HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Operations Committee - 03/01/2016
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MINUTES
March 1, 2016
Committee Members Present: Dana Ralph, Chair; Bill Boyce; and Les Thomas
The meeting was called to order by Dana Ralph at 4:00 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL.
2. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA.
There were no changes to the agenda.
3. APPROVAL OF THE CHECK SUMMARY REPORT DATED 2/01/2016 THRU
2/15/2016.
L. Thomas moved to approve the check summary report dated 2/01/16 through
2/15/16. B. Boyce seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED FEBRUARY 16, 2016.
B. Boyce moved to approve the Operations Committee minutes dated February 16,
2016. L. Thomas seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.
5. LEASE AGREEMENT WITH SCOTCH AND VINE FOR THE RIVERBEND GOLF
COMPLEX RESTAURANT - RECOMMEND.
Parks Director Jeff Watling requested approval of the negotiated lease agreement
between the City and Scotch and Vine (restaurant). The lease terms provide for a ten-
year lease with one five-year option to renew. The lease requires payment of eight
percent of gross monthly revenues from restaurant operations, with an established
minimum rent of $5,000 and a maximum of $12,000; this formula accounts for the cost
of utilities. To help the start-up of the restaurant, the City has agreed to free rent the
first three months of operations.
The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 365 days a year, with some
modifications to times of operation during the off-season. The restaurant will also
provide cart services out on the course during peak golf seasons. The newly renovated
facility will allow for private meeting, banquet style space.
Scotch and Vine is scheduled to open May 1, 2016.
L. Thomas moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign all documents
necessary to enter into a lease agreement with RL Kids LLC, d/b/a Scotch and Vine,
for the restaurant at Riverbend Golf Complex, subject to terms and conditions
acceptable to the Parks Director and the City Attorney. B. Boyce seconded the motion,
which passed 3-0.
Operations Committee Minutes
March 1, 2016
Page: 2
6. CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (WEBSITE) REPLACEMENT - RECOMMEND.
Communications Manager Michelle Wilmot and Information Technology Project Manager
Tricia Callahan asked the Committee to approve using Vision Internet to replace the
City’s current website. The current website is out-of-date and the more than 1,500
pages are difficult to navigate.
Vision Internet will provide content strategy to help remove usability challenges and
provide a user-friendly site for both visitors and content providers. By moving away
from departmental webpages, and towards pages by service, the site will be designed
with the visitor as its primary focus. For content providers, the contract includes
training - how to upload content, how to provide better content, and writing for the
web. There will also be a redesign after four years, which is considered the maximum
website lifespan.
The budget impact of $117,519.70 will come out of the Information Technology Fund.
The new website is slated to roll-out in the fall of 2016.
B. Boyce moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary
documents to enter into a contract with Vision Internet to replace the City’s Content
Management System (website) and to develop and implement a new website. L.
Thomas seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.
7. AMENDED WATER LEAK ADJUSTMENT ORDINANCE - RECOMMEND.
Finance Director Aaron BeMiller asked to approve an ordinance to amend chapter 7.02 of
the Kent City Code, titled “Water.” The leak adjustment ordinance is cumbersome and an
inefficient process, which can take a significant amount of staff time for short periods.
Currently, an adjustment is permitted only once per property owner; adjustment is
available only for an accidental water leak or water line failure on the subject property, or
an “unexplained, abnormal water meter reading” that occurs on the subject property even
though City inspection reveals no water meter malfunction; the billing adjustment cannot
exceed 50 percent of the difference between the amount of the bill to be adjusted and the
average water usage over the preceding 12 months; and the bill will only qualify for
adjustment if the bill is more than twice as high as the highest bill for any single billing
period in the preceding 12 months.
The proposed adjustments to the ordinance address and modify the following central
items:
Removes the one-time only adjustment per owner,
Deletes ambiguity regarding the location of the leak,
Increases the number of billing periods the adjustment can cover from one billing
period to two billing periods,
Changes the calculation for determining when a water utility bill triggers the
threshold level for adjustment; and
Increases the amount of the adjustment the City will provide to customers affected
by a leak.
Operations Committee Minutes
March 1, 2016
Page: 3
While the proposed changes to the water leak adjustment ordinance will not have a
negative impact on expenditures, revenue impact is difficult to estimate because of the
variable number of leaks in any given period, but is not expected to be material.
L. Thomas moved to recommend adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 7.02 of the
Kent City Code, entitled “Water,” pertaining to the process through which an owner may
request an adjustment to a water utility bill, and to reconcile current inconsistencies in
the City Code. B. Boyce seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.
8. DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Mr. BeMiller provided additional information on two refunding bonds: 2008 A Series
bond; and the Public Facilities District (PFD) sales tax bond to build the special events
center. On February 18, PFD held a special meeting and signaled their agreement to
move forward with refunding the bonds. At the same meeting, Foster Pepper was hired
and is also on-board with the agreement to move forward to make the transaction
happen.
The current draft schedule is to bring the ordinance back to this committee at the April
5 meeting then move forward to the April 19 council meeting. The ordinance will be
very similar to the one that was approved last year for the refunding of the 2006 bonds.
A target of May 2 will be the final review of market conditions to determine the go/no-
go day and as long as the market is good, pricing will be determined May 3, with final
closing June 2.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:49 p.m. by Dana Ralph.
J. Hays
Jennifer Hays
Operations Committee Secretary