CITY OF WINDY HILLS

Minutes of Regular Council Meeting

July 12, 2021

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	Lisa Kraft
	Kate Greer	Attorney Clay Barkley
	Marcia Myers	Steve Teaford
	Marianne Rademaker
	Suzanne Spencer
	Laura Trachtenberg

MINUTES:

Councilwoman Greer moved to approve the minutes of the June 14, 2021, Council meeting; seconded by Councilwoman Myers. The motion passed unanimously.

FINANCIAL REPORTS, APPROVAL OF BILLS:

The financial reports for June 2021 were moved for approval by Councilwoman Rademaker, seconded by Councilwoman Myers. The motion passed unanimously.

Councilwoman Trachtenberg moved to approve the June bills, totaling $85,744.19, and was seconded by Councilwoman Greer. The motion passed unanimously.

RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS/CONCERNS:  

 Dannie Wallace:  Owns the property around the AT&T tower. He commented that 10 of the 20 trees, planted to replace removed bushes, have died. Mountain Cherry Laurels will not grow in direct sun and are not well suited to our climate.

Faye Gardner:  Lives on Highfield Road and has limbs hanging off a tree at the back of her property. The limbs are in the ROW and she is trying to find out how to get them cut down before they take out the cables underneath them.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

“I know we all missed our July 4th celebration but we are looking forward to our fall event. Marcia Myers will give us more details in her report.

The City was well represented at the June JCLC meeting at Independence Bank. We had an opportunity to network with our colleagues from other cities and we received a “shout out” for being so well represented.

I completed an open records request for the MSD records pertaining to drainage fees paid by our residents since 2009,  the projects completed, and the dollar amount spent in our city during this time frame. I have not received the requested documents. I did receive a notification that they are working on my request.

Our attorney, David Spenard, has facilitated a meeting with MSD, scheduled for July 13, to discuss our drainage concerns. I also replied to a resident’s email requesting information about drainage, etc. in Windy Hills.

I emailed and spoke at length with a resident regarding the pledged bank securities/assets that are held for the City of Windy Hills with the Federal Reserve. These assets cover the funds held at the bank that exceed the FDIC $250,000 insured limit. The resident and I discussed how the majority of cities because of ongoing reoccurring expenses, such as payroll, insurance, building maintenance, utilities, etc. would not be able to spread their city funds across multiple financial institutions and smoothly handle city business. I believe my answer was satisfactory.

Bruce Blue and I met with the owner of Brownsboro Lawn Care to discuss the snow removal bills. Bruce will update the Council in his report.

I filed the required annual state paperwork so we can continue to receive State funds for police protection. I also completed the state-required quarterly unemployment forms and returned the Purdue Pharma settlement forms. I agreed to complete a compensation survey for the City of Prospect. They will share the survey results with us.

I am continuing to work on 726 Indian Ridge.

Police Report: There were 105 hours of Police support. We had one dog attack. There were 12 ½ hours of radar and traffic control on Ambridge and Rudy with 3 warnings. The police made multiple checks at the Brownsboro Shopping Center. Two houses were on house watch for 2 weeks, the police helped 2 motorists with flat tires, and 2 residents were cited for overnight parking. There was a report of loud music on Bonfire but the police did not hear it.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Finance/Ordinances:  Councilwoman Rademaker reported we are patiently waiting for the Covid funds. The City ended the year in a surplus.

Code Enforcement:  Steve Teaford reported he has been busy working with 3 different residents on correcting violations of the Community Standards. This is especially important because we have had complaints from rental property owners that we hold our resident-occupied homeowners to a lower standard.  We want to treat all property owners equally.

Windy Hills Green/City Maintenance/Newsletter/Tree Board – Councilwoman Greer:

Councilwoman Greer reported The Tree Board is going to meet on July 21st to discuss an educational activity for the September event. Adam mulched the Green and pruned the shrubs. Cornerstone pruned and mulched the trees the City planted on Ambridge, but the mulch needed to be spread out. Working on a legal ad to advertise for bids for City Beautification and Maintenance. The Witch Hazel tree on Rudy is dying and will need to be replaced.  Need to talk to Rick Grismer from LG&E and find out the name of the Nursery where they bought the trees. Zelkova trees would be a hardier replacement for Westport Road.

Newsletter – Councilwoman Myers:  Councilwoman Myers reported our June edition print issue of the newsletter was sent to all residents in late June. Although the copy was submitted as print-ready ahead of the deadline, the mailing was delayed by a week due to staff shortages at Minuteman. Because we will be on a critical timeline in September in order to get the word out about the Fall Festival, we cannot have a recurrence of this delay.

KCTC student Kyle Shook did the layout for us this time. He is available to do our September issue as well, but it is likely that we will periodically have new students if we continue this method.

She welcomes feedback about the layout, format, fonts, etc. for this and previous issues.

We have already had several responses to our request for garden photos and will publish those photos in future issues of The Breeze where they can be enjoyed in full color. They can also be displayed on our website.

Our next issue will be a digital Breeze. July 28th deadline for Breeze to be sent by July 30th and September 1st deadline for the print issue to be in homes by September 11th.

Fall Festival Report and Recommendations: ” Kate Greer, Joyce Bridge, and I met on June 30th to discuss plans for the Fall Festival and consider adaptations in light of Covid and the combined fall event.

We are trying to meet community expectations of including all of the valued elements of the 4th of July Event, the Ice Cream Social, and Arbor Day while adjusting for Covid safety (especially for unvaccinated children).

Parade – Families will be asked to group together and stay 6 feet apart from others for a slow-paced parade, not a race. Forest theme for the decoration of bikes, costumes – “Woodland Creatures” (animals, fairies and elves, trees, plants).

This must be a completely outdoor event for Covid safety. All dining outside. Participants only go inside to get their food and use bathrooms. No tables set up inside (beyond serving tables). This must be publicized and monitored.

In order to encourage participants to enjoy the event from their socially distanced space on the lawn, we will reorient set up to a dinner theatre or amphitheater style with band and speakers on the side porch facing Rudy Lane and participants and blankets, chairs arranged across the lawn. Kid’s zone under the trees at the far end like last year. 1 narthex door for band and speakers. Separate door from the small room off serving room for those getting food. Ice cream on the circular drive as usual. Shredding in the back parking lot. Registration and food drop off outside so that participants stay outdoors until invited in to get food.

Because the number of participants is an unknown (with different time of year and Covid concerns), reservations for food will be essential. Residents are welcome and encouraged to come regardless but must reserve to get a meal. At registration, those who come will be checked off the list and given hand stamps to admit them to the meal line.

At this time, it appears that a potluck buffet will be allowed by health officials, but food must be served (not self-served). If conditions were to change making the potluck unwise, we are asking the caterer to estimate both a partial and a completely catered picnic. Our preference is the usual potluck.

Crafts and other activities during which children bunch around a table and share supplies cannot take place.

We must discourage people from congregating, so recommend we not rent a tent this year, but look at other options to keep cool. Since there is more shade later in the day, the picnic will be held from  – 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 25.  The Council likes that idea and the vendors are available at the later time. If it rains and we cannot have an outdoor event, we will have a curbside food pickup.

The Tree Board will arrange an educational event and children’s activity (treasure hunt).

In addition, resident volunteers will be asked to oversee Covid-compliant games such as balancing small pumpkins on head relay, ring toss, etc.”

Community Caring/Health & Fitness/Welcome to Windy Hills – Councilwoman Spencer:

Councilwoman Spencer reported the following items:

• ‘“Welcome to Windy Hills – We had 2 new residents in June.
• Community Caring – No report
• Windy Hills Green Amenities – The Waters family was in town from Florida and we met regarding their purchase of a memorial bench with a plaque naming their parents who were long-time residents of Windy Hills. They understand they will be paying for the bench itself and for all materials and labor to install it.’

 Public Works – Councilman Blue:

Councilman Blue reported:  “Kate asked me to look into the cost of hiring a shredding company to come to our event.  After several calls, the cheapest I found for a Saturday is a flat rate for a truck to be on site, $300 per hour (this is a fee of $250.00 plus fuel charge and additional costs) and you must book months in advance. Not cost-effective.

Recycling has been successful with no complaints that were not solved or were not really an issue.  Garbage had two complaints, but I hopefully solved them.

The mayor asked me to attend a meeting with Brownsboro Lawn Care concerning the cost for the winter of 2020-2021 snow and ice service.  We both felt that the bill was too high for the work done.  The mayor had detailed information on weather, snow, and ice that was discussed.  After some back and forth discussion and negotiating, the decision was to pay Brownsboro Lawn Care $30,000, and end the problem.  The Mayor approved this amount.  As I discussed last meeting, there will be a specific detailed form that the next snow/ice removal and treatment company will have to follow.  Adam also stated that he needed someone to call in the middle of the night to work or not work.  I told Adam to call me day or night and I would approve or not approve what to do.

I was told the issue on Copperfield about the hole in the asphalt and breaking of the curb was neither a MSD or a Louisville Water Company problem.  With the OK from the engineer and the Mayor,  I hired Hall Contracting to find out if the issue belongs to Windy Hills’ or if it is a MSD/LWC problem.  I talked with Roscoe our contact with Hall Contracting and he is going to start on Wednesday.”

Ordinances/Community Standards – Councilwoman Trachtenberg:  Councilwoman Trachtenberg reported about the Food Truck turnout in June. The truck, Alchemy, was late in arriving. She is working with residents on a tree in the right-of-way.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS:  None

ATTORNEYS COMMENTS:  Attorney Clay Barkley responded to the following issues:  MSD meeting with attorney and Mayor, and we are working on an ordinance on swales/drainage.

Comments/Questions to the Council as a Whole:

Addison Sandefur asked about the MSD meeting the Mayor spoke about in her report.

Ralph Williams made the comment that the workspace around the metro recycling property looks terrible.

 

Councilwoman Greer moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 p.m., seconded by Councilwoman Trachtenberg and the motion passed unanimously.

 

 

__­_____          __________________                                                ­­­­­_______________________

Helen M Davis, Mayor

Lisa Kraft, City Clerk