Winds Private Meeting Room - 9:30am-4:30pm, May 9, 2012
CALL TO ORDER
Council President Judith Hempfling called the meeting to order at 9:38 a.m.
Present were Council President Judith Hempfling, Council Vice-President Lori Askeland, Council Members Karen Wintrow, Gerald Simms and Rick Walkey, Interim Village Manager Laura Curliss, and Council Clerk Judy Kintner.
REVIEW OF THE AGENDA
Council agreed to remove the topic regarding response to citizen questions.
SESSION
The session began with each person present commenting on their sense of how things are working for and with Council at present. The general sense is that there is a lot of work being accomplished, that items are moving forward on the agenda, and that the transition period (Interim Chief of Police and Interim Village Manger) is proceeding smoothly.
Curliss remarked that Yellow Springs functions more as a city in terms of amenities and expectations, but is doing so on a Village budget and with a small staff. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety and basics (utility delivery and fire/police).
Curliss noted annexation, the Barr property, the Chief search, management of public spaces, and long term asset management as key areas impacting Council in the near term.
Council 2012 Goals. Hempfling introduced the discussion regarding Council’s 2012 goals by sharing a calendar of proposed projects. Hempfling noted the need for a final decision regarding the Village Manager search before a search for a permanent Police Chief can occur.
Council agreed strongly on the need to collaborate with the Township regarding issues of Green Space funding and fracking.
With the arrival of Sharon Potter, Council decided to move directly to the budget discussion.
Budget Discussion. Potter and Curliss presented the current budget, and went over revenue sources as well as proposed projects. A general discussion followed.
Curliss made specific note of the potential for savings in partnering with RCAP (Rural Community Assistance Partnership) for a water systems study, which she is actively pursuing.
The group discussed matters of communication with citizens around budget, methods of increasing economic efficiency, and best practices around planning for major project expenditures.
Break 12:15-1:30
Discussion: Website and Image(s) of Yellow Springs. Hempfling led this discussion, which centered around portraying the Village accurately, attractively, and interactively.
Curliss strongly suggested using e.gov as a resource, stating that employees need to be able to post their own work product as needed, and that forms need to be readily downloadable.
There was general consensus that having a local firm manage the “look” desired was a good option, and comment from several Council members that the Village will still need a website manager, such as Servlet.
Collaboration with Schools, School Board and Township: What are potential partnerships? Walkey led this discussion, which centered around ways in which Council can offer support to the Board for passage of their levy, which is slated for the Fall ballot.
Non-profit Partnerships. Wintrow noted that funding for non-profit entities tends to follow more of an historical pattern than a set of criteria for review. She noted that Council needs to improve guidelines regarding what projects or entities are feasible for funding consideration.
Council discussed the usefulness of a policy, and decided to look at an August date for having a policy in place. One of the criteria agreed upon by all council members was not to fund operational expenses for any private non-profit organization.
Council also suggested having a budget line with a fixed yearly amount available for funding of non-profits, and discussed the feasibility of having an organization like YS Community Foundation review proposals to determine recipients for Village funding.
Council Boards and Commissions. Wintrow led this discussion saying that participation, transparency, staff support and alignment with Council goals were important issues to consider. Simms conveyed his frustration at the difficulty of maintaining a quorum on many boards and commissions and suggested that they be permitted to “go dormant” when there are no pressing matters at hand. Simms also suggested moving several existing boards/commissions out from under Council control.
Action Items
Council agreed that work needs to continue on clarifying roles of Boards and Commissions with regard to Council goals. Council will add this to a future agenda for further scrutiny.
Wintrow would like more information on whether it is possible to increase the local sales tax to raise funds for a particular cause.
Wintrow, Curliss and the Clerk will meet in June to set up preliminary discussions regarding the website, and a possible move to e-gov formatting.
Walkey will follow up regarding meeting with the Township on matters of importance affecting both Village and Township (eg, fracking and green space).
Walkey will follow up with the School Board regarding ways Council can help support the upcoming school levy.
Council agreed to draft a plan for the funding of non-profit partnerships. This is tentatively set for August 2012.
ADJOURNMENT
Having no further business, at 3:24, Wintrow MOVED and Booth SECONDED a MOTION to GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION For Purposes of the Discussion of Personnel Matters. The MOTION PASSED 5-0 ON A ROLL CALL VOTE.
Council then moved their meeting from the Winds private room to the Art Room in the Bryan Center for greater privacy.
At 4:43, Walkey MOVED and Simms SECONDED a MOTION TO LEAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE MOTION PASSED 5-0 ON A VOICE VOTE.
At 4:43, Walkey MOVED and Simms SECONDED a MOTION TO ADJOURN. THE MOTION PASSED 5-0 ON A VOICE VOTE.
