The Collinwood City Commission met in regular session on Monday, June 8th, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in the conference/courtroom of Collinwood City Hall.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Glenn Brown. All commissioners were in attendance, including Vice Mayor Danny Sandusky, Commissioner Jeremiah Stults, Commissioner Debie Pigg, and Commissioner Butch Kephart. City Manager Gary Victory and City Recorder Cindy Kephart were in attendance as well.
Mayor Brown called the meeting to order, and the invocation was offered by Vice Mayor Sandusky. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.
First was approval of the agenda. A motion was made by Commissioner Pigg and seconded by Commissioner Stults to approve the agenda as presented, and the motion carried.
The next item on the agenda was the approval of the minutes from the regular meeting held on May 11th, 2020. Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion and Commissioner Kephart seconded to approve the minutes, and they were unanimously approved.
Department reports were distributed to the commissioners for their review. After a brief review of the reports, Commissioner Kephart requested that the hole in the parking area behind City Hall be repaired.
Next on the agenda was the second reading of the property cleanup ordinance. The ordinance states that if any overgrowth, trash, debris, etc. causing a negative appearance to properties within the city is identified, a notice will be sent to the property owner to clean up within thirty days or the city will have the cleanup done at the property owner’s expense. Commissioner Stults made a motion to pass the second reading of the ordinance. Vice Mayor Sandusky seconded the motion, and the ordinance was unanimously approved.
Next was a resolution to apply for a $25,000 USDA grant to purchase equipment for the Carvle Bevis Education Center. City Manager Victory stated that he had not yet been able to find out the match amount for which the city would be responsible, but it is possible that money already spent on the building could be used as the match. Commissioner Kephart made a motion to apply for the grant, and Commissioner Pigg seconded. The resolution was approved unanimously on roll call vote.
Surplus property was next on the agenda. Mayor Brown presented two items to be declared as surplus for sale, auction, or charitable donation: one 2003 Ford F350 and one 1995 boom lift. Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to declare the items as surplus. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
Next, City Manager Victory explained and showed photos of two old railroad cars that the Beautification Board is requesting the city to help pay for refurbishing. The Beautification Board has already purchased the railroad cars, and they plan to display them on a piece of railroad track donated by Vice Mayor Sandusky that will be placed near the Old Depot Library. Ricky Bratton said that the two cars are called “Fairmont Speeders,” and were used for railroad maintenance during war times. Mayor Brown requested that City Manager Victory get an estimate on the cost of refurbishing the railroad cars before the next commission meeting.
Security cameras for the Education Center and Ralph Hughes Park were next on the agenda. City Manager Victory said that an agreement has already been made with Clayton Cross of Cross Technologies for the installation of the cameras, and Cross said that the cameras would be able to operate off the internet at City Hall, but the internet will need to be upgraded.
City Manager Victory then told the commission that he had been approached about the use of the baseball/softball fields at the Dixie Youth Park for travel ball tournaments. The commission verbally agreed unanimously not to allow travel ball tournaments on the city’s fields at this time.
Next was an update on the tourism grant at the RV park. City Manager Victory told the commission that only some landscaping remains before the grant can be completed and closed out. He said that after the grant is closed out in July, the city may be able to apply for another tourism grant that could possibly be used for improvements at the recreation building.
The first reading of the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget was next on the agenda. Following a review of the budget proposal, Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to approve the first reading. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and the first reading of the budget was approved unanimously on roll call vote. A special meeting was scheduled for June 22nd at 7:00 p.m. for the second reading of the budget.
Next was the fiscal year 2020-2021 non-profit donation resolution. This resolution sets forth the donations to be made to non-profit and charity donations in the next fiscal year, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Senior Citizen Center, the Wayne County Welcome Center, Wayne County Veterans Park, the Butterfly Foundation, the Collinwood Beautification Board, Collinwood Dixie Youth, and others. Commissioner Kephart made a motion to approve the resolution, and Commissioner Stults seconded the motion. The resolution was unanimously approved.
The first reading of the fiscal year 2019-2020 budget amendment ordinance was next. After Mayor Brown read the ordinance detailing the budget amendments, Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to approve. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
Mayor Brown then gave the monthly Wayne County Welcome Center Report. From the reopening of the Welcome Center on May 11th until the end of the month, there were 654 visitors from several states across the U.S. Volunteer of the Month was Jasper Brewer.
Commissioner Pigg asked if there had been any response from anyone interested in participating in a Farmer’s Market this year. City Manager Victory said that no one had contacted him as of yet, but that he would try to get in touch with some of the vendors who participated last year.
City Manager Victory then gave a brief update on the Safe Routes to School project, stating that it has been a long process, but hopefully the project will be finished before school starts back in the fall.
With no further business to come before the commission, Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and the meeting was adjourned.
