Commisions – Germantown Voice

BMA in Brief – January 28, 2019

To help you stay informed we will do our best to provide high level summaries for the bi-monthly Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) meetings. These summaries will be fact based with a focus on key items covered in the meetings and summaries of the votes taken. Where needed we will cover important discussions individually. Screen Shot 2019-01-27 at 9.18.11 PM.png

You can watch the entire meeting here. We have noted approximate times for each items for your convenience.

Mayor Palazzolo announced the National Council for Safety and Security in Washington, D.C. rated Germantown as the number one rated safest city in Tennessee. (begins approximately 21:00)

9. Beer Board – On-premises consumption for Whitlows 7642 Poplar Pike – Approved 4-0 as Alderman Massey recused himself. (Begins approximately 21:45)

10. Consent agenda – Approved 5-0 with the GPAC Theater Seating moved to regular agenda as item 12 and Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Calendar moved from the regular agenda to Consent as item 10.d. (Begins approximately 27:09)

11. Appointment of Boards and Commissions Patrick Lawton, city administrator, explained when the BMA met in December to fill the board and commissions, both the Great Hall Commission and Historic Commission were not complete at that time; therefore, these positions are being brought before the board tonight. (Begins approximately 29:00)

a. Great Hall – Two members, Melanie Oest and John Wagner have reapplied. Alderman Massey is the liaison. He nominated the following: Susanne Riley-Catering, John Wagner-Corporate Business, John Peyton-Marketing, Tony Green-Operations, Lauren Boutwell-Retail, Russ Holland-Sales, and Melanie Oest-Hospitality.

Alderman Rocky Janda made a motion to amend the nominations to John Wagner, Lauren Boutwell, Russ Holland and Melanie Oest.

The amended motion passed 3-2.

b. Historic – There are three vacancies and two who have reapplied-Dale Hicks and Karen Rice. Alderman Massey is the liaison. He nominated the following: Sidney Khun, Marlene Strube and Sara Freeman.

Alderman Owens made a motion to amend the nomination to David Jackson, Dale Hicks, and Karen Rice.

The amendment passed 3-2.

12. Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Calendar – Presentation of the calendar as approved by the Financial Advisory Commission on 1/22/19 – Moved to Consent Agenda.

Item 12 became the GPAC Theater Seating. This item was included in the FY19 budget ($65k) and is the first phase of replacing the 25 year old seats in GPAC. An additional $40k is earmarked for phase 2 in the FY20 budget. Approved 4-1 (begins approximately 51:00)

13. City Attorney Agreement – Changing the current agreement with Burch, Porter & Johnson from a monthly retainer to billable hours. Presentation by staff indicated that this methodology will allow the city to more accurately allocate costs between departments and potentially reduce costs. Passed 4-1 (begins approximately 1:04:11)

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BMA in Brief – January 14, 2019

Mayor Mike Palazzolo welcomed new City Attorney Mac McCarroll and new Alderman Scott Sanders to the board.

During the Executive Session, changes were made to the agenda. Beer Board item 9.a. was pulled by request of the applicant. On Consent Agenda, two items were pulled from Consent. 10.d will become item 11 and 10.e will become item 19.

9. Beer Board – Poplar Food Mart #1 approved for off-premise use and Rock N Roll Sushi approved for on-premise use.

10. Consent Agenda -approved as amended.

11. Professional Services Agreement Supplement No.2 – Final Closeout Right-of-Way Appraisals – Wolf River Boulevard/Germantown Rd. Intersection Improvements Project – Approved 4-1

12. Change Order No. 2 – Forest Hill-Irene Road Improvements – Requested increase of $37,631.33 (total project is $6.15M) for increased cost estimates for fiber optic lines needed for traffic signal connectivity and coordination and culvert replacement under the road near the school site. Original plan was to add on to the existing culvert however there were cracks and open joints that necessitated the full replacement of the culvert. – Approved 5-0

13. Election of Vice Mayor – Mary Anne Gibson selected 5-0

14. Grant – Leadership Germantown – Request for approval of budgeted grant of $13,600 for Leadership Germantown – Approved 4-1

15. Purchase – Fire Engine – Request for $859,539 to purchase a new custom fire engine. The purchase will allow F139 (Engine 93) to be placed in reserve. F139 is 28 years old and typical life span for this type of equipment is 15 years front line and 5 years reserve. Approved 5-0

16. Resolution 19R03 – Banking and Signature Cards. Approved 5-0

17. Ordinance 2019-5 – Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Chapter 23 – SmartCode: Site Standards 1st Reading – The proposed change clarifies language in the code about the width of curb cuts. This change is needed to insure fire equipment can safely access properties. Approved 5-0

18. Ordinance 2019-6 – Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Chapter 23 – Wireless Transmission Facility 1st Reading – Change in wording to allow for stream lined approval of equipment upgrades on existing facilities and establishment of policies and procedures for placement of small cell wireless facilities in public right-of-ways as a result of changes to state law. This item generated discussion on how state law may allow many small cell towers all over the City of Germantown. Approved 4-1

19. Professional Services Agreement Supplement No. 4 – Wolf River Boulevard/Germantown Rd. Intersection Improvements Project. Approved 4-1

BMA in Brief – November 26, 2018

In the Executive Meeting prior to the BMA, the agenda was amended moving items b.-g. of the consent agenda to the regular agenda. For those unfamiliar with the consent agenda, it is a mechanism for approving routine business that doesn’t necessarily need to be addressed individually by the whole board. Items b.-g. of the consent became items 17-22 of the regular agenda.

Agenda 12-26-18.JPG

Below our summary is a link to the entire BMA for your review with approximate start times for each item.

Votes 11-26-18.JPG

Citizens to be Heard – None
Beer Board (begins at approximately 12:49)

Beer permit for Stacks Pancakes passed 5-0

Public Hearing – Resolution 18R23 – Carrefour at the Gateway Planned Development Outline Plan

Begins at 17:30 of the YouTube video.

No Citizens came forward to speak on this item. Presentations were made by Cameron Ross and Nelson Cannon of Cannon, Austin and Cannon. Cannon, Austin and Cannon is a 30 year old Germantown based development company overseeing the Carrefour redevelopment project. They presented the “Outline Plan” for the project. The project will consist of three phases which will each be approved prior to construction. Discussion was nearly an hour on the this topic.

Outline Plan Approved October 2, 1018 at the Planning Commission
400,000 square feet of Office Space
100,000 square feet of Retail
240 hotel rooms
1,400 parking spots (including a garage)
Green space in the center

This project has been in the works since 2012. The developer said plans may change based on the regulatory environment at the time the final plans for each phase are presented. They would not speculate on changes due to the moratorium expiring, as they didn’t know what the results would be. Phase one is centered on office and retail space.

Vote was 3-1-1 with Aldermen Gibson, Owens and Janda voting Yes, Alderman Massey voting No and Alderman Barzizza Abstaining.

Approval of Warrant – Carrefour at the Gateway Planned Development – Civic Space (begins approximately 1:28:30)

The proposed green space in the center of this project requires a warrant to make sure that everyone understands their responsibility for maintenance and programming for this space. This private land is not the responsibility of the City.

Vote was 4-0-1 with Aldermen Gibson, Massey, Owens and Janda voting Yes and Alderman Barzizza Abstaining.

Contract – Chlorine Tank Replacement Southern Avenue WTP (beings 1:35:46)

$353,075 replacement of failed water treatment equipment. Vote was 5-0

Contract Extension – Third Party Administrator Services (begins 1:39:24)

$166,656 for the 3^rd party administration of the insurance for the city. The city is self insured meaning they cover all of the costs of healthcare for their covered individuals. The City covers roughly 1,000 employees, retirees and their dependents. This agreement covers the administration of these benefits and provides access to the Cigna network of coverage. The discussion included interesting information on demographics of city employees. Presentation starts around 1:39:30 of the YouTube video. Vote was 5-0.

Renewal – Medical and RX Stop Loss (begins 1:43:28)

$655,317 for the city’s stop loss insurance. This insurance is caps the city’s liability related to being self-insured for health, prescription and dental programs. The presentation calls out the bidding process used for this has saved $500-600k per year since 2012. Vote was 5-0.

Renewal – Property and Casualty Insurance (begins 1:59:10)

No discussion. Vote was 5-0.

(was b.) Change Order No. 1 – City Signs (begins 2:07:10)

Discussion around soil conditions driving the change orders in items 17-19. Increase of $1,126 or 0.8% of the original total. Vote was 5-0.

(was c.) Change Order No. 1 – GPAC Grove Fire Truck Turnaround and Closeout (begins 2:13:59)

Increase of $11,794 or 17% of the original total. Vote was 5-0.

(was d.) Change Order No. 1 – Greenway Storage – Cameron Brown Park (begins 2:16:58)

Increase of $6,244 or 1.3% of the original total. Vote was 5-0.

(was e.) Change Orders – City Hall Elevator Replacement (begins 2:18:30)

Increase of $9,735 or 3.4% of the original total. Vote was 5-0.

(was f.) Competitive Sealed Proposal Authorization – Investment Services (begins 2:20:10)

City is seeking bids for potential financial firms to manage a portion of reserve funds. Process is exploratory and agreements will require approval. Process is a sealed bid. Vote was 5-0.

(was g.) Contract – Develop Rebranding and Implementation Plan for Germantown Athletic Club (begins 2:25:05)

Germantown Athletic Club will use a vendor, local marketing firm, Red Deluxe, to look at rebranding logos and café space in the building. The goal is to market the club to the community and continue the growth of this amenity. Vote was 5-0.

Germantown Volunteers Recognized

On Thursday, November 8, the City of Germantown hosted the annual Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Commissions Appreciation Dinner at The Great Hall and Conference Center. Hosted by Mayor Mike Palazzolo, the event was also attended by Aldermen Rocky Janda, Mary Anne Gibson, and Forrest Owens, who had to leave early for an event for his daughter. Other officials in attendance were Fire Chief John Selberg and Deputy Chief of Police Rodney Bright. Mayor Palazzolo also recognized former Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy for her mentorship of many of the leaders in Germantown.

This dinner is a celebration of the nearly 200 citizens of Germantown who serve on the boards and commissions of our city. After a great meal catered by Garibaldi’s Pizza and Catering, three special awards were announced.

The first award went to the Reserve Firefighter of the Year. Fire Chief John Selberg presented the award to Mike Letterman. “This is the community I grew up in. It has given so much to me, I just wanted to volunteer to give back,” said Mr. Letterman. “It’s just an honor to get this award.”

The second award was the prestigious Jo Reed Award. Sponsored by the Leadership Germantown Alumni Association (LGAA), the Jo Reed Award is presented each year to an individual who represents sincere caring and volunteerism for our community, with no concern for applause or thank you. Jo Reed was a prolific volunteer who lost her life in a tragic accident while in service to the city picking up an illegal yard sale sign on the side of the road.

LGAA president, Natalie Williams presented this year’s award to Elaine Cates. A forty year resident of Germantown, Mrs. Cates is a former teacher and cheer sponsor at Germantown High School, her husband served as city attorney for 27 years and her children grew up here. She currently serves as president of the Germantown Woman’s Club.

“I just have a warm fuzzy feeling about Germantown,” said Mrs. Cates. “It just makes my very, very happy that maybe I did something for Germantown.”

Finally, the Reserve Police Officer of the Year was presented by Deputy Chief of Police Rodney Bright to to Barry Baker. A former employee of Pinnacle Airlines that closed in 2013, he considered the late Phil Trenary a mentor. Trenary was formally president of Pinnacle and was serving as President of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce at the time of his senseless death.

It was Trenary’s emphasis on community service that lead Baker to be involved in public safety. “He encouraged all the senior staff to be a part of the Memphis community and give back,” said Baker. Without his encouragement, he would not have formed the relationships with law enforcement that lead to his involvement with the Germantown Police.

Nearly 200 residents serve on Germantown’s commissions which are involved in every aspect of the community. From beautification to budget approval to historic preservation, there is a commission for every interest and all residents of Germantown are invited to apply. Applications close November 30. Three new commissions will begin in 2019. They are the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, the Public Arts Commission, and the Technology Commission. Apply here.