City Council - Regular Meeting

Please join me for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All the vote. Mayor Bailey here. Vice Mayor Baitman here. Mr. Goodyear here. Tamlin here. Here. Hazel Baker here. Mr. Janick here.

Welcome everyone. With us tonight, we have our director of finance, Mark Medler, assistant city manager, Chris Wynich, clerk of council, Misty Clark, city manager Dave Kennedy, Joe Brown will be here shortly, Chief Huber, our fire chief. We have the esteemed Lieutenant Corbett here as our sergeant-at-arms tonight.

Uh, Deputy Chief John Fry is in the house. We also have former council members Neil Aie, Kent Blair, Todd Osborne, and Pat Mays. So, welcome everyone. Um before we get started, we would at least like to um talk about Dave Bednar, who was a former vice mayor of the city and on council prior to that and uh was on the board actually the Lovelin Sims fire department um for a long time, many years I believe who passed away last week and the services were held on Saturday. So keep uh keep the Bednar family in your thoughts and prayers. All right. First, I think we have open forum. Todd Osborne.

Good evening. Todd Osborne, 1100 Sunrise Drive. Tonight on your agenda are four items that shouldn't be on the agenda. It's my understanding that historic preservation has to give its blessing or a vote on appropriateness before it gets to this body. So you have two items regarding Nesbbit Park. You have a sign for Brownway and you have the purchase of 100 Broadway which is listed as a contributing historic significance. I would think that alone requires HP approval since the agenda comes out on Friday and and I understand everybody loved having the 400 pages to go through before tonight. Um it's fun for us residents too and we have to do fast turnaround of research on things at times. 100 Broadway is an as a a good example. It turns out that the original owner was the superintendent of the school district of the East Lovelin School District at the same time was an assistant postmaster. Um, and one interesting tidbit, the city owned 100 Broadway back in 1974.

I'm not sure why it was sold, but or why it was purchased, but it was. So, the four items tonight should be tabled. At one point there was a discussion with HP and planning and zoning which comes first and it was determined at one point that when HP when it goes in front of HP if they decide it's appropriate then makes absolute sense to go to P&Z versus the opposite because realistically P&Z is the body to make a a decision before it gets to um BZA or council. So I would ask council if to um to table. It's not an appropriate motion on the agenda because HP hasn't heard it and that's not anywhere except chapter 1328. Thank you.

Thank you. Next on the agenda is review and approval of the minutes from the March 24th, 2026 council meeting. move to approve as minutes as written. Hold on, Mrs. Hamlin. I had a very small change and I've already discussed this with Misty so she's aware, but I had made a comment when we were talking about uh Mr. Kennedy's contributions that there were eight people running for the last campaign that agreed Mr. Kennedy was an asset to the city and the notes read seven. So, very small correction. That's it. Okay. Mr. Hart, that sounds like a script there. I would say that

would agree. That would move to minutes as written. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Call the role, please. Vice Mayor Baitman. Yes. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Miss Hamlin. Yes. Mr. Hart. Yes. Hazel Baker. Yes. Mr. Janick. Yes. Mayor Bailey. Yes. Motion carries seven to zero. All right. Next is a public hearing. We need a motion to open the public hearing. A motion to open public hearing. Second. I believe Miss Hamlin. Who do you need to say? What were Sorry. It's a motion to approve the open public hearing for a request for license for Wellness Capital Ltd. Thank you. Is there a second? Second.

Call the RO, please. Mr. Goodyear? Yes. Miss Hamlin? Yes. Mr. Hart? Yes. Miss Hazelbaker? Yes. Mr. Janick? Yes. Mayor Bailey. Yes. Vice Mayor Baitman. Yes. Motion carries seven to zero. No one signed up. Can we have a motion to close the public hearing? Motion to close the public hearing. There second. I'll second. Call the role, please. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazelaker, yes. Mr. Jick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor Baitman, yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Motion carries seven. Thank you. Now we have the second reading of an ordinance. Read the ordinance.

Ordinance amending chapter 1327 of the city of Lovelin code of ordinances to extend the program terms of the job creation incentive program. Any further commentary on this particular ordinance? Call the role please. Mr. Hart. Yes. Miss Hazel Baker. Yes. Mr. Jarnick. Yes. May Bailey. Yes. Vice Mayor Baitman. Yes. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Miss Hamlin. Yes. 32 is adopted by a vote zero. I'm going to read the next ordinance. Ordinance amending the employment agreement to increase compensation of city manager David Kennedy. Any further comment on this ordinance? M. Yes, vice mayor. Just would like to thank Mr. Kennedy for his service.

Thank you. Thank you for being brief. Anyone else? Right. Call the role, please. Miss Hazelbaker, yes. With gratitude. Mr. Janick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor Baitman. Yes. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Hamlin. Yes. Mr. Hart. Yes. Ordinance 33 is adopted by a vote of seven to zero. Mr. Kennedy.

So, uh, tonight uh, following the public hearing, we have a first, uh, ordinance for, uh, first reading to grant a license to Wilderness Capital. They are the owners of the, uh, the event center. Um, we spoke to Mr. Mof, one of the owners of with Wilderness Capital, uh he had was not able to uh the two properties that are owned uh on the left and right of his entrance way was not able to get uh approval for a direction sign and he reached out to the city about the possibility of it going over on the the land that the city owns uh on um Carl Brown way which was the former Taylor Street and Um, we didn't initially see any issues, spoke with the city engineer, did a quick search on utilities. I went out and sort of stood in every direction where the sign could potentially be to make sure that there wasn't any potential for um any kind of visibility issues. And based on that, we came to council on the 24th, got the public hearing set for the 14th as required by the city charter. The license is attached. It's a simple term, 10-year term. five years additional maybe expended. The only difference here is when we do a lot of seat lights, we do a seat licenses there's some more maintenance. The the way it's worded this was the only maintenance is on um for the actual sign. The sign must be kept. City isn't through the signature of this city is indemnified through the insurance requirements. We're also listed as an additional insured. That's sort of the double that's sort of the double layer of protection for the city because quite frankly that's our our biggest thing and um through the indemnification additional insured. So I we've done I think as a whole I think we have a tradition of doing a lot to try to help our businesses out. I think

this is a good year. Um it has low impact on us and um Chris and I and Kelsey all looked at it and I so just felt like that was it. All right. Any comments or questions? Mrs. Hamlin.

Uh, yeah. Mr. Kennedy, could you clarify that what we're voting for here is just the license because the memo also has a design suggestion for the sign. And to the point that Mr. Osborne made at open forum, I I just felt like I needed to let you have a rough idea of what he was planning to put in. So, he said it would this was the again if he wasn't going to get approval, he wasn't going to move forward. So this was the thing. So at this point, yeah, you're just authorizing me to execute the license is is all. Thank you. Anyone else? Go ahead and read the ordinance. Just a first reading only.

Ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a license agreement with Wilderness Capital Limited for the placement of a directional sign within the city rideway on South Carlway.

Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. So, in front of you is a legislation uh ordinance uh requesting it be adopted as an emergency for purchase of 100 Broadway Street. Um the city has been in conversations with the property owner uh Chrissy for a very for quite a while. Um and um you just just sort of picked up speed over the last maybe six to eight months and um we've already always identified this property as sort of a very important aspect from an infrastructure standpoint and um actually reached out to our former city engineer Cindy Kloppenstein and just to go over the items because that was always a big thing to her and I I wanted to point out that as You can see on uh on within the memo, maybe you did or didn't know that, but the city owns uh other already owns existing property at the five points intersection. So, we look at it from three standpoints, traffic improvement, pedestrian safety, and storm water. We all know that at some point in time, there will probably likely be of the development on Mr. Eats's property. At that such time, this property will also be beneficial from a road widening. but focusing on more current day traffic improvements. I I reached out to our traffic engineer 14,890 vehicles. Um there are that is one busy intersection with significant morning and evening peaks. Um the ability for us to do something significant at that intersection. this uh we've had some really high macro version traffic looks and every one of them pointed to us needing this property. Um from a pedestrian, the mayor and I were remembering the the couple that came and spoke to council about coming down on uh

coming down Broadway and having to do this whole circle uh to get over to for example mile 42. We are incapable of putting a crossing because uh this property there's no there's no rightaway that we wouldn't meet ADA requirements. Um there's other pedestrian improvements that we could do that we are not able to do. Storm water south street has been a storm water issue and be honest how I met Chrissy through a storm water issue into her basement. And um this will allow again none of these are going to be done singularly. They're all going to be done as one master plan, but on-site detention, uh, redoing the piping, uh, it's all it's all an important facet. So, we've been in negotiations, not really negotiation, yes, negotiations, and ultimately we settled on a price of $35,000. Um, as I'm permitted to do, I executed a uh uh executed a purchase agreement on April 2nd for the property acquisition and uh at this point in time due to a need to expedite it, not is both from the city standpoint and the property owner standpoint requesting that the ordinance be granted as an emergency I mean passed in this emergency.

Thank you. Any comments or questions? Mrs. Hamlin. So, I have a question similar to um the license agreement. Is this this is just for the purchase of the property because I'm kind of viewing the demo as something completely different.

Yeah. U the demo uh I'm getting I'm working on demo cost. Uh I believe uh we'll be able to get the demo cost covered through uh county. They have funding available. I went ahead and put this property on the list a while ago because I can easily have the city name removed. I'm working on some cost estimates for that. This is simply to authorize the city manager to take any and all actions to close on the property. Any other questions, comments? Vice Mayor,

just uh similar to what I was saying before, thank you uh to Mr. Kennedy for for bringing this to us tonight. I think it's a very important acquisition and uh as you just described uh worthy of being passed as an emergency for sure uh given the fact that uh uh time is of the essence uh with this deal. Um, and really I think not a lot of people recognize this, but you have a tendency to handle uh these negotiations with a lot of grace and kindness and empathy. It's very a white glove treatment with the uh uh with the person and party involved. and in in the history that I've been on council when we've made these these uh these purchases that are are meant to help all of the uh citizens in Loveland residents and travelers uh and such um it's not done hastily and it's really done in a way of uh fairness and um and and good faith communication. So I think that's a testament to your leadership, Mr. Kennedy and and I uh am proud to vote yes on this ordinance.

Any other comments, questions? I would just say I'm very excited about this being on the agenda. I know we've been the council as a whole has had our eyes on this property for years u because of what it could potentially mean for our traffic flow in the city really. It's uh it's an important piece for that which is obviously something we hear about often. Um so the fact that we had an opportunity to make this happen and that with the relationship you built with uh with Miss Given is what I think helped to put this over the the goal line. So, thank you for your efforts and I'm very excited to vote for this. Go ahead and read the ordinance.

Ordinance authorizing the purchase of 100 Broadway Street totaling. 086 acres owned by Christina M. Gibbons and declaring the roll, please. Mr. Jarnick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor Baitman, yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazelbaker, yes. Ordinance 34 is adopted by vot 7 to zero. Oh yes. Thank you, Mr. Kennedy.

The um I think something that's been in the works since I believe 2021, if not actually uh something that's been in the works actually before the Nisma Park uh master plan was done was the amphitheater. So uh with the master plan was completed in 2021 and uh I would I I think there's a possibility that by the end of 2027 all aspects of the plan will be completed but the one item that we've been working on since the quite a beginning of time was the amphitheater. Uh we have uh completed uh if you recall the three different sources of funding. Two were grants. 500,000 from land water conservation, 250,000 for the onetime strategic funding and back in 2024 city council earmarked funding from a telecommunications lease at the Union Cemetery tower which ended up being 196835 for that. That brought our total 946,835 in external funding for the project. Uh we've received uh 13256 for the walk and we believe that we'll also be receiving 20,000 from the walk that will go from the um picnic shelter uh clockwise. So um Chris and Lynn from KCF uh really worked hard to get the bid together. uh did a couple alternate bids. Real quick, just some of the highlights of the of the amphitheater. The one of the things that I think is the most notable is in my opinion is that we didn't simply just put this big massive uh footprint in in in in the middle of Nisbet Park. It's actually we'll have a very similar footprint to what the existing one is, but the key was is making it more functional. the steps, the centerpieces of the steps can actually serve as performance space. The

dance floor out front can also serve as performance space. Um, I know my former community I worked at, we we would get the Air Force band and they would take up that kind of space. I think that the city is in a position now, especially with the access point that comes and goes and what has changed with the new parking lot. I feel like the city can really handle, we could handle, we a more of an influx and an outflux of of traffic like we didn't in the past. So to be able to maybe earmark some better performances, some bigger performances. Certainly had come conversations with the school district about the possibility of them moving some of their large events down uh some of their concerts, some of their choirs, some of the other items. I think that would really be a cool atmosphere to see the some of these high school kids walking around downtown uh as to perform in in in in an area like this. Uh one of the other items we added was we put the rear wall in not just for the benefit of of a changing room but also for sound that whole that will block that that uh it serves two purposes. And then the seating wall, something that Mayor Bailey was a big proponent of. One of the neat things about the current is that anyone can just walk up at any point in time and have a seat. Uh so if you're on the bike trail and you hear a concert, you you you don't need a bag chair, you don't need anything. That's what that wall is going to be. And uh so we're pretty excited about that. Uh so ultimately uh the bid was a base bid. Uh Chris and Lynn worked on the two landscaping quotes and um we did we did those as alternate bids with the thought in our mind that it's pretty obvious the talents that we have in our public works department. Feel pretty confident that if you saw the kind of work that they can do that given a material list that they'll be able to do that theirelves. I think Chris and I always knew that was probably likely we weren't going to be going forward with the landscaping. Um, so, uh, Chris, could you go over the bids just real quick since you

Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, we, uh, we advertised March 2nd, 2026. We advertised for about three three to close to four weeks. Um, the engineers estimate was $1,350,000. So, the uh, the lowest and most responsive bid was from John P. Tumblin and Suns, which did come in underneath that engineers estimate at 1,275,000. Uh, the range was 1 1.275 275 on the low end up to 1.744. So, we saw a pretty good spread between those eight. So, we felt pretty confident. Uh the second low bid was only uh about $35,000 off. So, we knew with we knew we weren't getting a uh one offer, which can happen sometimes. Um the other thing we did was we did some kind of more extensive research than I've done in a while on a contractor um to make sure we were getting getting a quality contractor. We talked with several of their references. Um, checked into their financials. Um, they're doing a lot of current, they have a lot of current jobs. Um, but they do, one of the big things that we reiterated or I re reiterated on the phone with them was our substantial completion date being October 31st. Um, I reer reiterated that that will not be flexible. So, we are going to hold them to that. We want to see this thing get done before the bad weather gets here. Um, so they're in agreement, um, that they have the resources and the ability to do that. Um, so with that, um, Mr. Kenny and I, Mr. Kennedy and I would recommend, uh, council, um, enter into a contract for 1.275 million with John Tumblin and Sons.

I had an error on the uh, legislation. The red line copy is in front of you. I'm sorry. I did it twice uh, this this evening. Should not uh, the corrected redline version is in front of you. So, okay. All right. Any uh and do we need to do anything up with that, Mr. Braun? Just vote on the red line version. Um numbers. Yeah, that's been presented to everyone. It's a resolution. Yeah, the resolution was need to be for the version.

Okay. Any questions or comments? Hazel Baker. Um, I I think this one's a really complicated one for me to kind of add my input because I'm I'm new to council and I know that there's a lot of people on council who have worked on this for many years. I have a lot of respect for that. Um, I think for me coming into this, um, and and I did have to campaign twice to get into this position. Um, the first time not one person brought it up of of a need, of a concern, of wanting to redo this amphitheater. Um, the second time I really probed. So, as with having that conversation, I said, you know, hey, they they they've been working on this amphitheater for a while. What do you think about this? And not one person besides two musicians that I finally found were were for this. Um, they didn't see the need for it. They didn't want to see um the other one torn down. They didn't want to see the destruction to Nisbet to build it. Um, and then for me personally, the design feels very modern. The type base is modern. I have a design background. Um, so for me, if you were to search modern type face, that's the type face that would come up. So I don't feel like it aligns with the historic nature of um, the community. Um, I take to heart what some council members have said before where the decisions we make last for 50, 100 years. It's obviously this is a big investment. Um, and I and I think that it's while we could work on this and maybe work to have it, I think we could take this from maybe okay to great. Um, and I would love to see us um put more effort into kind of um talking to the residents again um as it's been a few years and looking at um some of the design standards that have come since.

Any other comments? Yes, Miss Han.

Um yeah, I just want to make it really clear that what I'm voting for is awarding of this contract. Similar to Miss Hazel Baker, I'm not a fan of the design of this amphitheater, but unfortunately um that approval happened before my time on council. I do not feel that it fits with the historic nature of downtown and I feel that it should have gone through our historic preservation and planning commission. Um but unfortunately the city exempted themselves from that. Um, so my vote tonight is for awarding of the contract, but I'd like to make it known that I'm not a fan of the design of this amphitheater.

Any other comments? Yes, Mr. Hart.

So, this one Oh, I might get get yelled at for my mic not being close enough. So, this one's kind of um something I I'm pretty passionate about this particular project. I went back through some correspondence earlier today to remind me of the timelines of some of these things and it went all the way back to 2018 actually um where we started the holistic parks plan look at our all of our park system in love. started having talks about what our parks are, the improvements we needed to take um action on from like a parkwide system, which led us into a conversation about a more specific plan about NISB in general, which led to a community engagement event, which happened at the Little Miami um conserv or September 1st of 2021 where we got a nice um a nice group of people came out. We had tons of conversations that night in terms of what people were looking for. Um what people liked, didn't like at that time. I know there's some people on the committee at that at that time. Um we had moved the playground over towards the bike trail um which was what we talked about doing and we talked about moving that over to get closer to restrooms um so that you know kids would be easier to easier access to restrooms because we thought that'd be nice for families that were up there. and we talked about um some possibilities of like using sails over a hard surface and different things like that and the different looks. Um so we got a ton of feedback at that time about uh what it should look like, what the park should have in it. We talked about um the feedback when we got back as a group as a parks commission about nope, we need to move the playground back over to where it was and we need to include some more ADA compliance in that piece. Um, we need to make sure we have a hard top on the amphitheater because it makes it, you know, um, more, um, weather universal. We don't have to, if we have

bad wind, we don't have to pull it down. Um, things won't fade. So, we had tons of conversations and we got a ton of community feedback at that time. Um, we listen to that feedback and the the the product that we've been working on that our staff here has been working on relentlessly in getting uh ODNR grants to to put in hardcape seating um to incl we we've we've uh ordered um all the things we've done and I as people as people well know Anything that happens at this level takes a ton of time. Um, we meet twice a month. We've got to go up all the way to the federal government, back down for grants all the time. These things just take time. Um, and I think that we would find, and I I I hear and I respect the comments of my fellow council people up here, but I think that we would find that if we repled people every two to three years, we would get differing opinions every two to three years about any project that we chose to do. Um, so when we chose a direction here and we've been working through that direction, I think it makes total sense to continue to listen to what people told us at that time, the project that was approved. Um, and then we move forward with that. So, um, I'm very proud of this project. I'm very proud of the work that the staff has done to, uh, to make improvements in the park over time. Um, I'm, you know, again, I I've been around this project for going on eight years now, maybe more. And, um, I'm very proud of the work that's happened. I'm very proud of the product that we're approving tonight, contract, and the aesthetic of it. I think that it's it's not old. So, making it look old doesn't make sense to me. Um, but that's that's where I'm at. But, um, I'm very proud of this project. I'm still I remain proud of this project through all these through all the steps of the entire thing.

Mr. Hart, anyone else? Mr. Good year.

I would just say to Mr. Hart's point, I appreciate that in the packet um there was included a side by side of the two renderings. One from the master plan and the second the design is actually going to be built because I think that the design is very faithful to the master plan um design that was originally put forth which Mr. Hart has indicated uh was based on a substantial amount of community support for that outcome. So I also agree that once we create a master plan, we go through the process of uh going down the road and implementing these plans and it it just isn't feasible to stop and midstream and somehow take a different set of uh community um input when this was all based on a substantial amount initially. So I think that we should follow the plan as it's been put forth and I again appreciate the fact that very clearly the design that uh we're ultimately will be building is very faithful to that plan the community indicated that they want.

Thank you. Anyone else? Mr. Jar, I want to thank Dave uh Chris and staff. Uh I I do really like this project a lot. I like the way it looks uh because it looks like the bridge so it's going to tie in together and I really like that. So my vote will be yes. Thank you. Anyone else? Voice mayor.

Um yeah I just a couple things from my perspective on this. I think Mr. Hart laid out a lot of the the timing I think that goes into this and all the decision points that that take place and all the people that are involved in that. So, it's quite the the the crew over a a long set of uh of circumstances and and that crew is probably revolving over that long amount of time. So, you definitely get opportunities to take on fresh perspectives throughout the process. Um but at a certain point, you know, you don't just keep designing by committee. You have to delegate that authority and then design by consensus. And that's sort of what ends up occurring when you get a consultant firm and an architectural design firm to draw out your designs. You know, it's not the committee that that designs the the news park amphitheater. It's the the contracted uh vendor and and the consensus is is granted through the approval process, which we've done um several times over in the grant applications to receive funds for this as well as the authorization for us today. So I agree that I think that there's a certain point where uh the plan is the plan and you proceed with the plan. Um and and that's why that's what I that's where we are today. I'm saying this really I I I value this project. I definitely see the uh amphitheater is in its current state as historic. It's uh it's historic but it's outdated as the memo indicates. And so I think to build a contemporary amphitheater in place of it, I don't necessarily see the rationale in replicating um you know a a defined historic aesthetic. Uh but that's just my personal opinion. It doesn't really bear fruit in the in the legislation that we've that we've uh done up to this

point because the council uh really isn't uh tasked with uh uh recommending or approving uh specific uh you know design features. That's part of that uh committee work and consensus work that goes uh before us. I I think the other thing that that I do feel is a little sticky is this um refer reference to the historic preservation um planning guidelines. And I I think I I look at that from a personal standpoint having served on that uh in its in its inception and served on council, you know, since it's been uh seeing cases. And so I I think it becomes difficult for the city uh and we've seen it in many different uh circumstances over the over those years those six eight years eight years or so since that committee has been formed um where the city isn't in a position to task a sub you know a subset of the planning and zoning committee which is historic preservation commission to grant a final approval or certificate of appropriateness and in in fact from the PN Z standpoint. What's interesting is that the Nisbet Park district, which is a newly created district, the actual Nisbet Park uh isn't necessarily uh beholden to the to the uh the zoning guidelines because it's not really for structures. It's for recreation. And therefore leads me to the roundabout way back to what Mr. Hart was saying and that it was the parks board and uh the the Nisbet Park uh planning progra process that helped define this and so our job on council is to yay or nay the proposal set before us. So I I am uh you know in support of this uh as the as the conclusion to this pre-production side of this project. I think it's

really interesting. The legislation that came prior to this was essentially the start of a potentially transformational pro uh project. And so those of us that are starting this new term, we we we've got two different lenses right off from two different uh agenda items. uh this is to sign off on something that has been worked on by uh many people in the community and our predecessors and and uh and it's for many many future generations to enjoy. Uh so I I look forward to uh this process and I hope that we are holding that vendor firm uh to that uh completion date. So thanks for the presentation.

Any further comment or question? Right. This is probably the the one item on the agenda that I'm the most excited about and and I would say it I didn't even realize it went back to 2018 when we started this process. But out of the the the master plan and out of all those community engagement which was extensive um almost more than some of the other plans that we did was this the the park plan. moving this um and replacing the the amphitheater was was the touchstone the the the key piece to this plan. So I I I don't think that I'm in a position to say well g whiz the winds have changed and after a few years later I'm going to throw away everything that all those people had to say. Throw away everything that that committee had to say and we're just going to start over. I mean to me that's a a disservice to the individuals that worked on that and and it's a good plan. It's not just form over substance. I like the amphitheater. I think it's a a sharpl looking um project. I think it's going to transform our park and and really update our park. It's going to be an amazing addition and I can't wait to see that um see that finished. So, thank you to um all staff and to everyone that worked so hard on on getting this here. It seems like it's taken a very long time, but I would hate to if we were to move this out and and sort of start over that piece. We've got over $750,000 in grants that are dependent um that we're depending on to do this project. And and you know, you every time you move something out, you jeopardize those grants. And boy, I'd hate to lose $750,000 because we can't make up our minds and stick with with what what we've been told by the community at large they wanted. So for me, this is a resounding yes for a whole host of reasons. Go ahead and read the resolution. Resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract with John Tumblin and Suns for the

completion of the Nesbet Park amphitheater project. Call the role, please. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor Baitman, yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazelbaker, no. Mr. Jarnet, yes. Resolution 35 is adopted by a vote of six to one. Mr. Kennedy.

Um, another uh project in Nisbet Park have front of council is uh interior and exterior renovations of the Nisbet Park amp uh restrooms. Um we have submitted the city submitted a a landwater conservation fund grant uh last summer end of the summer Novemberish and we included four components within that application. Uh, one more adult swing, uh, the lighting along the bike trail, um, the, uh, gateway at Carl Brown, and the, um, renovation to the restrooms. That application was not funded, so we are working now to do each piece of the four of the four components. Uh, the adult swing is already in the work. The we're working with Duke to do lighting very similar to what they did in the parking lot. uh the Ballard lighting and uh the gateway quite frankly needs to wait till the very very end anyways. Uh that's the main construction entrance. But the restroom facility both interior and exterior. We've always had this thought that the exterior improvements quite frankly were very could be relatively simple with a stone uh with a stone base and a hardy plank to the top. It's the structure is in great shape. The roof was replaced with an ODR grant. The doors were redone. It's mostly the exterior appearance and then of course the lack of I don't even know how to describe the interior without going into too much detail about

disgusting

those kind of things. But the thought was so uh each of the four components in the land water conservation had four different cost estimates. Uh CJ from CNM Woodcrafting does a lot of work for the city uh gave us that quote for the restroom and it's pretty extensive. Um and uh when we found out recently that we were not funded, I immediately reached out to CJ. He said he would honor that bid. And um so uh and with that, we had designated our local match on the land conservation grant was going to be 91141. And um so we have the money uh earmarked for the project it we can use towards uh this restroom. I really do believe this is going to be one of the most significant renovations to that uh that it's going to be very eye-catching because of the interior the exterior. I know that I've listened to many of people tell me their opinion on it. Mayor Bailey, Chief Huber for example. But it made no sense to just do the inside without making the exterior look right. And uh I did try to mirror some of the elements from the amphitheater in there and came up with that. So that's it. The resolution would approve the uh would approve the cost with CNM woodcrafting in 4902.

All right. Any questions or comments? Hamlin. Um, so might I say I absolutely agree that the restrooms need a serious upgrade. Um, as someone who has hovered my grandchild because there's no toilet seats. So, it absolutely needs it. However, um I do believe process matters and the restrooms fit the description of what our historic preservation guidelines say need to go through that committee. Um there are multiple examples of where we have not gone through historic preservation where we should be in my mind because the city is not exempted by the ordinance or by the guidelines. Um, and it's not like I think this isn't going to happen if it goes through the follows the process that we have defined, but um, but I think it needs to go through that process before it's approved.

Any other comments, questions? Hazel Baker. Um, I just I was one of those angry emails to Dave. So, I'll first apologize for that about the toilet seats, but I will also say yay toilet seats and I appreciate that this is coming through as the upgrade because the bathrooms are used every single day and I appreciate that it's um being renovated. So, thank you. Um, Mr. Brown, could you speak to the this issue of whether or not the city needs to take our projects through HPPPC?

Um, I can. Um, I can I can indicate to council that historically the city has not taken its projects through HPC and zoning. Um, and the reason is that the city can't regulate itself and we haven't attempted to regulate oursel. Um, we don't charge oursel fees to review plans or to get obtain variances for projects um because we can't charge oursel fees. Um, I would also add that we've exempted ourselves from various ordinances and regulations. When we hold events, we exempt ourselves. Um, there's multiple examples. I I think um, Council Member Hamlin, you brought up the fact that there's multiple projects in the city where we've not taken them through these two committees. Um, the fire station is a very good example of that. Um, we've put up wayfinding all over the city, wayfinding signs. Um, we're putting up bike trail crossings. We've built gazeos. We've erected monuments. We've torn down homes. And um we've we've put up city signs, electronic signs, and and we've made other changes in NESB Park. Um and we do that because again, the city can't regulate itself. Um so what I would indicate to you that if you look historically at this, we have not done so. And um I think if there's concern about that and the city wants to be clear on it, we can initiate legislation that would make that even more clear. Um but I can tell you that in various parts of the code, we have protected ourselves from that argument and and we've done that so that city council has the final say on city projects. We've not delegated that responsibility to others and that's not uncommon with other communities either and how they handle that. Thank you, Mr. Hart.

Um, I just I just feel compelled to say that it and I am not the legal scholar that Mr. Brown is, but for from where I'm sitting, it feels like taking some of these things to to a subordinate committee feels a little bit cowardly if I'm being honest. Um, it allows us to hide behind hypothetically hide behind another committee that we're that's subordinate to the city to council. Um maybe subordinate is the wrong word but um it just feels like we you know we have been elected to make decisions um and we should make public decisions stand by our public vote and and if there if there's repercussions to that if people don't like that then they can come to me because I got voted to to stand up here. I got and I put my name on the back to accept the ramifications for those decisions. the folks that have been appointed to a committee um who are not being paid who did not put their name on the ballot should should not be part and parcel to and I to some of those those the uh I don't know drama is the wrong word but some of the things that come along with those decisions if people don't like the decisions that I make when I sit up here then then I should answer to those and I'm more than willing to do so um the hiding behind another committee's decision um is kind of I that's the way I I I view um right wrong or indifferent That's the way I view it. Um, and uh, that's that's kind of why I I I differ in that in that opinion that we need to take things to HBPC.

Thank you. Any other comments? Yes, Mr. Goody.

And I just want to echo m Mr. Hart's comments because as as I've thought about this issue when I brought up and the idea of um, city council referring decisions city council needs to make to another committee for them to weigh in on it. What came to mind was very similar to what Mr. Hart said, which is just from a structural standpoint, from a governmental standpoint, we are the elected officials that are elected to represent the citizens of the community and we're the ones that should be held accountable for those decisions. And so I feel very similarly that using um volunteer committees that we have to make have them make decisions where they're not elected officials, they're not accountable to the citizens um directly as we are ultimately um to use a phrase, the buck stops with us. And so I believe that we make a decision like this, it should be made by city council without using uh I'm not sure cover is the right word, but um using another committee to make those decisions and buffering ourselves from those decisions where we're the ones that should be directly accountable to the people. So I think from a structural governmental standpoint, this is the appropriate way to go about it. I agree with Mr. Braun. think the city is exempt from having to go through the process. But I don't think that's the reason why we should. I think the reason why we shouldn't is an issue of accountability. And I think that we are the people that were elected to represent the citizens. We should be making these decisions. And as Mr. Hart said, we are the ones that should be responsible for those decisions.

Thank you. Any Yes, Vice Mayor.

Thanks. Uh I agree with my uh my colleagues speaking about uh the HPPPC's role as a advisory board to uh council for the promotion of uh of uh you know historic and uh community aesthetics. Um certainly when we are the applicant it creates a untenable situation I think in the sense that uh to to ask for the review of uh from a subordinate committee uh presents all kinds of conflicts uh uh that can be undone once you set that uh in motion. So I think uh abstaining from that as we've done has helped to uh eliminate any of those potential uh you know ambiguity uh moments. I I also use that word because I think that's one of the things that HPP has um wrestled with in its course of uh of of time is that there is this uh sometimes we did uh projects before they went to PNZ, sometimes they reviewed projects after. So I think we were trying to find our way forward there and in some sense maybe created a false impression of of what what this committee's overall uh role and and governance is. Uh but I think we're getting that right and I really credit the folks that have served uh through that uh change to help establish uh you know some uh some precedents for um uh moving forward for us to to evolve the process uh to its current state. I just want to end end my thoughts with a a positive uh relation to this is that you know the city's HPPPC regulations and and um uh also its guidelines are the cities themselves. So, it's not that great a leap of faith to consider that

the city as a project manager of its own property or its own uh you know process would keep in mind the HPPPC guidelines and regulations as it were uh relative to approving a a fire station. Uh and and again, Mr. Goodyear and Mr. hearken to our role here. We're aware of the HPPPC regulations and guidelines and something that would be something that we might do that would be so far a field that it would fly in the face of the HPPC regulations. I think you'd see a lot more people in here uh clamoring for uh some uh clarification uh or an an explanation about what are we doing? Um, and in this case, I think what we're doing is trying to iron out a process that um hasn't always been so clear, but is getting uh to be more defined uh particularly right here and right now.

Thank you. Any further comment? Right. I I would just say I mean I'm a big supporter of the of our HPPC. I was a big proponent of us creating one um in the first instance, but that kind of leads to this absurd result where we're we're in a position where as a subordinate committee, we could vote to dissolve the entire committee. So, I don't think that a committee that stands in that position to the city then should be telling the city council what to do. It seems like that's I think I've said that the the tail wagging the dog and that just doesn't make much sense to me. But at on a more bigger issue, I think and it's not so much with this restroom, but just using 1800 or that 100 Broadway as an example, our committee, HPPPC, is looking at a very narrow focus when they're looking they're looking at historic preservation when they're making their decision. That's their that's their job. Whereas we have to look more globally when we're making decisions. That's part of it, but another part is pedestrian uh safety and connectivity. it's um the water retention, it's traffic flow. We have bigger a bigger focus of of what we have to to to look at when we're making decisions. So to allow a a committee with very narrow focus to to be in a position to say you can't do that um just to me met doesn't make any sense um as far as trying to to to run a city and make decisions that affect a lot of different things and a lot of different people and and I I just I I it doesn't logically I I cannot um I just do not subscribe to this notion that we have to ask permission from a subordinate committee to do something. So, um I I'll just never sign on for that. All right. Go ahead and read the resolution, please.

Resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with CNN Crafters for interior and exterior renovations to the Nesbet Park restrooms. Call the role, please. Vice Mayor Baitman, yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Miss Hamlin, no. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazelbaker, yes. Mr. Jarnick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Resolution 36 is adopted by a vote of 6 to1. Mr. Kennedy

uh in front of council and uh um Chief Huber and I presenting a lease through Motorola for the lease of 30 le portable radios uh be through what council would be authorizing is a five-year lease. Uh and I and I apologize I made two errors tonight. The corrected legislation is in front of you. Um And Chief Huber can expound on more of the the current radio situation, the benefit of the new I'll just go over the fiscal impact the city through this uh 5-year lease. Uh the city uh as soon as the terms of the lease is up, the city then automatically takes over ownership. In the meantime, it is treated as a lease or actually Motorola calls it a rent. And um once the lean is terminated, then it becomes the city. So, our first payment, we did include this in the CIP. Our first payment would be due in April of 2027 and then uh we would be uh we'll be concluding the lease in 2031 and at that point in time uh we'll be in full ownership. City's already dotted all the other eyes. Insurance company, a few other items. The lease will be executed tomorrow. Um and then Chief Huber can expound on all the other intricate details. I I did want to add that Sims Township is doing the exact same process. They are I believe their number is 30 also 30 radios also believe it.

That is correct. The township trustees approved that last Tuesday night in their township meeting and their radios have been ordered. Go ahead, Chief.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh thank you, Mr. Kennedy. Um just to give a little historic um value to this uh proposal for the council after 911 um presidential declaration five that was signed by President George W. Bush at that time required that all public safety of municipalities, fire departments, police departments um operating in the United States would be on what's called an appco 25 platform, a trunked 800 radio system. That was so that um it would solve the problems that happened after 9/11 where police officers and firefighters and deputy sheriffs and uh and alike could not talk to each other after a major emergency in the country. So those were required and to put teeth behind that they required that a community who is not working on an appar 25 platform may not be eligible for FEMA reimbursement during an emergency. So the city of Lovelin at that time um were able to receive a grant um that we prepared uh that was a regional grant uh to buy the radios the first time with that grant. Um we were successful with a fire act grant. it was through FEMA to be able to buy those first uh those first radios. An APCO2 radio system at that time was a new system to the country. It was under design and under development and uh and it was not without its complications. Um I actually sat on a committee uh at the federal government level for what's called uh a vocoder um compliance system that was in the radios. How radio system radio system works is it is a computerized system. The enduser radio that our firefighters and our police officers have like this is NAPCO radio that the lieutenant has here next to

him. It's Napco 25 uh radio that um um is completely um uh what they call P25 um compliant. So what this radio does here if I may what this radio does here again it is a computer. So, the first uh the first radios that came out were having a problem with the vocoder. What this radio does is it takes your voice, puts it through a vocoder through a synthesizer. It takes your voice and says, "I'm hearing your voice and not the wind from the radio. I'm hearing your voice and not the saw that the firefighter is using. Um, I'm hearing your voice and not the background." And so they take that vocoder takes that and reynthesize that and pushes that back out. So what was happening with the vocoder was that we didn't realize we were trying to use the old system where we were talking while we were using the saw. We were talking by the fan. The police officer was talking on the radio as he was driving down the street with the wind o the window open and the wind was blowing in and the vocoder wasn't saying wait a minute. Is that the wind? Is that the police officer? what is that? So, that has been worked out. Um, I know locally we had some problems, the city of Cincinnati had some problems with theirs. Um, but the problems that they were having were nonvocoder problems. The problems they were having was the seed, the central electronics bank that sits in the back room. The central electronics bank that sits in the back room picks up this information and puts that puts that through that and spits that back out. Um so when the first one came uh about we we realized that there was not um enough sticks in the air is what we call antennas in the air and that was the problem that we had here locally um as we put the new system in we did not have an antenna here in Lovelin. Our closest antenna was in

Mount Repose in Miami Township. So what they found out was that the Lovelin cars in downtown Lovelin, the Sims Township cars in downtown Camp Dennis and into Miami Township cars when they went over the hill over into Branch Hill that the radios would not function. So then the city of Lovelin signed an agreement with Claremont County and Claremont County put an entire radio system seb in our water tower park. So that is where these radios go to. Since then we've had a forklift upgrade. forklift upgrade means that not just software, it means what's happening in the back room, the central electronics bank, those have all been replaced. So when they replaced all of the central electronics banks, they solved a lot of those um old inherent problems. Radio systems are mostly built for police officers because they're built and designed under what's called 90% in the street. So you'll get 90% Motorola or any radio company you use will guarantee you 90% in the street. Unfortunately, firefighters don't work in the street. We work inside buildings. We work in basement. You know, we work in attics. We work in confined space. We work in in in holes and down manholes and things of that nature. So, it's very important that we have a radio system that works more than 90% in the street. So what what you find now is that companies and and the fire code that city council has approved over the years since the the central electronics bake upgrade requires that businesses like McCcluskey Chevrolet, like the Lovelin High School, like these places have required to put in um repeaters within their buildings so that when we get inside those buildings that those will work because again we're not in the street and the antenna is on the outside. So, that's just kind of how um RF works and how radios work. So, our

radios are um obviously um uh needing repair, I'm sorry, needing replacement because we're at the end of life for those radios. So, the manufacturer will no longer support them. So, what happens is is when a radio goes bad, they won't support it. They won't fix it, and it becomes what we call a brick. That's just no good anymore. And um and so you know, you have to keep up on on the technology and replacing those radios when when they need to be replaced. Keeping in mind the radios are the lifeline of your fire department. They're the lifeline of your residents. Um and something else you might not know is that we are um also a what's called a system of systems. So instead of just being a radio system here in Lovelin, we are a systems through the Mark system throughout the state of Ohio. So we can talk on this radio, this lieutenant can talk on this radio to any police department around here. He can talk to the Cincinnati police. He can talk to the state highway patrol. He can talk to the Butler County Sheriff. He can talk to the Kyhoga County Sheriff. He can talk to uh anywhere. That's what Senate Bill 5 said. said, "When we have emergencies in this country, we need to bring police officers, firefighters from all over the country together as when we had our emergency here in 99 when we had the tornado. We have to be able to talk to each other." So, it is the lifeline basically of your fire department. It's the lifeline of your police department. Um and we tried for several years in the last five years to actually um uh put in for grants to replace these radios and the the grant system radios are such a low priority in the system now because they say we bought them for you once it's now your turn to buy them. And so that that pecking order is low. We are very successful in getting federal grants, but you have to have

enough points to be able to and and and radios just don't reach that point. I'm sorry that maybe I I talked a little bit too much and give you a little bit more information than than maybe what you needed or what you asked for, but uh um I'm open to any questions you might have. Any questions or comments? Mr. Hart. Uh first, Chief Huber, thank you for that incredibly thorough description. I learned a lot right there. Um, fiveyear lease, right? Then we then we own them. How long past the five years do you do you anticipate the radios lasting? Uh, they're they're 12 to, you know, 12 to 13 years. Okay. Generally speaking,

and then so we'd be coming back at that time. So, so we're talking about having these things for six or seven, eight years without um without having to replace them again, right? And during the lease period, sorry, multiple questions. during the lease period, do they handle all of the the any type of problems that go on or is that is that also on do we have to pay for those if something goes wrong with the radio?

Well, I can tell you that very seldom do these Motorola radios actually break. I can tell you that's that is, you know, they're really rugged radio. It's what the military uses and that they're very well put together. Um, but to answer, no, maintenance is not in that. But you have a maintenance contract. So, we have a maintenance contract with the local Motorola dealer. So, what happens is the radio breaks and they actually send it back to Mexico. And in Mexico at the uh at the Motorola manufacturing plant in Mexico, they actually will take the housing off of the radio, throw the radio, and give you a new radio in the housing and send it back because it's not worth them trying to fix it because it's a computer. So which it's just plug and play and you get a new actually a new radio.

Gotcha. Thank you very much. I appreciate Mr. Jared. Thanks Chief. Our our radios are Bluetooth with the the firefighters. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, they have that capability. Yes. Great.

Pam, thank you. I was quite educated on that as well. Um I just have one ask maybe in the future if the when reading through this agreement there is so much lingo and so many abbreviations that a layman there's no way we could understand that. I mean for example there's a CAI operation and an APX DMS essential that add $23,000 to I have no clue what I'm voting on for that. I'm just trusting that you know you do. But I would love to see some sort of translation into layman's terms about what this is.

Yeah. And and and they'll talk about different things in there like software, you know, because there's there's there's different components of it, you know, that um as an example, the software may be coming from a different vendor than them. That's all Motorola into that. So, it's kind of like you're getting um you're getting a a a 5000 radio, but you're also getting a 10,000 microphone and and the the one the 500 battery and all of that. So, it's why it's all broke down like that. Any other questions, comments?

All right. Thank you, Chief, for that. I know this is a huge I'm on the 911 pro what is it called? chief deputy program review committee for Claremont County that uh one or both of you are are at every four months or so. And this I know this came up and I think you you tested a different radio, correct? That I think you said really that that was cutting in and out wasn't wasn't getting the job done. So you right. We we we looked at another brand. There's really just two brands in the emergency field, Motorola and Harris. Um and uh we brought some Harris radios in and did demos on them and they failed miserably. Yep. Okay. All right. Go ahead and uh read the resolution, please.

Resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract Motorola Solutions for the lease to purchase of portable radios and related accessories for use by the Loveland Sims Fire Department. Thank you. Call the RO, please. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Miss Hamlin. Yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazelbaker, yes. Mr. Jarnick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor Baitman, yes. Resolution 37 is adopted by a vote of 7 to zero. Mr. Kennedy,

um I'll just the background then Chief Huber can ask answer any questions. So, uh the um this uh resolution would authorize the purchase agreement for a replacement diesel engine on the city's uh 2015 ladder point 63. Uh we have gone ahead and uh the fire department received three different quotes. Uh CG uh GG Diesel, Kenworth, and Cumins. And this was the uh the lowest bid. We've got the wheels moving on the process uh and uh they were able to do quite a bit to get it moving. So this legislation will allow us tomorrow morning to do a PO and get it processed. Chief Hub can give you all the details on what brought about how they identified the uh the the the the fact that the engine had gone as part of their routine maintenance. Uh I will say that because it was was a question uh the new engine does come with a two-year warranty uh on the new engine. The warranty on the older engine, the older truck, the older engine had already expired. Typically high mileage but short period. That's what Chris and I looked at today. Uh thank you, mayor. Um the uh the engine is is doing what they call eating itself. So we found that when we were doing our routine maintenance and the mechanics found metal shavings in the oil. Um, and while the oil filter did its job of capturing that and not allowing it to go back into the engine, um, you know, the cam on the engine, which is what makes which what makes everything go, the cam on the engine is basically eating itself. So, it's going to continue to grind. So, the only way to uh to fix it is to replace the engine. I can tell you in the very long

time that I've been here, we've never had to replace an engine in a firetruck ever. Um and uh so you know maybe we were unlucky. We got we only got 10 years out of this one. Um but at the end of the day um uh it wasn't for a lack of maintenance. The the engines are all of our apparatus are maintained uh in accordance with manufacturer specifications and are and are very well maintained. The city and the township both maintain their apparatus very well. And so it's unfortunate that um you know I might be asking you something different if the truck was older and if trucks today were not so expensive I might be asking you to replace the truck versus replacing the engine but it's a $1.7 million ladder truck and um so you know we need to get another 10 years out of this truck. Um so with that uh you know we feel that the right move is to replace the engine uh in the truck.

All right. Any questions? Oh and I might also add that um the the the best and lowest bid um were able to um get us in above everyone else and get us in immediately so that they can turn the truck around in a week. Everyone else could not guarantee that they could get us in. Mr. Hart. Yeah. While while I find it um s surely unfortunately that we have to do this, I do appreciate your last comment there. I really appreciate your last comment there where you said we need to get another 10 years out of this truck. That fiscal stewardship is appreciated and I I would say thank you for that.

Sam, um I understand this has been taken out of service. What are we doing for a backup?

We have two backup vehicles. We have uh one city backup truck and we have one township backup truck. And then we and uh we currently have one new engine at the manufacturer. A township engine is being manufactured at the uh um at this time is in Columbus and we should take delivery on that engine uh sometime in August. And then their new ladder truck um is being manufactured, but it won't be here for three or four years. Just takes that long anymore to get them. So, and you will probably see as we get through and and Mr. Kennedy and and um and Chris and I, we uh work on the fleet replacement schedule for the future that you will see us planning because of those years. So you'll see us asking you in the next year or so to get another truck on order because it's going to be four years before we get it.

Any other questions, comments? I just want to echo uh council members heart sentiment and chief like as you walked us through um you know checking the warranty, checking the the maintenance um getting 10 more years out of this truck. Um I and the health of the fleet. I appreciate you kind of talking through that health of pe the fleet and that planning. I think this was again like you said like this is just bad luck that um it's coming here because I feel like you're doing your due diligence um on that work. So just that same gratitude

and we try to rotate the fleet which is why the city does not generally buy apparatus the same time that the township does so that we're infusing new apparatus every couple years into the system so that we can then take an older truck, move it to the back, put a truck uh on front that uh is not reserved. Any other comments or questions? Read the resolution, please. Resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase agreement with Kenworth. Cincinnati for the engine replacement on LSFD ladder truck Quint 63. Call the RO, please. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Miss Hazel Baker, yes. Mr. Jarnick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes.

Vice Mayor B. Yes. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Resolution 38 is adopted by a vote of seven to zero. Mr. Witch.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh, last month, council approved SPD number 20. Uh this is also referenced the Highlands of Loveland. Um this is uh uh the these are the 23 town homes that are being constructed on the West Main Highland. Um as part of the development guidelines for that SPD um their site plan showed the uh 14 off streetet parking spaces. Um those spaces are going to be in the rightway. So with that, we will need a uh license for them to have to uh kind of operate and maintain that. Uh so with that, we're requesting a public hearing to be set for uh the next council me meeting, April 28th, 2026.

Anybody have any questions, comments? Someone make a motion consistent with Mr. Warich's request? I will move that we set a public hearing for the April 28th, 2026 regular meeting of city council to consider the request license on Highlands of Loveland. Second all Mr. Hart. Yes. Miss Hazelbaker. Yes. Mr. Janick. Yes. Mayor Bailey. Yes. Vice Mayor Baitman. Yes. Mr. Goodyear. Yes. Miss Hamlin. Yes. Motion carries seven to zero. Witch.

Thank you, Mayor. um our consulting firm AECOM who's doing our design for the PAS uh treatment plant expansion or actually the new new plant. Um they completed what's known as the basis of design report recently. Um and that took up a large portion of your packet. Um that is what we kind of reference as kind of our 30% milestone. So at a 30% milestone typically you've got the road map planned out. So, you're not going to make any major uh deviations to any of the big picture ideas. There's going to be stuff that we iron out at 60 and 90%. But this is kind of our our path forward. Um we got here because in uh 2025 uh we we got a general plan approved from Ohio EPA um and that recommended the use of granular activated carbon contacttors as the preferred treatment process. So this design uh revolves around those GAC uh contacttors. Um as you know we have these the GAC conttors will remove basically every every pas component that is essentially out there right now. Um our our concern is the P pfos and this does a great job of removing that. It'll remove it down to zero. Um so we feel this is going to be the right right uh path forward. Um some of the other uh improvements that are proposed as part of this um obviously the de demolition and abandonment of the existing treatment plant and chemical feed facilities. Um we are going to keep when I say demo we're just demoing the the chemical feed portion. We're keeping that building as a storage buildings. The the the uh bones of that thing are fine. Um so that's going to be another location that uh public utilize for a lot of their equipment. So, this is a it'll be a positive. Um, and it may actually be something that I was

thinking about recently that you know, Mr. Kennedy Kennedy and I have talked about some of the storage uh space currently that public works has. This may be the solution to one of their problems. Um, so with that, um, we're going to have, uh, cartridge filtration. I spoke about the GAC contacttors, new chemical feed rooms, high service pumps. This is new. Um, so right now the way our system works, we basically pump straight out of the wells. For this new system to work, we we're um what's called kind of cutting head. So the they're going to be pumping from the wells to aids attention basin and then repumped um out of those high service pumps. So this is kind of a new uh a new wrinkle on how we're treating the water. Um new electrical and mechanical rooms, a new lab, office, restroom, and all related infrastructure. Um we are we we h have designed it so that their space is allocated for future ion exchange which is the softening um component that could possibly go in at a later date. Um so that'll that'll all be plumbed in and ready to go. The space will be there. It'll just be a matter of um when we when we figure out a way to fund that properly. Um there'll be a new a brand new uh I believe it's 200,000galon uh clear well. So, you're going to see a large rectangular, it's going to be partially buried out there. Um, a large rectangular clear well. That's where the water basically has to stay for 30 minutes before it's put out into the system. Um, that's where it receives its final um final dose of chlorine. Um, we also we're going to be doing improvements to the septic tank and the leech field out there. As you recall, this is kind uh Betty Ray Drive. They're all on septic back there, as is our plant. and we have a restroom back there. So, we're going to be doing some upgrades to that septic system. Um, other other uh ancillary items that are

necessary that will be a good upgrade is a lot of the security improvements that are going to be done with fencing, card readers, and those kinds of things. Right now, we're a little we're a little open in a sense because that is a public park. Um, and you can just drive right up there. Obviously, it's a locked facility with alarms and whatnot currently today, but there are some things we can do to make that even more secure, and that'll all be part of this this plan. Um, new electrical service feed. Uh, right now we got the service coming in is, uh, above ground. We're going to be burying that underground. It's a much, um, as you know, with anybody that lives, you know, in an area that has above ground electricity, um, you're more susceptible to power outages. So, burying that underground helps us. will also be putting in a standby generator. Uh before I got here, I know you uh council, I think, uh had a project where they ran natural gas back to there. So, we have we have the gas hookup for that generator back there. Um one of the other components is uh also the system integration. Um several years ago, um as part of an upgrade out there, we went to a system called Scadata. Um it was a proprietary system. it works fine. Um but they cannot accommodate the amount of um input and outputs that are going to be part of this facility. Um so we will be doing an upgrade to our SCADA system. That's basically our remote monitoring system. Um it's actually a very small piece of the overall cost of this thing. Um but it's going to be a great upgrade. um the updated project schedule that you see in there, obviously we've surpassed the 30% uh portion. Our 60% drawings will be coming in um in June of this year. Um and then we anticipate final construction drawings in January of 2027. Um the these last two are contingent on

when construction starts. So, this is basically a 21-month project once construction kicks off and 23 months to get to final completion. Those last two months are typically your punch out stuff, similar to what we'll be doing here with the fire station here coming soon. Um the this is a 30% planning level construction cost that they give us at this point. So, they do give us a range. The range is 13.5 to 22.5 million. Um they do anticipate they give us kind of they honed in and they're they're looking at around 17 million which is about where we were at um at the early early planning stage. We're about a 17.5. So we're still tracking very similar. Um annual operation and maintenance uh costs are going to be are estimated at $327,000 annually. Um and that that includes and this was a confirmation that I got that includes current costs. So right now it's around $140,000 to operate. So there's an addit the additional um is built into there. So overall it would be $327,000 to operate that plant. Um and then as I said our next milestone um that we'll be updating you is at the 60% drawing uh phase. Um we're kind of at the point now um where it's it's going to be crucial to start talking about funding. um specifically obviously for construction. Um we've talked internally and we've talked kind of about how this is how this process could potentially play out. We've ran some numbers and I think the next logical step is to present something to finance commission uh present some options to them as far as what can be done uh for funding. Um there's a lot of moving targets still as far as what funding is going to be there. I know I've I've brought uh council up to speed at our retreat about how this program

currently with Ohio EPA that's run through their WSRLA funding, which is how we got the 1.3 for design. There is no commitment at the after 2026 for any funding. There hasn't been any commitment. So, we're still waiting to see what's going to happen and that's going to be critical. Um, however, um, there will need to be some decisions made as far as how much money because we know we got to we know we're never going to get it all, never going to get full fully funded through grant monies. Um, so the question is how much do we want to build up before we start construction? Construction to meet the end of 2029, which is the current compliance schedule. Um, construction would have to start in March of 2028. So that's kind of big picture and I'll take any any questions.

Any questions, comments? Please make them.

Thanks. Um I appreciate the update um that you went through and taking this to finance commission. Um because I I definitely am advocating for us to start looking to what we can put out to the residents um you know as a fee. I think it was really smart how you all managed the WMR fee and to build up those funds so that we could do um major projects like this. Um so I look forward to that finance commission um recommendation um on funding for that. Um for the um could could you talk through um I I had heard it before and it kind of clicked when you were giving your update. Um is there a possibility to uh tap into our sewer system versus septic um in that in that area? And then could you also um talk through the other contaminants that um the charcoal help remove as that's started to come a little bit more into conversation.

Yeah. So first one, Betty Ray um there is no public sewer on that road. So there the closest public sewer is about half a mile away. We would have to pump to it. Um, so this is one of the and I talked about this a couple meetings ago, but one of the uh engineering value type things we we came up with was this research tank that we're putting in. So when we backwash and when we get new uh GAC in, normally you would send that to the sewers. Um, but to put in a um lift station, it was going to be around somewhere around $200,000 because of the length of the force man and whatnot. So that was a this was a actually this was an engineers the acom's idea. Um so this was this is a good thing. Um so that was one of the value engineering things we looked at. So to answer that question no there's no option for that. Um but the uh second part was uh GAC uh does a lot of so GC is used typically at surface water plants. Um it's really good at removing organic uh organic compounds. So down at down on the river where Cincinnati has their plant, they have a huge GAC facility because they're pulling surface water. So one of the benefits of having GAC is not only will it remove the PAS that we've identified as an issue um should we ever see an um major flooding or some sort of uh you know entrance of organics within our uh groundwater system which is possible. Um this would remove those organics. Um, so that's a built-in uh kind of a built-in safeguard with the GAC.

Thank you. Anything else? All right. I I I think it it probably would be best, I think, if the the council makes a motion um to refer to the finance commission the task of providing us with some alternatives on on how we might fund um not just the the construction. Maybe start with that and later we can look at the rest. But I think I would like to entertain a motion to refer this matter to the finance commission for them to consider alternatives to present to us on how to fund the construction of uh of this new plant. I'll second that. Well, I can't make it. Somebody needs to make it.

I will make a motion to open discussions with the finance committee to discuss funding for the POS treatment facility. I'll second that. Call the role, please. Miss Hazelbaker, yes. Mr. Janick, Mr. Janick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Vice Mayor B, yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart, yes. Motion carries seven to zero. Mr. Witch,

thank you, Mayor. Um, as you saw and as all all of our residents saw this week, um the city uh sta staff level had to make a decision. Um, several two months ago, we were given um by ordinance uh by emergency ordinance. we were given the ability to enter into a contract for um the aggregation program for electric. Um if you recall that we we brought that to you and what we had told you was we will sign we will sign something when it gets under 10 cents. We were very at that point um very optimistic that we were going to see that. Um things obviously have changed in the last two months. Um a lot of lot of different factors. Um so what we what we decided to do was um put a what's what we're what we're saying is a pause on the aggregation program. It currently expires at the end of May. Um and our current rate is around a little over 9 cents. The rates we were getting uh proposals for 12 month and 24 month were around 10.2 10.3 cents a kilowatt hour. Duke's default rate. So, if you're not in the aggregation program and you opt out, Duke's default rate is 10.08. For Duke's default rate to be less than proposals we're getting is not good. Um, so what we decided to do was pause this program. Everyone that is in the aggregation program will automatically default to that 10.08 rate, which is less than what we would have signed a contract for. So, what we're doing in the interim and uh Mr. Kennedy and I saw emails yesterday because we work with our consultant. We get at least twice a week updates on where we're at. We're still above that. We're still at like 103 um 103 104. Um so the idea, the goal is for us to monitor that, monitor the

Duke rate. Um the Duke rate um we we believe it's holding until June 1st. Um so we're going to keep monitoring that, but there will have to be a decision. I'm not prepared to do to ask for any type of motion tonight, but um that ordinance only gave us it really only gave us to sign something under 10 cents. Um so you may see at the next meeting uh we're going to monitor where these are going and we may have I may bring something to you something along the lines of under 104 or something along something like that. But that's what occurred. It was it was a time crunch this week. Um, but in in at the end of the day, what I what I did make clear to many residents that I spoke to, um, you will be saving money over what we we could have signed. Um, so it actually is a positive. It's confusing, don't get me wrong. Um, but we are we are looking out um and council's looking out for the residents in this situation right now.

Thank you. Any comments or questions? I just I mean, you know, really this is totally for the benefit of residents. You're spending your time doing this and so I I I appreciate it as a as a homeowner. Um so I mean I thank you for doing that and trust you to get us the best deal you can. Um does anybody have any announcements or reports that they wish to make? I have a few. No fun facts yet. Next time. Maybe next time. Next,

the city of Lovelin and the Lovelin Sustainability Council will host an electronics recycling event on Saturday, April 18th from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the public works building on Love Madira Road. Lovelin Tree and Environment Committee will host its annual litter cleanup on Saturday, April 25th from 9 to noon. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Little Miami Conservancy building next to Nisbet Park. And immediately following the cleanup, a red bud tree dedication will take place at Nisbet Park at noon along with the reading of the Arbor Day proclamation. Can we have a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Call the role, please. Mr. Janick, yes. Mayor Bailey, yes. Yes. Mr. Goodyear, yes. Miss Hamlin, yes. Mr. Hart,

yes. Miss Haz Baker, yes.