City Of Albion

City Council Meeting

November 19, 2007

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor William M. Wheaton opened the regular session at 7:00 p.m.

MOMENT OF SILENCE WAS OBSERVED

ROLL CALL

Ron Gant (1), Betty Branche (2), Ken Waito (3), Andy Zblewski (4), Cheryl Krause (5), George Strander (6) and Mayor William M. Wheaton.

            Administration: Mike Herman, City Manager;  Kevin Markovich, Director of Public Services; Kerry Helmick, Finance Director/City Clerk/City Treasurer; Eric Miller, Chief of Public Safety; Nidia Wolf, Downtown Development Authority Director; John Tracy, Code Enforcement Officer; Elaine Lohrke, Personal Protection Order Coordinator; Joe Domingo,, Superintendent of Public Works; Jill Domingo, Deputy Clerk; Bonnie Edmonds, City Clerk Administrative Assistant; Jackie Belcher, Public Safety Administrative Assistant; Albion Public Safety Officers Jason Kern, Lori Wyman, Luis Tejada, Richard Decker, Todd Jeschke and William Clark; Jeannie McIntosh, Albion Public Safety Dispatcher  and Mark Robison, City Attorney.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS' COMMENTS

Comments were received from Council Member Gant.

V.         PUBLIC HEARING

            A.         Conditional Transfer of Property Owned by Jeffrey & Carol Carrier.

                        Mayor Wheaton opened the Public Hearing at 7:02 p.m.

                        City Manager Herman gave an overview of the property transfer request.

Mayor Wheaton solicited comments from the audience and Council Members.

Jeffrey Carrier, 131 Bushong Drive, spoke requesting Council approval of the transfer.

With no other comments being brought forth, Mayor Wheaton closed the Public Hearing at 7:05 p.m.

VI.       CITIZENS’ COMMENTS (Persons addressing the City Council shall limit their comments to agenda items and to no more than five (5) minutes.  Proper protocol and decorum is required.)

No comments were received.

VII.     CONSENT CALENDAR

A.                 Approval of Regular Session Minutes – November 05, 2007.

B.                  Approval of Study Session Minutes – November 12, 2007.

No comments were received.

Gant moved, Waito supported, CARRIED, to Approve the Consent Calendar as Presented.  (7-0, rcv).

 VIII.  ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION

A.         Request for Approval of Resolution #2007-24, to Conditionally Transfer Property Under PA 425 from the City of Albion to Albion Township.

No comments were received.

Krause moved, Zblewski supported, CARRIED, to Approve Resolution #2007-24, to Conditionally Transfer Property Under PA 425 from the City of Albion to Albion Township.   (7-0, rcv).

B.         Request for Approval of City Council Meeting Schedule for 2008.

Comments were received from City Manager Herman.

Branche moved, Krause supported, CARRIED, to Approve the City Council Meeting Schedule for 2008 as Presented.  (7-0, rcv).

C.         Request for Approval of Resolution #2007-23, to Adopt a Revised Investment Policy.

            Comments were received from City Manager Herman.

            Strander moved, Krause supported, CARRIED, to Approve Resolution #2007-23, to Adopt a Revised Investment Policy.  (7-0, rcv).

D.         Request for Approval of the Revised Schedule of Changes and Regulations for the Riverside Cemetery.

            Comments were received from City Manager Herman.

            Strander moved, Zblewski supported, CARRIED, to Approve the Revised Schedule of Changes and Regulations for the Riverside Cemetery as Presented.  (7-0, rcv).

E.         Request for Approval to Set the 2008 City Budget Hearing for Monday, December 03, 2007.

            Comments were received from Councilmembers Strander, Gant, Waito, Krause, Branche, and Zblewski; Mayor Wheaton; City Manager Herman; Director of Public Services Markovich; Chief of Public Safety Miller; Albion Public Safety Officers Decker, Jeschke, Wyman and Tejada; Police Officers Association of Michigan President and Albion Public Safety Officer Kern; PPO Coordinator Lohrke; Albion Public Safety Dispatcher McIntosh; Public Safety Administrative Assistant Belcher; Superintendent of Public Works Joe Domingo; Deputy Clerk Jill Domingo; Susan Ferguson, 1007 Locust Lane; Margot Cummins, 5047 South 42^nd Street; Nichola Kochinsky, 1212 Burnes Street; Jeff Carrier, 131 Bushong Drive; Michelle Matson, 410 Linden Avenue and Lynn Reid, 306 West Chestnut Street.

            Strander moved to Approve Setting the 2008 City Budget Public Hearing for Monday, December 03, 2007.  The Motion failed for lack of a Second.

            Further discussion ensued.

            Zblewski moved, Branche supported, FAILED, to Utilize $24,000 from General Fund Balance and Eliminate Lease Purchase of Two Public Safety Vehicles for $22,000 in 2008 so as to Fund the Personal Protection Order Coordinator and Records Clerk Positions from January 01, 2008 – May 31, 2008 and Place a Public Safety Millage Before the Voters in May 2008.  (3-4 rcv; Strander, Gant, Waito and Wheaton dissenting).

            Further discussion ensued.

            Strander moved, Waito supported, CARRIED, to Approve Setting the 2008 City Budget Public Hearing for Monday, December 03, 2007.  (7-0, rcv).

F.         Request for Approval of Sister City Proclamation.

            Comments were received from City Manager Herman.

            Strander moved, Krause supported, CARRIED, to Approve the Sister City Proclamation as Presented.  (7-0, rcv).

G.         Request for Approval to Purchase a 1975 Sutphen 85-Foot Platform Fire Vehicle from Pittsfield Township if it Meets Public Safety Criteria - $18,000.

            Comments were received from Councilmembers Waito, Krause and Strander, City Manager Herman and Chief of Public Safety Miller.

            Krause moved, Gant supported, CARRIED, to Approve Purchase of a 1975 Sutphen 85-Foot Platform Fire Vehicle from Pittsfield Township if it Meets Public Safety Criteria - $18,000.  (5-2, Waito and Zblewski dissenting, rcv).

H.        Motion to Excuse Absent Council Member(s).

No action was needed as all Council Members were present.

IX.       CITIZEN'S COMMENTS (Persons addressing the City Council shall limit their comments to no more than five (5) minutes.  Proper decorum is required.)

Comments were received from Anna Merritt, 315 East Michigan Avenue.

X.         EXECUTIVE SESSION

A.         The City Manager requests an Executive Session under the Open Meetings Act (Section 15.268 (c), P.A. 267 of 1976, as amended) for strategy and negotiation sessions connected with the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement when either negotiating party requests a closed hearing.

Branche moved, Zblewski supported, CARRIED, to adjourn to Executive Session.  (7-0, rcv).

Mayor Wheaton adjourned to Executive Session at 9:53 p.m.

XI.       ADJOURNMENT

            Zblewski moved, Krause supported, CARRIED, to adjourn the Regular Session.  (7-0, rcv).

            Mayor Wheaton adjourned the Regular Session at 10:26 p.m.

____________                                             _________________________

date                                                                Kerry Helmick

                                                                        City Clerk