City Council - Special Meeting

But I don't know. We're still not on. Yeah, Brandon, do you know that we're not seeing anything? master switch. Yeah, the master switch. Yeah. Here we go. Oh, look at there. Wow. Don't we look good? You know, we don't know how to turn the

TVs on, right? Thought I'd make that clear. Okay. Welcome to the special meeting and budget hearing for Morington City Council, June the 16th, 2025. Our first order of business is a public hearing and consideration of the city of Morington's budget for fiscal year 2025 2026. Sally, you want to bring us an update? I I will. Um, so at our June 2nd meeting, we went over the budget in considerable detail. And the budget before you tonight includes um leaving our tax rate at 50 for regular taxes, 50 cents per $100, 12 cents for downtown tax district per $100 in value. Um, electric rates remaining the same, water rate increase of 10%, sewer rate increase of 5% both on volume charges, and a $5 per month charge increase in January for Compass for the TV portion and everything else remains the same. Um, other than the things that we talked about, this is a p public hearing. Does anyone wish to speak for or against the budget? See no one approach. Public hearing is now closed. What's the wish of council? Make a motion to adopt a budget ordinance for fiscal year 2025 2026. Thank you. Uh do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Chris. All any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. Okay. Next, I believe is consideration of adoption of schedules and fees. Sally, yes. So, those are the schedule of fees and charges that make up the budget and

but we have to do an separate item to approve those. Okay. I'll make a motion to adopt the schedule of fees and charges for fiscal year 2025 2026. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Butch. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Uh the motion passes. Sally, next I believe are pay ranges. Yes. So um you all have to set the pay ranges for the new year and the pay ranges include the 3% cola that is approved with this budget. What's the wish of council to approve pay ranges effective Janu July 1st 2025? Thank you Wendy. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you Chris. both of you. Uh any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. Uh quick. Next would be ranges. Uh public hearing consideration for the community block grant which is CDBG entitlement for fiscal year 2526. Okay. Public hearing is now open for consideration for the C CDBG entitlement for 2526. Anyone like to speak? This is actually 25 to 29. This is the five-year action plan and Jennifer is here to talk very briefly in summary about that. Thank you, Jennifer. Good evening. Um, so I'm just going to go over a couple quick things with the the plan. said this is the second of two required public hearings required for to for us to submit the 2025 through 2029 consolidated plan and the 2025 action plan which is included in that which is will be separated too u for the use of

the CDBG funds. Um some of the funds that we will be using would be going to the normal things such as a small business grants to nonprofits public facilities and infrastructure and some admin Um so and the the consolidate plan kind of looks over the five years to see what the city wants to do um in those areas. Okay. and and you have in your notice in those and in the five-year plan, you know, looking at the same things that we've been supporting again with the small businesses, some nuisance abatement opportunities, and then the public infrastructure, sidewalks, storm drain repairs, stuff like that that happens in our CDBG eligible census tracks. Y eligible activities. Okay. This is a public hearing. Anybody like else like to speak for or against the consolidated plan for 2529? And we only do that one every five years. Okay. Public hearing is now closed. What's the wish of council? Make a motion to approve 25 2025 to 2029 consolidated plan as presented. Thank you, Butch. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Wendy. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. Next is a motion to well to a motion to approve the 2526 action plan. Uh Jennifer. Okay. So we were awarded 21 $112 two $2,112470. So and then we're anticipating program income the normal about 30,000 give or take um for a total of 242,470. Um and we propose the same projects. The small business 90,000 grants to nonprofits 30,000 public facilities and

improvements 79,976 and the admin would be 42,494 for a total of the 24247. Let me do this correctly. Open up the public hearing. Jennifer, thank you for that explanation. Uh, anyone like to speak for against this action plan for 2526? If not, public hearing is now closed. What's the wish of councel? Make a motion to approve the 2025 2026 action plan as presented. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. And I will say the grants to nonprofits and the small business loans as you know are very popular. Uh we've already had some calls here past week asking about the those. So very popular, very well done. Yeah. And along with the the plan, uh we also need you all to consider adopting the project budget ordinance which sets up that one-year budget for us. And that's the next thing on our agenda. Uh that's not a public hearing. That's a motion just to take the project. Right. Correct. What's the wish of council? I'll make a motion to adopt the CDBG 2025206 project budget ordinance. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Thank you, Wendy. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. And then we need one more item dealing with the same thing, which is our contract with Western Peont Cog to administer that effective July 1. Okay, that is an administrative agreement. What's the wish council? A motion to approve an agreement with the Western Pedmont Council of Governments to administer the CDBG entitlement program for the fiscal year 2025 2026 effective July 1st, 2025. Thank you much. I have a motion to have

a second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. Jennifer, thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks for all you do for more YouTube. Thank you. Okay. Uh, next on our agenda is consideration for year end budget amendments 2425 and budget amendments relating to Hurricane Helen. Sally, yes. And ultimately, we're going to need five individual actions that are on the item that was was laid before you. So, every year we take a look at our our budget at this time of year and and and see if we need to do any moving around and that sort of thing. Um we had to do budget amendments are proposed for you in the general fund and the water fund. Um both of those the general fund is dealing with funding for the IBT defense that we're doing through Western Pemont Council of Governments, reimbursing the capital reserve fund for proceeds from the sale of the 400 block of Meeting Street and then amendments that relate to using contingency money that was in the budget and transferring it into the line items where it was directly used. Additional water amendments include utility expenses and some maintenance and repair of generator line items that exceeded what we had originally budgeted. So, we need to add more funding into that. Um, neither of those required additional fund balance to be appropriated. So you'll notice in the budget amendments that we also had increased revenues um through interest earnings through in um some additional power bill funding some sale of surplus and in um water for reimbursement for services and then again interest earned on our money. So both of those we'll ask you to do separately but with no appropriation of

fund balance or our savings. And then Hela um Jesse and I sat through a class last week with the school of government and um generally accepted accounting principles are requiring that we set up yet another fund for Helen. So we will have two funds. one will be a special revenue fund and that is what you're enacting tonight and that is in the amount of 9,000 I mean 9 mill661,199 and that fund is where we will be required to receive any reimbursements any funding insurance the cash flow loan um any FEMA reimbursements and other type grant monies or any revenue that we get for that and then we will have to transfer out of that fund into the Helen Capital Projects Fund, which is where we have to pay for anything that we do. So, and and you'll see that that's two and a half million dollar budget amendment, and that is really transferring insurance proceeds. Okay. What's the wish of council? Motion to approve a budget amendment in the general fund in the amount of $57,000. Thank you, Wendy. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. I need a second motion for the water fund. Make a motion to approve a budget amendment in the water fund in the amount of $35,200. Thank you, Chris. Have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Butch. Any discussion. All in favor say I. Motion passes. Now I need one for the Helen special revenue funds. That sounds like me. Revenue. Um, I'd like to make a motion to approve budget amendment to establish a Seline special revenue fund in the amount of 9,661,199.

Thank you, Butch. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. And we need Helen Capital fund project funds. I'll make that motion to approve a budget amendment to the Helen Capital Projects Fund in the amount of $2,538,465. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Thank you, Wendy. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. Okay. I think next on our agenda is consideration of a resolution for the state cash flow loan agreement. Yeah. Do you feel like this is a topic that we talked about before? Never heard of it. Yeah. So I guess this is about our third goround. So also at the June 2nd meeting, you adopted an amendment. Um so that rather than being hampered with the cash flow loans and having to pay that money back immediately after we received it, um we could pay it back over the five-year term. the day that we sent our documentation to the state treasur's office to be able to close that loan, uh they told us that they had once again amended the amendment and send us new language. And so that's what this is. Um this will allow us to close on the loan and and and to actually receive the money and pay it back in in the terms, not the five days or any of that. So I hope this is the last time that we do this. We appreciate you keeping up with it because it has been a process. U what's the wish of council? I'll make a motion to approve the proposed amendment to the cash flow loan agreement between the state of North Carolina and the city council of the city of Morgan. Thank you Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Sally, do you really think this could be the last?

We hope. I really do think this will be the last one. Okay. Any discussion? All in favor of the motion say I. I. Motion passes. Next is a award a contract for storm drain repair. Sally. Um so this is a project that will use general fund money and CDBG money. Some of the money that we just talked about for public infrastructure and it will happen with the budget that goes into effect July 1. Um, we have a storm drain repair that we need to make over in the area of McDow Street that runs into Bay Street over by public safety headquarters in the old Armory. Um, there has been a failure and we have been working to get that designed. It's approximately 500 linear feet of storm drain pipe and all the pertinances that go with it. Uh, sealed bids were received by DND on Thursday, May the 29th, and we received four bids for the project. And after review and checking references, the lowest responsive responsible bid was submitted by Country Boy Landscaping, Inc. of Harmony, North Carolina, in the amount of $629,643.17. And you see the bid tab with all four of the bids. They range from that amount up to 1.3 million uh for the work. We would recommend awarding the contract to them and then we have $650,000 included in the budget. When you're in the ground, you don't know what you may run into. So, we would like you to approve the additional dollars up to $650,000 as a contingency. Staff will control that and certainly not spend it if everything in the project goes as

planned. What's the wish of council? I'll make a motion to award a contract with Country Boy Landscaping Incorporated of Harmony, North Carolina in the amount of $629,643.17 and a contingency of $20,56.83 83 cents to perform the City of Morgan 305 West Concord Street storm drain replacement project and to authorize the mayor and or city manager to execute such contract and any other necessary documents to include storm drain and temporary construction easements effective July 1, 2025. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Butch. Sally, when any idea when that will start? uh probably let's call it mid Julyish because obviously this will kick in July 1. We'll have to get the documents signed. They'll have to get bonding and then we'll have to get their mobilization. So a lot of traffic problems with this. I don't think so. So there there there will probably be some Concord Street closure. So it goes from Concord Street all the way down to McDow. Um, probably there will be some of that at Concord Street. I don't think too much by the time we get around to McDow. Some of that. So, any other discussion? Won't affect school operation? Uh, the idea is to get the top part done uh in the summer while they're not there, but the project will not be complete by then. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. Next on our agenda is the award of a contract for replacement HVAC control system at KMA Sally. So years ago we did a capital improvement um project where we replaced the old HVAC system and everything at comma along with new controls and all of that. And and as you all know, the new

controls that come with that system basically is a computer. And they have never quite frankly worked exactly as they were supposed to. And Tony and Amber and the rest of them have pulled their hair out trying to get it to work properly. Um the units themselves are in good condition. I really hesitate to say that because something will go wrong. Um, but we need to replace the control system and and so staff found um an option for us to get to do that and recommend that you allow us to contract with Train um US Inc. out of Charlotte to replace and upgrade that control system at a cost not to exceed $37,700. What's the wish of council? Make a motion. Go ahead. I yield the floor to you. Motion to award contract for replacement of the existing HVAC control system at KMA to TransUS incororated of Charlotte, North Carolina, not to exceed $37,700 and to authorize the mayor and or city manager to execute such contract and any other necessary documents. Thank you, Wendy. I have a motion to have a second. I'll second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor of the motion say I. Motion passes. Next is approval to contract with wild wildlands engineering. Sally so this relates to Bethl Park. Have you heard about that before? Um so so this is uh what I would call the next phase of Bethl Park. And these include um third-party inspection services for our bridge installation, project closeout, and then verifying all the compliance with the state and federal permitting, and then helping to close out and report all the grant

details. Remember, this is the project that we have five, six grants maybe, all working, so it's it's a little bit uh administrative heavy. um would ask that you allow us to contract with Wildlands Engineering who have been with us in the design and permitting phase of this so that that that's the most seamless way to to finish this out and would ask that you allow us to contract for $88,130. What's the wish of council? Make a motion to award contract of wet wildlands Engineering Incorporated for $88,130 for inspection and closeout services for Bethl Park stream restoration project. Thank you, Chris. Have a motion to have a second. Thank you, Butch. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Motion passes. Next is consideration to extend the construction agreement for Bethl Park restoration project. Am I right, Sally? Yes. So um we are also um asking to change our timeline. So obviously originally when we did this contract uh we anticipated that we would be done and then Helen hit and as you know that created required delays and then more delays in order to get the project completed and to meet all of our again permitting and and special requirements for that would ask that you allow us to amend the contract with Baker Grading and Landscaping um to December 31st. 1st, 2025. Um, soon as I say it, it won't happen. We feel like we'll be done before then, but that gives us the time with them and us to get it done so that we don't have to keep coming back to you. What's the wish of council? I'll make a motion to approve an extension of the construction

agreement with Baker Braiding and Landscaping to extend the date of completion to December 31, 2025 for the Buffalo Park restoration project and to authorize the mayor andor city manager to execute such agreement and any other necessary documents. Thank you, Butch. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Chris. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. And next is our annual tree trimming effective July one. Sally, it is and and effective July one because these funds are included in in the budget that we just pass that becomes effective uh July 1. Um staff took bids on June the 10th and um received five bids that were submitted. Your the bid tab is included in your information. Um the lowest responsive responsible bidder was Davy Tree Experts Company and this will be our first time working with them. Um Brooks verified their references and and the type of work that they have done for other communities and they have quoted a tree trimming crew to us at $134.30 30 cents um hourly rate and that is between the time of July 1 25 to June 30 26 and we have $225,000 budgeted in in the budget you just passed. So we will work them until we get to that amount. If there's time to do more in funding, we would come back to you for any amendments for that. What's the wish of council? Make a motion to award contract for annual tree trimming to Davy Tree Experts Company for hourly rate of $134.30 for total work not to exceed $225,000 and to authorize the mayor andor the

city manager to execute such contract and any other necessary documents. Thank you, Chris. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thanks, Chris. Any discussion? Sally, that a lot of local companies who usually apply just not apply because the work that they're still doing with um we got several we so the the group that got the bid this year applied also um or or put in a bid and then there were two or three others. I I I feel like we got pretty good participation in our bids, but obviously everybody is really full. And then some of the local ones, like you see their trucks and things, they they did not they're they're pretty busy. And and they're going to be that way for a while. For a while. Any other discussion? All in favor of the motion say I. I. Motion passes. Our next item is a handout. I believe a resolution to apply for grant funding for a water interconnection. Sally uh late breaking news uh la last Thursday and Friday um we had some conversations with Valdes and um the engineering firm of McGill and there is an opportunity to go after some grant funding through the state. It's federal funding and it would be in in the form of uh the state revolving fund to look at a possible water system interconnection for Morgan and Valdis and Drexel would be a part of it too. Um looking for more resiliency opportunities in the future if we were to have another storm. Um this would be one connection we would need to look at. Um and and regionally we've had quite a few discussions. There will be other ones in the future that we would like to look at with other water systems around.

Um, this grant application is due August 1st and it requires a resolution and we don't have another meeting before then. Um, what I don't have for you right now is details like exactly location of where this would be and an estimated cost. Those will be done between now and when this is due August 1st. and we will certainly bring that back to you. It is no doubt that this will be in the tens of millions of dollars, the grant funding that will be sought to do this work. What's the wish council? I'll make a motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the application for grant fundings from the SRF funding for hurricane Helen program implemented by the American Relief Act 2025. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, Chris. Sally, will Drexel and Valdis do similar resolutions? Yes. Uh, yes, it will be required of everyone. This is actually a grant process that Valdis has taken the lead in and the start in working with McGill and obviously because we're close in proximity looking at a way to create for them another tank another booster station and if that can somehow work with our Valdi's Avenue tank which is our largest tank in our system then that there is benefit to us. Okay. Uh, any discussion? All in favor of the motion say I. I. Motion passes. Next on our agenda is a parks and recreation update. I'll ask Director Brian Fish to please come forward and give us an update. Brian, thanks for being here. Good evening, council, city manager, and hopefully just two quick updates unless you have questions. The first one being Bethl Park. I know we discussed the bridges and and the stream restoration, but the the playground equipment has

been ordered and should be delivered the 1 of August. That includes, like I said, the playground equipment, the shelter, shade structures, benches, all of that. And as soon as it arrives, they will begin installation. Uh they did the same uh playground installation of Freedom Park, Carbon City, soccer complex. I I could see it taking just a couple weeks and they'll they'll have it about ready. the the pickle ball courts and football courts have been paved. They they've started the fence work. There are going to be eight pickle ball courts. Uh I know there was some some discussion and questions about how many we'll actually have out there, but there will be eight pickle ball courts. And as soon as the they got to let the asphalt sit for a few weeks and then they'll they'll start painting the lines. Um, I won't give away the surprise on the colors and whatnot with the playground and but it should be very nice and and look look very good at Bethl Park. Uh, the the other update is about Kataba Meadows. We we've opened a few sections previously and our plan is hopefully mid July is to open sections of Kataba Meadows Park. Uh those sections will include the greenway uh section of greenway from the river village area down to somewhere around where the the Gera um village is. We we've obviously got the Rocky Ford greenway section that is in still in very bad shape falling into the river. So somewhere between there and we we'll find a spot where we can we can barricade it off to people to keep people from going out there. Um we'll also be able to open the playground. Uh Beantock Builders has been working on repairing the playground for several weeks now. They they've got one part I think they're waiting on that is is uh delayed. Should be here in the next week

or two and and then the the playground should be completed. Um the the wagon wheel had had a lot of work done to it. Uh there was one piece that had to come out. It wasn't compliant anymore. The uh the zipline uh had come down. So they they had several things they had to work on on the playground. The bathrooms need a little little work. They'll be ready before the bathrooms by the playground will be ready by the time we open. Um we we've redone some of the fencing in front of the playground. Previously it had that knee high fence. It damaged had some water damage, some storm damage. And it's also sits low so cars back into it and busted up all the time. So we're doing a nice tall fence like we have at Carbon City Park. We've yet to hear on Beantoalk if they'll open their zip lines. They they weren't open able to open since the park was closed, but they were hoping maybe this fall they'll be able to open um at least for a couple months. The disc golf course uh will officially open. I know there's been some people out there playing. Um, but it it will open as it currently is, but at some point in the near future, we will have to relocate the the holes behind the nursery ball field will be moved back down into the where the original holes were uh to accommodate the new maintenance shed. Um, but until that point, they'll be able to play the current layout of the disc golf course, the um the the community gardens. We I don't know if we mentioned, but those will not come back. Um the it's it's not allowed in our easement down at the park. So, the community gardens, any agricultural work that have been done down there previously will not be allowed. The we do want to say the fields will not be used. Uh about the only thing

standing down there right now are light poles. So that we still have to um get that scope figured out, contracted out, and start work hopefully in fall of this year. But the fields will not be accessible. Um the the restrooms by the canteen and the canteen itself will not be open. There's still a lot of work to be done down there. So um some of these places there'll be there'll be barricades, there'll be signage. Uh we're going to put up trespassing signs and we just ask that the public stay out of those areas. The um we we've we run into people moving those barricades, running over them. Um tearing barricades up and signs up. Um so we just ask that that people are aware they're there and just stay out of those areas for their own safety. And um mountain bike trail. The mountain bike trail. Yes. the the Foothills Conservancy has is has handled the construction of the mountain bike trail. They are they've got some community cleanup days this month. They're working on signage for the mountain bike trail and we we will open it at the same time is the plan. It will be accessible from the greenway behind the softball fields. So you can come down and you can cut in. Obviously there'll be signage. They run in behind the softball baseball fields all the way up to the Rocky Ford greenway access. The plan is to open that parking lot and so so they can access the advanced section, the mountain bike trail. We will keep uh the obviously the greenway section there barricaded off the best we can. That's the most dangerous part of the greenway uh or any of our parks really that exists right now is that that greenway section. But the mountain bike trail will be completed and and open so that it can be enjoyed and and used. I recommend any of you that ride bikes come on out to the

advanced section and take a ride. Should a little bit of it. That was enough. Didn't seem real advanced. Walking it was hard enough. Um so yeah, that's that's where we're at. We we worked real hard. Uh we continue to um to work on some of these areas. We we the outdoor volleyball courts there should be ready. We have a adult volleyball season that we play in the summer. Um so it should be good to see people back in the park and and that they're supposed to be there. So the shelters be available for renting and um we should be good to go. It's it's obviously I said the fields some people who have not been down there looks completely different with no dugouts or fencing. Um, so that that may be be a bit of a shock, but um the front part of the park should be should be enjoyed. Ryan, thanks. This should open up the greenway downtown connector. So, this would make the downtown downtown Greenway connector usable through the disc golf course and to hit the that section of greenway. Yes. Ryan, how about this section behind the Engles along the soccer field from the pump station out? Is that back open or is that going to stay closed? that has been that has been open coming around behind fields five and six unless unless they're doing work on the pump station that's blocked access. But um that section has been open. You just won't be able to cross sporadic that it's not all the time. Yeah. The biggest thing is you won't be able to cross the bridge to get over to River Village. It's we we still obviously the boardwalk and and some other things we've got to do out that way. So the boardwalk's been taken down. The boardwalk is completely removed and we're in the engineering phase currently. Okay. To get designs for what will go back. Okay. Brian, we know your department's worked hard to get this done and we we're pleased that you're moving at that pace. So, thank you so much for all you do. I

just I just want to thank the guys, the maintenance guys. Um they they're in it every day. Um, and they've done a good job and a lot of it's been done with uh less equipment than we would normally have. They've, you know, we we we're borrowing. We're uh got Michael Chapman and public works uh coming out and and helping us out, but they they've they've stayed busy and done a good job. And they've continued to work on the TGI Friday every Friday to get all that set up too in the middle of all this along with Michael's crew afterwards. So, thank you both for that. Brian, thanks so much. Thank you. May May I say one thing before we adjourn? Yes. Um, so the other thing that I will say, not on the agenda, but uh this afternoon at 3:30 in this very room, we had a wonderful swearing in ceremony where we swore in Chief Lander and it it was great. Um, we had lots of folks uh from public safety, obviously retired folks from public safety, um, off duty and on duty and other city folks that were here, community representatives, family members, and about eight other communities sent folks to show their support and and and their level of respect for Ryan. So, we are really excited about that. And right after got to see the newest edition, the new firetruck. Yes. Oh, yes. And at five o'clock, we got to see the new firet truck. So, this is the not the the latest one we ordered, but the previous one. We ordered this firetruck in August of 2022 and we just now have it. Um, but it it it's pretty nice looking and and we got to see that. So, thank you. Anything else to come before

council? Everybody had a great Fourth of July. We are ajourned.