Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

 

A Regular Meeting of the Flushing City Council was called to order on Monday, September 14, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Janice L. Gensel, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and invocation.

 

Present:                                  Richard L. Bade

                                                Mark F. Brock

                                                John C. Gault

Janice L. Gensel

Teresa K. Salem

Michael T. Szukhent

 

Absent:                                   George G. Kozan

 

Others Present:                      Dennis J. Bow, City Manager

Nancy G. Parks, City Clerk/Treasurer

                                                Edward G. Henneke, City Attorney

 

Excused Absence – Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Gault, to excuse the absence of Councilperson George Kozan.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Additions to Agenda - Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Gault, to add B2, Flushing Student Council Request to Hold Homecoming Parade.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Approval of Agenda - Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Salem, to approve the September 14, 2009 agenda, as amended.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

 

 

 

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Two

 

 

PRESENTATIONS:

 

Karen M. Popovits, Director, Flushing Area Senior Citizens’ Center, provided an update of the Senior Center operations and capital improvement.

 

MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:

 

The following individuals addressed City Council:

 

Kay Adams                             Elva Cook

505 Mill Street                       1459 Flushing Road

 

Consent Agenda - Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Bade, to approve City Council Minutes (August 10, 2009 Regular Meeting), City Council Minutes (August 10, 2009 Closed Session) and September 14, 2009 Council Bills List.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

COMMUNICATIONS:

 

Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce – Fall Harvest Festival - Motion by Gault, seconded by Bade, to approve the request by the Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce to hold their 15th Annual Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Flushing Senior High School Student Council – Homecoming Parade – Motion by Gault, seconded by Szukhent, to approve the request by the Flushing High School’s Student Council to hold their annual homecoming parade on Friday, October 2, 2009.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Three

 

 

REPORTS:

 

Capital Improvements Recommendations – Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Gault, to reinstate the Capital Improvements Committee (Councilpersons Brock, Gault and Szukhent) in order to provide a formal recommendation regarding the location of the Department of Public Works facilities, the VFW pending sale as it relates to the Library/Senior Center location, the reuse of the old police station and city hall, and the disposition of vacant property on Seymour Road.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Kozan, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Annexation Resolution - In accordance with Act 359 of 1947, the Charter Township Act, properties located within a Charter Township are exempt from annexation by a City, unless an Annexation Resolution is approved by the affirmative majority vote of both the City Council and the Charter Township Board.  This rule applies to property contiguous to the city if there are no qualified electors residing on the property to be annexed. 

 

Recently, discussions between the Flushing Walleye Committee and the Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce have resulted in the approval to provide additional river access on a parcel located off of River Road that is contiguous to the city along that property’s northern property line.  The approval includes expenditures from a fund, which results from fundraising efforts at the annual Walleye Festival.  The improvements would include some clearing of an area between the existing road to the lift station, down to the river’s edge.  Prior to implementing these improvements, permits will be necessary from the State of Michigan and Genesee County, as the work intended will be completed in a floodway/floodplain zone.

 

The annexation of this property into the city will allow the Walleye Committee and the Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce to complete these improvements with conditions placed upon the project by the City Council.  If the city approves the attached resolution, and receives a similar resolution from Flushing Township, approving this action, copies of the resolutions will then be sent to the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing.  Upon receipt of these resolutions, that office processes the boundary changes, as required by the Act.

 

 

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Four

 

 

            Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Gault, to approve the annexation of a parcel legally described as:

 

            Part of the NW ¼ of Section 36, T8N-R5E, Flushing Township, Genesee County, Michigan, described as beginning at a point on the centerline of River Road which is N89º-58’-15”E, 547.42 feet along the East & West ¼ line and N00º-03’-37”W, 1391.39 feet and along the centerline of River Road N66º-40’W, 363.19 feet from the West ¼ corner of said Section 36; said point of beginning also being N66º-40’W, 363.19 feet along the centerline of River Road from the intersection of the West line of the recorded plat of Flushing Valley Golf and Country Club Estates and the centerline of River Road; thence continuing along said centerline N66º-40’W, 81.05 feet; thence N08º-07’-50”E, 444.49 feet to a traverse line along the Southerly banks of the Flint River; thence along said traverse line S88º-52’-10”E, 218.28 feet and N49º-52’-50”E, 136.73 feet to the terminus of said traverse line; thence S00º-11’-00”E, 152.04 feet to a traverse line which follows Mud Creek; thence along said traverse line S51º-50’-00”W, 217.97 feet and S28º-55’-30”W, 64.69 feet and S34º-04’-45”W, 114.49 feet and S20º-54’-00”W, 126.02 feet to its terminus and the point of beginning containing 2.12671 Acres and subject to the use of the Southerly 50.0 feet thereof as River Road.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Riverview Park Improvement - The Flushing Walleye Committee has proposed a change to the approach to the canoe launch currently existing west of Tucker Pool in Riverview Park.  The proposal would extend from the employee parking lot at Mill Street to the canoe launch on the east side of the river.  The proposal includes an eight (8”) inch thick, twenty (20’) foot wide, crushed limestone surface.  This improvement would allow people with canoes and kayaks to drive to the river, unload their vehicles, and then park in the existing parking lot in front of Tucker Pool.  This modification will require a permit from the State of Michigan, as this work would be completed in the floodway. 

 

Funds for the construction of the driveway and related permits would be paid from the past fundraising efforts of the Flushing Walleye Festival.  This item was submitted to the Flushing Parks and Recreation Committee on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 and, after consideration, that committee recommended approval of this project.

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Five

 

 

            The City Manager submitted an alternate approach, which will also be submitted to the Walleye Committee.

 

            Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Gault, to approve the plan for the alternate approach to the canoe launch.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Green Community Challenge – A resolution is encouraged to be adopted, by the Michigan Municipal League (MML) and the Michigan Energy Office, as funds are being allocated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Currently, there are three (3) different revenue streams that are being used to allocate this funding, and the categories are based upon both the size of the government entity, as well as the type of energy savings expected to be realized.

 

The City of Flushing is considered a non-entitlement community, which means that we are competing for grants with other municipalities across the state for approximately Nineteen Million ($19,000,000.00) Dollars.  The funds will be distributed to applicants in amounts that are based upon population range.  For a single applicant, such as Flushing, we may apply for between Fifty Thousand ($50,000.00) and Seventy-Five Thousand ($75,000.00) Dollars.  If we submit a grant application with multiple jurisdictions, the grant award range varies significantly.  A multiple jurisdiction application will receive much greater credit than a single applicant, so we are organizing approximately twenty (20) cities, with the help of MML staff, along with advisors from an energy service company. 

 

Through these combined efforts, the resolution is one part of six steps that the city may proceed with in order to obtain funding approval.  Once the application date is open, there will be a very short time to apply to the state for these funds.

 

Motion by Bade, seconded by Szukhent, to approve Resolution No. 09-0914-A, in support of the Michigan Municipal League’s Green Community Challenge.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Six

 

Sewer Fund/Improvement Projection – During the past few years, administration has made several attempts to analyze the current condition and improvements required in order to maintain both the sewer treatment plant, as well as the collection system (sewer lines).  In addition, numerous rate studies have been prepared in an attempt to analyze the fluctuations in the water and sewer account in order to assure the city that sufficient funding is in place to maintain these systems. 

 

The city is at a pivotal point with the cash requirements that are needed to maintain current operations, as well as make necessary improvements.  A review of the listing of available State Revolving Fund (SRF) dollars indicates that the city is not a likely candidate for funding, as several other communities have significantly more problems with illicit discharges from their sewer systems.  Therefore, with the elimination of that funding source, decisions can now be made to proceed without SRF and the related stimulus dollars.

 

The City Manager presented information on three (3) different areas that affect sewer rates, capital improvements needed to maintain the existing system, and options that need to be considered prior to embarking on sewer plant capital improvements, along with the related bonding/cash requirements of making those improvements.

 

Sewer Rates – Motion by Gault, seconded by Bade, to approve Resolution 09-0914-B, thus increasing sewer rates from $3.74 per thousand gallons of water used to $4.05 per thousand gallons of water used, and to increase the quarterly cost of sewer only customers to $77.61 per quarter.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

BID/AWARD PURCHASES:

 

Police Vehicle - Motion by Bade, seconded by Gault, to authorize the purchase of one (1) 2010 Dodge Charger from Slingerland Chrysler in Corunna, Michigan, at a cost not to exceed $22,421.19.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

Flushing City Council

Minutes

September 14, 2009

 

Page Seven

 

 

ORDINANCES:

 

Designation of Flood Hazard Areas and Enforcing Agency Ordinance – Motion by Brock, seconded by Salem, to move to second reading and adoption of Ordinance 159, an ordinance designating the Building Official as the enforcing agent to discharge the responsibility of the City of Flushing under Act 230 of the Public Acts of 1972, as amended, State of Michigan, and the designation of regulated flood hazard areas through the adoption, by reference, of the FEMA FIS and the FIRMS (panel numbers 153, 154, 161 and 162) dated September 25, 2009.

 

            Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Adjournment - Motion by Szukhent, seconded by Bade, to adjourn.

 

Yea:     Bade, Brock, Gault, Salem, Szukhent, Gensel

            Nay:     None

            Motion Carried.

 

Adjourn:                      8:50 p.m.

 

 

 

_____________________________                         ______________________________

Janice L. Gensel, Mayor                                              Nancy G. Parks, City Clerk/Treasurer