Event

Dexter City Council Virtual Meeting

Monday July 26 2021 6:00pm

Jamie Griffin Neighbor

This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of The Sun Times News management or staff.

Dexter City Council Virtual Meeting on Monday, July 26 at 6p via Zoom.

There is a public hearing regarding an amendment to the General Code of Ordinances for small cell wireless infrastructure regulation.

Summary from packet: The purpose of the proposed legislation is to regulate the “nearly unfettered access” to the city’s rights-of-way (ROW) that small cell wireless providers and wireless infrastructure providers currently have.

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.

Council will consider and discuss the following (with clarifying excerpts from the packet):

City Manager Contract (Mayor Keough)
- The red-lined version reflects the comments noted by Council at our last meeting. The contract, as presented, is still a three-year contract with a starting salary of $85,000. The official start date would be retroactive to July 12, 2021. The proposed contract contains provisions for annual increases to this annual salary as well as a 7% salary contribution to Justin’s MERS Defined Contribution plan. The proposed contract also includes a $3,000 stipend for maintaining an Elections Administrator Certification.

Conflict of Interest Ordinance (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
- City Charter Section 5.06 states:
  - CONFLICT OF INTEREST The use of public office for private gain or the appearance of private gain is prohibited. The City Council shall implement this prohibition by ordinance. This ordinance shall include a statement of purpose and shall provide for reasonable public disclosure of finances by officials and staff who provide input into the decision of making significant monetary expenditures, contractor selection and regulatory matters, and insofar as permissible under state law shall provide for fines and imprisonment for violations.
- City Council started discussing the development of a Conflict of Interest Ordinance in early 2019. A draft ordinance was presented to City Council in October 2019. City Council has continued to see revised editions of the ordinance through present.
- Council Member Griffin has provided a redlined version of the Rochester-based ordinance and an associated memo for City Council’s review, which are also attached to this memo.
- During that meeting [July 12], Council indicated that an item should be included on the July 26th meeting agenda to further discuss the options provided and attempt to select one ordinance (or a version thereof) to move forward to a public hearing. If City Council forms consensus on a preferred ordinance draft, staff would recommend forwarding that draft to the City Attorney and the City’s boards and commissions for review.
Second Street Water Main and Sidewalk Project Update (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
- The current scope of the project is only for the installation of sidewalk and water main (from Central Street to Inverness/Cushing Court). A PowerPoint presentation with project details is included in the packet.
- Staff and OHM have set a date of Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 6:00pm to host an on-site meeting with residents about the project. During the meeting, staff and OHM will talk through the scope of the project and solicit feedback about the project and sidewalk location. Staff is also planning follow-up one-on-one meetings with residents after the initial August 12th meeting. The water portion of the project is planned to be fully funded by the City’s portion of American Recovery Act funds.
Adopting a Traffic Control Order (TCO) Policy (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
- The City of Dexter does not currently have an adopted policy outlining a single, clear process for how and when Traffic Control Orders (TCO) are utilized. Occasionally, the City receives requests from residents about traffic issues and signage in the right-of-way. A TCO Policy would be beneficial for residents to clearly understand the process and determination for new, or changes to existing, traffic signals and signage.
Proposal from Partners in Architecture for Architectural/Engineering Services for 3515 Broad Street for an Amount not to Exceed $60,000 (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
- Partners in Architecture has provided the attached proposal for $60,000 to: 1) develop the final design; 2) work through the Planning Commission process; 3) develop the bid specifications; and 4) serve as the City’s advocate in inspection oversight to the selected general contractor.
- The final design, once approved by City Council, would form the basis for the bid documents that would be created and released, with the goal of selecting a general contractor. If City Council is agreeable with this direction, the City Manager will provide project management for the final design and construction phase of the project, and will work with Partners in Architecture to set meetings, release the bid, and bring a bid award recommendation back to City Council.