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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2003.01.14 - 35779CHARLES E. PALMER Chairperson BILL BULLARD, JR. Vice Chairperson ERIC COLEMAN Minority Vice Chairperson January 14, 2003 The meeting was called to order by C hairperson Palmer at 9:02 a.m. in Committee Room A, Auditorium Wing, County Service Center, Pontiac, Michigan. PLANNING AND BUILDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Charles E. Palmer, Bill Bullard, Sue Ann Douglas, Martin Knollenberg, Christine Long, Tom McMi llin, Mike Rogers, David Coulter PLANNING AND BUILDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT WITH NOTICE: Eric Coleman OTHERS PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT: Aviation Karl Randall, Manager Central Services David VanderVeen, Director Community & Economic Development Dennis Toffolo, Director Community & Home Improvement Karry Rieth, Manager Gordon Lambert, Chief of Operations Drain Commissioner Kevin Larsen, Deputy Drain Commissioner Joe Colaianne, Legal Counsel Facilities Management Dave Ross, D irector Richard Johnston, Manager Paul Hunter, Manager Mike Hughson, Property Management Specialist Parks & Recreation Frank Trionfi, Administrator, Administration Dan Stencil, Administrator, Operations Planning & Economic Development Dan Hunter, Manager Mary Langhauser, Financial Services Supervisor Jack Johnson, Loan Officer Cathy Rasegan, Loan Officer Support Services Todd Birkle, Manager Others Dawn Furlong, Oxford Twp. Resident Robert DePalma, Groveland Twp. Supervisor Jill Ferrari, Ferndale Brownfield Authority Director Anthony Kashat, Engineer, AKT Peerless Env. Services Board of Commissioners James H. VanLeuven, Administrator Director Sheryl Mitchell, Senior An alyst Helen Hanger, Sr. Committee Coordinator APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0470 Telephone (248) 858-0100 FAX (248) 858 -1572 PLANNING AND BUILDING COMMITTEE Sue Ann Douglas Martin J. Knollenberg Christine Long Tom McMillin Mike Rogers David Coulter PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 2 January 14, 2003 None. PUBLIC COMMENT None. CONSENT AGENDA None. COMMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS Chairperson Palmer welcomed the 2003 Planning and Building Committee members and asked t hat each member of the committee introduce themselves. Personal introductions by both committee members and department representatives followed. Chairperson Palmer provided committee members with an overview of the standard layout of the agenda, and the responsibilities and liaison duties assigned to the committee. Walk -on agenda items are discouraged as they leave no time for committee members to review those items in detail prior to consideration for approval. Commissioners Bullard, Knollenberg, Long , Rogers and Coulter have been appointed as members of the Coordinating Zoning Committee. Copies of these minutes will be provided to all members of the Planning and Building Committee. The committee will receive quarterly reports by the Planning and Economic Development Division, an annual report on the vehicle fleet, monthly reports on construction activity, and occasional updates from Parks and Recreation and the Drain Commissioner. Chairperson Palmer indicated that he had requested that the committee's liaison departments come before the committee today to review their various functions. Committee members were provided with a list of county facilities requiring inspection for 2003 and asked to select those they wished to inspect. Vice Chairperson Bu llard will be providing oversight on this function to ensure its completion and Mr. Johnston will be providing the commissioners with his assistance in performing the inspections. The Parks and Recreation Commission has indicated their interest in providi ng a one-day bus tour for the Committee to review its facilities. It is anticipated that this tour will be scheduled for some time in the spring. Mr. Johnston indicated that any commissioner who wished to participate in a facility inspection that was not assigned to that particular inspection would be welcome. Mr. Rogers inquired as to whether a checklist was available to assist committee members in the inspection process. Mr. Palmer indicated that such a checklist would be a helpful tool for the inspec tion process. Mr. Johnston stated he would be happy to meet with Mr. Rogers to develop such a checklist. Department of Facilities Management Mr. Ross explained that Facilities Management is responsible for the oversight of 42 County -owned facilities, including maintenance and operations functions, the allocation and management of building space, preparation and administration of lease agreements, the sale or purchase of property and facilities, engineering services and managing the County's Farmers' Ma rket. Mr. Ross further explained that there is both a Special Projects Budget and a rolling 5 -year Capital Improvement Program with a range of costs. Special Projects are non -annually recurring, smaller projects handled by Facilities Maintenance, as w ell as daily routine maintenance items. The Capital Improvement PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 3 January 14, 2003 Program is a planning tool that is reviewed every year in conjunction with each department's needs. Some projects, while included in the program, may never occur. The Capital Improvement Prog ram will be discussed at the next Planning and Building Committee meeting on January 21, 2003. Mr. Hughson, who is a state -certified appraiser and the County's Property Management Specialist, works in conjunction with all the elected officials and county departments on the purchase and sale of property, including easements and rights of way. Facilities Engineering handles long -term planning and interfacing with consultants and contractors. The Division is comprised of 10 employees. Facilities Maintenance Mr. Johnston continued with a verbal report on the responsibilities handled by his Division which include the functions of maintenance, operations, utilities, custodial and grounds maintenance. Facilities Maintenance consists of 170 employees. Staffi ng reductions achieved over time through privatization and attrition have resulted in an average building cost per square foot of $12.54 (this includes 12 hour/7 day operations), as compared to the average cost of building space being leased by the County at $20.00 per square foot. Two documents were provided to the committee, "Oakland County Service Center 2002 -2012 - A Forward Look, Facilities Management, 2002" and "2002 Facilities Report, Oakland County Board of Commissioners, Planning and Building Committee." Mr. Palmer requested an update on the status of the County's efforts regarding the Intermediate School District building. Mr. Ross reviewed the history of the County's relationship with Oakland Intermediate Schools regarding this building. The County is purchasing this building, per MR #02268, at a cost of about $23.00 per square foot or $6,957,000. Some improvements are needed, which was taken into consideration at the time of purchase. The County is hoping to move its administrative offi ces into this facility in order to consolidate functions currently housed in several difference locations throughout the campus. The Building Authority has approved this project and authorized the bonding. The effective date to take possession is July 1, 2003. Facilities Engineering Mr. Hunter reviewed the major projects currently under construction. Work Release and the 52 -3 District Court/Sheriff Substation are Building Authority projects funded through bond sales totaling $37,000,000. Work Release is about 65% complete; jail renovations are 35% complete and the "J" Building is 95% complete. Work has just begun on the 52 -3 District Court/Sheriff Substation. Updates on these projects are provided through monthly progress reports. If the budget perm its, Facilities will come back with basic annual upgrade projects such as roofing, parking, etc. Work involving contractors is done through a Request For Proposal process and a selection committee process, which includes members of the Planning and Building Committee. The County has recently shifted from using general contracts to a delivery system of construction management, which is proving very beneficial. Building Authority Mr. VanLeuven provided information on the Building Authority to the Com mittee and indicated that the Authority meets once a month to approve payments and review the status of projects. Mr. VanLeuven is the Board's appointed representative on the Building Authority. PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 4 January 14, 2003 Community & Economic Development Mr. Toffolo explained tha t the Department of Community & Economic Development is composed of four separate divisions. Community and Home Improvement, Planning and Economic Development, Solid Waste Resource Management and Workforce Development. Since 1998, the County's revenue ha s increased by $28,000,000 as a result of Economic Development activities. Mr. Almstadt was unable to attend today's meeting and would return to committee at a later date to discuss Workforce Development. Community & Home Improvement Ms. Reith and Mr. La mbert reviewed the responsibilities of the Community and Home Improvement Division. The Division is composed of 20 employees administering 4 grant programs, the Community Development BlockGrant (CDBG), a Home Investment Partnership Grant, the Emergency She lter Grant and a Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant. All acceptances of grant funding and program contracts come before the Planning and Building Committee and the Board of Commissioners for approval. The CDBG program is the largest federal grant adm inistered by the Division and is designed to assist low and moderate-income citizens in obtaining low interest loans or deferred payment loans to improve their homes in order to maintain residence. This program is strictly for single -family, owner-occupied housing. Currently 50 Oakland County communities participate in the program. Several hundred homes are rehabilitated annually. CDBG funds are also provided to OLHSA to administer a weatherization program for low-income citizens. The County participates under the urban counties program. The Housing Counseling Program assists citizens with inquiries regarding landlord/ tenant disputes, loan programs and reverse mortgages for seniors. The Emergency Shelter grant is used 100% to assist five homeless s helters in Oakland County. Current participants include the South Oakland Shelter, HAVEN, Lighthouse PATH, New Bethel Outreach Ministry and the Common Ground Sanctuary. The Home Investment Partnership Program works to increase the supply of affordable h ousing for low income persons through public -private sector partnerships. Federal mandate requires that 15% of these funds go to non -profits to develop affordable homes within Oakland County. Mr. Coulter asked if Ms. Reith was aware of any other counti es in the region providing funds for the homeless shelter program. Ms. Reith indicated she would investigate Mr. Coulter's inquiry and respond to him once the information is available. Planning and Economic Development Division Mr. Hunter provided information to the committee regarding the programs available through his Division. The Division consists of business and information services, financial planning, marketing and research, and planning functions. Digital and GIS -related products are available through the Division's One Stop Shop. The Division's mission is economic development, marketing and the promotion of Oakland County. Services are available to assist those interested in starting a business in Oakland County and to pursue companies for relocation to Oakland County. The Planning side deals with quality of life issues to enhance this mission and involves issues such as environmental stewardship, the mainstreet program and land use. While there is no single county master plan, each community has a separate plan and the Division works closely with communities to provide technical assistance. Ms. Charlotte Burckhardt will provide staff review of master plans and township border rezoning proposals and will be assisting the Coordinating Zoning Committee with their recommendations. Staff assistance is also provided to the Business Round Table and Automation Alley. Additional material on the division's activities was distributed. Mr. Rogers inquired as to how the Division could assist communities in convincing a business not to relocate to another jurisdiction. PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 5 January 14, 2003 Mr. Hunter indicated that his Division has assisted in matters such as this in the past and commissioners are welcome to call and request assistance with these issues as they arise. Mr. Coulter noted that Governor Granholm has identified land use as one of her top priorities. Mr. Hunter indicated that Oakland County has requested to be on the commission being developed for this function. The County is doing a lot of bench mark planning, such as cluster development, Brownfield Authorities, etc. to maximize urban space and maintain existing open space and wetland areas. Mr. Toffolo stated that he and Mr. Hunter would return in February to further discuss this topic. Ms. Langhauser explained the Division's financial programs. The Economic Development Corporation allows manufacturing and non-profit organizations to finance projects with low -interest, tax exempt bonds through a three-step Planning and Building Committee resolution and pub lic hearing process. The Small Business Administration 504 Program assists all types of businesses to obtain fixed asset financing at favorable rates. Information regarding the Oakland County Business Finance Corporation and Oakland County Economic Development Corporation meeting on February 5, 2003, was distributed. At this time, Mr. Palmer asked that the remaining presenters keep their presentations to a minimum. Solid Waste Resource Management Mr. Seaman introduced several members of the audience an d distributed his presentation materials regarding the Division's activities. Mr. Seaman noted that the County's Solid Waste Management Plan was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in June, 2000. The County will again begin its planning process by the end of 2002 if the state does not initiate the process by that time. Members of the Solid Waste Planning Committee are appointed through the Board of Commissioners' General Government Committee. The Division also provides assistance to the local communiti es in conducting waste management activities. Mr. McMillin asked how Canada's inflow of waste affects the County's ability to plan. Mr. Seaman stated that essentially no out of state or Canadian waste comes into Oakland County. The Division is working on a number of contracts, one of which, NOHAZ (North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Consortium) will provide toxic materials waste collection service for North Oakland Communities starting this spring. Other programs include: a Recycling Electronic s and Pollution Prevention program (REAP2) for private sector electronic waste recycling; a Brownfield Authority Initiative, for which a $1,000,000 was received by the County this past year to address these efforts; and several environmental programs relating to Gypsy Moth Suppression and the West Nile Virus. Central Services Mr. VanderVeen introduced himself and explained that he also represents the County Executive on both SEMCOG and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Support Services Mr. Birkle reviewed the functions under the Support Services Division. These functions include the Mail Room, Printing, Materials Management, Record Retention, the Garage (which includes the Sheriff's fleet), and responsibility for vendor contracts with Oak Manageme nt and the vending machines located PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 6 January 14, 2003 throughout the campus. Several upgrades to the Mail Room include the purchase of an x -ray machine and a mail sorting machine that reads the forwarding addresses and then automatically places a bar code along the bottom. The sorter is expected to save $140,000 in postage for first class mail annually. A mail services reference guide is being developed for distribution to all County departments to advise them of the mailing services available through the County's Mail Ro om and the savings they can incur in using these programs rather than through the use of outside vendors. Record Retention, which received 275,000 requests for assistance last year, maintains the County's files, microfiche, etc. Materials Management is responsible for warehousing furniture and equipment for departments. The Print Shop orders and delivers copier supplies and handles the convenience copier fund, which is responsible for 199 Lanier copy machines. This is a five -year contract that will ex pire in two more years. Mr. VanderVeen reviewed the County's Aviation and Transportation Division, which consists of the Oakland County International Airport (OCIA) in Waterford, the Oakland Troy Airport in Troy and the Oakland Southwest Airport in New Hu dson. Annually, over 1 million passengers and pilots come through these airports. The OCIA is the second busiest in Michigan behind Metro and the sixth busiest reliever airport in the nation. A Noise Abatement Program is currently in progress at the OC IA to address sound attenuation. This program is being implemented as federal funds become available. Mr. Coulter asked if there were any future plans to extend the safe area in Troy. Mr. VanderVeen indicated that Troy meets the federal standards; howev er, this issue is being addressed at the Southwest Airport to protect the approach. Parks and Recreation Mr. Stencil provided various materials on parks programs to committee members. There are eleven park sites and five golf courses. The Parks and Rec reation Commission operates on a quarter mill, as well as grants and fees for services. The next millage will be in 2011. No general fund money is used to operate the Parks. Property acquisition is a priority of the commission. The current 10 -year master plan is updated every five years and comes to the Board of Commissioners for approval. Parks is currently pursuing a Natural Resource Management Plan to help maintain significant natural features worthy of preservation. Funds to acquire these areas are being pursued through grants. Parks provides education through interpretative programs, at both Independence Oaks and Lyon Oaks, outreach programs through elementary schools and mobile recreation programs. Built in 1976, Waterford Oaks is currently underg oing a $1.1 million renovation program to upgrade both the wavepool and the adjoining facilities. Parks has received a $600,000 grant to assist with the relocation of the Ellis Barn, built in 1883 and located on Dixie Highway, to Springfield Oaks County Park. Mr. Trionfi reported that the current operational budget for the Parks is $18,730,000, with 87 full -time eligible and 450 part -time (mostly summer students) employees. The Capital Improvement Plan is $3.1 million. All land and vehicle purchase requ ests are brought to the Planning & Building Committee and Board. Mr. McMillin requested copies of the individual financials for the waterparks and golf courses for the last three years. Drain Commissioner Mr. Larsen and Mr. Colaianne reviewed the respon sibilities of the office of the Drain Commissioner, which handles soil erosion and sanitation control, plat review, lake levels, lake improvement boards, wastewater treatment facilities, and water, storm and sewer systems for Oakland County. There are cur rently 90 augmentation pumps and 34 lake control structures. For FY 2003, the Drain Commissioner's budget is $118,000,000, of which about $1.4 million is from the County's general fund. The Drain Commissioner is responsible for Chapter 20 drainage distr icts, each of which is a separate legal entity for users of the PLANNING & BUILDING COMMITTEE Page 7 January 14, 2003 system. The Drain Commissioner is currently working on several major initiatives. The first is standardization of all contracts for sewer and water agreements with the local communities. Th e other initiative is to address the requirements of the Clean Water Act. Most communities are looking to the Drain Commssioner to act as the facilitator in assisting them with developing a set of guidelines to deal with storm water regulations, education , illicit discharge. The MDEQ is also encouraging the adoption of a Septic Inspection Program and the Drain Commissioner is working to develop such an ordinance for a program that would require inspection every five years. A close connection program, man dated by the State, is also being implemented for commercial and industrial connections to ensure that no contaminants are getting into the potable water supply. OTHER BUSINESS/ADJOURNMENT There being no other business to come before the committee, the me eting adjourned at 1:13 p.m. _________________________________ __________________________________ Helen Hanger James H. VanLeuven, Jr. Senior Committee Coordinator Administrative Director NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to committee approval.