Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

staff meeting is now in session. If you please take if I only had an agenda. Um Emily Pearson present. Uh Joe Cox present. Dennis Johnson present. I've got one somewhere. Quorum with all members present. Uh Moving along. Number one, town council. Anybody have anything for town council? Do we want to talk? The letter is in water, wastewater. Okay.

Nothing in town council. Moving on to plan. Mr. Strong, do you have anything? Wasn't on the agenda. Moving on to fire lateral transfer language. Chief, you want to step up chat? So, you just want to give everybody a little background of of this scenario. I know we've discussed and approved this principle. Yeah. So, I just wrote it in a form of like a policy so we would have a policy that would actually address this. So, we could actually I'm so sorry. We did when all this

months ago October October 16th I didn't see it until it's never been written down. That was the problem. Nobody ever actually because I have questions and concerns about it. Okay. Um question uh starting. Do we have a Oh, sorry. Yeah, I said it. We're not going to let up on you. I don't think so, man. Um, okay. So, Ronda, just to refresh you on this, this is a discussion we had about getting laterals to come in because they weren't going to start at the a new hire.

Correct. Not at their starting pay. And so, we did not start them. We started them at the lateral. My question is about um then when are they eligible for pay increases? Because the others start even though they're laterals, they don't get their if they're they hire in a fouryear then in two years they don't get bumped to six years. They have to start they their time starts with Cicero for longevity and increases as an as a Cicero hire plus they have to complete the um the uh yes probationary period. Okay. So that was my understanding, but I don't know what your

So the meeting, if you go back to the meeting, you can watch it on the October 16th meeting, we talked about they would be longevity, um, uh, vacation pay, PTO, paytime would start from their actual time they were bringing with them. So they would be considered an employee of that standing starting when they're when they That's not how police is either. Well, we're we're a completely different thing because this was a this was a new process that we fit in. This is what we had to do. This is something we asked had to prove to hire the new people. So So it their longevity when does when does it start?

So longevity was the only thing that did not apply to that started at zero of all things. So on the day day one they started for cyro they would start their longevity. Okay. All other benefits with acred time would be as if they had started when they start with the time they brought with with the time they brought with. The that's why the PF time is the easiest way to figure it is when did their PF date start wherever they were hired originally, right? Okay.

And then you can say so so if somebody came in with three years that day, you would treat them as a take move move their start date three years back to when their perf time started. And then we can calculate all benefits based off of that except for longevity. That was the one thing we talked about that longevity would be considered time with the town assist. But it's basically just sick pay, vacation time. Oh, that's a lot. And pay. Okay. Say that again. sick time, PTO and vacation salary salary um is all basically based on their lateral their lateral history

which in the private sector would all be negotiable items you know so it's it's a relevant topic and honestly I mean if I were any of these guys I wouldn't come in if I was going to start back baseline either so I mean it's something we have to do to compete without raising salaries And there is so much competition now in the area. Y I mean we make this effective now. I don't want to go back and pay them from back in. They've all been paid on the right pay scale. Okay. They are all the only thing we're talking about is sick time and vacation pay. That's the only two things that they still have to have that probationary period. Correct.

No, the probationary period is for us for whether we're going to keep them as firefighters. So the whole thing was when they start they start with their time. So then we have we have a six-month probationary period that we can choose whether or not to keep. But for the ours for our handbook, they have to complete the 90. That's why we had to write this because there's a real problem in there's a real problem in and I experienced this in my previous job. Police and fire have their own handbook completely separate from the employee handbook because everything we do is so much different and because we don't have a difference. That's like talking to I've talked to Kim several times and she reversed back to the handbook and said, "Well, this is something outside the handbook. This is a different process that we're doing to actually attract because we're still going to need to use this going forward."

And so, yes, to your question, it does supersede them. Okay, gotcha. Was there any specific questions of actually the details of it though? No, I was just talking about longevity PTO. Well, and you're fine because we're still going to have to adopt the langage. Yeah, this is just a presentation basically. We just this was the chance for him to with us all here to bring it up. Again, all the numbers and everything we've already approved. The language was never formally created. So, that's what we need to formally adopt. So, when we add this to the town Tuesday agenda for final approval on the language we'll do,

but ultimately it's already in process. And if you have any questions, reach out to me this week, next week, just asking questions. If you're not sure about something you read in the language, feel free to reach out to me and we can talk through it or if there's explanation need or anything like that. Do we want to do this Tuesday or do you want to do it the followuesday is going to be pretty? It doesn't it's fine. Is it okay if we do it in April? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We're okay for the time. This is just getting everything straightened out so we can get everybody's, you know, acrew time and everything fixed. Yeah. Forward. But we're Yeah. Two weeks is fine. Okay. I know you got a lot going on on Tuesday. Yeah. I would suggest when we approve this. We need to specify this override manual.

Yeah, that's just because it's it created a whole bunch of confusion.

Okay, I had a 47 agenda. Got it. I'm gonna get you Rhonda Rhonda and the rest I will get you guys the details on the uh ambulance cost and all that too to go forward because that's coming up sometime in May. We can do that like next staff meeting. When is that coming up? May. Not sure exact date, but it's May.

So, we need to decide one if we're going to keep it or we're going to ditch it. So, that's the first decision we need to make. And two, if we do keep it, do we selfund and charge the fire department an interest rate of 17.2%. or whatever the going rate is minus a little bit. So, we need to have those two discussions. Okay. And I don't even know what interest rates are. Um four and a half was for Terry's. Uh okay. Street sweeper four and a half.

I don't know if any of your cap to me. Yeah. So then maybe we discount it slightly or something. That's good. So, we're going to pay for that and then Well, we have two decisions. One is are we going to keep it, right? And then two, if we are going to keep it, do we use some of our funds? Oh, that we have in place to pay for it and then let them pay the interest back to us like what the GEO bond

possibly. So we have several investments that aren't making 4%. Correct. True. So instead of going out and paying somebody else, let us use that capital and then if we get in a bind sometime in the future and we need that capital back, we can always go borrow money. Okay. That that would be my suggestion. Makes sense. Total sense. Any issue there, Chris? But we're just paying ourselves back. Just financing is whatever you guys decide to do. Well, it's coming. I mean, the payments ambulance, right? It's cheaper if you bought it from the town.

Does the vendor provide a payment plan? Financing. Does the vendor provide financing plan?

I'm just trying to figure out it is based You want me to do that? Okay, I'll do it. And it's 450,000. Let me know. Okay. So, I think you had two payments store. I I don't remember the exact details. I think you have several payments though. A payment, one payment a year, right? You guys do. Yeah. I think there's like $38,000, right? But I think you had a couple of those stored up for the so I mean he I thought at one point you could almost buy the whole thing

yourself. No one

Yeah. I got $390,000 in there. You're right. Yeah, but they I mean you don't want to spend it all but

when I was there the original idea was just to pay for the whole thing. But but you also have to have an operating date, right? or even buy it down more so that if there when there is a next one

you just buy it outright fire to police. So mine is what we talked about at retreat a little bit and that's the hiring process when I thought we had two R confirmed that we only have one new officer budgeted. So I'm back again to see if we can start the process for the one. Yeah, it's in the approved. Yes. He got X last year. Yes. Thoughts?

Yeah. You tried to get Just to be clear, what's this do to your um to your scheduling? I mean, how how's that help? Uh to me, our thought is to put it on night shift just because it's harder to fill those shifts if somebody takes off or sick and or for whatever reason. So, the next two hires that we get will go to to the night shift. That would that would put three people on each of the squads. And like I said, if somebody takes off, then we still got a couple people out. It's just going to slowly build us up. So when if we do start spreading um townwise and then you'll have manpower already in place.

So that would put you at three resources per shift around the clock.

That would put us that So right now on night shift we have we have what? Two shifts I guess an A and a B. That put right now we got two on A, two on B. And on day shift, we got two on A, two on B, and then with Doug Gishaw and myself working day shift, that usually gives you, you know, the two 12-h hour shift people. And then if Doug and I are available, we'll go on calls with them if need be. So this new person would be the 11th officer and just be starting to accumulate going to a third person on one squad and then when we start hiring more, we'll just spread them to each squad. Can you remind me, do you have a vehicle for this 11th person?

I'm sorry. Do you have a vehicle for this 11th person already? Yes, sir. Yeah, we got our two new cars in last week, I think it was. So, we'll have a car for How long is the lead time of the replacement car going to be? Uh, I think these took about seven, eight weeks to get. Okay. Be another durable. Yeah. Yeah, they they're uh I think right at 39,000 each. When I priced the others, the Ford was about six or seven more. Then you start getting to the Taho and pickups and even a little bit more. Sure. We don't really have any We haven't had any issues out of our Dangos either. Oh, yeah.

See, correct. Yeah, we've had, to my knowledge, we've had, so what do we got? We got six. Then we just got the two new ones in, but out of the six, we've had one problem. It was an air conditioning issue. I don't know, something to do with the hose or something like that. It easy fix and obviously under warranty. Better not, we haven't had any issues with So, you are going to go ahead and get that car. Okay. Thank you. And I think, you know, we talked about last year about the resource. I think it makes sense. I agree. I mean, honestly, it was going to happen last year. They had things not changed financially with some of the decisions we had to make. So, I'm good with it.

Me, too. Thank you. All right. Water wastewater. This is a letter.

So, the county has asked us to give a letter of support. Um CJ provided this letter. It's for running utilities to that boundary of the utility district. Um in case we in the future would want to tie into theirs or vice versa. Um just just gives flexibility. So I'm assuming there's a bond out there or something. I I don't have any other details but asking for the president to sign it. I would say though that we need to revise that letter if if we are in agreement that it sounds like a good idea to for them to run it out so that we can be partners potentially in the future. It gives us flexibility, but this is by no means that we need to make sure the letter is by no means indicating that we are going to offer services at this time. Correct. Um yeah, if you guys are good with it, I'll actually call Mark on Monday

to have a discussion because I I do want to understand what their goal of this is. So there was a little confusion on who the conversation was had with. So So I had the conversation with Mark. That's why I called you. I had the conversation with Mark. Somebody from Jackson Township said, "Hey, this was discussed in a meeting." And then actually Christine Alman reached out and talked to Frank about it as well just in passing. They happened to be in the same room together. So they mentioned something. So I'm fine with you reaching out and having that discussion with them. We'll make a final decision. I'll see about

Yeah. And if we can get I mean that should be quick. So if we agree we can put out the agenda for Tuesday or we can wait till the first meeting. Okay, that's fine. All right, I will call Mark on Monday. Anything else regarding the letter? All right, Rhonda, got nothing. Any changes to the process for the agenda? No, you're doing a fantastic job. Thank you, Eric. I appreciate that. I don't know what I mean, I have it all on my on my sheet. Good help. Hard to find, man. Thank you all. Thank you. Mr.

Good evening again. So, I did have a couple of things this evening project. So, it appears that some of the conversations we had the budget for that $8600.

And that is not the monument. Is that correct? Oh, that includes monument. So that stone sign

where Jimmy's budget covered otherwise the parks board would be approved. I think that's what we decided, right? We did our town. So, we just need a consensus on this. Yep. I think we already we have we just didn't have a final dollar. And actually, I think since there's a dollar amount, you need a motion and but

I think you have consensus to move forward and if there's a bill, we'll we'll approve it during the perfect. I mean, bottom line, this is part of the agreement, so we have to get it done. They they did agree. I mean I think we were going to take the proposal to them. They agreed with the proposal. They have not seen that yet. Okay.

Great. Good on that. Yes, sir. Thank you. The second thing was I know we briefly touched on this current. Does everybody know?

Yes. Currently, the planning commission is starting to work through the ordinance process to compreh going through this time. So in the near future we'll need to engage outside. What year was that? Like 15, wasn't it? 16.

Dated 15. Dated 15. Okay. So, we're probably looking at 50. You think that? I mean, it's a long time. proposal.

Will these be the same firms that pretty much bid for the comprehensive plan or will they be different?

Okay. I I didn't know if it was the same type of firm that did that work. that sometimes firms will reach out to one or two or The other thing on my mind is Jackson.

Yes. Some ideas. So that already safety concerns some of those things in the area. So he is reaching out to their transportation department and reach out and try to come back on that time. But in the conversation that we had with Mr. moving forward. having to start July 1st July 1st July.

So he'll bring us a pass. Yes.

And then you know we did looking at other opportunities. So I guess we need to make a decision if we're okay with moving forward with them. Time is kind of hindering other options. I think Dan did reach out to a few people to see if there were any ideas. That being said, that's one of the reasons Sure. I think you guys think that section

and Mr. Dan Mr. Strong you said you expect that'll July application period for the next round. previous tax. County res20. We So bottom line, just to be clear, we still have to take on one for eligibility. And we can still minimum level as we discussed before just

And there was discussion on do we want to go somewhere else? I think at this point timing is that's the we want to do for 20 potentially for 27. Well, I on that front, we have I I I've been bringing it up for three years. We have to do something in Morse West. I mean, it's not been touched since I've lived in Cron. I've been here 10 years and Morse Landing's been done one and a half times since then. So, uh it's getting bad back there. Well, I think it depends on where traffic is. I mean, I understand, but we have other we have

we have those road roads identified. and it's up there. But part of the problem is when Tamarak was built, a lot of traffic was running through there when the roads were closed and it further deteriorated. So yeah, I just want it on the radar. Yeah, I definitely noticed it. And I mean, potentially we could end up seeing a second round at some point again too. So, all right, I'm good. You guys good with that?

Mr. All right, thank you very much. Nothing under parks. Anybody have anything else? Make a motion to have a motion to second. All in favor? Opposed?