October 9, 2023
City of Dexter City Council Meeting
Monday, October 9, 2023 at 7 p.m.
3515 Broad Street, Dexter, MI 48130 and via Zoom
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Meeting ID: 881 4138 1694#
Meeting Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Agendas/2023-10-09-CC-A.pdf
Meeting Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Packets/2023-10-09-CC-P.pdf
NON-ARRANGED PARTICIPATION
As always, there are two opportunities for non-arranged public participation: one near the beginning of the meeting and one near the end of the meeting. See the agenda for details. Just state your name and address and then share your thoughts–it’s that easy!
VARIOUS UPDATES
Council will review (1) minutes of its most recent meeting(s) and (2) the upcoming meeting list. We will also hear various updates from staff, including the City Manager and the Mayor (note that corresponding written reports are included in the meeting packet).
Updates that might be of interest:
Superior Storage. On Oct 2nd, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing before considering a the Preliminary Site Plan and Special Land Use Application for a four (4) phased development consisting of two (2) multi-tenant buildings and ten (10) self-storage buildings in the Dexter Business and Research Park, but postponed action until its November 6th meeting to allow the applicant time to submit a revised site plan that addressed the concerns of staff, CWA, OHM and DAFD.
Baker Holdings LLC (a/k/a Sloan-Kingsley Annexation). On Wed, Oct 4th Mr. Lutton and I exchanged email regarding a memo he wanted shared with the Township sub-committee; a request to pause further joint meetings with the Township sub-committee until after the capacity study was complete and he returns from out of state; and a request for a meeting with the city sub-committee (Scio Township Interaction Committee). A copy of that email exchange was shared with the members of the committee and is attached to this memo.
The Pelham Preliminary PUD. The applicants have submitted their revised preliminary plan and staff anticipates it will be considered by the Planning Commission on November 6th. The revised plans submittal has been uploaded to the Proposed Development Redevelopment webpage. (https://files.dextermi.gov/Departments_Services/Community_Development/Planning/revised.pelham.ppud.combined.pdf)
CONSENT AGENDA
Following the presentation and any discussion of these reports, Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on) the following items as part of the Consent Agenda. Unless Council votes to do otherwise, these items are voted on as a single bundle without Council discussion.
Bills & Payroll in the amount of: $823,827.79
Setting Halloween Trick or Treating Hours for October 31, 2023 from 5:00 – 7:30pm
Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Funding Policy
The purpose of this funding policy is to state the overall funding goals for the City of Dexter’s Retiree Health Care Funding Vehicle (RHFV). The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends that a cushion should exist, but stops short of recommending a percentage or dollar amount. The updated policy relies on the industry standard of maintaining a minimum of 15% fund balance for general operating funds. As discussed by Council, staff has also included a minimum annual contribution of $30,000 total from all funds.
Retiree Healthcare Buyout Agreement with Teamsters Local 214 and Harold Gross
Harold (Butch) Gross began work with the City of Dexter on November 14, 2005, and has 18 years of service with the City of Dexter. In that time, Mr. Gross has been a model employee. Mr. Gross contacted staff to notify the City of his desire to retire. Per the union contract with Teamsters Local 214, employees hired before March 1, 2011 are eligible for retiree healthcare, including medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits for the employee and their spouse until their death. As part of his request, he has requested a buyout in exchange for his retiree healthcare rights. Per the union contract, Harold would not be eligible for retiree healthcare benefits until 2025 at 20 years of service. Harold is the only current employee that is impacted by this contract provision. All other current employees that were hired before 2011 are eligible at 15 years of service. Staff negotiated the attached draft agreement with Mr. Gross for a $120,000 compensation in exchange for the waiving of current and future (retiree) healthcare benefit rights. The $120,000 would be paid in increments of $40,000 over three years. The City Attorney has also reviewed the attached agreement.
DISCUSSION AND/OR CONSIDERATION ITEMS
In addition to any items described under Consent Agenda (above), Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on; “C”) or discuss (i.e., take no formal action on; “D”) the following business:
Ordinance Regulating the Use of Engine Compression Brakes (D)
The referenced item was requested to be included as a part of the September 25, 2023 agenda by Council Member Hubbard, but was postponed to the October 9th agenda.
Since the September 25, 2023 meeting, staff has prepared a draft ordinance for the City of Dexter based on the City of Chelsea’s ordinance.
Draft 2024-2026 Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP) for Road Improvements (D)
Staff has been working with OHM Advisors to develop a road maintenance/improvement plan for the next three years. The plan is presented as the City’s Road Asset Management Plan (TAMP). The plan as proposed draws-down on the Major/Local/Municipal Roads Funds fund balance to perform a series of larger City-wide projects that will have an impact on roads throughout the City. Staff has invited representatives from OHM Advisors to attend the September 25, 2023 City Council meeting to present the Plan. At that meeting, Council voted to postpone discussion of the item to the October 9th meeting.
Approval to Proceed with Final Submission of Baker Rd. Design (C)
City Council approved a scope of services from OHM Advisors in June 2022 for design services related to a proposed summer 2024 mill and overlay project on Baker Road. Through conversation at City Council and Planning Commission, and in-field staff suggestions, the project has grown to include: needed replacement of sidewalk and driveways, changes to parking on Baker, an additional crossing across Baker at Forest, a change in the curb radius at Main St. to limit vehicle – light pole collisions, and now potential changes to lane widths. At this point, the City’s engineers are running-up against the maximum budget allowance based on the allowable engineer’s estimate that can be submitted to MDOT for the project. As this project was not intended to be a significant and involved reconstruction and redesign of Baker Rd., the number of significant additions and changes over what has been presented is limited.
Public Safety Facilities Planning Process, Timeline, and Direction on Sheriff’s Office Location (D/C)
Proposal from Partners in Architecture
The Public Safety Facilities User Group met on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 to review progress made by Partners in Architecture based on City Council’s direction of proceeding with the design of a new facility at 8140 Main St. with the inclusion of selected alternates. During the meeting, the group was presented with more developed internal building schematics, and discussed the design process.
As discussed during the September 25, 2023 City Council meeting, Partners in Architecture is working to provide a proposal to proceed into the next phase of design. The contract document was not ready as of the release of the packet. Staff anticipates that it will be provided before the October 9th City Council meeting. The intent is for the use of a standard American Institute of Architects document similar to what the City approved for the design of City Hall at 3515 Broad St.
Staff also anticipates that additional updated information regarding the 8140 Main St. design will be available for the Council meeting. Staff has invited David Gassen with Partners in Architecture to attend City Council’s October 9, 2023 meeting to provide a verbal update on the project’s progress.
Location of Sheriff’s Substation (move to 3515 Broad Street, City Hall?)
One item discussed during the October 3, 2023 User Group Meeting was the location of the Sheriff’s Substation. During the September 25, 2023 meeting, City Council provided direction to proceed with the design of 8140 Main St. to include the Sheriff’s Office, but to also continue evaluating other potential locations for their relocation. At the end of the meeting, Council Member Aldag identified that she wished to discuss the location of the Sheriff’s Office as a proposed agenda item for a future meeting. During the October 3rd User Group meeting, David Gassen indicated that it would be beneficial to the timing and design of the project to determine as soon as possible whether the Sheriff’s Office should remain in the on-going design of 8140 Main St., or whether it would find a home somewhere else. The challenge he identified is that unlike the other adds/deducts that were identified, the Sheriff’s Office is part-and-parcel to the core design of 8140 Main St. If Partners in Architecture moves into more concrete designs and Sheriff’s Office is removed, then PIA will need to start back at step 1 with the concrete designs, as the co-location (or not) changes how Partners in Architecture approaches the design, and the potential efficiencies that can be created one way or the other.
Planning Commission Review of Temporary Facilities
As Council is aware, the Planning Commission postponed action of the on the City’s request for a major amendment to the approved Final Site Plan for Gilbert Company “Old Mill Site” Planned Unit Development (PUD), to allow temporary fire station operations, citing the site plan was incomplete and the City needed to follow the same process for considering a PUD amendment, as a private developer. The Planning Commission also questioned why the amendment had not been reviewed by CWA or OHM, and again felt this was a deviation from standard procedure.
Going into the Planning Commission meeting, staff anticipated that the process would follow the process for an amendment to a final PUD, starting at final site plan, and did not interpret the ordinance to mean that the City would start at conceptual PUD. During the meeting, the City Attorney stated that starting at conceptual PUD would be a highly conservative approach. Staff is preparing to return to Planning Commission with the appropriate materials to restart the process with:
Conceptual PUD – goes to Planning Commission, then City Council
Combined Preliminary and Final PUD Site Plan Amendment – goes to Planning
Commission, then City Council
Following the Planning Commission meeting, staff connected with City Attorney Munzel, who has provided a memo outlining the case law behind City Council having the authority to waive zoning ordinance requirements for facilities with governmental functions. Staff is seeking Council feedback should Council wish to deviate from the conceptual and combined preliminary/final PUD for the PUD amendment to 3515 Broad St. for temporary facilities.
Proposal from Partners in Architecture for Phase Two Services (C)
See above.
Direction for 8050 Main St. Property (D)
Last week we learned Ms. McClure had not yet filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which, according to the City Attorney, provided Ms. McClure and the City the opportunity to mutually agree to terminate the lease. So, on September 27, 2023 Ms. McClure emailed her request to terminate the lease, and pursuant to the City Attorney’s recommendation, City Administration/Staff informed Ms. McClure the lease was terminated, in accordance with Section 18 of the Lease, on September 27, 2023, and the locks would be changed, as well.
Since the closure of Hotel Hickman was announced, staff has already received a significant number of inquiries, mostly from persons interested in leasing the building for a food service business. Unlike the situation in 2012, 8050 Main no longer offers a quick turnaround for a food business due to Mr. Thomas and Ms. McClure’s removal of most of the equipment. That does not mean it should not or could not be considered for a food service business, but it does mean that without a full kitchen setup, some of the parties interested in leasing the space for a food service business, would need to purchase kitchen equipment or would no longer be interested. It should be noted that staff is working to have a professional deep-clean of the space performed.
If Council is interested in pursuing a new tenant for the space, staff offers the following:
Improvements to the Space
The space has experienced significant wear-and-tear. To achieve top-dollar rent, the City may want to consider a renovation to make the space “white box ready” for a new tenant. It must be noted that the building may need cosmetic maintenance, and the building does not currently have mechanical air conditioning (central air or split-unit AC).
To determine what, if any, additional improvements must be completed before leasing it again, the building should be inspected by the County Building Official and Dexter Area Fire Department. If this direction is desired, staff will coordinate with the appropriate officials for inspection, and gather estimates to make necessary improvements to the space.
Development of a Request for Proposals
As staff has received a significant number of inquiries from prospective businesses, staff would develop a Request for Proposals document that would help in the selection process. Such a document might ask prospective tenants to provide a business plan, including financing.
Staff is seeking direction from City Council as to whether staff should proceed with the work necessary to make improvements to 8050 Main St. and developing the solicitation documents for a new tenant, or whether there are other options for the space that Council wishes to consider and have staff investigate.