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APRIL 15, 2008

JACKSON CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING

GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP

CALL TO ORDER.
 
The Jackson City Council met in special session in the 10th floor conference room in City Hall for review of City goals and objectives and an executive session. Mayor Ludwig called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m.
 
ROLL CALL.
 
Present: Mayor Jerry F. Ludwig and Councilmembers Carl L. Breeding, Robert B. Howe, Daniel P. Greer, Andrew R. Frounfelker and John R. Polaczyk--6. Councilmember Kenneth E. Gaiser was absent with excuse--1.
 
AGENDA.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Greer and seconded by Councilmember Howe to amend the agenda to switch Items V and VI, placing the executive session prior to review of City goals and objectives. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Breeding, Howe, Greer and Polaczyk-4. Nays: Mayor Ludwig and Councilmember Frounfelker-2. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Greer and seconded by Councilmember Polaczyk to adopt the agenda, as amended. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Mayor Ludwig and Councilmembers Breeding, Howe, Greer, Frounfelker and Polaczyk-6. Nays: 0. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF COUNCILMEMBER GAISER'S REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE BY TELEPHONE.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Breeding and seconded by Councilmember Greer to approve the request to participate.
 
After discussion, a motion was made by Councilmember Greer and seconded by Councilmember Breeding to end debate. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Breeding, Howe, Greer and Polaczyk-4. Nays: Mayor Ludwig and Councilmember Frounfelker-2. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Howe and seconded by Councilmember Polaczyk to amend the motion to allow Councilmember Gaiser to participate in the review of City goals and objectives and not in the executive session. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Mayor Ludwig and Councilmembers Howe, Frounfelker and Polaczyk-4. Nays: Councilmembers Breeding and Greer-2. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
The main motion, as amended, was voted on and adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Greer, Frounfelker, Polaczyk and Howe and Mayor Ludwig-5. Nays: Councilmember Breeding-1. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS LEGAL MATTERS.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Polaczyk and seconded by Councilmember Greer to go into closed executive session. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Frounfelker, Polaczyk, Breeding, Howe, Greer and Mayor Ludwig--6. Nays: 0. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
RETURN TO OPEN SESSION.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Polaczyk and seconded by Councilmember Howe to return to open session. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Polaczyk, Breeding, Howe, Greer and Frounfelker and Mayor Ludwig-6. Nays: 0. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
The City Council recessed at 7:00 p.m. and returned at 7:05 p.m.
 
ACTION FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
 
Motion was made by Councilmember Greer and seconded by Councilmember Polaczyk to send our March 18, 2008, 425 proposal to Blackman Township immediately and urge them to meet with the Mayor, City Manager, City Attorney and a Councilmember as soon as possible as a starting point for negotiations. The motion was adopted by the following roll call vote. Yeas: Councilmembers Howe, Greer, Frounfelker and Polaczyk and Mayor Ludwig-5. Nays: Councilmember Breeding-1. Absent: Councilmember Gaiser-1.
 
At 7:08 p.m. Councilmember Gaiser joined the meeting by telephone.
 
REVIEW CITY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
 
The City Manager began discussion on the following topics. (Some of these were added as Councilmembers stated their individual priorities.)
 

1. Revenue Enhancement
   A. Economic Growth
   B. Fee Adjustments - Where do we fit?
   C. PILOT Policy
2. Cost Control and Reduction
   A. Health Care
   B. Staffing Levels
   C. Combining Departments
   D. Pension Adjustments
   E. Contracting Services
3. Neighborhood Preservation
   A. Blight Removal - City-wide trash removal
   B. Housing Rehab
   C. Neighborhood Action
   D. Removal of Abandoned Buildings
   E. Street Conditions
   F. Urban Farming ( Neighborhood gardens)
   G. Speed up Enforcement - Be more strict
   H. Downpayment Assistance
   I. Wayne County “turbo” Program
   J. Large Item Collection
4. Downtown Development
   A. Reuse the Hayes & Consumers
   B. Parking
   C. Riverwalk Hotel
   D. DDA future
   E. Recruit Business
   F. Develop Property Along Louis Glick Hwy
   Put surface lots in inventory and if someone wants to build on one of our parking lots, we let them
   
   G. Consider Making Parking Lots Available for Development

Additional Topics:
 

• Extend the hours City Hall is open
• Total Revitalization
• Cooper Street Gateway
• Complete the One-Way Plan Changes

Councilmembers' shared their ideas:

Councilmember Polaczyk

• Urban Farming - Bring in churches and run this program through their youth groups.
•  Cost effective - City's roll is to give up a vacant City lot for a summer and prepare the soil.
•  Fee adjustments: Do we need to adjust? Where do we stand among other communities?
•  A 3 -5 year plan for Items 2. A - E above

Councilmember Greer

• Give direction to the City Manager and Appointed Officials
• Give the City Manager clear priorities and make sure he is on top of these
• Adopt a “can do” attitude and don't say “we can't do it”
• Overcome obstacles
• Look at including local preference in our purchasing policy
• Recently received US EPA grant - Bring in jobs
• Raise the standard, get things done, promote what we have done, use our dollars wisely
• Adopt a “team mentality”
• Make it a priority and take steps to get to a metro fire department
• What is the best “bang for our buck” for our taxpayers

Councilmember Breeding had nothing new to report at this time.
 
Councilmember Frounfelker

• Value of the lots along Louis Glick
• Put surface parking lots into inventory. If there is interest, let someone build on them
• The status of the DROP plan
• More involvement with the Enterprise Group
• Consider moving the City's economic development employees to the Enterprise Group
• Extend the hours City Hall is open
• Cross train City employees

Councilmember Howe

• Trash
• Housing
• Blight
• Neighborhood preservation and renovation
• More rapid and stricter enforcement

Councilmember Gaiser

• Look for ways to get “community pride”
• Referred to the Deputy City Attorney's article on the Administrative Hearings Bureau
• Look for ways to be more efficient
• Cooperation among department heads
• Make it more desirable to join a metro fire department
• Maybe it is time for the Hotel to come down
• Put the goals in writing, adopt them and work toward achieving them

Mayor Ludwig
 

• Economic Development
  Too many empty buildings
  Total revitalization
  Blight
• How the City is perceived
  Entryway into Jackson
  The Thoroughfare Plan
  We are one-half of the way through it
  It could spur economic development
• Expedite Street Repair Process
  Get potholes filled

Further discussion points between Council and staff included

• Updating the PILOT policy
• Mill and overlay of streets that need repair and have a good base and good water and sewer
• Eliminate confusion of where to send inquiries regarding economic development
• Efficiency audits
• Street reconstruction using concrete instead of asphalt

 
ADJOURNMENT.
 
No further business being presented a motion was made by Councilmember Howe and seconded by Councilmember Greer to adjourn the meeting. The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 8:26 p.m.
 
Lynn Fessel
 
City Clerk