Voices raised in council meeting during discussion on equipment funding: WATCH THE VIDEO

Voices were raised among Hillsboro City Council and administration members during a special council meeting Thursday evening as the group discussed appropriating funds to pay for firefighter equipment council had previously approved to purchase. 

All members of council were present at during the special session, which was held out of necessity after not enough members were in attendance to form a quorum for the regularly scheduled June 14 meeting.

During Thursday's special session, council considered the transfer of $34,000 from the health care fund from the Hillsboro Police Department to the small tools fund to cover the firefighter equipment purchased earlier this year. 

During the April council meeting, council approved the purchased of $34,000 of equipment to outfit newly retained volunteer firefighters. In April, council voted 6-0 to pass an emergency resolution to purchase the equipment. The motion to waive the three-reading rule and to pass the motion was made by council member Bill Alexander and were seconded by Bonnie Parr. Council member Rod Daniels was not in attendance at that meeting. 

On Thursday, council finance committee chairperson Peter Pence said that the committee had reviewed the matter and "I guess, the money is there if you want to make the transfer. I think one of the questions we were left with at that (committee) meeting was if we had numbers to show that the part-time firefighters were saving (the city) money, and I believe we have been told that it has worked out to the benefit of the department as far as being able to save money for their budgets."

Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said that it has been estimated that the volunteer firefighters, who were hired earlier this year to help cut down on the overtime hours of full-time firefighters, would save the city a projected $123,000. 

"I guess my question would be, is the fire department light in terms of funds at this point and in need of this fund transfer for that department, versus leaving it in the police department?" council president Lee Koogler asked. 

Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt, who presented the legislation to council, said, "That's why I requested it. Because they didn't have the funding in their budget."

"You have to outfit them before you can put them out on calls," Zink said. "That money was available and we talked with (HIllsboro Auditor) Gary (Lewis, who said) it was feasible to move it from one place to another. It's all in the safety budget, police and fire."

Daniels asked how the city was "utilizing the (volunteer) staff" without the equipment."

Holt and Zink said the equipment had already been purchased and is being used. 

"So we've already spent this money?" Daniels asked. 

"Well, sure," Holt said. 

Pence said though the matter had been put into committee for review, there has been no formal recommendation by the finance committee to council. 

"If we get into budget negotiations," Daniels said, "and say things don't get resolved" and the city decides to do a percentage cut to all departments across the board, "would that make it unfair for the police budget? Would we take the additional cut off of them at this new level then?"

"It really would have been nice if you had been here earlier in the year," Holt said to Daniels. 

In June Daniels began attending council meeting again after several months of leave due to military service. 

"What happened is," Holt said, "our auditor went through and appropriated funds. He told us that he was appropriating 8 percent, an increase of 8 percent for all health insurance. OK? In the police, for whatever reason, who knows. He's busy.  There was a 23 percent increase ... So there was more than 8 percent allotted to that line item. I saw that and just requested the auditor transfer $34,000 of the $55,000 over to the fire to pay for this equipment. That is where we're at."

"I understand that," Daniels said. 

Zink said there is still "$21,000 left above what you need in health insurance for the police. Does that answer your question?"

"No, what I'm saying is, you have a current, established budget for each department," Daniels said. "And we ask those departments to make a cut, say 10 percent. Are you going to make that cut of 10 percent based on what the budget is now or based on 10 percent after you make this transfer of money out of their budget?"

Pence said that it should not affect their budget as, "It is health care and not an expense factored into the budget ... It was just an over-appropriation."

Alexander then asked if the savings "the part-time firefighters are creating for the city, is that enough to cover their being outfitted?"

Zink said, "Right now the projected savings for a year with part-timers will be $123,000. Now then, I am not sold on that until I see it happen. But that is the projection that I have been handed."

Alexander said, "Would that amount for small tools, could that come out of that $120,000-plus rather than ..."

"We don't have that now," Holt said. "They're saying that's how much it's going to save over 2010. That money is not here."

"So what you are needing is $34,000 to pay a bill that is due?" Alexander asked.

"Yes, for outfitting them," Holt said. 

Council member Brian Waller asked if council had previously approved the purchase of the equipment. Several council members affirmed that they had approved the equipment. 

"I just want to make sure everyone understands," Holt said. 

"So basically we're just transferring funds so you can pay for the equipment," Waller said. 

"You approved me to purchase the gear," Holt said. "Unfortunately, you approved it, and apparently some of us assumed that we were going to do it out of the fire budget, but fire doesn't have that in their budget to do."

Alexander asked again if there was "anyway to transfer from the fire budget itself, from the savings it is going to be creating."

"The money we're saving now isn't created," Holt said. 

Lewis explained that both line items are general fund items and "we'll pay the bill one way or the other, whether it comes from the current fire budget or whether it is approved and it is transferred."

Lewis said that since both are general fund items, whatever savings the city has at the end of the year, it will get transferred in the same fund, "and it's reallocated at the beginning of next year. Like the mayor said, if we realized a $120,000-savings, that's $120,000 we'll be able to utilize next year. But it's going to get paid one way or the other. We have the merchandise, it's going to get paid."

"It's funds that we can spend on what we need," Koogler said. 

Waller then made a motion to pass the resolution, and it was seconded by council member Mary Brown Turner. 

Upon the roll call vote from the clerk of council, Daniels was the first council member to vote, and he voted against the legislation. After Daniels cast his vote, Zink said, "You got to be kidding me, Rod."

Alexander and council member Dave Shoemaker also voted against the resolution. Council members, Waller, Bonnie Parr, Pence and Turner voted to pass the resolution. The motion was carried with a majority vote of 4-3.

  In other business:

• Koogler noted that since it was a special meeting of council, only items that were specifically on the agenda would be heard by council, and committee reports and other business would be addressed during the July 12 council meeting.

• At Zink's request, council voted to go into executive session at approximately 5:40 p.m. to discuss personnel. The executive session was not on the agenda. Council voted to enter back into regular session at 5:52 p.m., and no action was taken.

• Council heard from deputy Hillsboro Law Director Kathryn Hapner on legislation regarding "dangerous property and/or structures and the inspection, repair and removal thereof." The ordinance was initially presented as emergency legislation for the purpose of bringing the city's existing dangerous property ordinance in align with the Ohio Revised Code (ORC). When it was presented, council members said they had too many questions regarding the ordinance to pass it, and it was put into committee for review. 

In May, in a judgment by Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss regarding litigation between the city and Parker Hotel owner Jack Hope, the city's current dangerous property ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. Hapner told council that the ordinance they were considering Thursday was now in align with the ORC, and changes had been made in particular to the appeals process if a building is determined to be dangerous and slated for demolition by the city. As the ordinance now reads, Hapner said, appeals will be made to council's property maintenance and restoration committee. 

Hapner also noted that she believed the ordinance was constitutional at one time, and that since it was initially drafted around 1957, the ORC has been updated but the ordinance has not. 

Council voted 7-0 to waive the three-reading rule and voted 7-0 to pass the ordinance.

• Council voted 7-0 to pass legislation permitting Zink to contract for the sale of the old Hillsboro Safety Building.

• Council recommended that the administration meet with members of the Festival of the Bells Committee and make the determination at their discretion on whether or not the committee be permitted to utilize the former safety building for storage of small vehicles, such as Gators, during the festival July 1-3.

• Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and pass 7-0 a resolution authorizing the safety and service director to to enter into an agreement with PAE and Associates Inc. for additional services in the construction for the wastewater treatment plant, in the amount of $69,182.

• Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and passed 7-0 to authorize the safety and service director to enter into an agreement for additional services in the construction of the wastewater treatment plant ; for revisions to the administration building to improve access for maintenance of equipment, in a net change of $10,381.

• Council voted 7-0 to authorize the auditor to transfer $23,091 from the general bond retirement  to the general fund line buildings/structures.