Loading...
22 JAN 20 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - CITY HALL - #1 MUNICIPAL DRIVE The City Council of the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas met in a regular session on January 20, 2022 at the regular meeting place of the City Council. Council Member Bolden delivered the invocation and Mayor Johnson led a standing audience in the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag. ROLL CALL: City Council Members: Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty answered ROLL CALL. Mayor Johnson also answered ROLL CALL declaring a quorum. PRESENT SIX (6) ABSENT FOUR (4). Council Member Sansing, Mashburn, Smith, and Rains were absent. Others present for the meeting were: City Attorney Stephanie Friedman, Public Works Director Jim Oakley, Police Chief Brett Hibbs, Lieutenant Ryan Wright, Parks and Recreation Director Kevin House, IT Director Emily Osment, and Jim Moore. PRESENTATION OF MINUTES: Mayor Johnson presented the minutes of the regular City Council meetings of September 16, 2021 and October 7, 2021 for approval and/or correction. APPROVAL AND/OR CORRECTION OF MINUTES: Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Ray that the minutes of the regularly scheduled City Council meetings of 16 September 2021 and 7 October 2021 be APPROVED. MOTION CARRIED. CONSENT AGENDA: REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Ray to approve the regular monthly report for December 2021. DECEMBER PERMITS/LICENSE ISSUED INSPECTIONS PERFORMED Building Permits 10 Building Inspections 25 Business Licenses Electrical 37 Plumbing 29 HVACR 12 REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/FIRE DEPARTMENT Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Ray to approve the regular monthly report for December 2021 from the Jacksonville Fire Department, reflecting a fire loss of $1,012,300.00 and a savings total of $6,932,700.00. REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/POLICE DEPARTMENT Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Ray to approve the Regular Monthly Report for December 2021 regarding annual crime statistical comparisons. 1 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT/CODE ENFORCEMENT Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Ray to approve the regular monthly report as presented for December 2021. Assigned Calls 60 Self-Initiated Calls 108 Follow ups 207 Structures Inspected 104 Meetings/Court Hearings 0 Rentals Inspected 0 Tickets Issued 4 Properties Red Tagged 0 Three Day Notice 125 Search Warrants Served 0 Seven Day Letter 47 Structures Rehabbed 0 Vehicles Tagged 45 Structures Condemned 0 Vehicles Towed 11 Houses Demolished by City 0 Lots posted 0 Houses Demolished by Owner 1 Signs removed 24 Parking Violations 46 Trash cans tagged 2 Grass Mowed 0 Basketball Goals 1 ROLL CALL: Council Member: Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED. WATER DEPARTMENT: 2021 Annual Report by Water Department Superintendent Jake Short Water Superintendent Short recognized Water Commission Chairman, Jim Peacock in attendance. He read the following report: On behalf of the Jacksonville Water Commission, I am pleased to provide you the 2021 Annual Water Works report Jacksonville Water Works had zero water quality violation to report and has once again completed the year within its budget while providing he citizens of Jacksonville with quality water and services that they not only deserve, but have come to expect. The projects completed during 2021 includes the installation of 4,200 linear feet of pipe, 11 additional fire hydrants, and 30 valves. At the end of 2021 we had 11,414 water meters in the water distribution system which includes 68 new water services. Customer service continues to a top priority of Jacksonville Water Works staff. We continue to take online payments from our customers through our secure internet site. In the year 2021, we received 29,336 online payments totaling $2,692,941. We continue to receive many positive comments from our customers using this updated service. Water production increased in 2021. On February 18, 2021, we reached a peak demand for the year of 10.2 million gallons. This is well above the previous year’s peak water flow of 4.3 million gallons which occurred on July 3, 2020. 2 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. The total water production for the year was 1.268 billion gallons, which was a 7.6% increase from the previous year. Our average daily water flow for the year was 3.47 million gallons per day. JWWW currently operates and maintains close to 1.2 million linear feet of water distribution lines, 800 fire hydrants, 5,250,000 gallons of storage capacity, and provides and average of 3,500,000 gallons of potable water per day to the residents of Jacksonville. J@@ not only provides reliable water service to a population of over 29,000 people in the Jacksonville area, but also delivers wholesale water to LRAFB and three other wholesale customers. 2021 was JWWW’s third full year serving as the privatized owner of the LRAFB distribution system. This 50-year contract requires JWW to operate, maintain, repair and upgrade, and improve the LRAFB water system. The LRAFB water distribution system includes approximately 290,000 linear feet of pipe, 507 hydrants, 3 pump stations, and 1,350,000 gallons of storage. The system provides an average of 574,000 gallons of potable water per day and serves approximately 12,000 people. In acquiring these facilities, JWW has employed the operations and maintenance strategies that have proven successful with Jacksonville’s water distribution system and blended those with procedures familiar to the LRAFB system. It is important to note that JWW operates this system independent from its own. There are many advantages to this contract, but one key benefit to privatization is that by ridding itself of utilities, LRAFB can now focus on its specific mission requirements instead of water system upgrades and repairs. JWW not only benefits from increased employment and from economies of scale through combined utilization of fixed, general and overhead cost, but it also has gained a closer relationship with the planning and expansion efforts on LRAFB and is able to integrate planning for both JWW and base customers alike. I am pleased to report that in calendar year 2021, the LAFB system also reported zero water quality violations. The projects completed on LRABG during 2021 includes the installation of 18,831 linear feet of PVC water mains, 91 valves, and 35 fire hydrants as part of Phase I of renewal and replacement work in Military Family Housing. The JWW LRABG Maintenance Team also oversaw the scheduled maintenance of 216 valves and 197 fire hydrants in the distribution system, the sand blasting and painting of 457 fire hydrants, and the installation of a new mixing system on the 1.35 MG water tank. This work was accomplished with a workforce of 29 employees. WE currently have 10 employees licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health to properly operate the water system with 4 additional staff members currently working toward the completion of their water operator license to further enhance the professionalism of the Jacksonville Water Works Team. We appreciate your confidence and continued support in working with the Jacksonville Water Commission to ensure that our City will have a safe and adequate supply of high-quality water for the future grout of the Create City of Jacksonville today, tomorrow and for many years to come. 3 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. WASTEWATER DEPARTMENTS: 2021 Annual Report by Wastewater Utility Manager Thea Hughes Utility Manager introduced Sewer Commission Chairman Mr. Fred Belote and Vice Chairman John Ferrell, and their Engineering Construction Manager Paul Richards. She related that other Commissioners are Eddie Porter, Secretary; Jerry Sanders and Jeff Elmore, Commissioners. Jacksonville’s sewer system consists of approximately 180 miles of gravity sewer line ranging in size from 6 inch to 42 inch, about 13 miles of force main, and over 3800 manholes. The earliest construction dates back over 60 years. The system also includes 14 remote pump stations. The wastewater utility is broken down into five departments: technical services, treatment, laboratory, collection system, and administration. The Technical Services handles investigation, cleaning and televising, and oversight of all construction. The report for that department is found on pages 3-4. A few of their statistics include:  Cleaned 53 miles of line.  Televised about 5.5 miles of line.  Inspected 154 manholes, 135 service lines and made 2,502 line locates.  Conducted inspections and oversight of all sewer line laid in the City.  We began the construction phase of sewer line relocation for two projects: o the widening of Hwy 67/167, o and the construction of a railroad overpass bridge on Loop Road. The Collection Systems department is responsible for repair and replacement of existing sewer line and manholes, and construction of new lines. Their report is found on pages 5-6. A few highlights are:  Repaired 96 manholes and replaced 3.  Performed 7 street cuts which included sewer main relay.  Only 2 out of 13 main line call was caused by inflow/infiltration into the system.  Home owners repaired or replaced 88 service lines in 2021. The Operations department is responsible for operating the treatment plant, running process control tests in the laboratory to ensure we are within permit regulations, assisting our industries with their wastewater treatment, and maintaining and repairing all plant maintenance and vehicles. Their reports are found on pages 7-11. A few of their achievements include: 4 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M.  Completed our 26th year without an NPDES permit violation.  The plant treated over 1.7 billion gallons of water.  Our plant accepted 8.2 million gallons of landfill leachate from Two Pine Landfill.  Once again, there were no violations from ADEQ inspections of the plant and solid waste monofill, and no violations of our biomonitoring testing.  We performed 2,144 analytical tests in our laboratory and passed all recertification requirements.  Performed 627 inspections of grease traps in commercial establishments.  Engineering design began in 2020, and construction began in 2021, on a $16M upgrade to treatment plant equipment. This will increase the capability of the plant to handle up to 24 million gallons per day of flow, up from the current 12 mgd. Information about the plant upgrades can be found on pages 9-11. The Administration department handles financial management, personnel, purchasing, and clerical support. Their report is found on pages12-13. Some of administration’s focus in 2021 was:  We received an excellent independent financial audit again in 2021.  Overall operating revenue was almost flat, down by less than 1%.  On Dec. 28 we closed on the issuance and sale of revenue bonds in the amount of $8.1M for use in financing a portion of the improvements to the treatment plant.  Continued to mail post cards encouraging residents to “can the grease” and “shut the lid on wipes”. Employee Licenses & Certifications:  Utility employees hold the following licenses: o 9 Collection System certifications o 19 Wastewater Operator’s licenses, with 6 being Class IV (highest) o 5 Solid Waste licenses o 7 Plumbing Inspector licenses o 15 CDL licenses Awards & Achievements in 2021:  Myron Webb received the 2021 Dick Morris Employee Excellence Award.  20 employees have wastewater licenses, with 6 being Class IV  6 employees have Class III wastewater licenses  5 employees have Solid Waste and Industrial Solid Waste licenses  9 employees have Collection System certifications, with 4 being Class III  13 employees have Commercial Driver’s Licenses 5 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. FIRE DEPARTMENT: POLICE DEPARTMENT: a. ORDINANCE 1683 (#2-2022) AN ORDINANCE AMENDING JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE §§8.01 (PROPERTY MAINTENANCE), 8.03 (NUISANCE ABATEMENT), 8.08 (PUBLIC NUISANCE) AND 8.10 (SWIMMING POOLS); DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND, FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Mayor Johnson noted that there are not enough City Council members present to be able to suspend the rules and place the Ordinance on second reading. He added that he feels since this Ordinance deals with Codes he believes it would be better to have it read over three meetings instead of one, offering the public a chance for comment. Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Blevins to place Ordinance 1683 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. (0) voted NAY. MOTION CARRIED. Whereupon City Attorney Friedman read the heading of Ordinance 1683. Lieutenant Ryan Wright stated when he took over Code Enforcement, he started going over the different codes that they enforce, primarily Chapter 8. He noticed that some of the codes went back to 2002, 2007, and 2009; adding that a lot of the codes conflicted with each other, citing Title 8.3 and 8.8 specifically. He believed the codes could use some updating and researched Conway, North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Cabot codes to compare them to. He explained North Little Rock had the most extensive, as far as the way their code was defined, and he pulled the Property Maintenance portion word-for- word directly from North Little Rock, where they have been instated since 2015. He added they have been approved with North Little Rock and those particular codes are ones that Code Enforcement Officers can visually see and will enforce on a consistent, day-to-day basis. He related that theirs is better defined for citizens and they would be able to go to our website or come up to get a copy of it versus having to dig through the 1600-page Arkansas Fire Code from 2012. He added that it defines what tenants from landlords are expected to have, as well as what the average homeowner should have and also goes into more detail on how Code Enforcement can enforce something versus the vagueness that we have, show them more what we are trying to get across. Council Member Blevins asked since Lieutenant Wright has taken over Code Enforcement, has he had instances where he has told someone that they were against code, but that someone looked it up and told him that they were not against code, and is that what prompted this. Lieutenant Wright replied sort of, that a lot of it is with the vehicle related codes, pointing out that 8.03 and 8.08 that deal with inoperable vehicles, directly conflict each other, with 8.03 saying that they have 72 hours then can tow the car and 8.08 saying that Code has to give them a 7-day letter. He shared that they actually go by the newer ordinance, 8.03, but that convoluted everything. 6 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. Police Chief Brett Hibbs stated a frequent complaint when he took over was that the wording in ordinances were ambiguous and they wanted to straighten it out because it was too watered down. He noted that if they write tickets and go to court, they have to justify it and it is hard to win these things when the wording does not make sense or is really broad. He wants it to be clearer, for not only the citizens, but also for Code Officers to know what they can enforce. He mentioned he gets asked about if something is in code and when he asks Code Enforcement, they cannot answer. Mayor Johnson asked if it would help the Council Members if they had a copy of how the code was versus what it would change to. Council Member Dietz agreed that it would help and explained that he got this ordinance the day before yesterday and read it for 4 hours last night. He also agreed that there are a lot of things that need to be looked at, but there are also a lot of things that he believes would be really hard to enforce. He does not know where you stop and start to enforce them and suggested additional time for everyone to review it. He believes they would have a hard time enforcing someone to have a window that goes up and down and how Code will be able to check that out. Lieutenant Wright clarified they would not go in and inspect every window, but if someone complains on it, they would be able to. Council Member Dietz brought up that if they check one and write that person up, what about the other person that knows about it. He knows there are a whole lot of things that we need to help, but we do not want to make it a hindrance on our people that have properties. He related there is probably a lot of people in the City of Jacksonville that know they need a gutter reattached or piece of wood replaced, but it might be an issue that they cannot afford, so the City needs to give them some time. He is for doing what is best for Jacksonville and all citizens, but he wants to make sure that we do not make it harder to live in Jacksonville or make it a hindrance on people. He explained that he has rental property and knows there are others here that also have some. He related that he updates his houses to be brand new with pest control contracts, but if tenants are in there for a year and it looks so bad that you cannot see the floors, that is a rodent problem that the tenants need to take care of, where us as landlords, cannot bail everyone out on that. He thinks Council needs to be very cautious on how they write this and agreed that he is for updating since it is so old, but he does have a lot of concerns. Council Member Blevins agreed that a lot of this needs changed, adding we cannot be afraid of change, which has been one of the biggest things that he has experienced being a City Council Member. He believes that Council does not want to change something because they feel that someone might not want it or they feel they might not like the change. He pointed out that before they implemented the online ability to pay your water bill, people may not have wanted that, but look how well it is working. He added it is something they are going to have to adopt and move into and we cannot be scared to change. 7 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. Council Member Dietz stated he is not scared of change, he is scared of hurting people, pointing out if he goes to inspect anyone’s house, he bets he can find something wrong with it. He acknowledged it could be an issue, but asked can they afford to fix it. He knows three or four people with houses, in predominant areas, that are not maintained, because they cannot afford it. Council Member Bolden related when he read it, he thought about if people can afford it. He mentioned that he was on the Water Commission at the time that brought up the online water bill pay to the Board and showed them how he could make money, getting the idea from Houston. He added that he deals with the Community a lot and a lot of them own homes and cannot afford the upkeep. He is concerned about nitpicking and talked about windows going up and down, recalling that where he was raised in Houston, their windows could not go up without a crowbar. He mentioned door panels rotting and shared that his father worked hard and could not afford to get that done. He urged that we need to consider those who do not have the money when making these ordinances. He agreed when it came to the rats, the landlord did not put the rats there, so it is the tenant’s job to get rid of them. He stated they should make decisions to help the people because people are struggling and Covid-19 is messing up a lot of people’s money and minds. Lieutenant Wright related he actually has a section about rats that explicitly defines who is responsible for maintaining the rodent issue, whether it is single-family dwelling or it is rented by someone, the person who rents the property is responsible for the rats that are in the home. He explained that everything that the proposed ordinance contains, is pulled from the building code and the purpose is not to tax homeowners or anyone else. He noted if you go to Sunnyside, 80% of that area is probably rented. He added that Code Enforcement goes there every day and there are floors caving in, people’s doors that are not locking, people with no heat or air, and if you look at it from that perspective, the landlords are responsible for taking care of those issues. He clarified that all this update does is better define the codes and gives those citizens options to where they can call Code Enforcement and have their issues addressed in order to give them a better, habitable place to live. He shared if you drive through Sunnyside right now, a lot of those houses are not habitable, and it is hard for Code Enforcement to go to the landlord or homeowner about a violation because it is not precisely defined in code. Council Member Bolden appreciates Lieutenant Wright for doing his research and knows that his decision for it is right, but his concern is the strategy to take care of the matter. Lieutenant Wright added when his Code Officers give out 3-day and 7-day notices, he tells them they have to knock on those doors and talk to the person who is there and tell them what is going on. He feels that it would be a problem if they do not address it and just hang a door tag because they should be working with the citizens versus nitpicking anything. 8 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. Council Member Bolden clarified that he knows that Code Enforcement does not nitpick, but he deals with the human element of it. Lieutenant Wright explained that if these people talk to them and try to work with Code, Code will work with them as well. Council Member Ray shared his admiration for Code Enforcement and related that the City of Jacksonville needs them. He recalled that for over 30 years, we have done the same thing, and reiterated that we have to have Code Enforcement. He acknowledged that the City cannot satisfy everybody, you have to go by the rules and regulations, and that is why we have so many of these entities. He mentioned the Community Development Block Grant that has helped people out when they had these types of problems and that money has been well spent in the City of Jacksonville. He reiterated that you have to have Code Enforcement for the City to thrive and get people and industries to move into the City. Council Member Traylor pointed out section 8.01.085 Interior Structure Requirements and it was concluded that Code Enforcement would only go inside houses if someone called them and reported code violations. He confirmed with Lieutenant Wright that they would not be driving around checking without probable cause but the Ordinance offers the authority for them to require repairs be made. City Clerk Susan Davitt noted that since penalties are being imposed, the City Council will need to host a public hearing offering citizenry impute. Chief Hibbs stated that they would not be opposed to having a committee being formed in order to review the changes line-by-line. Mayor Johnson noted that the committee does not necessarily have to be just City Council members but could also include citizens that are involved. Council Member Blevins stated that he feels this is about focusing the Codes, mentioning that this is also a public safety issue. Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Twitty to TABLE Ordinance 1683. MOTION CARRIED. b. ORDINANCE 1684 (#3-22) AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE AS A PUBLIC AIRCRAFT OPERATOR. Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Blevins to place Ordinance 1684 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. (0) voted NAY. MOTION CARRIED. Whereupon City Attorney Friedman read the heading of Ordinance 1684. 9 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. Chief Hibbs related that the Police Department has acquired a drone almost a year ago, but it has taken a long time because it has to have two trained pilots licensed by the FAA. He explained that there is a lot of paperwork to have in place. He stated that it is a small drone that will be used for law enforcement, fire, search and rescue operations. Lieutenant Wright explained that the drone has a thermal camera letting them watch, regarding a foot pursuit for tracking purposes. He stated that they could watch residences as far as serving search warrants or if it is an emergency situation, we can go there and watch the whole perimeter. He noted that the drone has a loud speaker and a spot light. He then answered Mayor Johnson that the cost was $8,500.00 and the software is an additional $1,200.00 annually. He then answered that he has spoken with the Air Force Base, which had been brought up as a concern previously, explaining that the area around the Air Force Base is a restricted fly zone. He related that he was told by the Air Base that as long as they operate the drone under 200’, they are not concerned. He pointed out that if you get too close to the Air Base there are safeguards in place that will keep the drone from lifting and will shut the drone down. Council Member Blevins supported the use of a drone for the City, noting hostage situations. He stated that it adds more safety for the City. Mayor Johnson noted that it would be useful in flooding situations or even chemical spills. Council Member Bolden moved, seconded by Council Member Blevins to APPROVE Ordinance 1684 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED. STREET DEPARTMENT: SANITATION DEPARTMENT: PARKS & RECREATION: PLANNING COMMISSION: a. ORDINANCE 1682 (#1-22) AN ORDINANCE RECLASSIFYING PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS (306 SOUTH ROAD); AMENDING ORDINANCE NOS. 213 AND 238 AND THE LAND USE MAP OF THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND, FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to place Ordinance 1682 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. (0) voted NAY. MOTION CARRIED. Whereupon City Attorney Friedman read the heading of Ordinance 1682. Council Member Dietz explained that it was a residential property that had been used for commercial for the last 30 or 40 years. They are requesting the proper zoning for the current use, which is a plumbing business, prior to that it was used as a construction business. 10 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. Council Member Dietz moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to APPROVE Ordinance 1682 on FIRST READING. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dietz, Bolden, Blevins, Ray, Traylor, and Twitty voted AYE. MOTION CARRIED. b. FINAL PLAT: Graham Woods PH 4 Council Member Dietz stated the Subdivision is off of Graham Road being developed by the Nixon Family, saying that it was approved by the Planning Commission. He noted that the houses will be between 1100 to 1400 square feet. He noted that Entergy still has not hooked up the electricity. In response to a question from Council Member Ray, Public Works Director Jim Oakley related that in the full design Redbud will tie into the next street in Phase III, but currently it is being developed in phases. He noted that there is a temporary gravel hammerhead design at the end of Magnolia until it ties into Redbud. He then answered that the next phase should be started within two years. Council Member Dietz moved, seconded by Council Member Bolden to approve the final plat of Graham Woods PH 4. MOTION CARRIED. Adoption of City Council rules Mayor Johnson explained that it takes 2/3’s vote to suspend the rules. He noted that the Mayor with five Council Members can constitute a quorum, adding that the City Council will follow Robert’s Rules of Order. He stated that a change he would like to make is how we allow the public to speak, explaining that he would like to have slips to be filled out before Council begins to allow citizens to speak before the City Council as an alternative to having to contact a City Council Member and being included on the agenda. He noted that if you want on the agenda then you have till noon on Friday to be sponsored by a Council Member. He stated that he would like to limit the time of speaking to 3 minutes. He stated that the would also like to again appoint Council Member Bolden as Vice Mayor, and Second Vice Mayor is Council Member Dietz. Council Member Ray moved, seconded by Council Member Traylor to adopt the rules as outlined by Mayor Johnson. MOTION CARRIED. COMMITTEE(S): GENERAL: STATE OF THE CITY by Mayor Johnson Mayor Johnson related that if he could do a couple words to describe the State of the City, financially, we are doing excellent. He added that with COVID it is such a challenge, with hiring people it has been a challenge; there are more challenges than we have ever faced. He stated that last year, he thought that we were going to be through with COVID-19, but now we are in another year of it. We are hitting records 11 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. every day, and it is unbelievable. In spite of that, of all these difficulties, we have had a very good year financially and we have actually learned that Zoom is a good way to conduct business and has worked very well for people and we get a lot done, saving a lot of gasoline as well as wear and tear on vehicles. Our lack of hiring employees, not just in the City or for the City, it is in the State. State Police, Nation wide there is an employee shortage, adding that he is not sure why, but it is across the board. He stated that we must continue to strive to improve, and we must do things as a Council and Mayor to make the lives of our citizens better. He stated that we do have some new businesses and we have some businesses closed and we have some other businesses on the way. And, with the supply chain issues it is really causing some of those new businesses, that want to be here, a problem. First off, there is Unity Health, they can not get the material for the new roof. They are going to open this year, they are going to hire 100 to 120 people and before they are done they are expecting to have 500 people in BA Teaching Institution and a first-class healthcare facility. We are going to have a new ambulance and service this year – that we greatly need. That will give us four ambulances, the oldest one being six years old and all of them are in excellent condition. Our 2020 Census came out and we grew to just below 30,000 people, adding that he feels we would have crossed that barrier if we had been able to count, counting was difficult and they had to use a lot of estimates to get it done. We have entered into a contract with Rock Region and we will be providing a micro transit system for the City to meet the transportation needs, starting this Spring or Summer. We have a new middle school, new elementary school that opened and the middle school already needs to expand. Those are good things happening. We expect this year to let the contract out on our Loop Road Overpass, we also expect the State to let the contract to widen Hwy. 167, again they promised that, but it seems to be that we are close to that happening. The new dog park has been a big success and it is used by a lot of people. This year, versus last year, we are able to do things; we are able to hold Big Bang on the Range, Festiville, Trunk or Treat and have a Christmas Parade. Those are things that we enjoy in our City, and are important. We have remodeled the Court offices and they are open, and the new Courtroom is set for supply chain issue or to be opened about mid-April. He related that it is a nice-looking building, saying that those are important things as we provide service to the City, we need to have facilities that will meet those needs. COVID has caused us challenges, still we have been able to give another raise this year for City employees, and we have been able to stay strong in the service that we provided. We have the new City garage under construction that will not flood and the shot shield should be completed this year at the Shooting th Range, which will help us in the recycling of the lead. For the 24 year in a row, our Finance Department has received the Certificate of Excellence Award, as they are always protecting the money and stretching our dollars. I’m looking forward to 2022, and the new things to come. We do have a bright future with expansion of some current industries and some new jobs on the way. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our employees, I look 12 CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 7:02 P.M. forward to continue working with the City Council to improve Jacksonville. I promise to keep recruiting new restaurants and new business to help Jacksonville grow. It can not be done alone, but we must work together to make it happen. Thank you. APPOINTMENTS: UNFINISHED BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS: ADJOURNMENT: Without objection, Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at approximately 7:02 p.m. MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully, ________________________ _________________________ Susan L. Davitt MAYOR BOB JOHNSON City Clerk-Treasurer 13