Catch up on the Kettering City Council Workshop meeting minutes

Kettering, Ohio - This is the second installment of our series providing residents with the Kettering City Council workshop minutes. Below are the meeting minutes from the January 26, 2021 meeting. The Sentinel has not made any grammatical or spelling changes to this public document, but the formatting may be slightly different than the version released by the City of Kettering.

In this meeting, the Council heard a COVID-19 update and decided to return to in-person meetings, discussed the Fired Department purchasing a Polaris vehicle, and heard about the Schantz Bridge Landscaping project.

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The public portion of this workshop meeting was extremely short at about 17 minutes long because at 6:18 P.M. Council voted to go into a non-public executive session.

CITY OF KETTERING
CITY COUNCIL
WORKSHOP MINUTES
January 26, 2021

The Council of the City of Kettering, Ohio, met in a workshop session on Tuesday, January 26,
2021, via video conference. Public portions of the Workshop were live streamed at
www.youtube.com. Mayor Patterson called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.

Council Members Present included Mayor Patterson, Vice Mayor Klepacz, Mr. Lautar, Mr. Duke,
and Mrs. Fisher. Mr. Wanamaker had an excused absence.

Staff Members Present: City Manager Mark Schwieterman, Assistant City Manager Steve
Bergstresser, Law Director Ted Hamer, Fire Chief Mitch Robbins, Police Chief Chip Protsman,
Human Resources Director Sara Mills Klein and Community Information Manager Mary Azbill.

Agenda Review – Mr. Schwieterman reviewed the agenda with members of City Council.

Polaris Vehicle Funding – The Fire Department requests authorization to apply for a grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to purchase a Polaris vehicle to use to access tight spaces unable to be reached by larger vehicles. These vehicles are also good for bike paths.
There is no match required for this $21,000 grant. The vehicle will contain ER equipment, lights and sirens to get through traffic and crowds.

Mr. Duke asked where the vehicle would be stored in terms of speed in getting places. Chief
Robbins explained that a GIS study would be conducted to determine location.

Schantz Bridge Landscaping Project – Mr. Schwieterman explained that the Schantz Bridge
Landscaping Project was budgeted at $140,000. The bids for the landscping were higher than the amount budgeted, and the project was moved into the 2021 Capital Improvement Plan. The estimate includes the same plan, but the budget was adjusted to $200,000 to match the bids.

COVID-19 Update – Mr. Schwieterman proposed that Council workshops and meetings return to in-person format in March. He suggested the possibility of a hybrid meeting meaning the majority of members would be in Council chambers and one or two could join via phone.
Meetings would be open to the public and aired on Channel 6 per usual. Public wanting to participate would come to the Council meetings, as well. Mr. Schwieterman recommended that
the State of the City Address and the Citizen Lifesaving Award be presented March 9.
Workshops would continue to take place in the Deeds Room.

Mayor Patterson asked if this plan was in line with what other cities are doing. Mr.
Schwieterman confirmed. The plan was unanimously approved by a roll call vote. Mr.
Schwieterman added that regardless of vaccination status, safety protocols would still be in place. He also stated that if Council members Zoom from home, it would be via telephone.
Vice Mayor Klepacz asked if Zoom will be used if one person wants to use the hybrid format.
Mr. Schwieterman stated that the public would come in person, and the Workshop would not be recorded.

At 6:18 p.m., Vice Mayor Klepacz made a motion to enter into executive session under Section
121.06 (k) of the Codified Ordinances for purposes of Personnel Matters; Labor Negotiations;
Economic Development; and Negotiations with Organizations or Individuals; the motion was seconded by Mr. Lautar. The motion passed by a unanimous roll call vote.

At 7:27 p.m., Council exited the executive session and went back on the public record.

The City Council Workshop Meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m.

ATTEST:
______________________________
DONALD E. PATTERSON
MAYOR
LASHAUNAH D. KACYNSKI
Clerk of Council