June 24, 2024
City of Dexter City Council
Work Session and Meeting
Monday, June 24, 2024
Work Session (6 p.m.) and Regular Meeting (7 p.m.)
3515 Broad Street, Dexter, MI 48130 and via Zoom
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Meeting ID: 827 1693 8464#
Work Session Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2024/Agendas/2024-06-24-CC-A-WS.pdf
Meeting Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2024/Agendas/2024-06-24-CC-A.pdf
Meeting Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2024/Packets/2024-06-24-CC-P.pdf
WORK SESSION @ 6 p.m.
The purpose of this work session is to receive a presentation from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.
REGULAR MEETING @ 7 p.m.
PRE-ARRANGED PARTICIPATION
Pre-arranged participation will be limited to those who notify the City office before 5:00 p.m. Monday of the week preceding the meeting, stating name, intent and time requirements. (10-minute limit per participant)
None
NON-ARRANGED PARTICIPATION
Non-arranged participation will include those in the audience not listed on the agenda that wish to speak. At the Mayor’s discretion, members of the audience may be called on to speak at any time. Those addressing the Council will state their name, and address. This section is limited to 5-minutes per participant or 10-minutes for group representative.
As always, there are two opportunities for non-arranged public participation: one near the beginning of the meeting and one near the end of the meeting. See the agenda for details. Just state your name and address and then share your thoughts–it’s that easy!
VARIOUS UPDATES
Council will review (1) minutes of its most recent meeting(s) and (2) the upcoming meeting list. We will also hear various updates from staff, including the City Manager and the Mayor (note that corresponding written reports are included in the meeting packet).
Updates that might be of interest:
3045 Broad St. Redevelopment Project. The public workshop for the 3045 Broad Street Redevelopment Project area was held on Tuesday, June 11th, at 6:00 pm. The workshop took place at the Dexter District Library. The workshop had more than 50 participants. A report from CWA is anticipated by Council’s next meeting.
Noteworthy Events per the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Monthly Report (May): On May 23rd Deputies responded to the intersection of Central Street and Second Street for a report of a vehicle stopped in the roadway with the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Deputies made contact with the driver and detected the odor of intoxicants. Deputies conducted sobriety evaluations and determined that the driver was intoxicated. Deputies requested the driver take a preliminary breath test, however the driver refused. Deputies conducted a blood draw and obtained results over 3X the legal limit. Charges are pending with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office.
2024 Road Project Closures. Following the Bicentennial celebrations, staff anticipates that road closures and road construction will begin on Baker Rd., Forest St., and in Huron Farms. Road closures are anticipated to begin early in the week of June 24th.
Job Postings. (See here for all job and committee openings: https://dextermi.gov/government/job_and_committee_openings.php)
DPW Worker. Staff has posted an opening for the sixth DPW worker. Applications for the position are due on July 1, 2024.
Administrative Assistant. Staff has posted an opening for an Administrative Assistant to accommodate the promotion of the current Administrative Assistant to the position of City Clerk and Deputy Treasurer. Applications are due on July 1, 2024.
Finance Director/Treasurer “On Deck”. Staff has posted an opening for the City’s Finance Director/Treasurer “On Deck”. This purpose of this position is to bring someone in to train with Marie Sherry for a full year, before she retires in July 2025. Applications are due on July 1, 2024.
Charter Amendment Petition. Staff has received notice from the Attorney General’s Office that they have signed-off on the Charter Amendment Petition language. Staff is waiting for final sign-off from the Governor’s Office, which is anticipated to be received soon.
Grand Street Boardwalk Connector. On Wednesday, June 19th staff participated in a final site walkthrough of the Grand Street Connector trail with OHM and the contractor. The project is substantially complete and is ready for project closeout. Due to construction taking place at Grandview Commons, staff is still unable to open the trail through to Grand St. as hoped.
Paul Cousins Commemoration. At the last Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, the Parks Commission discussed ideas related to honoring Pat and Paul Cousins. Options discussed were renaming a park, renaming the Mill Creek Trail, naming an overlook along Mill Creek, and having a plaque made. After the discussion, the Parks Commission unanimously approved the following motion:
Motion to recommend to City Council that Mill Creek Trail be renamed "The Pat and Paul Cousins Memorial Trail” with final plaque language and plaque location to be determined after further consultation with the Cousins family.
Notice of Filing Deadline for the Election to be Held of Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 for the City of Dexter
To the qualified electors of the City of Dexter, Washtenaw County, Michigan:
In accordance with City Charter Section 4.10, notice is hereby given that the filing deadline for candidates to be included on the November 5, 2024 General Election Ballot is Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 4:00pm. The following City offices will be included on the ballot:
THREE (3) CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS The qualifications for these offices are as follows:
(1) A candidate must be a registered elector residing within the boundaries of the City of Dexter for a minimum of one year prior to the date of the Election; and
(2) Submit an Affidavit of Identity in duplicate and City/Township Nonpartisan Nominating Petition(s) bearing the signatures of a minimum of 15 (maximum of 30) qualified electors residing within the boundaries of the City of Dexter.
All petitions and forms may be obtained by appointment at the Dexter City Hall, 3515 Broad St., Dexter, MI 48130; 9:00am to 5:00pm. Requests for appointment or for more information, please contact the Dexter City Clerk at jbreyer@dextermi.gov or (734) 426-8303.
CONSENT AGENDA
Following the presentation and any discussion of these reports, Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on) the following items as part of the Consent Agenda. Unless Council votes to do otherwise, these items are voted on as a single bundle without Council discussion.
Bills & Payroll in the amount of: $161,871.08
Appointments to Boards and Committees
Mayor Keough has recommended the following appointments (reappointments noted with an *):
Note that there is currently 1 vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Commission and 1 vacancy on the Economic Development Corporation. See here for all job and committee openings: https://dextermi.gov/government/job_and_committee_openings.php.
Arts, Culture, and Heritage Committee – Term Ending June 2027: Beverly Hill*, Lynn Babcock*, Rich Bellas*
Downtown Development Authority – Term Ending June 2027: Doug Finn*, Laura Keefer*, Mike Penn*
Parks and Recreation Commission – Term Ending June 2027: Becky Murillo*, Jeanette Frost*
Planning Commission – Term Ending June 2027: Matt Kowalski*, Chet Hill*, Alison Heatley*
Zoning Board of Appeals – Term Ending June 2027: Chet Hill*, Rita Holmes*
Board of Review – Term Ending Jan 2027: Jim Smith*
Board of Review – Term Ending Jan 2026: Paul Herndon* (move from alternate to regular member), Donna Fisher* (move from regular member to alternate)
Economic Development Corporation – Term Ending December 2030: Shawn Keough*
Appointment of Student Representatives
Mayor Keough has recommended the following student appointments for July 2024-June 2025. (* denotes previous participation as a student representative)
City Council: Olivia Shaieb (entering Grade 12)
Planning Commission: Melisha Rafferty (entering Grade 11)*
Arts, Culture, and Heritage Committee: Hannah Olson (entering Grade 12) *, Madelyn Corgan (entering Grade 12)*
Parks Commission: James Butrum (entering Grade 10)
FY 2023-24 Fourth Quarter Budget Amendments
See pages 74-76 of the packet for a detailed description of the proposed budget amendments.
FY 2023-24 Fourth Quarter DDA Budget Amendments
Our auditor has recommended that the City Council approve any Downtown Development Authority (DDA) budget amendments that are made throughout the year. The reasoning is that since the Council adopts the DDA’s budget, then they should also adopt their amendments. See page 77 for the budget amendments that were approved by the DDA Board for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
FY 2024-25 Fee Schedule Resolution
Staff has proposed the following amendments to the fee schedule resolution:
Updates to reflect 2024-2025 water and sewer ordinance charges
Shared refuse container service costs have been increased by 4% to account for the increase in costs associated with the new Waste Management contract. Residential refuse increased to $29.92 per month in accordance with the adopted ordinance.
FY 2024-25 WAVE Contract
Provided for City Council’s consideration are the City’s annual contract with the Western Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) for Door-to-Door and Inter-Urban Express Connector Bus services. The proposed contract runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The contract amounts are proposed to remain flat from FY 2023-24 to FY 2024-25 at $42,800 for each service ($85,600 total). This amount wasincluded in the proposed FY 2024-25 budget. The attached agreement was approved by the WAVE Board during their June meeting.
Dexter High School Student Council Road Closure Permit Request for the Homecoming Parade on September 27, 2024
The City of Dexter has received a road closure permit request submitted by the Dexter High School Student Council for the Dexter High School Homecoming Parade on September 27, 2024. The parade will include closures to the following roads between 1:30PM to 2:40PM: Parker, Dexter-Chelsea, Main, Baker, Shield
Local Government Approval for Social District Permit Resolution to Add 42 North and Amend the Social District Management and Maintenance Plans
The owners of 42 North Restaurant (licensee name CSMSV III, LLC), located at 7954 Ann Arbor Street (the former Fillmore) is requesting approval to participate in the Dexter Downtown Social District. The participation of 42 North will require an amendment to the Social District Boundaries and an amendment to add a new “qualified licensee. A copy of the Updated City of Dexter Social District Management and Maintenance Plans accompanies this memo.
Proposals from ASTI Environmental for Public Safety Facilities for Vapor Mitigation System Design and Asbestos Testing for an Amount not to Exceed $22,000
As the City, Partners in Architecture, and Cunningham-Limp continue to work through the detailed design of the fire station at 8140 Main St., environmental testing has indicated that the construction of a vapor mitigation system will be required. Additionally, the City had previously had lead based paint and asbestos testing performed at 8140 Main, with asbestos containing tile found in the building. ASTI is recommending that additional asbestos testing be performed now that the City is closer to building demolition. ASTI has provided the attached proposals for this work.
DISCUSSION AND/OR CONSIDERATION ITEMS
In addition to any items described under Consent Agenda (above), Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on; “C”) or discuss (i.e., take no formal action on; “D”) the following business:
FY 2024-25 General Appropriations Act Resolution to Adopt the FY 2024-25 Budget (C)
Provided for Council’s consideration is the General Appropriations Act to adopt the FY 2024-25 Budget. Council held a public hearing on the millage rate used to support the budget on June 10, 2024. Also provided for Council’s review are the budget drafts for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
The City of Dexter creates budgets for the following funds: 101 General Fund, 202 Major Streets, 203 Local Streets, 204 Municipal Streets, 226 Solid Waste Collection Fund, 275 Tree Replacement Fund, 352 Facilities Bond Debt Service Fund, 353 Road Bond Debt Service Fund, 402 Equipment Replacement Fund, 590 Sewer Enterprise Fund, and 591 Water Enterprise Fund. The packet (beginning page 129) includes a summary of the major items in the current budget drafts using the memos supplied during the budget work sessions. No significant changes have been made to the budget or the following information since the last City Council budget work session. The final calculated millage for FY 2024-25 repayment of the public safety facilities bond was calculated to be 1.6865 mills.
2024 – 2027 City Manager Contract Extension (C)
Per the memo from the City Manager beginning page 185 of the packet (“I” is the City Manager, Justin Breyer):
The draft as presented was provided to Mayor Keough and City Attorney Munzel on May 24th. In the draft as presented, I am proposing the following changes:
Salary – The starting salary in July 2021 was $88,000 ($85,000 + $3,000 Elections Administrator certification pay). Based on the contract, I received a 3% increase in 2022, and a 5% increase in 2023. These increases applied only to the base salary. I am currently at $95,000 ($92,000 + $3,000 Elections Administrator certification pay). Based on a review of recent city manager job offers throughout the State and a review of comparables, I am proposing that this amount be increased to a total of $115,000 ($112,000 + $3,000 Elections Administrator certification pay).
May 31, 2022 – Chelsea City Manager contract approved at $130,000
August 2023 – Chelsea City Manager contract approved at $140,000
February 2023 – City of Northville City Manager contract approved at $170,000
December 2023 Posting – Village of Spring Lake – Range of $140,000 - $155,000
April 2024 Posting – Chelsea Assistant City Manager – Range of $91,000 - $99,000
April 2024 Posting – City of Saugatuck – Range of $100,000 - $115,000
April 2024 Posting – City of Charlotte – Range of $110,000 - $140,000
April 2024 Posting – City of St. Joseph – Range of $140,000 - $160,000
I am proposing to change Section 2-B under Term of Employment to allow more flexibility in when the contract is renewed, and allowing for changes in the contract terms from renewal to renewal to accommodate lessons learned.
Fringe Benefits - I am proposing to delete some of the sections and add a catch-all at the bottom to the effect of: with a few stated exceptions, the City Manager is provided what all other exempt full-time employees are offered.
Waste Management 60-Day Contract Extension for Rubbish Collection Services (C)
Waste Management provided a draft contract for a five-year extension of rubbish collection services. Staff and the City Attorney reviewed the draft contract, and along with City Council’s feedback, have extensive changes to the document. These revisions have been provided back to Waste Management for their review. Due to the extent of the changes that staff and the City Attorney are proposing, approval and execution of the contract will take longer than the end of June. In order to provide for the continuation of services, WM provided a 60-day extension, which is included for consideration on City Council’s June 24, 2024 agenda.