHASE-IN FOR THE ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION OF NEW MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT, LOCATED AT 5410 HIGHWAY 41 NORTH (WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION)
COMMITTEE REPORTS
FINANCE CHAIRWOMAN_________________________________________ ROBINSON
The Finance Committee met on Resolution C-2003-18 and comes before the City Council tonight with a do-pass recommendation.
Councilman Melcher and Councilman Kniese seconded the motion to Adopt the Committee Report and move this Resolution to Third Reading. Voice vote. So ordered.
REGULAR AGENDA
THIRD READING OF ZONING ORDINANCES:
RESOLUTION C-2003-18 FINANCE ROBINSON
A CONFIRMING RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE CONFIRMING THE DECLARATION OF AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR TAX PHASE-IN FOR THE ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION OF NEW MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT, LOCATED AT 5410 HIGHWAY 41 NORTH (WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION)
Resolution C-2003-18 and call the roll.
ROLL CALL:
Ayes: Kniese, Melcher, Koehler Walden, Angermeier Kiefer Robinson.
Absent: Bagbey, Watts, John.
There being six (6) ayes and zero (0) nays, Resolution C-2003-18 is hereby declared ADOPTED.
MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS:
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Councilman Kiefer.
Councilman Kiefer: Okay, thanks. A couple of things, one I saw on the Board of Parks Commissioner’s regular meeting that they held July 9th, where they were talking about an execution of a lease agreement for Wesselman Parks tennis courts. It just so happens to be, I’ve been getting some complaints and questions about this and I didn’t know first of all if anybody here knew about this or aware of the Parks Department leasing the tennis courts to the area Tennis Patrons Foundation. But, I was wondering if we could request Mike Madriaga to appear before City Council just to tell us a little bit about it. That’s what I’d like to do if you could send a request. Anybody familiar with that? Okay. So, maybe that would be good if Mike Madriaga would come here and give us an explanation in case somebody else has questions. Because I think they charge anybody now that wants to use the tennis courts will have to pay a fee. The second thing was I was talking to some engineers from Bernardin Lockmueller and I guess they are doing….they have been doing a study out on Burkhardt Road on the traffic count and they were talking about the cost to improve Burkhardt Road from, I guess the Target entrance to down toward Lincoln Avenue. I was wondering, John, can you check to see what the minutes show when we nego……when we were in all this negotiation with the developer to see what his responsibilities are. Because I think the guy I was talking to from Bernardin Lockmueller was saying that this is going to be a multi-million dollar project to upgrade Burkhardt and now…I can’t recall what Chris White and the developer, Premier Properties said they would do, but I was hoping….
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Didn’t you discuss this in your caucus?
Councilman Kiefer: Did I discuss this in our caucus?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: In the caucus you had.
Councilman Kiefer: No, this is stuff I just wanted checked out. Then finally, I don’t know if you guys knew Jim Miller from the Otters. Jim Miller had just passed away earlier this week and, you know, if any of you have a chance he…I know he did a fabulous job with the Otters and one of the things I think Councilman Kniese, I haven’t mentioned this to you yet, but I know you’re on the, and I think Councilman Robinson as well, you guys are on that Committee to review the applications for monies from the Riverboat that were left over from the Stadium project. Well, I know that they had talked to me…Pam Miller had talked to me, there might be a delay in them completing their application because of Jim Miller’s untimely death. And I don’t
know if, you know there can be some, you know, some extenuating circumstance in getting that application submitted. But, I just thought I might mention that while I had the audience here.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Councilman Melcher.
Councilman Melcher: Yes, I’ve only got two things, I’ll be quick. I started a picture to be passed around. I got a call Saturday about some families saying they are still not getting the grass cut at Locust, I’m tired of the cemeteries. We passed the $60,000 on June 9th. I talked to one of the employees out there and they said they didn’t start cutting until last Monday. And, so I went out there today on my lunch hour and took some pictures of some weeds and grass that they haven’t cut and they did have a lawnmower out there cutting today and there was a guy weed-eating along the fence line. But, here we are six days into cutting and they are not even done yet so I don’t know if they got a two-week time frame, or if they’ve got one-week to get all of it cut, but it really needs to be cut by the weekend. I just thought I would pass around so the Council would know. So, if you get phone calls that’s what Locust Hill looks like. The last thing I wanted to talk about, there has been a lot of talk and there’s been a lot of great comradery among the (inaudible) for everybody about the LST 325. And I heard on the news today that their figures are going to be worth about a million dollars this week here in Evansville for the economy. And I know you can’t take that times 52 to come up with 52 million, but I think it would be great if maybe everybody could pull together in this community, and maybe that group that brought it in, and maybe somebody from the Council, our representative, and the Administration, and the County could kind of form a committee to talk to them. What a perfect spot it would be maybe for Evansville to have something unique since we had the shipyards if we could maybe somewhere when they are touring it up and down the Ohio that maybe we might be the home port for it. And, maybe make it a floating military museum. I think that would kind of add to everything. I think there’s been some talk about it already. And I think that’s something we really need to kind of look into, it might not happen but I don’t see why we can’t look into that.
Councilman Kniese: Steve, I was there last Friday and the ceremony and when the Mayor gave the Key to the City to the Captain of the ship, and he made mention that at that time Mayor Lloyd said: “ we’d like, when you finish your tour to come back to Evansville maybe as a permanent display”. I think it’s a great idea and I hope it happens, but I’m not a part of that LST Committee, but I think it would be great for the City to have that down there.
Councilman Melcher: I was thinking, if it was anywhere along the Ohio River this should be the home for it. And it could be a floating deal, because I think it’s great for our veterans. And all we got to do now is get the Gresham Home fixed and then maybe get this. So that’s all I have to say.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Councilman Kiefer:
Councilman Kiefer: Councilman Melcher, in regards to LST 325 I talked to Marilee Fowler today. Apparently there is a dinner Sunday night at Bristol-Myers that everyone here has been invited to, and she said the purpose of that was for us to all meet the crew and the Captain of the boat and that they were hoping to convince them to stay here. That was the Visitors Convention Bureau said that they were going to give a pitch that they should stay here. And, so anybody that can make it Sunday night at Bristol-Myers it’s at 7:00.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: I don’t go without an invitation. Did any other Council Members get and invitations?
Councilman Melcher: It had to be in by today. But I guess you could still….
Joan David: For Sunday?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: No, we didn’t get any invitation for Sunday. This is for this tomorrow it had to be in.
Joan David: The invitation you are talking about is an invitation that went to the Economic Development Committee and the Business Committee. There is a concerted effort underway by the LST Committee of which I’ve been sitting on for the last year to bring that LST Committee…. and that’s a private dinner held by Bristol-Myers.
Councilman Kiefer: Correct. It said Bristol….respond back to Bristol-Myers.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: But she’s telling you that Council is not invited.
Joan David: Well, Bristol-Myers…Bristol-Myers…..Bristol-Myers is dinner, and they chose the invitation list and their invitation, the group that they sent the invitation to was to the Economic Development Committee, the AZTAR money, for lack of a better word, and the LST Committee, and the Business group. Some people they thought they’d get significant contributions from.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: What Economic Development Committee?
Joan David: Who’s….Jeff help me with the name of that committee.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: You mean the Capital Development?
Joan David: The Capital Development Comm……
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: I didn’t get an invitation.
Joan David: Bristol-Myers sent them out. You haven’t gotten an invitation?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: No
Joan David: I’ll check Connie. Those invitation went from Bristol. Okay. Are you sure you didn’t? Okay, I’ll check.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Did you doubt whether I got an invitation? (laughter)
Joan David: I didn’t….I’m not responsible for the invitations I just know about them.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Okay, you can come check my mailbox, I don’t care.
Joan David: I’ll check it for you Connie. And the Mayor asked me to bring this plaque up that he received from the group. It’s a special key, a bow door key, from the LST and I took pictures and I’ll pass these around. That’s all I’ve got to say.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Thank you Joan. Councilwoman Walden.
Councilwoman Walden: On another subject if I may.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Don’t invite us to something we haven’t been invited to though.
Councilwoman Walden: No ma’am. I just wanted to make note of the news release that’s in our packet. Concerning the storm that was on the north side last week. I know there was a lot of water, there was a lot of flooding, and if you all missed it you were lucky. The a….I just wanted to say thank you to the City and perhaps it might be made mention in the newspaper again that this Wednesday, July 16th, residents on the north side and Kratzville Road-Mill Road area in between there have a special day to set out stumps, trash, stone, I know you can’t set out stones, trash though. The limbs on the curb for the pick up. Now I’m confused. But there is a special pick up day for the storm limbs that came down and I do appreciate that. Thank you very much.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Anything else under Miscellaneous? There will not be a Council meeting on July 28th. The 29th we have City and County Budget Hearings.
Councilwoman Walden: When are City/County Budget Hearings?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: City/County Budget Hearings are the 29th.
Councilwoman Walden: Of July. I believe I have that. I wasn’t invited to that. (laughter)
I’m sorry, could you tell the time on that because I do not have that on my calendar.
Councilman Kniese: I didn’t either. July 29th?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: July 29th. I think it’s 5:30, I don’t have….Alberta if you could just put a time in everybody’s packet. But we had a schedule in everybody’s packet that told the time and the dates for the City/County….the joint Budget Hearings and then also the City Budget Hearings the week of August 11th. Everybody has that. And now that starts at 4 p.m. and it will be at the Centre.
Councilman Melcher: At the Centre?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: The Budget Hearings will be at the Centre at 4 p.m. and Alberta will send a list around how much everyone needs to contribute.
Clerk Matlock: Well, we’ll have to decide first whether or not we’re…what kind of food you want and this is all contingent on us getting their budget books on August 1st.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: I have informed Glen if he does not have the budget books by August 1st that the Budget Hearings will be postponed until the following week because we’ll have two weekends to study the budget.
Councilman Melcher: We’re going to have the joint hearing before we get the budget books?
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: He’s going to give us some information…..he said he could have it before. I don’t know.
Councilman Melcher: Well, he told me that you told him that.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Yeah, I gave him an ultimatum.
Councilman Melcher: Because I told him it would be nice to have it before the joint hearings, but I don’t know if I can even be there the 29th.
Councilwoman Walden: Madam President, what’s that date that it might be delayed to? I don’t know about you all but I got to get this stuff on my pad.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: The schedule is August 11th is scheduled Budget Hearings Monday. Starting Monday at 4 p.m. If he does not have the budget books to us by August 1st, we’re not going to have the Budget Hearings until the following week which will give each Council Member two weekends to study your budget book.
Councilwoman Walden: Okay, I don’t know if I’ll be available that week so, I hope we get them the first.
Clerk Matlock: And, I’ll get all of you a copy of the times for the joint hearings.
Councilman Kniese: Madam President, which I will not be here on the 29th, I won’t be able to make that joint City/County meeting.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: I won’t be here on the 29th either.
Councilman Kniese: Seriously, I did not get the notification so, I didn’t have it on my calendar so I’ve already scheduled something else.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: It doesn’t look like we’re going to have a quorum.
Councilman Melcher: I don’t think you have to have one.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Do we have to have one for the City? But we need some representation.
Councilman Kniese: I would like to be from the City. For the City business I would like to have as may City Council representatives at that meeting.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: I don’t know all I can do is….if Madam Clerk has the time tomorrow, I’m out of town tomorrow, and Glen’s out of town so I don’t know who would get in contact with the County Council to see if they are willing to change the date if not we’ll have to proceed on.
Clerk Matlock: All right. I’ll ask them if they can change the date for joint meeting.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: So, we have four City Council representatives that cannot be there on the 29th.
Clerk Matlock: All right. Bagbey won’t be back on the 29th of July.
Councilman Melcher: It’s really just a of time because they are going to do their thing and we’re going to do our thing and it’s just a formality that we go through every year. I quit asking questions because it is that.
Finance Chairwoman Robinson: Okay, Committee Reports. Ordinance G-2003-19, July 21st at 5:30, Ordinance F-2003-12 at 5:50, Ordinance F-2003-11 at 6 p.m., Resolution C-2003-19 at 10 after 6.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
FINANCE CHAIRWOMAN ROBINSON
Ordinances G-2003-19 at 5:30 pm, F-2003-12 at 5:50 pm, F-2003-11 at 6:00 pm and C-2003-19 at 6:10 pm.
ASD CHAIRMAN ANGERMEIER
Ordinance G-2003-17 at 6:15 p.m.
PUBLIC WORKS CHAIRMAN BAGBEY
Ordinance G-2003-18 on August 4 at 6:15 pm.
ADJOURNMENT:
Councilman Melcher moved and Councilman Kniese seconded the motion to adjourn. Voice Vote. So Ordered. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
PRESIDING OFFICER
CITY CLERK