CITY OF CARROLLTON
COUNCIL MEETING
CITY HALL
JUNE 22, 2009
7:00 P.M.
COUNCIL: KEVIN CRAIG
MIKE GORDON
NANCY JO GROBMYER
ADAM RAKER
ATTORNEY FOR CITY: NICHOLAS MARSH
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK: SUSIE MCGEE
FIRE CHIEF: RANDY THARP
PRESS: NEWS DEMOCRAT / SHARON GRAVES
ABSENT:
COUNCIL: TAMMY McBURNEY
COUNCIL: DEAN MILLER JR
CALL TO ORDER
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT THE HOUR OF 7:00 P.M. BY MAYOR LOUDEN. MAYOR LOUDEN OFFERED AN INVOCATION, FOLLOWED WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
RECOGNITION OF GUESTS
SEVERAL PROPERTY OWNERS, WHO HAVE PROPERTY WHICH ADJOINS THE ALLEY RUNNING NORTH TO SOUTH BETWEEN TAYLOR AND HAWKINS STREET AND EAST AND WEST BETWEEN 6TH AND 7TH STREET, PRESENTED A PETITION TO REMOVE THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND RE-OPEN THE ALLEY.
AFTER DISCUSSION, MAYOR LOUDEN ADVISED THE PROPERTY OWNERS HE WOULD LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT AND REVISIT THE REQUEST AT THAT TIME.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: REGULAR MEETING: JUNE 8, 2009
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN GORDON AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN RAKER AND DULY CARRIED TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
AYES 4 NAYS 0
2ND READING: ORDINANCE #09-10 AMENDING WATER RATES
THE SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE #09-10, AMENDING THE WATER RATES, WAS READ BY ATTORNEY NICHOLAS MARSH.
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GROBMYER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN RAKER AND DULY CARRIED TO ACCEPT THE SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE #09-10.
AYES 4 NAYS 0
PROPOSAL: TAX COLLECTION SOFTWARE
MAYOR LOUDEN ADVISED COUNCIL THE CITY HAD BEEN INFORMED BY ROBBIE ROBERTSON, PVA, THEY WILL NO LONGER PRINT THE TAX BILLS FOR THE CITY. THIS NOTIFICATION WAS NOT GIVEN UNTIL AFTER THE BUDGET WAS PASSED.
THE MAYOR CALLED ATTENTION TO A PROPOSAL FROM CLERK-TREASURER, BECKY PYLES, FOR TAX COLLECTION SOFTWARE FROM OUR CURRENT SOFTWARE PROVIDER KVS. THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR $11,630 WITH A YEARLY COST OF $2400 FOR UPDATES AND TECH SUPPORT. THIS SOFTWARE WOULD ALLOW EVERYTHING TO BE DONE IN HOUSE AND MAKE THE TREASURER’S OFFICE MORE EFFICIENT.
THE MAYOR ALSO CALLED ATTENTION TO A QUOTE FROM GOVERNMENT UTILITIES TECHNOLOGY SERVICE (GUTS) FOR $690.00 TO ONLY PRINT THE TAX BILLS FOR THE CITY.
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GROBMYER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN RAKER TO PURCHASE THE SOFTWARE.
MAYOR LOUDEN ASKED TO FINISH HIS DISCUSSION BEFORE TAKING THE VOTE.
THE THIRD OPTION WOULD BE TO LET THE SHERIFF COLLECT THE CITY TAXES. THE DRAW BACK WITH THIS OPTION IS A 4% CHARGE BY THE SHERIFF TO COLLECT THE TAXES AND NOT RECEIVING THE MONEY ON A DAILY BASIS.
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, SUSIE MCGEE, INFORMED COUNCIL CLERK-TREASURER, BECKY PYLES WAS NOT FOR THIS OPTION BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. THE CITY HAS A GOOD COLLECTION RATE
2. IF THE CITY’S TAXES WERE ADDED TO THE COUNTY’S IT WOULD MAKE IT
DIFFICULT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS ON FIXED INCOMES. [THEY PAY THE CITY’S
WHICH IS SMALLER FIRST, THEN SAVE UP TO PAY THE COUNTY’S.]
MAYOR LOUDEN SAID WHILE HE WAS FOR MAKING THE CITY MORE EFFICIENT HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE TIME TO INVESTIGATE THE DIFFERENT SOFTWARE AVAILABLE BEFORE SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY.
MAYOR LOUDEN CALLED FOR ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.
COUNCILMAN CRAIG ASKED WHY THE CITY COULDN’T CHECK FOR OTHER SOFTWARE WITH THE SAME CAPABILITIES AND GET QUOTES?
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, SUSIE MCGEE, SAID OTHER SOFTWARE WOULD NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH KVS SO THERE WOULD BE NO INTEGRATION, WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR THE REQUEST FOR THE TAX COLLECTION MODULE.
COUNCILMAN CRAIG SAID MAYBE OTHER SOFTWARE COULD BE WRITTEN TO INTEGRATE WITH THE CURRENT SOFTWARE.
COUNCILMAN RAKER SAID THAT WAS TRUE BUT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE.
COUNCILMAN GORDON SAID HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD LET GUTS PRINT OUR TAX BILLS THIS YEAR AND MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT SOFTWARE TO USE BEFORE THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
MAYOR LOUDEN CALLED FOR A VOTE.
AYES 2 GROBMYER, RAKER
NAYS 2 GORDON, CRAIG
MAYOR LOUDEN CAST THE TIE BREAKING VOTING: NAY.
MOTION FAILED
PROPOSAL: STEP RAISE PROGRAM FOR FIRE/DISPATCH
MAYOR LOUDEN CALLED ATTENTION TO A PROPOSAL TO START A STEP PROGRAM FOR THE FIRE AND DISPATCH DEPARTMENT. MAYOR LOUDEN REMINDED COUNCIL BOTH THE PUBLIC WORKS AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE IMPLEMENTED STEP PROGRAMS.
MAYOR LOUDEN ASKED FIRE CHIEF, RANDY THARP, TO EXPLAIN THE STEP PROGRAM IN THE PROPOSAL.
CHIEF THARP SAID THE FIRST STEP IS A REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFICATION, WHICH WAS CHANGED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT A FEW YEARS AGO.
ONLY ONE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN HIRED UNDER THE NEW REQUIREMENTS AND HAS THE BASIS LEVEL.
THREE EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING TOWARDS CERTIFICATION AND
TWO EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE FINISHED WITH BASIC LEVEL AND START WORKING ON THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL BY YEAR END.
CHIEF THARP SAID HE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE DEPARTMENT WHO WAS GRANDFATHERED IN AND AS SUPERVISOR DOES NOT WANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE STEP PROGRAM.
AFTER DISCUSSION, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO HAVE ATTORNEY NICHOLAS MARSH PREPARE AN ORDINANCE FOR THE JULY 13TH MEETING. THE ORDINANCE WILL INCLUDE THE STEP AMOUNTS OF $.25 AN HOUR INCREASE WHEN THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL IS COMPLETED AND $.50 AN HOUR INCREASE WHEN THE ADVANCED LEVEL IS COMPLETED.
MAYOR’S REPORTS
DISCUSSION: HEALTH INSURANCE
MAYOR LOUDEN CALLED ATTENTION TO A HANDOUT “SUGGESTED POLICY CHANGES FOR HEALTH INSURANCE” AND REMINDED COUNCIL THE TIME WAS NEAR WHEN OUR BROKER WILL BEGIN TO NEGOTIATE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. THE CURRENT YEAR ENDS ON 7/31/2009.
HE SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR CHANGES IN THE CITY’S POLICY OF HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE AND FELT DOUBLE COVERAGE WAS A LUXURY.
COUNCILMAN RAKER AGREED WITH THE MAYOR ON THE DOUBLE COVERAGE ISSUE.
THE MAYOR WENT OVER THE SUGGESTED CHANGES AND SAID THE COUNCIL COULD USE THE CHANGES AS THEY ARE LISTED HERE OR CHANGE IT TO REFLECT HOW THEY WANT THE POLICY TO READ .
HE SAID HE WAS NOT ASKING FOR A VOTE TONIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT AND WANTED THEIR INPUT BEFORE A VOTE.
KCHIP
MAYOR LOUDEN CALLED ATTENTION TO A HANDOUT FROM THE STATE RUN INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN. KCHIP IS AVAILABLE ON AN INCOME BASIS FOR FAMILIES WHO DON’T HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE ON THEIR CHILDREN. THE INCOME LIMIT HAS BEEN RAISED THIS YEAR WHERE A FAMILY OF FOUR (4) CAN MAKE $44,000 AND STILL QUALIFY.
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
MAYOR LOUDEN REMINDED THE COUNCIL THERE WOULD BE A CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND AT POINT PARK. THE MAYOR REPORTED HE HAD GIVEN TOURISM PERMISSION TO HAVE PRIMITIVE CAMPING FOR THE EVENT.
COMMENTS
COUNCILMAN RAKER ASKED IF THE COUNCIL HAD READ WHAT THE CITY OF MADISON IS DOING WHEN HAVING TO CLEAN UP PROPERTY. HE THOUGHT THE CITY MIGHT WANT TO CHECK INTO DOING THE SAME SO THERE WOULDN’T BE SO MANY REPEAT OFFENDERS.
ADJOURNMENT
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN GORDON AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CRAIG AND DULY CARRIED TO STAND IN ADJOURNMENT AT THE HOUR OF 8:38 P.M.
AYES 4 NAYS 0
ATTEST:
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DWIGHT D. LOUDEN, MAYOR SUSIE MCGEE, ASST CITY CLERK