CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
October 20, 2008

(A complete transcript of this meeting is available at City Hall and on the City's Web Site, http://www.prospectky.com)

PRESENT:

Mayor Todd Eberle; Council Members Loretta Ertel, Sandra Leonard, Stuart Miles, Alan Simon, Sandra Tucci, Lee Zimmerman; City Attorney Grover Potts; City Administrator Ann Simms; Police Chief Marvin Wilson; Recording Secretary Ann Melton; Court Reporter Bruce Handy.

Mayor Eberle called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Council Member Alan Simon moved approval of the minutes of the regular City Council Meeting of August 18, 2008; Council Member Sandra Leonard seconded; passed unanimously.

Council Member Alan Simon moved approval of the minutes of the regular City Council Meeting of September 15, 2008; Council Member Loretta Ertel seconded; passed unanimously.

Council Member Sandra Tucci moved approval of the minutes of the Special City Council Meeting of September 22, 2008; Council Member Lee Zimmerman seconded; passed unanimously.

INTRODUCTION OF CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE:

Candidate for Prospect City Council Theresa Glye introduced herself to the members of the Council.   She has served the City in several capacities including participation as a member of the Prospect Code Enforcement Board and an advisory working group to the Ohio River Bridges Project.   She noted her longtime interest in public service and her respect for those who serve.   Ms. Glye advised that Council that she would consider it an honor to serve as a member of City Council, and thanked the Mayor and members of the Council for their time.

SPECIAL ORDER:

Prospect resident Alex Monda made a presentation to the Council regarding the Eagle Scout project he recently completed for the City.   Mr. Monda managed a group of volunteers associated with his Boy Scout Troop, his school, his family and friends in his work on the project.   They designed and constructed a handmade solid cedar wooden park bench and four wood duck houses.   He discussed the origins and history of the project and circulated photographs of both the bench and the wood duck houses.   The bench is currently placed in the public area behind City Hall.   The wood duck houses are in the wetland areas near and within Putney Pond and Woodlands.   Several of the wood duck houses can be viewed from the area where the bench is located.   The duck houses will not likely be inhabited until the next nesting season.   Council Member Simon congratulated Mr. Monda on becoming the first Boy Scout to conduct a project related to the enhancement of Putney Pond and Woodlands which was recently acquired by the City as a natural area.   Mr. Monda thanked the Mayor and Council for the opportunity to conduct his project at Putney Pond and Woodlands.   Mayor Eberle and the Council thanked Alex and expressed hope that this is the first of many such Eagle Scout projects.

 

MAYOR'S REPORT:  

Mayor Eberle advised the Council that Robert Bean, Chief Forester for the Central District with the Kentucky Division of Forestry, conducted an assessment of the Putney Pond and Woodlands property on September 23, 2008.   As a result, the City has been provided with a detailed Forest Stewardship Plan for the Putney Pond property.   It will serve as a reference document for many years.   Included with other issues and observations, the Plan takes note of the recently installed wood duck houses and recommends they be maintained into the future.

Mayor Eberle noted that plans for the construction of a new salt storage structure on land owned by Hunting Creek Country Club were progressing well.   The reciprocal arrangement with the Country Club, formerly a "handshake'" agreement, has been reduced to writing in the form of a Memorandum of Agreement.   After sending the proposed agreement to the Country Club's legal counsel for review, General Manager Randy Rosenthal advised the City that the language of the Memorandum is acceptable.   The agreement is to be signed by all parties in the next few days.  

Mayor Eberle expressed great pleasure in announcing that the Prospect City Newsletter received the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators (KAGC) 2008 Merit Award for newsletters during the KAGC Annual Meeting held on October 3 rd at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.   He acknowledged the substantial efforts of City Maintenance and Technology Director Ron Cundiff regarding the design and production of the newsletter.    Mr. Cundiff attended the KAGC Annual Meeting along with Mayor Eberle and accepted the award on behalf of the City.   The award plaque is now on display in the lobby of Prospect City Hall.  

Several city events and celebrations are planned for the coming weeks.   The City's annual Pun'kin Paint'in Community Celebration is planned for Sunday afternoon, October 26 th at the Cowley Open space.   It will feature the painting of the pumpkins, the Grand Costume Parade, inflatable playgrounds, Radio Disney and, for the first time this year, horse drawn carriage rides.   The Prospect Reading Center Fall Book Sale will be conducted Thursday, October 30 th (residents only), Friday, October 31 st and Saturday, November 1 st .   Mayor's Beautiful Day will be held on Saturday, November 1 st in the public area just north of City Hall and will feature free distribution of Yellow Daffodil as well as Mountain Lavender Lily bulbs.   This year Mayor's Beautiful Day will coincide with Prospect's First Arborfest.   Sponsored by the Prospect Forestation Board, Arborfest will have an educational focus including: distribution of tree care brochures; an opportunity to consult personally with Peter Barber, Urban Forestry Partnership Coordinator for the Kentucky Division of Forestry; demonstrations in tree identification, size assessment, and condition evaluation; and demonstrations of tree plantings and mulching.   Frank Otte River Road Nursery has agreed to distribution of Prospect Arborfest 33% Discount Coupons for any tree on Prospect's approved public tree list.  

POLICE REPORT:

Police Chief Marvin Wilson presented the monthly police report and statistics.   He noted that the Department had recently been involved in a Transportation Day event at St. Francis in the Fields Church, and that the Police Department's Self-Defense Class for Women had been held at City Hall on October 14th.   Attendance at the Self Defense Class was smaller than previous classes due to a rescheduling of the event after the September 14 th windstorm and power outage. He directed the Council's attention to a commendation letter regarding the performance of Officer Mike Thomas in investigation of recent break-ins and thefts and in making the arrests of those now charged with the crimes.   Police Department personnel also participated in the recent Harrods Creek Fire Department Open House and Community Expo, and the Prospect Kroger's Safety Day.

Council Member Alan Simon and other Council Members inquired as to the previously requested written time-line report analyzing and describing what had happened with intersection traffic control in Prospect during the city's power outage on and subsequent to September 15, 2008.   The report was to be provided to the Mayor and City Council no later than the October 20 th Council Meeting and was to set out a new police department protocol establishing procedures for intersectional traffic emergency situations and setting out how they will be handled in the future.   Chief Wilson noted that he and Lieutenant Wine are working on a rough draft of the report and protocol which should be available to the Mayor and City Council later in the week.

COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND GUESTS:

Prospect resident Penelope Morton addressed the Council to request a copy of the Putney Pond Forest Stewardship Plan developed as a result of the Division of Forestry's September 23, 2008 visit.   Mayor Eberle advised that he would be glad to give her a copy immediately after the Council Meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

No new business noted.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

Mayor Eberle suggested the need for an Executive session to discuss possible anticipated litigation.   Council Member Alan Simon made the motion to remove to executive session; Council Member Lee Zimmerman seconded; passed unanimously. The Council went into Executive Session at 7:33 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT:

Upon return from Executive Session, Mayor Eberle stated that no specific decisions had been made by the City in the Executive Session.   Council Member Alan Simon moved to adjourn; Council Member Loretta Ertel seconded; passed unanimously.

Mayor Eberle declared the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.  

Respectfully submitted,
Ann Melton
Recording Secretary

Approved:
Todd B. Eberle
Mayor

ATTEST:
Ann R. Simms
City Clerk