City Council - Regular Meeting

Call this Altuna City Council meeting to order. Monday, September 8th at 6 p.m. We'll now have a moment of silent prayer. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Linda, would you take the roll call, please? Councilman Batty here.

Councilman Butterb here. Councilwoman Clintage here. Vice Mayor Ellis here. Councilman Icis here. Councilman Kelly here. Mayor Pacificico here. Okay, we will go into public comment now. If anybody would like to address count, huh? Wait, hold on. Where did you want to

just proactively address the Garfield Park? So, I I know there's been some confusion on the vacation ordinance that was passed. Sorry, not yet. Just one minute. just give us

So, what I wanted to do is show the clear lines of uh the park for Fairview and and Garfield Park. Um I appreciate everybody's input and uh all the phone calls and the people that had stopped into uh city hall to ask the appropriate questions about the park. So you can see on the uh the engineers drawing it's a combin we're just closing the vacant lot lines uh combining the parks into one solid parcel. Uh there there is no intent to uh close those parks and in fact this is part of the bigger process to uh clean up our grant application. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Uh, at this time we'll open the floor for public comment. If anybody would like to address council, come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and please keep your comments to five minutes. Floor is open.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for having me. My name is Bonita Sharie. I live at 1413 Ivyide Drive, Altuna, Pennsylvania. I came tonight to speak a conviction of my own heart. I mean no disrespect when I speak. I speak truly out of love and for what I truly believe in. I do have an issue when it comes to having police secure the LGBTQ Pride and Parade Festival by using taxpayer resources for such an event that I consider immoral and unconscionable. And what I mean by that is we have a sign in front of us that says in God we trust. I was a Sunday school teacher and I taught little children. It's already confusing enough for children to understand. I say, "Let children be children." When we have adult content that comes out before our community, especially a rural area such as this, it's really hard on the children. Not only that, it's hard hard on adults. This is a gray area because it opens up more to the fact of like bathroom issues. people will start coming and thinking that, okay, now we're open up for negotiation for bathrooms that little boys and little girls can share, not just little boys and little girls, but adults sharing bathrooms. Um, there was a Senate bill in Texas, Senate Bill Six, that was trying to allow people to or grown adults to think if they were a girl to go into a a woman's bathroom, although they were a a male. So, why I'm bringing this all together is because it's all about morality. And having been a Sunday school teacher, it's hard for me to stand by and watch a rural area, a backbone of Pennsylvania that has good morals. You know, I know some of you may have children in

Catholic schools or in private Christian schools. You know, it affects them. It really does. I mean, it's already really hard for a child to look at these things and they think they're getting a green light, but they don't need to be knowing this kind of stuff. And I don't think that we should be using taxpayer resources to secure such a thing. I know that in the past they had it at the campus. I say let them have at the campus. I I think that this should be, you know, off off grounds for for the public and it should be put back at the campus. So, I say this with respect. Look, I say this just like the Lord does. I love the sinner, not the sin. You know, we all are sinners. I'm a sinner. I've done things that are wrong. But, you know, I I don't celebrate it. And that's all I'm trying to say. I I think that we should take a look at this because I also think that sometimes pride parade they uh it promotes sexual orientation as we know and sexual expression and that's what it says. And we also know that certain forms of sexual expression constitute sexual harassment. Do we really want to open that door? I don't. And I hope you don't either. So, thank you for the time. And also, one last thing, cuz I have to say it from my heart. I really do. The word of the Lord says, "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for them to have a huge milestone hung around his neck and be drowned at the bottom of the sea." Jesus said that in his red letters in Matthew 18:6. And I have to say that because we in this country in God we trust. Thank you and God bless you. There's no other public comment. We will close the floor. Okay, floor is closed. We'll move into the

Thank you. Okay. Hello, my name is Tom Meyers. I live in the city. I was just curious how come the gas company or contractors for get to do one thing and the city of Altuna has to do something else. Like they were cutting a road up around where I live and they didn't wet cut it. I know the city of Altuna when they use the saw they wet cut. How come the contractors don't have to wet cut?

What's your address? 11527th Avenue. [Music] Is that where the work's being done, sir? Beg your pardon? Is that where the work is being done on 27th Avenue? Oh, yeah. And it's crappy. I mean, they broke more OSHA rules and regulations than I've ever seen because I used to do 811 calls. They're standing in a ditch, no shoring. They're bending over in a three-foot deep ditch. I was just curious how come the gas company doesn't have to do the same things as the uh city has to do.

Did you write your information down in the back when you came in tonight? Yeah, I I gave it to our director of public works. Okay. We'll look into that and get back get back to you with an answer. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you. So, you were a boat person, too, huh? What's that? You're post. Yeah. I was in the mine was a boat. It's been a mess. Huh? Been a minute.

That's a good one. Thank you. Is there anyone else for public comment? All right. close the floor and move into our presentation which is the 2026 minimum municipal obligation uh certification. Jim, turn it over to you.

Thank you, mayor. Uh every year the governing body is required to certify the minimum municipal obligation, otherwise known as the MMO by September 30th. The MMO is required ann is an required annual contribution a municipality must make to its pension plans as determined by an actuarial evaluation conducted under act 205. The MMO is calculated using actuarial assumptions and is used to ensure the financial health of pension plans by establishing a required funding level. Municipalities receive a MMO worksheet for their pension administrators to help them calculate the obligations and a copy of that has been provided in your council agenda. Tonight, we're asking council to certify the police MMO of for 2026 of 2,845,346. the non-uniform plan for 1,14,48 and the fire for 3 million200,75. And I can answer any questions that you might have.

Anyone have any questions for Jim? No, sir. I'm just curious why is the police payroll higher than the fire but the pension obligation is higher for fire.

Uh the police have their salaries are uh salaries being paid to the police officers than the fire. There's a lot more police than there are firemen. Um and this is a this currently is an estimate of the 2025 salaries. The um the way the plans are set up, one plan might have a better balance. So when you look at line item number four, the amortization amount,

um, you know, that takes into consideration how much needs to be paid to make the plan get what it needs to have. Okay, I see it. Thank you. And if I could recall, um, sometimes it it impacts the fact that departments can sometimes be like have more experienced people that have been here longer, so that raises salaries while other departments may be a little younger with more new folks coming in. And you'll see this over the years eb and flow. Like one will be higher than the other for a while and then it'll go back and forth. And I I think that has something to do like a lot to do with it too.

Correct. And also remember that the fire have a drop program. So when a fireman enters a drop program, they are no longer eligible for state aid and they also then do not get counted towards the MMO. Thank you. Thanks, Jim.

All right, Linda. Move on to the resolutions. Item A is approving the minutes of the Altuna City Council meeting held Monday, August the 11th. Item B is approving the collective bargaining agreement between the city and local 299 firefighters for the period from January 1, 2026 to December 31st, 2030 and authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item C is awarding the replacement of the steam boiler at Central Blair Rex 6 W building and rooftop cooling units at the Booker T. Washington building to Clark contractors in the amount of $180,9786 payable from the energy efficient and conservation block grant and the 2025 capital budget funds. Further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item D is authorizing the vacation of existing easement between the PC3DG Altuna, that's the Dollar General, and the city of Altuna for the purpose of moving the the current utility easement during development of the Dollar General located at 404 East 25th Avenue and further authorizing the mayor to execute all documents in the city clerk to attest the same. Item E is authorizing a pedestrian access easement agreement between the Dollar General and the city for the purpose of installing sidewalks outside of the public right ofway during development of the Dollar General at 404 East 25th A Avenue a Avenue and further authorizing the mayor to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item F is authorizing the city manager to execute documents in reference to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's West Chestnut Avenue bridge over Mill Run project and for the city clerk to attest to saying with 5% of the project funding, which is approximately $120,000 from the city's highway aid account. Item G is approving a payroll and human

capital management services agreement between Paycom Payroll and the city in the amount of 57,5516 and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item H is awarding a demolition bid for 30914th Street to Leki's Demolition Service of Johnstown in the amount of $16,500 payable from the city of Altuna. all together Altuna fund and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item I is awarding a demolition bid for 26176th Avenue to GNR excavating and demolition of Tyrone in the amount of $12,21040 payable from the city of Altuna altogether Altuna fund and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest do same. Item J is approving a repository bid in the amount of $88 submitted by Yaml Quintana of Long Beach, California for property located at 1508 to 101 13th Avenue and further authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district form. That's actually 1508 to 10. It's actually 13th a alley, not 13th Avenue. So it's right behind 13th Avenue. I'll have to make the change on the resolution. Are there any additions? Anything that needs to be deleted or pulled for a separate vote?

I'd like to uh pull item J, please. Okay.

I just have a question. What is G? So, when we did the open gov transition, um BSNA currently does our payroll component. Um, open gov does have a payroll component, but it doesn't have a human capital human resource component. So, if we elected to pay the money for open gov, we were still going to have to go out and find an HR solution uh for human resources. This combines both. Um, so it's the $54,000 is for payroll and the human capital and the payroll component in open gov would have been 30,000 additional. Uh, and this gives Christine for the first time an actual operating HR system. Everything's been paper files to date inside HR and it's it's a very cumbersome process for Christine and the staff to manage

but that won't be the case. That won't be the case. We'll be it'll be a digitized solution.

Okay. I will um first call for the consent vote excluding item J. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterbaugh, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the consent vote passes seven to zero. And then we have item J, which is approving a repository bid in the amount of $88 submitted by Yaml Quintana of Long Beach, California for property located at 1508 13th Alley and further authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district form. Call for the vote. Councilman Batty, no. Councilman Butterbaugh, no. Councilwoman Clinich, no. Vice Mayor Ellis, no. Councilman Icis, no. Councilman Kelly, no. Mayor Pacificico,

no. And the vote does not pass 0 to 7. Okay. Next, we have several ordinances. The first ordinance is intro is for introduction. It's an ordinance of the city of Altuna, Blair County, Pennsylvania, which adopts certain portions of the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code and thereby amends chapter 358 of the Altuna City Code Fire Prevention. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance? So moved.

This ordinance is introduced by Coun Vice Mayor Ellis. Next, we have several for adoption. The first ordinance for adoption was introduced by Councilman Butterb and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending chapter 640 of the code entitled subdivision of land and land development to repeal the current text and replace it in its entirety. Provide for severability of provisions, repeal inconsistent ordinances, reaffirming the code of the city as amended, and providing an effective date. Hang on one second. Sure. I got the right one. This is ordinance number I have this all written out in advance, so I'm trying to be organized. See number two. Two. Okay.

Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. Second. Okay. Who was I'm sorry I didn't There were some Councilman Ellis. Was that you? Is that your voice over there? Okay. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilman Butterb and seconded by the mayor. I'll call the role for a vote. Councilman Batty. Yes. Councilman Butterb. Yes. Councilwoman Clintich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the vote passes 7 to zero. The next ordinance was for adoption was introduced by Vice Mayor Ellis and it is an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending chapter 800 of the code of the city of Altuna entitled zoning to repeal the current text and replace it in its entirety provide for severability of provisions repeal inconsistent ordinances reaffirming the code of the city of Altuna as amended and providing an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. Second. Second. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Vice Mayor Ellen Ellis and seconded by Mayor Pacificico. I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes.

Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Kis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the vote passes seven to zero. The next ordinance was introduced by Councilman Butterba and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending the code as follows. Amending chapter 270 entitled construction standards by adding article 4 thereof entitled contractor licensing to require the licensing of contractors working in the city. Two, amending chapter 314 entitled electricians to require licensing of electricians working in the city and set the requirements thereof. Amending chapter 542 entitled plumbers to require licensing of plumbers working in the city and set the requirements thereof. Number four provide for severability and repealer and five establish an effect effective date. Is there a motion for adoption?

So moved. A second. Was that the vice? Oh, that was Councilman. Okay. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilman Butterball and seconded by Councilman Ikis. And I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty. Yes. Councilman Butterball. Yes. Councilwoman Clinich. Yes. Vice Mayor Ellis. Yes. Councilman Icis. Yes. Councilman Kelly. No. Mayor Pacificico. Yes.

Vote passes 6 to one. Ordinance number five was adopted by was introduced by Councilman Ikis for adoption and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna Blair County, Pennsylvania, which authorizes the vacation and abandonment of the alley behind 615 North 2nd Street between North 6th Avenue and North 7th Avenue pursuant to chapter 295-8 of the city code and further authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute a quick claim deed to Lorie Sterling and any accompanying documentation to Relinquish any right, title, and or interest the city has or may have in said portion. Provide severability of provisions. Repillar and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption?

Some move. A second. I'll second. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilwoman Clinich and seconded by Councilman Batty. I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty. Yes. Councilman Butterb. Yes. Councilwoman Clinich. Yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Kis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the vote passes 7 to zero. The next ordinance number six was introduced by Councilwoman Clintich and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna Blair County, Pennsylvania, which authorizes the vacation and abandonment of two separate lots of Fair View Park as depicted in the vacation plan by the Eids Group pursuant to chapter 295-8 of the city code and further authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute any and all documentation to relinquish any right, title, and or interest the city has or may have in said lots provide severability of provisions repealer and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. A second. Second.

This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilwoman Clinich, seconded by Mayor, excuse me, by Councilman Ikis. I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterbach, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

The vote passes seven to zero. Ordinance number seven was introduced by Councilman Batty and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna Blair County which authorizes the vacation and abandonment of six separate lots of Garfield Park as depicted in the vacation plan by the Eids group pursuant to chapter 295-8 of the city code and further authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute any and all documentation to relinquish any right title and or interest the city has or may have in said lots provide severability of provisions repealer and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. A second. Second.

This ordinance was moved for adoption by Vice Mayor Ellis, seconded by Councilman Batty. And I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty? Yes. Councilman Butterbar? Yes. Councilwoman Clinich? Yes. Vice Mayor Ellis? Yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico. Yes.

The vote passes seven to zero. The next ordinance was introduced by Councilwoman Clintich and it was is an ordinance of the city of Altuna Blair County, Pennsylvania, which authorizes the vacation and abandonment of 25- ft portion of unopen Tyler Avenue between South 12th Street and South 13th Street pursuant to chapter 295-8 of the city code and further authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute a quick claim deed to Robert B. deal and any accompanying documentation to relinquish any right, title, and or interest the city has or may have in set on Open Avenue, provide severability of provisions, repealer, and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. Second.

Second. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilwoman Clinage, seconded by Councilman Batty. Call for the vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterbot, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the vote passes 7 to zero. Ordinance number nine was introduced by Councilman Ikis and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna, Blair County, Pennsylvania, which authorizes the vacation and abandonment of a seven and 1 half foot portion of an unopened alley between South 12th Street and South 13th Street pursuant to chapter 295-8 of the Altuna City Code and further authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute a quick claim deed to Robert B deal and any accompanying documentation to relinquish any right, title, and or interest the city may city has or may have in set on opened alley provide severability of provisions. Repealer and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption?

So moved. Second. Okay. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilman Batty and seconded by Mayor Pacificico. Call for the vote. Councilman Batty. Yes. Councilman Butterb. Yes. Councilwoman Clinich. Yes. C Vice Mayor Ellis. Yes. Councilman Kis. Yes. Councilman Kelly. Yes. Mayor Pacificico. Yes.

The vote passes seven to zero. The 10th and final ordinance was introduced by Councilman Batty. It's an ordinance of the city of Altuna incurring lease rental debt as defined in the Pennsylvania Local Government Unit Debt Act in a principal amount not to exceed $9,750,000. evidenced by its guarantee of 100% of the payments due under a debt obligation of the Altuna Water Authority issued to the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority in connection with the water system operated by the authority and pay related expenses authorizing a guarantee agreement by and among the city as guarantor, the Elino water authority and penvest as lender securing the debt obligation pledging certain water system lease revenues of the city and the full faith credit and taxing power of the city in support of its guarantee appointing a syncing fund depository in connection with such guarantee and authorizing related actions and documents. Is there a motion for adoption?

So moved. A second. Second. You can give that to Ron. Okay. Thanks. There's a motion by Councilwoman Clinich. Second by Councilman Batty. And I'll call for the vote. Councilman Batty. Yes. Councilman Butterb. Yes. Councilwoman Clinich. Yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes. The vote passes seven to zero. Okay, moving on to city manager updates.

Yes, sir. Just one thing quickly. I'd like to say thank you to Christina and Holly and to uh I see Pat Miller's here tonight. Um, we uh just concluded the IFFF uh contract and I just like to thank everybody uh on both sides of the table for a very good faith negotiation and I think that we uh reached a very fair settlement and uh contract moving forward. So, thank you to everyone that was involved. Okay. Uh council discussion items. Councilman Kelly.

Mayor, thank you. And I I want to thank you personally for jumping in and helping out the and patching me in tonight. Uh I appreciate the help with the technology there. Uh but I really have nothing to offer at this time. Thank you. You're welcome, Councilman. Uh thank you, Mayor. No, I I have no additional comments this evening and uh I also uh share in Chris's assessment and do want to thank the IFFF for uh their negotiations and congratulations to them and the city on completing their contract. Thank you, Councilman Butterball.

Uh pretty much the same. Thanks to the staff, thanks to the IIAFF Local 299. uh great to have this uh accomplished and uh we're just uh blessed to have these great people working and keeping the city of Altuna safe. I would also like to thank uh our public works folks and all of those involved in the uh Garfield Park project. Was able to go up there and uh see that and walk the trails and and uh look at the improvements there and uh everybody did a really good job there. Uh unfortunately the spring rains delayed it. I was hoping my dog would have survived long enough to walk that with me, but unfortunately he didn't. But, uh, you guys did a really good job. So, thanks a lot.

Nothing, mayor. Okay. Councilman Batty, just like to thank Chris and the city employees and the firefighters for working together and getting that settled. Thank you, Councilwoman Clinch. Nothing. Thank you. Okay. Uh, questions from the media. Bill [Music] Thank you. Um, would somebody be able to give me details of the firefighter contract?

I can send you the details in the morning. Can I have it tonight for tomorrow paper? I don't have it with me. Okay. Would anybody be able to who might have it um here? I don't believe anybody here has a copy of the contract. Plus, it's not signed till tomorrow till I sign it and get it over to the IFFF.

Okay. Um would anybody care to comment on the contract from council? I think it's a people working together and getting um getting cooperation. I think the the city's made a fair offer and I think the firefighters, you know, agreed with that and you know, it's just good to see it goes very smoothly and I think, you know, Chris did a great job and Christina and, you know, the the staff working on that and um I think we've got a good team of people. So, thank you.

Um, can somebody say why it's a five-year contract? I think the most recent slate of contracts were mostly three years. [Music]

This is something that uh during the negotiations um we talked with the IFFF about. Um there's real value in a long-term contract. Uh the other thing that it does is allow us to stagger the contracts. Um there's five different labor contracts, so we can space these out. Unlike this year where we're negotiating all five in the same year, uh puts a tremendous burden on city staff. So I uh again, I appreciate that the IFFF was willing to consider that and move that forward.

Is the plan to to make other ones like four and three or what? Those are discussions that we have inside each one of those uh negotiations with the bargaining units. So that would be one way to make it that is one way to do that. Okay. [Music] Um can you give me an update on the status of the other contracts? They they all expire at the end of this year.

Yeah. So, we're we're finishing up the last round of negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police on the 19th. Um, once that's completed, uh, if we reach a a contract agreement, that will be all the labor agreements will have been negotiated and signed this year. Okay. So, the I had forgotten the non-uniform was was a couple a couple months ago, I guess. Yes. Okay. [Music] Okay. Thanks. Uh would anybody care to comment on Bonita Shriu's um assertions or comments?

I can understand why she feels the way she feels. [Music] Anybody else? Um Jim, the the can you say what the percentage regarding the MMO issue? What the percentage of funding for each of the pension plans is like how how how much or how fully funded are they? I guess um I don't have that information tonight. I could probably provide it to you tomorrow.

Okay. Okay. Um, and can you say how much of the pension costs are state funded? Uh, we will not get our state funding notification till the end of September. So, I don't have that information either. Can you say like what the typical amount is or percentage?

It it varies depending upon what the state receives. It also varies based upon what the MMOs are. These MMOs are larger than last year's. So, um, if we got the same amount, it might be 50%. I would have to guess at that until I would see what the state number is at the end of the month. Well, the numbers you provided tonight are that's all city money, right? Um, the money will be paid by the city less the state aid that we would receive. Oh, the state aid would would would reduce that amount. And we don't know what the state aid would be until.

And can you say um what percentage of the city's what what the city is going to pay is is collected and I think it's called the act 205 tax. Uh again that is figured out based on a certain formula. It's not all paid by the act 205 money that's collected each year. a certain percentage is paid and then the balance minus the state aid is paid from the general fund. I won't know those numbers until I get the state aid number.

Okay. Um and regarding the the um the licensing of tradesmen, what this is a dumb question maybe, but I I don't know it. Um, did the city require licensing of contractors prior to this um prior to tonight? I guess yes, we've always had um contractor licensing as a requirement. Correct.

Okay. I mean this is this is as a requirement of this new ordinance but it's not a new requirement basically is what you're saying. Fair to say no the contractors will continue to obtain contractor's licenses. The plumbers and electricians instead of being separately licensed will also um obtain contractor's license now. Oh, you mean they hadn't previously had to obtain they had their own licensing, right? Right. But but they have to now do this new thing. Correct. New for them. Yes. Okay.

The the status of master electrician and master plumber still remains though. So that that does not go away. So even though a person is a master plumber. Yeah. So the consumer can still have that information. Okay. Would anybody on council care care to comment on the passage of this after I mean it's it's kind of been in a sense years in the making. I guess it has been years in the making, hasn't it? And uh I just want to commend everybody that worked together. This too was a negotiation process.

Anybody else? Bill, I I think this is a huge step forward. Uh we have a lot of interest to do development, rehabilitation in the city, build houses, and uh everything that we've seen here indicates that there's going to be a huge uh decrease in the cost of doing that. A huge in anywhere from 18 to 30% we've heard figures of in the cost of rehabilitation and construction. You mean 18 to 30% per project or 18 to 30% for? Yes, per project. Oh, per project as a whole. Yes.

Oh, okay. And can you say where you um got that information? Well, Bill, those numbers come from developers and builders. Uh and also if you recall when we were in a meeting in February uh one of the electricians actually acknowledged that there was a significant uh difference between using a master and and uh doing it without a master under the old system

and the in the inspection process still remains. So it's not this is not you know what has been put out there in the past is that inspections were going away entirely. that's definitely not the case. So any work that a permit is pulled uh would still be subject to those in you know the regular inspections taking place uh up to and including final work and Bill that's v the inspection component of this is vital to make sure that their standards are maintained through this

and they answer to the building code you know that's the uniform building code so if they if they m if they miss three inspections in a year then they have to test out. And I think the biggest thing is we're bringing parody to the county. Altuna has a third of the population, but we we had other plumbers that from outside Altuna that couldn't come into the city and work without getting licensing some other way. So this is just evening the playing field so that you know everybody can work in the city and you know benefit from the population that's here and it makes it fair for the um tradesmen who want to improve properties and have the insurance and workers comp and all the different things that they need to do business in the city. Is insurance and workers comp part of the ordinance?

Yes. Okay. That we there were raised limits to how much insurance it's it'll be more than what the general contractors had to have. So those limits were raised. So they'll have to have more more than adequate insurance. You mean if they conduct plumbing and electrical work or any Well, I think we raised them in general overall for any contractor. Yeah. Okay. Anyone else? Um Bruce, if you're still on the line, um can you say why you voted no?

Yeah, Bill, I I hope you can hear me better than I can hear you.

I can hear you. I'll I'll try to give you a quick answer here. And I I mean, I certainly respect and appreciate the efforts that the city and the council is is trying to do, but but I have three, you know, what I think I have like three quick concerns that that uh give me pause and make me made me want to vote no. And I worry about um the safety and the the quality of the work and and whether that might be compromised. Um because I also worry about our ability to get all the inspections done uh that that we have that we have to do. Um, and when you consider the age of the housing stock in a city overwhelmingly built before 1940, and we have uh uh blocks and blocks and blocks of homes, wood, two and a half story woodframe homes that are 4 ft apart, uh, I worry a little bit about that. I'm not sure um, you know, the the impact this may have on on revenues uh, for the city. And and finally, the last thing I I had concern about is that the the people that that are really going to be impacted, the people who have been licensed and and and have, you know, we've required them to do this are are city businesses. So, um you know, and this could potentially negatively impact those businesses in the city.

Thanks, Bruce. Um would anybody care to comment on the finally the um adoption of the SAO zoning ordinances?

Bill, I think this was just a way we had so many different classifications and they were so broken up through the city that this is a way to get a clear definition from block to block. They changed and were intermingled. And I think this just cleans it up and makes developing in the city a little bit easier. And then also for the staff, you know, you can look at a block of ground and have a better idea. You know, if it's R1, it's R1. If it's um highway use, it's going to usually be along a highway. So, you know, those are just the cleanup of the what the passcode was. It was kind of a mix of good ideas and bad ideas. So, I think this is something that's going to help the city overall.

So, you're talking primarily about the zoning. Yeah. part. Okay. Yeah. Bill, it'll also help us to um get some h new houses built in the city and some different types of housing that we haven't been able to have in the past before. And this is something that a lot of municipalities across the country are looking to update their zoning in SAO as a way to increase housing supply and we're kind of already ahead of the curve uh just adopting it tonight. Is what you said or does what you say apply to both the s and the zoning um zoning mo mostly? Yeah.

So okay. Okay. Um that's that's all I have. Thanks. Meeting adjourned.