Loading...
12142005RE MINUTES CITY OF DUNN DUNN, NORTH CAROLINA The City Council of the City of Dunn held a Special Call Meeting on Wednesday, December 14, 2005, at 12:00 noon in the Dunn Municipal Building. Present was Mayor J. Dal Snipes, Mayor Pro -Tem Donnie Olds, Council Members Buddy Maness, Bryan Galbreath, Billy Tart, Billy R. Godwin, Jr. and Joey Tart. Also present was City Manager Michael Uskiewicz, Human Resources /Safety Officer Moses Gallion, Planning Director Steven Neuschafer, City Attorney P. Tilghman Pope, and City Clerk Debra West. INVOCATION Mayor Snipes opened the meeting at 12:05 p.m. ( *Note: At the end of the meeting, Mayor Snipes gave the invocation. Afterwards, the pledge of allegiance was repeated). ADJUSTMENT OF AGENDA Motion by Council Member Joey Tart, seconded by Council Member Maness to add Rejection of Bids for Water Plant Improvements to the agenda under Items for Decision. Motion unanimously approved. INFORMATION Manager Uskiewicz gave each Council Member a memo that was sent to the Mayor with regard to the 2010 Census. In this memo, the City of Dunn was identified as one of only two cities in the United States chosen to do a dress rehearsal for the 2010 Census. Local people would be hired to do a trial run. They will not recertify our members but they will be using Dunn as a test model. Mr. Uskiewicz stated that at this time, he does not know who the other city is but there were also a few counties in North Carolina that were identified; one being Hamett County. Additional information will be given to the Council as it is received regarding this issue. This is a unique opportunity and a trend setter when it comes to the 2010 accurate count of citizens. ITEM FOR DISCUSSION 2030 LAND USE PLAN Mr. Uskiewicz explained that this presentation was prepared by Mr. Jason Epley of the NC Department of Commerce Division of Community Assistance in conjunction with the Planning Board and the Community Forums conducted in the last few months. Mr. Uskiewicz stated that the purpose of a Land Use Plan is to establish a guide; a map of how we think and feel that the City should develop or will develop. It is not set in stone. This is a concern that was raised with one Council Member. Mr. Uskiewicz stated that he wanted the Council to be aware that the Land Use Plan is a flexible guide that can be modified and changed as needs arise and as development occurs that is sensitive or needs direct attention. Mr. Uskiewicz yielded to City Planner Steven Neuschafer to give an overview of the Land Use Plan. Mr. Neuschafer presented a power point presentation of the proposed plan. He explained that the Land Use Plan sets guidelines and goals as far as where the City would like to be in twenty -five (25) years. Some points in the plan which were emphasized included: • Community Appearance • Landscaped entrance corridors • Vacant properties well kept • Underground utilities • Buffering and Screening of Certain Uses • Landscaped New Developments Mr. Neuschafer explained that the above items are not presently mandated by the City ordinance. In order for them to be mandated, new ordinances would need to be in place to achieve these goals. He explained that the Council will have to establish the items that they want to see accomplished as high or low priorities and adopt new ordinances accordingly. Discussion was held about lighting standards and the impact it would have on commercial developers. Discussion was held about the advantages /disadvantages of underground lighting. It is easier to make repairs to above ground utilities than underground. It was pointed out that the cost of running underground utilities in new development is not significantly more than above ground utilities; however, it is costly to retrofit an old development. Most new developments install utilities underground because of the aesthetics. From a maintenance standpoint, underground utilities are more expensive. Council Member Bryan Galbreath arrived at this point of the meeting (12:20 p.m.) Discussion was held about the Transportation Plan and one -way traffic. In discussing the DOT Transportation Plan, concerns was raised about the location of the proposed Highway 421 by -pass on the north side of town. The possibility of locating the by -pass on the south side as opposed to the north side was discussed as well as the need for this by -pass to alleviate traffic. The need for this by -pass to be located on the south side needs to be re- emphasized with the Department of Transportation (DOT). A by- m pass is the only way to alleviate downtown traffic on Highway 421. Mr. Neuschafer stated that he intends to update the transportation plan to reflect a new route. Discussion was held about buffering and if it can be enforced to existing properties if buffering ordinances were adopted. Mr. Neuschafer stated that such uses as junk yards, repair yards, ground signs and such businesses that have security fences could be mandated to buffer their properties provided that the City gives them enough years to recoup the impact that the City imposes on them. The City could legally take those steps; however, it would be a very bold step for the City to take. Minimum landscaping requirements for new commercial developments was discussed as a priority. Mr. Neuschafer pointed out that in the present ordinance, there are exceptions where a property owner can forego the landscape buffer by installing a solid fence. There will always be some built -in flexibility especially when you are amortizing something that is pre- existing. i The Council discussed as a priority in the next twelve (12) months, the installation of "Welcome to Dunn" signs on the east and west side of the City. Redevelopment of existing vacant lots in town was discussed. The City may want to allow more flexible set -back requirements and other ways to add an incentive to redevelop a specific district. Cluster neighborhoods was explained and incentives that may be offered to developers willing to build these units. In cluster neighborhoods, the same amount of development is arranged in a smaller area in order to preserve open space. These principles are included within the Land Use Plan. Development areas were discussed. Agriculture areas may be developed into residential uses in the future. The need for Powell Avenue Extension was discussed and the proposed route of it cutting through property close to Dunn Middle School. Powell Avenue Extension is still identified on the Transportation Plan. It was discussed that in many situations, developers build new road extensions before the Department of Transportation will build them. Mr. Neuschafer noted that many cities experiencing growth protect the main corridors to encourage visitation and more visibility of businesses. Corridors are the prime targets for the traveling public. Mr. Neuschafer explained that the most important part of this plan is to identify the next steps that the City wants to prioritize and pursue. For example, if the basic landscaping ordinance is a priority, then he can start working toward this. He suggested that the Council identify three (3) or four (4) priorities they can work toward, to make an impact on the community and move the City toward this 2030 Land Use Plan. Goals and objectives need to be considered by the Council. This is how to use this document as a tool. Monitor, evaluate and update the plan as development occurs. It was suggested that the Council set some of these priority goals at the next budget retreat scheduled for the beginning of 2006. r_,rr r_aru 6Y/C �nz /7sCNl�Y( /A`I REJECTION OF BIDS WATERPLANTIMPROVEMENTS Motion by Council Member Joey Tart, seconded by Council Member Billy Tart to take this item of business from the table. Motion unanimously approved. At the December 1, 2005 Council meeting, award of bids for Water Plant Improvements was tabled because the bids received were higher than the City's funding sources of approximately $186,000.00. The low bid of $299,987 submitted by Dellinger, Inc. of Monroe, NC is in excess of available monies to finance the project. In order to begin the process to undertake this project, the Council is being asked to reject all bids received for this project and authorize Public Works Director Ronnie Autry to proceed with this project in individual phases. Pricing out each individual item directly with the suppliers will allow for negotiations, thus lowering the cost for this project. Motion by Council Member Godwin, seconded by Council Member Joey Tart to reject all bids submitted for the water plant improvements and authorize Public Works Director Ronnie Autry to proceed with the project in individual phases. Motion unanimously approved. 89 * Mayor Snipes gave the invocation. Afterwards, the pledge of allegiance was repeated. With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m. Attest: p� Debra G. West City Clerk Clry OOPpO99�• :GZ % S FAL J. n. nip - Mayor