CITY OF PROSPECT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
June 21, 2010

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

ATTENDANCE:                                                                                                                  

Present:    Mayor Todd Eberle; Council Members Loretta Ertel, Sandra Leonard, Stuart Miles and Alan Simon; City Attorney Grover Potts; City Administrator Ann Simms; Police Chief Marvin Wilson; Recording Secretary Ann Melton; Court Reporter Carola Strijek.   Absent:   Council Members Mike Scott and Sandy Tucci.   

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 May 17, 2010; Council Member Loretta Ertel seconded; passed unanimously.

MAYOR'S REPORT:

Mayor Todd Eberle noted financial reports at the end of eleven months in the current fiscal year reflect 87% of budgeted revenues received and 90% of budgeted expenditures dispersed.     The City will have additional insurance premium tax receipts when insurance companies report for the final quarter of the fiscal year.   Those receipts will be received in July and August and be included in the annual audit for 2009-2010.

The City's 4 th of July Celebration is again being chaired by Council Member Alan Simon.   His efforts are complemented by the efforts of City Hall Staff and other Council Members.   The event promises to be every bit as enjoyable as in previous years thanks to three Prime Sponsors (Republic Bank, Dairy Queen & The Merchants of Prospect Point Shopping Center) and twelve Supporting Sponsors including Hunting Creek Country Club which will again allow use of their land to shoot off fireworks, and Cunningham Golf, Sport and Utility Vehicles which is providing golf carts to help with logistics.   The other Supporting Sponsors are City Tailor, Ermin's Bakery and Café, Hanabi Japanese Restaurant, Los Aztecas Restaurant, Mortenson Family Dental, PNC Bank, Prospect Area Chamber of Commerce, Prospect Pediatrics, Snap Fitness and Vance's True Value Hardware.  

Mayor Eberle noted that we are still waiting to hear on the grant application for the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Grant and the Division of Emergency Management Grant.

The Putney Pond and Woodlands Advisory Committee continues to solicit funds for a Woodland Trail Bridge close to the recently completed boulder stairway near the Fox Valley Drive trailhead.   The Committee has also recently completed their required Annual Report to the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board.   Work on the woodland trails continues.   If anyone is interested in volunteering to work on trail improvements and other projects at the Putney Pond and Woodlands Natural Area, they should contact Committee Chair Linda Wardell or City Council Liaison to the Committee Stuart Miles.  

The Prospect Forestation Board has secured a contractor to prevent damage to ash trees on City owned lands with the advent of the Emerald Ash Borer in the Jefferson County area.   All ash trees of ten inch diameter or more, located on city-owned lands have now been treated.   A follow-up inspection and treatment is scheduled for this fall.   The treatments are designed to protect the ash trees for two years and the city is hopeful that this effort will prevent loss of trees in public areas.

Prospect resident Tom Wills has been named to the Prospect Library Committee replacing Sarah Kelly who has moved out of the city.   Tom has been an active library volunteer since his retirement and the City is pleased to have him join the Committee.   Ms. Kelly, a former Committee Chair, will stay on as a consultant and has agreed to do the library's very first complete inventory in the coming months.  

Mayor Eberle introduced and welcomed Graham Cote, a Boy Scout with Troop 109 of

St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church.   He attended the Council Meeting as part of his work on communications merit badge.  

POLICE REPORT:

Police Chief Marvin Wilson presented the monthly police report and statistics to the Council.   He specifically reported an incident of May 16 th in which Officer Thomas encountered a subject driving with trunk open and headlights off.   On stopping the vehicle, the driver appeared disoriented.   Backup was requested from Louisville Metro Police Department and, as officers approached the vehicle, the subject locked the doors pulled off.   After a brief pursuit, the subject wrecked his vehicle.   The driver, who later admitted to taking LSD, was treated by Emergency Medical Services and arrested for several felony offenses.  

The Department is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in pursuing charges against three out-of-state suspects who were casing several jewelry stores, including Prospect Jewelers several weeks ago.   Chief Wilson commended Officer Marianne Haverlin for her work in apprehending the suspects and follow-up work on the case.   The suspects have now been charged with crimes in at least three different states.

Block Watch signs have been erected in neighborhoods with active Block Watch groups.   One more sign will be installed for the Fox Harbor Block Watch Group in the next several weeks.    

The Police Department continues to identify locations where they are conducting traffic enforcement in the Prospect Newsletter.   During the past month, they focused on Deep Creek Drive, Deep Creek Court, U.S. 42, and Fox Harbor Road.  

The Chief noted that traffic control plans have been completed for the city's 4 th of July Celebration.   The Department is once again pleased to receive volunteer assistance from Sheriff John Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.   Prospect has enjoyed the services of the Sheriff's Department for its 4 th of July since 2001.   This year there are volunteer commitments from twelve deputy sheriffs as well as ten Police Explorers from the Louisville Metro Police Department.  

COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS:

Deepak Tiwari, owner of a Subway Restaurant in Prospect, and Debbie Brent with Louisville Sign Company addressed the Council requesting permission to install a second on-site building sign for the restaurant which is moving from one location to another within the Prospect Village Shopping Center.   A discussion followed with reference to the Prospect sign ordinance sections which set out standards for commercial signs on business properties, and the criteria allowing the City Council to grant variances from those standards.   All Council Members present and the Mayor participated in discussion of a possible variance.   It was the unanimous decision of City Council to deny the requested variance to the sign ordinance.           

Mr. Tiwari also addressed the Council concerning odors which appear to originate from a Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) facility in The Landings neighborhood.   The city and the Council asked that a work order number be obtained from MSD with follow-up activities conducted to determine the source of the problem.  

NEW BUSINESS:

Council Member Stuart Miles expressed concern over the city's waste hauling contractor driving their recycling trucks at excessive speeds on his residential street.   It was noted that the city had passed those concerns on to the company's representative and he has agreed to follow up on the situation.   

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

There was no unfinished business to be brought before the Council.  

ADJOURNMENT:

Council Member Alan Simon moved to adjourn; Council Member Sandra Leonard seconded; passed unanimously on a voice vote.    

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