Minutes February 10, 2020
CITY OF WINDY HILLS
Minutes of Regular Council Meeting
February 10, 2020
The Council and Officers of the City of Windy Hills met at the Sojourn Community Church, 2501 Rudy Lane, at 7:00 P.M. Mayor Davis called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL: The following were present:
MAYOR | COUNCIL MEMBERS | OTHER CITY OFFICIALS |
Helen M. Davis | Bruce Blue (Absent) | Sandy Moore |
Kate Greer | Jim Hodge | |
Marcia Myers (Absent) | Steve Teaford | |
Marianne Rademaker | ||
Suzanne Spencer | ||
Laura Trachtenberg |
MINUTES:
Councilwoman Greer moved to approve the minutes of January 10, 2020, Council meeting; seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg, and approved unanimously.
FINANCIAL REPORTS, APPROVAL OF BILLS:
The financial reports for January 2020 were moved for approval by Councilwoman Trachtenberg, seconded by Councilwoman Greer, and approved unanimously.
Councilwoman Trachtenberg moved to approve the January bills, totaling $38,267.46 and was seconded by Councilwoman Rademaker. The motion passed unanimously.
RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS/CONCERNS: None
MAYOR’S REPORT: The Mayor read her report as follows: “We are still working on collecting the outstanding 2019 property taxes. There are 33 outstanding balances with five accounts dating to 2015, 17, and 18. The total outstanding taxes are $10,442, but this does not include penalties and interest. We have collected about 1/3 of the delinquent taxes. Liens will be filed in March.
Police Report: There were 119 hours of Police support reported during January. There was an increase in house watch to four homes but most of the time was attributable to two of the homes. Police spent 25 hours in checking just one house. Both of these homes have met the annual one month a year patrol. The police had one domestic run backing up Metro police.
Radar monitoring and parking ticket enforcement of 98 hours resulted in 0 parking citations, 2 speeding citations on Ambridge and one on Rudy, and 8 warnings for speeding on Ambridge. I had contacted Grady twice in January because of residents’ complaints about overnight parking issues. I contacted him again this week to let him know that I expected a prompt remedy to my concerns. We continued targeted overnight patrol on Two Springs but have stopped the targeted enforcement since there have been no issues for the last 2 months.
Per last month’s Mayor’s report, we have adopted the updated proposed project form.
Many of our residents may have noticed the water main leak at the entrance of Wexford Place. The signature Wexford Place entrance was built on the water company right-of-way. A major leak was reported in December and the Water Company sent a crew to fix it in mid-January. The crew was getting ready to tear down the brick entrance on the west side of Antrim.
I was able to get the Water company to agree to stop the work and try to find another solution. Thanks to Mark Madison, our city engineer, the WC made a couple of accommodations that were acceptable to the homeowner and the WC agreed to reroute the waterline around the Wexford entrance. The homeowner signed the paperwork to fix the water main break and reroute the line so it will not impact the entrance.
This change has saved Windy Hills tens of thousands of dollars. I am thankful that the situation was resolved so well. We were really lucky since we didn’t have any legal right to force a change in the water line location. I want to thank Bruce Blue, Steve Teaford, and Mark Madison for helping me resolve this issue.
I have been working with the Secretary of State’s office and the City of St. Matthews to clear up boundary discrepancies between the two cities. I spent a lot of time “dumpster” diving through our city files and records, talked to multiple individuals, and I am trying to resolve our boundaries without costing us any money. I have an appointment on Tuesday with the director of the city mapping office.
I filed our 1099s with the IRS and sent copies to the individuals. I reported last month that I prepared and filed our UFIR. I am pleased to say that the 1099 filing through QuickBooks cost only $14.99 and the UFIR was free. Last year we paid our accounting firm $845 to handle this.
A contingent of Windy Hills officials will be going to Frankfort on February 12 to attend the KLC legislative meetings.
The Federal Reserve has updated our First Financial account of Pledged holdings that back up our accounts.”
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Code Enforcement: Steve Teaford was absent and the Mayor reported that he is working on the Rental property registrations.
City Maintenance/Windy Hills Green/Tree Board – Councilwoman Greer: Councilwoman Greer reported on the following items:
Green:
- She is meeting with Mike Hayman to arrange the planting of the two trees (Green Point Juniper and Ogden Zelkova) on Westport Rd. and the planting of the Magnolia Fringe Tree and Parrotia Trees on the Green. She stated Councilman Blue is going to try to pick up the Juniper and Zelkova at River Farm Nursery in Oldham County and the other trees will be delivered by White Hall.
Tree Board:
- Cheri Silvey-Slusher is out of town, therefore there was no Tree Board Report.
- She has emailed Caroline Westfall to evaluate two trees on Wicklow that seem to be in decline. They are located at 719 and 729 Wicklow.
Councilwoman Greer made a motion to approve up to $1,000 for the Green to plant Fringe, Parrotia, and Dogwood trees. Her motion was seconded by Councilwoman Rademaker and passed unanimously.
Newsletter – Councilwoman Myers: Councilwoman Myers was absent, but the Mayor read her report as follows: She reported that the Breeze edition of the newsletter was sent on January 23 and opened by 412 residents which compared to November when we sent 697 newsletters and 357 were opened. Therefore, the number of subscribers and the number opened have both increased. She stated she would like to see an increase in the number of subscribers which will benefit the residents by getting information out to more residents on a timely basis. The next deadline for the print newsletter is March 11 with the goal of having it in homes by March 20.
Community Caring/Welcome to Windy Hills – Councilwoman Spencer: Councilwoman Spencer reported that there are 4 or 5 new residents depending on whether one of the properties (in Kirkwood Glen) is in Windy Hills. She also reported that 152 residents registered for the Apple Watch drawing. Julia Ising’s name was pulled and the watch was sent to her via her husband who was in attendance. She also reported the donors of the Orchid Society bench gave her a check for the City to use as a deposit for a bench on the Green.
Finance – Councilwoman Rademaker: Councilwoman Rademaker reported that the City has been receiving the Municipal Insurance Premium Tax checks.
Public Works – Councilman Blue: Councilman Blue reported that he is:
- Evaluating the 2020 road and sidewalk repairs.
- Evaluating the street signs for reflectivity compliance.
Ordinances/Community Standards – Councilwoman Trachtenberg: Councilwoman Trachtenberg reported that she is updating documents.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS:
Bench on the Green: Councilwoman Spencer presented a Project Proposal for a Bench on the Green, donated by the Orchid Society. She stated the anonymous donor has presented the City with a check in the amount of $750 for a deposit of one half of the cost of the bench. Councilwoman Spencer made a motion to accept the $750 check as a down payment for the bench and for the Council to move forward and order the bench. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Greer. During the discussion, Councilwoman Rademaker asked if the donor was aware that the total cost was $4 – $5,000 and whether they had agreed to pay the full amount. Councilwoman Spencer stated that they were aware and would be responsible for the total cost of the bench, delivery fees, plaque, and any other fees that may be associated with this bench. Councilwoman Rademaker stated she would prefer that the donors pay the full amount in advance before the bench is ordered. The motion passed with the following vote: 3 Ayes – Councilwoman Greer, Councilwoman Spencer, and Councilwoman Trachtenberg. 1 Nay – Councilwoman Rademaker. 2 Absent – Councilman Blue and Councilwoman Myers.
Good Neighbor Award: Councilwoman Greer made a motion to present a Good Neighbor Award at the next meeting and was seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg. The motion passed unanimously.
ATTORNEY’S REPORT: No report.
Comments/Questions to the Council as a Whole: None
Councilwoman Greer moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:34 PM., seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg and the motion passed unanimously.
_______ __________________ _______________________
Helen M Davis, Mayor | Sandy Moore, City Clerk |
- Published in 2020 Council Meeting Minutes
Minutes January 13, 2020
CITY OF WINDY HILLS
Minutes of Regular Council Meeting
January 13, 2020
The Council and Officers of the City of Windy Hills met at the Sojourn Community Church, 2501 Rudy Lane, at 7:00 P.M. Mayor Davis called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL: The following were present:
MAYOR | COUNCIL MEMBERS | OTHER CITY OFFICIALS |
Helen M. Davis | Bruce Blue | Sandy Moore |
Kate Greer | Jim Hodge | |
Marcia Myers | Steve Teaford | |
Marianne Rademaker | ||
Suzanne Spencer | ||
Laura Trachtenberg |
MINUTES:
Councilwoman Greer moved to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2019 Council meeting; seconded by Councilman Bruce and approved unanimously.
FINANCIAL REPORTS, APPROVAL OF BILLS:
The financial reports for December, 2019 were moved for approval by Councilwoman Trachtenberg, seconded by Councilwoman Myers, and approved unanimously.
Councilwoman Myers moved to approve the December bills, totaling $52,341.93 and was seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg. The motion passed unanimously.
RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS/CONCERNS: Resident Tom Grant addressed the Council with his comments on parking his RV in his driveway. He feels he is being penalized for having a corner lot and now has to pay to have his RV stored when it’s not in use. He was approved to park it in his drive for a few days when loading and unloading.
MAYOR’S REPORT: The Mayor reported that we are still working on collecting the outstanding 2019 property taxes. There are 45 outstanding balances with a couple dating to 2015. The total outstanding taxes are $15,662.81 but this does not include penalties and interest. She updated the current delinquent tax letter and Sandy will be sending out notices to the delinquent homeowners.
Police Report: Grady was out of town on vacation so she was giving the December and January reports. December: there were 104 hours of Police support reported during November. House watch increased during November. There were 4 houses that consumed all of the house watch hours.
Radar monitoring and parking ticket enforcement of 98 hours resulted in 0 parking citations, 3 speeding citations on Ambridge and one on Rudy, and 3 warnings for speeding on Ambridge and one on Rudy. Based on residents’ complaints, Windy Hills continued the targeted overnight patrol on Two Springs. There were two complaints about a barking dog on Brookview. A homeowner on Antrim and Waterford complained about 8 – 10 cars driving past his house. There was a car break-in on Wicklow.
January report: There were 102 hours of police activity during December. There was one house on house watch. The targeted patrol was continued on Two Springs, there was a possible rabid raccoon on Bonfire and Fish and Wildlife was called. Radar on Ambridge resulted in 3 warnings, two citations, and one arrest. Rudy radar resulted in one warning. There was a stalker incident that also involved Metro police. There was a welfare check but the resident was fine.
The Mayor completed and filed the City Official update and UFIR 2019 forms with the state. She spent about 45 minutes talking to a resident who had sent an email inquiry about our current and past surpluses. He said that he appreciated the detailed information and our financial transparency.
She explained that our elected and appointed officials had in the past covered many expenses out of their own pockets and gave him the examples of mileage, office supplies, etc. She told him that in administering the finances, that she was trying to ensure that the actual operating costs of all approved projects were known in advance and expended to the City. She reported that it is important that the residents know the true cost of operating the City because future elected and appointed officials may not choose to subsidize the City.
He also asked whether we used “zero based” budgeting. She told him that it was impossible to have an entire zero based budget because we have some fixed expenses including the LGE electric bill for our lights, sanitation, and police. Other budgeted expenses are variable and fluctuate based on the situation that would include road maintenance, city beautification, etc.
This discussion also led her to reflect on “best practices” and how we can strive to improve our procedures. The Council voted several years ago to use a form for all proposed projects. She “tweaked” this form and printed copies for everyone. She would like everyone to review the forms and discuss the updates at the February caucus meeting.
She also stated that we received an updated notice from the Federal Reserve regarding our First Financial account balance.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Code Enforcement: Steve Teaford asked if there were any questions/comments pertaining to his report for December. There were no comments. He also reported that the rental registrations should be received by the end of the month and commented that Councilwoman Trachtenberg found a new one.
City Maintenance/Windy Hills Green/Tree Board – Councilwoman Greer: Councilwoman Greer reported on the following items:
Green:
- She talked with Mike Hayman about supervising the pruning of the trees on the Green. He will get with Adam Vogelsang. She also reported that will be three trees planted on the Green – a Fringe tree as a memorial tree and another Parrotia will be planted north of the bench across from the shopping center to provide shade. She stated we are replacing a tree near Brownsboro Rd., that died, with a Venus Dogwood.
Glow on the Green:
- She will investigate hiring another company to install the holiday lights next year.
Westport Road Trees:
- We will be replacing the two trees that were destroyed on Westport Rd.
Newsletter – Councilwoman Myers: Councilwoman Myers reported that the print edition of the newsletter was published and mailed during the 3rd week of December. It included the audit report and Code Enforcement update. The challenges for this issue included the volume of business our printer had due to the holidays and being focused on our newsletter. She proposed that the December 2020 edition being sent out in January as a “winter” edition. This will include the newly elected Council and give the residents more time to read it since it won’t be during the holiday rush. She also stated that the Council should consider not sending a Breeze every month if there is not enough “news” worthy information. She also stated that Eco-tech did not pick up on the dates that were published, creating a distrust of city communications and dissatisfaction with waste services. She would like Eco-tech to provide a calendar and share the cost of a special mailing. Councilwoman Myers also reported that she is working on a communication policy document for the Council to consider and should have something for the Council to review in March. She also thanked the newsletter editorial team.
Community Caring/Welcome to Windy Hills – Councilwoman Spencer: Councilwoman Spencer reported that there are 5 new residents. She also reported that 154 residents registered for the Apple Watch drawing. There will be 1 winner drawn and two alternatives (in case the winner is not qualified to win). She also reported that the lamp post decorations have been removed and stored with Adam Vogelsang. She has purchased more garland. She stated she is working on an updated map of the Green. She also stated the donors of the Orchid Society bench will be sending in a check for the bench.
Finance – Councilwoman Rademaker: Councilwoman Rademaker reported that she is working on an Investment Policy for the City.
Public Works – Councilman Blue: Councilman Blue reported:
- Evaluating the 2020 road and sidewalk repairs.
- Ecotech has been picking up garbage before the stated contract time of 7:00 am and he will talk to them about this issue. He also stated some dates Ecotech gave out were not correct and will check into this as well.
- There was a drainage issue on Victoria Place that has been corrected.
- He reported that some people are using the incorrect containers for trash and recycle.
- LG&E is not fixing the issues he has reported on a timely basis.
- He has received a list of KLC seminars and will schedule to attend some.
Ordinances/Community Standards – Councilwoman Trachtenberg: Councilwoman Trachtenberg reported that she is working with Steve to identify the rental and vacant properties.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS: Resolution No. 3, Series 2019-2020 – Definition of Vacant Property. Councilwoman Greer made a motion to have the Resolution read by Attorney Hodge and was seconded by Councilwoman Spencer. The motion passed unanimously. Attorney Hodge read Resolution No. 3, Series 2019-2020 into record. Councilwoman Greer made a motion to adopt Resolution No. 3, Series 2019-2020 and was seconded by Councilman Blue. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
ATTORNEY’S REPORT: No report.
Comments/Questions to the Council as a Whole: Doug Maurer asked who he needs to contact regarding storm drains. Mayor Davis told him she would give him the contact information. Tom Grant asked about the resident tree program and Councilwoman Greer gave him the information for that program.
The drawing for the Apple Watch was held. Miss Hannah Vogelsang was asked to pull the winning and two alternate tickets. The winner of the Apple Watch was Julia Ising.
Councilwoman Greer moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:44 PM., seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg and the motion passed unanimously.
_______ __________________ _______________________
Helen M Davis, Mayor | Sandy Moore, City Clerk |
- Published in 2020 Council Meeting Minutes
- 1
- 2