City council considers Colony Theatre demolition, refunding of bonds
“We had a good discussion on it,” finance committee chair Dick Donley said. “We had a discussion back and forth between the council, committee and the administration about how we would like to see the project continue and involvement with everyone to get this resolved as quickly as we can.”
Donley said that the finance committee will hold another meeting and invites the public to attend and provide their thoughts.
Donley recommended that the “emergency” legislation should hear its first reading only, after council members said during the committee meeting they feel the plan needs to be finalized before moving forward.
Hillsboro mayor Drew Hastings disagreed, telling council members that the city has been looking at the matter for two years already.
“It is time we’re not talking about a drug problem in this city,” Hastings said. “It’s time we aren’t talking about traffic congestion, which is an ongoing problem, and other things we can be doing.”
Donley responded that council is looking for input from other community members to “come forward and share ideas.”
“We have seven individuals here, and we all have seven different ways of looking at things,” Donley said. “We all have suggestions.”
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City auditor Gary Lewis presented council with three specific ordinances for the refunding of several bonds, following council’s passage of a resolution to re-bond existing bonds at their July meeting. During the auditor’s report, Michael Burns of Baird & Co. gave a brief presentation to discuss the bonds.
“The 2007 bond’s total potential cash savings is $5,000 alone,” Burns said. “This is net savings. The 2010 bond will save the city about $124,000.”
Burns said this savings will amount to approximately $10,000 per year or 6.75 percent.
“The GFOA – the Government Finance Officers Association – recommends anything over three-percent savings as worth pursuing,” Burns said. “You’re at 6.75-percent savings.”
Burns said the savings are due to the interest rate being lowered from 4.83 percent to 2.27 percent.
Council member Bill Alexander asked if there would be “any costs to the city.”
“There’s nothing out of pocket,” Burns said. “It’s a net savings.”
Council members voted unanimously to suspend the three-reading rule and to pass each of the three ordinances:
• An ordinance providing for the issuance of not to exceed $1,740,000 of bonds by the City of Hillsboro for the purpose of refunding various purpose bonds in the city and declaring an emergency.
• An ordinance providing for the issuance of not to exceed $2,090,000 of bonds by the City of Hillsboro for the purpose of refunding street improvement bonds in the city and declaring an emergency.
• An ordinance providing for the issuance of not to exceed $350,000 of bonds by the City of Hillsboro for the purpose of refunding street improvement bonds and various purpose bonds in the city and declaring an emergency.
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In his report, safety and service director Todd Wilkin told council that the FactFinders report accepted by council at their July meeting was voted down by the Fraternal Order of Police union.
“The union has elected to pursue conciliation,” Wilkin said. “The conciliation is currently scheduled for August 30, and I will keep council updated on any and all changes surrounding the negotiations.”
Wilkin also told council that the paving projects scheduled to take place this month by Miller-Mason Paving have been delayed several weeks due to weather.
“While Miller-Mason is in town, they will be repaving the Railroad Street, which is the old City Park, tennis court area to continue making improvements to this park,” Wilkin said. “Our plan is to also have the bathrooms operational again.”
Wilkin reported that the city sidewalk pilot program has been successful thus far. The city is considering improvements to the sidewalk from 122 South High Street to West Walnut Street “to utilize the remainder of the sidewalk funds.”
“This area will have an impact on several buildings and businesses, and we want to ensure that we do not negatively impact the businesses during construction, so we will be sending out letters to the businesses and property owners to establish meetings and a plan to do the work,” Wilkin said.
Wilkin said the city also met with AEP to discuss rebates to the city after updating street and traffic lights. The city hopes to save money on electric bills by switching the lights in other buildings, as well as Shaffer and Liberty Park, Wilkin said. He invited the community to contact their AEP representative, Douglas Hood, at (937) 546-4125 to learn more about potential rebates for residential users.
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Hastings opened his mayor’s report with a quote from boxer Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
“I have a plan, a vision for our city,” Hastings said. “Back in January, I got punched in the face, hard. In fact, I would probably characterize it as a sucker punch.
“The point of Mike Tyson’s quote is obvious. You can have a plan, and the unexpected happens and it comes out of nowhere to destroy the plan. What determines our success or failure, out of that, is whether we let it be a knockout blow or whether or not we gather our thoughts, regain our footing and keep hold of the plan and stick with it.
“I’m sticking with the plan, the one the voters elected me to do, and I think we should be immensely proud in here,” Hastings said. “I think that what we have accomplished in Hillsboro in the last four years, really, has been a lot. I don’t think there’s anybody here that wouldn’t say Hillsboro looks much better than it did four years ago – not just physically, on paper, also.”
Hastings also reported that Liz Fields of the McBride Dale Clarion consulting firm met with the Hillsboro Planning Commission to discuss plans for a new zoning code.
“She suggested partitioning the project of rewriting the code into three segments, with each segment taking three to four months to complete,” Hastings said.
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Council members heard the second reading of an ordinance to amend Hillsboro Code Section 144.03 to provide for mobile food vehicles and to amend the fee schedule for applications for permits.
Alexander asked if the administration had received any feedback or if there was “any controversy” surrounding the ordinance thus far. Hastings said that he has “not heard anything, yea or nay,” while Wilkin said the feedback he has received has been from local businesses and is similar to what council members have already heard.
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The meeting concluded with council member Justin Harsha requesting an executive session to “consider issues pertaining to a public employee or official.” All council members attended, along with city law director Fred Beery. No action was taken by council following the 25-minute executive session.