1/19/2021 Council Meeting Recap
Hello Hudson! We are so close to the weekend! I can’t wait, can you?
Here is where you can view the meeting minutes. Here is where you can view the City’s workshop highlights, which provides a concise and unbiased account of the meeting and the various conversations.
We started the meeting early to interview applicants for boards and commissions.
Public Comment
We had one public comment about the crosswalk on 303 in regards to student safety as they walk to school. His suggestion was to install flashing lights to increase safety.
We are having a discussion about pedestrian safety at the upcoming Council workshop, so we will be addressing this in the very near future.
Note: This public comment took place at the end of the meeting, but I am listing it in the order in which the items appear on the agenda.
Correspondence and Council Comments
Bill Wooldredge thanked people who volunteered for various boards and commissions in 2020.
I had 3 items I brought up:
At the HCTV Advisory Committee Meeting last Thursday, a committee member relayed that a local merchant had reached out to suggest HCTV help with promotions for Hudson’s local businesses. Since staff had expressed that marketing was an area the merchants had expressed they would like assistance with when we were exploring ideas for COVID-19 business relief, I thought this was a timely message to pass on. The HCTV committee seemed open to it, and I think utilizing a resource that we already have in this way could really benefit us in this initiative.
A resident reached out to me recently regarding pedestrian safety, these are the three area they mentioned that I have asked for us to evaluate when we continue this conversation next Tuesday: danger to pedestrians from cars turning left from 303 onto 91, the Route 303 and E. Main Street crosswalk, and the crosswalks on Oviatt.
I introduced my recreation center initiative, which you can read more on here. One of my colleagues has mentioned they felt that it was inappropriate for me to bring this up the way I did, that they would have preferred I bring it up at a workshop. I truly regret that this was upsetting to them because I have the highest amount of respect for the way we conduct meetings. However, workshops are where we can really have productive discussions. I simply wanted to introduce the concept prior to a workshop so that at the next workshop (which is this coming Tuesday), the other members of Council will have had time to think about this, bring forward any questions they may have, and (hopefully) bring some additional ideas to the table. Another colleague has said this was premature because Council has instructed staff to do a survey of Hudson residents regarding the future of the Phase 2 land, and there would be some questions regarding a rec center on that survey. This was the first I had heard of this, because when it was briefly discussed with Council as a body, it seemed like this survey would only address the downtown Phase 2 land. Additionally, we are not slated to be briefed formally on this survey until the beginning of February. My opinion is that it is premature to publicly state what is or is not going to be in a survey that has yet to come before all of Council, let alone be voted on or approved by Council as a body. Besides, do we really want to put off a conversation residents have requested we have for decades just because a survey that is happening months from now may (or may not) contain questions regarding that topic? My take: This is a complex issue. Maybe our conversations about a rec center will take us down a different road, narrow down the directions we can take, or even point us in a totally different direction. I am of the opinion that Phase 2 should get it’s own survey, and, should we decide to do a survey on the topic of a rec center, that should have it’s OWN survey, too. Lumping two important issues into one survey could skew results. Regardless, if we come up with a solution that makes sense for Hudson, I think the official “survey” can be the election this November, should we decide to put it on the ballot.
Report of Manager
City Manager Jane Howington and Assistant City Manager - Finance & Special Project (or as I like to call him, Financial Wizard, haha) Jeff Knoblauch presented 2020 year end financial results. Here are some takeaways, copied and pasted directly from a memo that staff provided, which is linked in the agenda but can also be viewed here.
General Fund budgeted ending balance was $9.6 million; actual ending balance was $15.5 million, or $5.9 million more than estimated. This improved General Fund financial position allows the City to move forward with major capital improvements (roads, storm water and sidewalks/trail system) while still maintaining our targeted 40% carryover balance. Much of the excess was one-time type revenue and by investing it in capital improvements, we are not adding to our overall operating costs.
Gas Tax accounts for approximately 30% of the revenue in our Street Maintenance & Repair Fund (aka Service Fund). Due to COVID and many people working from home we were $96,000 or 8% below estimate for the year. With the mild 2019-2020 winter and overall reduced operating costs, the Fund was able to absorb the reduced revenue and did not require increased General Fund transfers.
Ellsworth Meadows experienced the largest number of rounds played in its history (46,932). By comparison, they averaged around 37,000 per year for the previous five years. As a result, the course had $415,000 in revenue more than budgeted.
Other noteworthy items:
Income tax revenue has increased $6.9 million (32.3%) since 2017 (3 year average of 10.8%)
Permanently financed $3,850,000 Velocity Broadband notes and repaid the treasury/General Fund.
Permanently financed the brine well at the water plant ($1.9 million), Hudson Drive waterline ($650,000) and City Hall renovation ($950,000).
Maintained AAA debt rating despite COVID crisis.
My take: As much as some would have you believe the City and Council spend irresponsibly, it is clear that we are in excellent financial shape. Very often, municipalities deal with staggering numbers when they look into funding big projects, have large expenditures, and balance their budget. These figures can raise alarm bells for some who are used to balancing smaller budgets, say, for just their household.
But the city is making many improvements to our roads with an asphalt resurfacing program, and will almost certainly be approving the city to bid and award the 2021 connectivity projects in the coming months. These improvements to our infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, and trails) are happening, all the while we have maintained our AAA credit rating. That is incredible!
This memo also went into more detail regarding Velocity Broadband’s numbers from the December 2020 financial report. Long story short, if not for slow mail, VBB would have exceeded the revenue forecast. Also noteworthy for 2020 is that 24 of our top 50 business income taxpayers (nearly 50%) use and rely on VBB. More proof that this business is viable and doing well.
Appointments
We reappointed Sarah Norman and Christine Winters to the Cemetery Board with unanimous consensus and a vote of 7-0.
Consent Agenda
I outlined these items in my workshop summary last week, so check that out if you want to learn more!
All items on the consent agenda passed 7-0.
Legislation
12. A. 20-145 is the moratorium on short term rentals (STRs) and 12. B. 20-160 is the proposed legislation to enact a permit program to regulate STRs.
There was a motion to go out of order and discuss B first, which passed.
My take: Staff made quite a few changes to the legislation since last week’s workshop. While I do feel this is heading in the right direction (and it seems my colleagues do as well), we agreed that it needs further discussion in a workshop. This is important legislation and we should not rush it, we need to get it right. We postponed to a date certain, the next Council meeting on 2/2, so that we could discuss at one more workshop.
12. D. 20-168 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF A DESIGNATED OUTDOOR REFRESHMENT AREA FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IN SPECIFIED PUBLIC AREAS OF DOWNTOWN HUDSON AND AMENDING THE HOURS OF OPERATION THEREFOR; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: Authorization to renew the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) within Downtown Hudson and expanding the hours of operation.
My take: This was approved with a unanimous vote of 7-0, yay for DORA drinks!
That’s it for this meeting. We have a FULL agenda for this coming Tuesday, the 26th. I hope you can tune in!
Have questions? Want to share with me your thoughts on any of the agenda items or issues listed above? As always, I would love to have a conversation! Email me directly at nkowalski@hudson.oh.us.
