Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-05-2018 Regular meetingCity Council of Peachtree City Meeting Minutes April 5, 2018 6:30 p.m. The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, April 5, 2018. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kevin Madden, and Phil Prebor. Announcements. Awards, Special Recognition Mayor Fleisch declared April as Safe Digging Month and urged contractors and homeowners to call 811 before digging to avoid disturbing utility lines. She presented Prebor and Jean Felts of the Alcohol Awareness Coalition and Drug Free Fayette with a proclamation declaring April as Alcohol Awareness Month. They introduced a short video, produced locally by the Alcohol Awareness Coalition, that depicted methods parents could use to discourage teen drug use and drinking. Public Comment Inge Guha-Biswas suggested the speed limit on Huddleston Road be raised from 30 to 40 mph because she felt it was a speed trap set by the police. She noted that it was not close to any schools or activities so she saw no reason for the 30 mph speed limit. Guha-Biswas said she got a speeding ticket on that road, relating that the police car was sitting one block from where she entered Huddleston Road from SR 54 and followed her eight -tenths of a mile. She complained that the officer should have stopped her immediately, rather than follow her. Minutes March 6, 2018, Retreat Workshop Minutes March 15, 2018, Regular Meeting Minutes King moved to approve the March 6, 2018, retreat workshop minutes and the March 15, 2018, regular meeting minutes as written. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Aaenda 1. Consider FY 2018 Budget Amendment 2. Consider Quotes for Special GDOT Coating for Lake Kedron Bridge Piles & Sway Bracing - JCH Corporation Ernst moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 and 2. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. New Agenda Items 04-18-01 Public Hearing - Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to Multiple Residential Zoning Districts, House Color Requirements City Manager Jon Rorie introduced this with a review of City history, noting the picture was bigger than simply house colors. The City would turn 60 next year, and it had 24 square miles with about 14,000 acres, 3,700 of those in greenbelts. The population was about 35,000 with almost 14,000 housing units, according to the 2010 Census, and 184 centerline road miles. There were approximately 200 subdivisions in the City, but only 47, or 23%, had active homeowner's associations (HOAs), Rorie reported. This provided a broad picture of what the City was, Rorie said, noting that it was not Utopia or Xanadu. He said the City did aspire to do great and good things and provide a high quality of life to its residents, as stated in its mission statement. But the issues became more complex when looking at how that played out on a day to day basis. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 2 Rorie continued that the City did not enforce HOA regulations, referring to an email he received in 2016 about a pool that was being added to a home without HOA permission. The City was threatened with legal action because it did not enforce HOA regulations. A man's home was his castle, Rorie noted, and property rights could be regulated to maintain City standards, such as through a tree cutting ordinance or parking regulations, but there were limits. The average age of a home in the City was 30 years, Rorie noted. He said developers typically established restrictive covenants at the time of building in order to give buyers vested rights. Rorie had received another e-mail about plans to subdivide a lot in a neighborhood developed in the 1980s with restrictive covenants. The neighborhood's homes ranged from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet. An issue arose when someone purchased a 25,000 square foot corner lot with a house on it. Zoning for the property was R-10, which called for a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet and a minimum home size of 1,000 square feet. The buyer of the property wanted to subdivide the lot into two tracts, because all that was required to do that was 80 feet of road frontage, 10,000 square feet of land and a house of at least 1,000 square feet. The limited warranty deed included a prohibition on sub -dividing lots, but also stated that the covenant was valid for only 20 years. Rorie said that people bought homes because of these covenants, but now the covenants were expiring in aging neighborhoods all over the City. The request to sub -divide the lot had been initially denied, then Rorie began to consult with attorneys to see if he could legally do so. City Attorney Ted Meeker explained that, in 1993, the State Legislature voted to allow restrictive covenants to be automatically extended unless the homeowners voted to abolish them. Before that, Meeker reported, they would just expire. A court case interpreted the statute to mean the change only applied to restrictive covenants filed after July 1, 1993, so there was no legal extension of covenants established prior to that time. There was a way for the older covenants to continue if the residents consented, but they would be applied only to the residents who wanted to extend the covenants. Meeker said, in light of what happened in that subdivision, the City reviewed its ordinances to see if they covered issues often included in restrictive covenants, such as fences, and found that they did in many cases. The City added an ordinance amendment addressing the issue of sub -division of lots in established neighborhoods to clean up that issue. Rorie said he originally refused to sign the plat for the sub -divided lot and discovered he had no legal right to deny it, so he had to go back and approve it. This prompted him to look into how to prevent this in the future. Seventy-five percent of the neighborhoods were not represented by an HOA, Rorie pointed out. Restrictive covenants were expiring in neighborhoods, and it was time to look at what tools the City had to ensure quality of life. One of the biggest issues in developing a comprehensive plan was in developing a land use plan. He read the objective for a land use plan: Establish appropriate land uses in areas that are suitable for development that would not endanger, but protect, the surrounding environment and aesthetics. Rorie showed a photo of a new home built on a lot where a 30 -year old home had been previously. Rorie said the buyer of the older home demolished it, and then built a house with the goal of selling it for $800,000. He noted that it had sold, although at what price, he could not say. A greenbelt alongside the home had scraggly trees and bushes that the owner wanted to remove, but was told he could not. Rorie said it was an odd greenbelt, and there was no reason for it and no reason why the undergrowth could not be removed outside the ordinance denying it. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 3 Rorie showed a photo of a rundown home with abandoned vehicles in the yard, overturned basketball goals and several other code enforcement issues. Rorie said Code Enforcement had been battling this for months. Without an HOA or restrictive covenants, he noted, Code Enforcement was the only way to regulate the appearance of a property. Another photo showed debris from a fallen tree, and Rorie provided another that showed a pile of objects in a driveway, covered by a blue tarp. Rorie said it was unclear if the City could regulate the storage of property in the front yard of a home. He pointed to siding that was falling off a house. He read another email he had received about the parking of an old car on a gravel surface behind the house. Sometimes it was a matter of perspective if something was unsightly. Parking behind the house on a paved or gravel surface was allowed by code. Rorie noted the he took all these photos that afternoon. Another photo showed a house with a driveway containing four golf carts and several other vehicles, along with an accumulation of "stuff," as Rorie described it, covered by a tarp on the front porch. Registered, licensed vehicles could be parked in the driveway, but Rorie questioned whether anyone had aright to go into the yard and check if the vehicles had tags. Another photo showed a house with a camper parked in the front driveway. The City had just had a debate over camper storage. The next photo was of a house painted bright red, and Rorie said he had gotten an email recently encouraging the City to restrict colors that houses could be painted. Rorie said it was important to recognize a concept that came out of an early Council Retreat session: "By burying your head in the sand at the first sign of trouble, you may survive, you may be the fastest at running away, but you will never fly." The City could not rely on HOAs or restrictive covenants. Code Enforcement was all the City had, and it became a question of how standards should be established and enforced. Going back to the sub -divided lot, Rorie said once it became clear subdividing the lot could not be stopped, neighbors wanted to know if the City could keep the property owner from cutting trees. They also pointed out this lot was on higher ground than the others in the area and wanted the City to limit the new home to a single story to protect privacy of the surrounding homes. Rorie said there was nothing the City could do. People had property rights, and, he personally did not want to take away property rights. There were limitations on how far to go. The City had addressed the lack of HOAs and the expiring restrictive covenants through its only tool, Code Enforcement, Rorie continued. One of the remaining issues to be regulated was house colors. He talked about his brother in Elmira, NY, who lived on Country Club Drive, in a house he had renovated. It was known as the lighthouse because it had a big eye painted on it at the time his brother bought it. The City needed to look at the issue of house colors before someone painted their house a similar "unacceptable" color or design, and neighbors and the City had no legal recourse, Rorie said. The City could take action to support the investments of its residents, or it could bury its head in the sand. It was a big issue involving Constitutional property rights. He said he would be willing for Council to table this matter in order to get more information on the historic palette, which could include white and shades of red. A public hearing was about due process and letting residents have their say and engage in the community, Rorie noted, adding this was something he was passionate about. However, he stated he would not apologize for advancing the discussion about regulating exterior colors for dwellings, saying it was part of the Land Use Plan and vision for the future. He said taking the heat was just part of his job as City Manager. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 4 Planning and Development Director Mike Warrix introduced the proposed amendment to Sections 1001, 1002, 1002A, 1003, and 1011 of the Peachtree City Zoning Ordinance, which read: Exterior colors shall be low reflectance, and subtle, earth -tone, or historical colors from a major paint manufacturer's historical palette. Bright high-intensity colors, bright metallic colors, or fluorescent colors shall not be used. Material or color changes generally should occur at a change of plane; painted patterns and frequent changes in material and/ or color selections shall be avoided. Building colors should be carefully chosen so that each building color complements that of its neighbors and/ or the development. Unique buildings can be granted exceptions by the Director of Planning and Development. Warrix said this would apply to most of the City's residential zoning districts, giving the City greater control over the appearance of residential properties. He related that it was heard by the Planning Commission on March 12 and received a favorable recommendation. Warrix said he and his staff were ready to answer any questions that might arise. Fleisch opened the public hearing. She asked if anyone in the audience wished to speak in favor of the amendment. No one did. She then asked if anyone wished to speak in opposition. Ralph Hale of Crabapple Woods said he had some issues with the way the proposal was written. He said it seemed to be someone's opinion. He asked if a permit to repaint a house would be required and inquired as to how the ordinance would be enforced. Would someone come around through all the neighborhoods and tell homeowners their house did not meet the color standards, and they would have to repaint at their own expense? Hale said he felt the house color issue should be put before voters, then citizens would feel they had a voice. IJ Deborah Gallop of Foreston Place said she had been in her home 30 years, and her covenants had expired. She had a light gray house with bright blue shutters and provided a photo to show Council. She asked if those colors would be deemed offensive and have to be removed or would she have grandfathered rights. Gallop said she had a problem with one person deciding what colors were appropriate. She wanted it to come before a citywide vote. She asked if Code Enforcement was having a problem following through with the complaints and issues Rorie brought up previously. Brad Barnard of The Estates said he was a contractor who did lots of work around the City. He said he thought of houses built in the early 1900s when someone mentioned historical colors. Barnard remarked that he had a tough time meeting his neighborhood's standard of traditional colors when he remodeled his home. He cited Blueberry Hill in the north part of the City as having houses that were completely non-traditional. Barnard said he was unsure if those color choices fit in a historical palette. Barnard added that the amendment mentioned limiting siding materials, and noted that he used about four different materials on the new houses he built. Older homes were more likely to have just one or two materials, not a mix of materials and finishes. He asked if this meant he could not remodel his home and use a mix of materials. Barnard also inquired about who would be enforcing the color restrictions, since he gathered from Rorie's previous comments that it was difficult to enforce the standards already' on the books. He asked if additional Code Enforcement officers would be hired or if there be a board of volunteers. Fleisch closed the public hearing. Fleisch noted there were 14,000 single-family officers. Gallop said she heard that was going three; someone new had just been hired. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 5 homes in the City and three Code Enforcement down to two, but Fleisch said it would remain at Meeker explained that the law could not be made retroactive; it would deal with paint colors applied after the date it was adopted. He also pointed out that Georgia law also prohibited a local government from spending money on a special election about an issue like this, which deemed a straw poll. Rorie said there was a limit as to how far a government should go in restricting property rights. There were things a government should not be involved in. However, residents had approached him about the need for an architectural review board to take the place of some of the HOAs and restrictive covenants that no longer existed. The language in the proposal, Rorie pointed out, had been researched from other communities and vetted through the Planning Commission, which was made up of citizen volunteers. Rorie said he and Senior Planner Robin Cailloux had ridden around the City to look at houses while working out the language on the amendment. Rorie reiterated he was willing to recommend that Council table the amendment. Many times a government created a rule that they then had to backfill to make it workable. Permitting was one example. There was currently no permitting system in place for house painting, and Rorie questioned how they would address someone painting their house a non-compliant color. Rorie understood the issue about use of different materials and how this was not applicable when most of the City's home were built. Planning and Development and Code Enforcement had been challenged to investigate appropriate language for the storing of items, or "stuff," at the front of a property and how to regulate it. Rorie read his response to Ben Nelms of The Fayette Citizen, who had texted him about the zoning amendment regarding paint colors. Rorie's return text read, "We have a lot of expiring covenants throughout the City. This is a property maintenance initiative. We will also be pushing for a comprehensive review of all zoning ordinances this year." Rorie said these were all conversations the community needed to have, but topics such as this appeared on the agenda and then exploded on social media, often with inaccurate information. He commended Nelms for printing his response in full. Rorie again stated his recommendation would be to table the issue tonight and revisit it after some questions had been answered. Fleisch asked if it would be better to vote on it, decide how to proceed, then talk about covenants at a later date. Prebor said this topic had needed to be looked at because a house was the most valuable asset most people had, and a neighbor could ruin its value by doing something detrimental. Many people moved to the City because of the restrictions. Signage could also be an issue. Prebor mentioned a man who put up four "No Trespassing" signs on broomsticks facing a neighbor's yard. The issue had been resolved, but Prebor reflected that it would have been tough to sell a house with those signs facing it. Fleisch said in her early days on Council, they moved Code Enforcement to the Police Department, but that had not worked out. She stated that any conversation about property standards must include Code Enforcement. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 6 King said he had lived in his home for 30 years. When someone bought a home, they did research, and part of it involved looking at the covenants that were in place at the time of purchase. He said those covenants still existed and could be re-enacted. Maybe there should be some changes because the norms of society had changed. King said he was a strong proponent of property rights, but property owners did not have the right to embarrass their neighbors. Fleisch said Georgia was a caveat emptor state, meaning the buyer had the responsibility to be aware. Madden related that he had been president of his HOA in Florida, where he lived for 15 years. He never appreciated until this meeting how important it was to maintain norms for the people in that neighborhood. His house was built in 1984 and was one of the younger houses in his neighborhood, which had expired covenants and no HOA. This was a very important issue and expired covenants needed to be revisited and zoning ordinances reviewed. Madden commented that he would have much preferred defining "stuff' vs. "rubbish" or missing siding from homes before opening the can of worms about what colors were nice. He said if he were from Kingston, Jamaica, he would think turquoise and orange would be attractive colors for his home, and as an American, he would be upset if someone told him he could not have those colors. House colors should not have been the first salvo fired in the important discussion of updating zoning ordinances. Ernst said he agreed with Rorie's comments about reviewing covenants, but he was not elected by the citizens to tell them what color they could paint their houses. He said tastes varied, and he was not elected to do this. Ernst moved that Agenda Item 04-18-01, Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment, be disapproved. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. After the vote, Gallop told Council that she recognized the need for stepped-up enforcement of zoning codes, but felt the inclusion of trash and camper parking in the presentation showed that there were other, more pressing, issues that should be dealt with first. 04-18-02 Consider Request for Private Sewer Extension to 114 Hilltop Drive through City Right -of -Way City Engineer Dave Borkowski stated the request was to install a private sewer line inside the City right-of-way according to current policy, which was adopted in 2009. He showed the location of the property, which would require running a sewer line about 1,000 feet through City right-of-way to an existing line. The current policy, which had allowed this in the past, had been geared toward septic system failure, so the right-of-way could be preserved for future needs, Borkowski said. This request did not fit the policy because it did not involve a failing system; the space was needed for expansion on the property itself. He added the applicants had met all the other City requirements, including signing an agreement for maintenance of the line in the right-of-way. Borkowski said staff recommended denial of the request for a few reasons, including the fact that the system was not failing. The right-of-way was a limited space and should be preserved for public use. Getting rid of septic systems and connection to the City sewer system was a big issue that should be talked about citywide, not piecemeal, He suggested that Council could bring this up at a workshop, if desired. Madden asked what was involved in connecting a septic system to a sewer line. Borkowski explained that this property was in a low spot, against Lake Peachtree. Their engineer had Bdesigned it with a grinder pump on the property that took the effluent, ground it up and pushed ��LJIy it to the sewer line 1,000 feet away. Most of the work involved a directional bore, so the street would not be disturbed. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 7 Madden noted that it was not a good situation having so many septic systems near the lake, which would be contaminated by system failures. He asked, if a two-inch pipe was required to hook one home to the City sewer line, what diameter pipe would be needed to get all those homes hooked up. Fleisch said this was not a good time to pursue that broader topic. Rorie agreed the broader issue was how to get those 15 homes connected to sewer, but now was not the time for that discussion. Prebor asked if Brad Barnard, the owner's representative, would be allowed to speak, but was advised the item was not a public hearing. Madden moved to deny the request for private sewer extension. Prebor seconded. Prebor said the City needed to look at the bigger picture and wondered if this request was something that could be used to the City's advantage. King said he had an issue running a PVC pipe through a right-of-way to a public sewer, but the bigger issue was getting sewer service to the homes on the west side of Hip Pocket. Fleisch noted that area was prime for redevelopment, and, while she appreciated what the applicants wished to do, she could not support it. She stressed the importance of keeping City rights-of-way clear of private uses. The motion carried unanimously. Council/Staff Topics Ordinance Preview - Prohibit Parking on West Side of Echo Court Borkowski explained that Echo Court was off Falcon Drive by the Atlanta Regional Airport- Falcon Field. The City had received a request from a group at the end of the cul-de-sac about parking in the street. Vehicles parked on both sides of the road for events prevented emergency vehicles from getting through. The ordinance would prohibit parking on the west side of the road, where the curb cuts were. Ernst asked if there would be exceptions for special events. Rorie responded that parking during these events was vetted by the City's Special Events Committee, and if the purpose was to give access to emergency vehicles, a special event would not be granted an exception. Madden noted that during most special events, golf cart shuttles ferried people from parking to the venues, which Prebor confirmed. IT Security Update Philip Abbott of Cpak, the City's information technology (IT) consultant, updated Council on IT security, noting it was timely due to recent coordinated attacks on Atlanta's and other cities' systems. He said government entities were becoming more common. targets and showed a live cyber -attack map that displayed ongoing attacks in real time. Risk items for the City included the cost if its 252 employees were unable to work during a cyber - attack, as well as the hit to the City's brand reputation. Liability issues with public safety and personal information storage were also concerns. Credit ratings and insurance costs were tied into business continuity and cyber -security, he said. A breach cost factor program showed that a security breach involving only employee data would cost the City about $600,000. In the future, multi -vector attacks such as the one in Atlanta would become more common and more damaging, as operations became more network connected, Abbott said. Protection required layers of security and disaster recovery, with integrated data security, physical operations, and recovery, making it harder for cyber -criminals to penetrate. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 8 Abbott said the City's current data security included web, spam, network, and malware filtering, as well as software patching management and network intrusion detection. Physical security measures included cameras in many City -owned locations. Disaster recovery methods included multiple backups at many City facilities, including in the Cloud. He said security was an integral part of any organization, and it was such an ongoing battle that IT security should be elevated to the level of public safety. The City had invested in this over the past few years and would continue to do so. Rorie stated that IT protections would be part of the upcoming budget talks. He noted that the City had been a target of online scam attempts that had been prevented by the Finance Department. Ordinance Preview - Tree Permit Requirements Cailloux said updating City ordinances was part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan adopted last year. The ordinance update also provided an opportunity to modernize and streamline the process. The Comprehensive Plan identified the natural environment as a key characteristic of the City, and an ordinance was already in place: "The natural environment has significant value in and of itself, and that all reasonable measures should be used in the preservation of that environment, consistent with the continued development of a viable Peachtree City." She stressed the need for balance between preservation and development. The ordinance went on to adopt 13 policy statements, and Cailloux highlighted this one: "Preserve specimen trees orprotected strands of trees which are exceptional representatives of theirspecies either in terms of size, age or unusual botanical quality." A specimen tree was currently defined as a softwood (pine or cedar) of 10 inches or more in diameter, measured about four and one-half feet above the ground; a hardwood (maple or oak) of 12 inches in diameter; and understory trees, such as dogwoods or cherries, at six inches. A permit was required to cut a tree of over six inches in diameter. Cailloux explained that residents were required to apply to cut a six-inch pine tree, but permits for trees between six and 10 inches were automatically approved. However, Cailloux continued, once, a tree reached specimen status, it had to meet one of five criteria in order to obtain permission for removal. Those requirements were that the tree had to be dead, dying, or infested; in the way of a utility line; in the way of a construction area; the tree imposed an economic burden; or the tree posed an immediate life safety hazard. This meant a tree could not be removed in order to add a lawn or vegetable garden, if the homeowner was worried it would fall in the wind, or if they simply did not like it, she noted. Cailloux said a survey of the area's designated Tree Cities, along with some surrounding communities, showed that all defined specimen trees as larger than Peachtree City did. Six cities did not require permits for tree cutting on residential property, while others required permits for a larger caliper size than Peachtree City. One required permits for all tree removals. The average size for specimen trees in these cities were 24 inches for hardwoods, 28 inches for softwoods, and eight inches for understory trees. The average minimum size for tree removal permits in the communities that required them was 21 inches, where Peachtree City's was six inches. Staff proposed changes to the ordinance that would increase standards for specimen trees to 25 inches for hardwoods, 30 inches for softwoods, and 10 inches for understory trees; to require City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 9 permits for cutting overstory trees only if they were 20 inches or more in diameter and 10 inches or more for understory trees; keep the five conditions for tree removal permission; and to add a clause allowing a property owner to remove a tree for any reason if they paid a removal fee of $20 per caliper inch to the tree fund, which cover the City's cost to plant a tree on public property. Cailloux also proposed a "three strikes, and you're out" policy. Right now, a tree contractor caught taking down a specimen tree without a permit was cited and went to municipal court to be fined at the judge's discretion. The last case, she reported, resulted in a $50 fine, which might not be enough to discourage frequent violators. Under the new proposal, anyone who had been fined three times would not be eligible for a tree -cutting permit for one year. All these changes would make the ordinance a little less strict, but would balance it with the goals of the City, Cailloux said. In June -December, 2017, there were 547 applications for tree permits. Each required about30 minutes of evaluation bystaff, an average of 10.5 hours perweek. Cailloux noted that there was no cost for a tree permit. Under the proposed changes, only 154 permit applications would have been required, which would have cost staff just an hour a week to review. She noted that there would be the potential to have additional trees planted on public property if homeowners opted to pay the additional fee. Madden said he was still concerned about tree cutting. He was born and raised in New York City, where trees were precious, and said doubling the size seemed extreme. Fleisch noted that Council would have time to study the recommendations and discuss and vote on them at a later date. Prebor asked which municipality required a permit to cut any tree. Cailloux said that was the City of Milton, adding they had a full-time arborist on their staff. Rorie added this was another issue of balancing the real world with Disney World. The changes did not have to be from 12 to 25 inches. Rorie recalled that the City had 3,700 acres of greenbelts. He asked what the tree removal budget was for each year, and was told $80,000, they always spent more than that. This was a case where, although many jurisdictions did nothing regarding trees, he said Peachtree City had decided it was an important issue. Fleisch added that the Tree Bank had helped, with Rorie pointing out that it gave developers some leeway and allowed them to fund plantings on public space instead of crowding a required number of trees on one lot. On Peachtree Parkway, Bradford pears were in poor shape, and other trees had been planted to take their place. Fleisch pointed out the dying cherry blossom trees at City Hall as candidates for replacement. Splash Pad Update Rorie said that the Splash Pad was a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) project, and Recreation & Special Events Director Quinn Bledsoe was serving as project manager. Bledsoe continued that, in 2014, a citizens' group had been formed to generate ideas of what they would like to see. The Splash Pad was one of their suggestions. She showed the site at the Glenloch Recreation Center. Stormwater drainage was a consideration in choosing the placement by the pool, as was the location of underground electrical lines. Preserving parking existing spaces was also a priority, while proximity to the tennis courts could cause problems. Finally, a rectangular design for the Splash Pad was decided on, but that could reduce the number of parking spaces. They planned to extend the parking lot and shift parking spaces to accommodate the Splash Pad. Bledsoe said no utilities would be interfered with, but an upgrade in power would be needed to run the Splash Pad. City Council Minutes April 5, 2018 Page 10 Bledsoe showed a design of a 4,200 square -foot Splash Pad, but said that finances would keep its size smaller. It would have great visibility from Stevens Entry, and she said people were already asking about it. Plans were to have all preliminary work done and start construction when the pool closed in September. Fleisch inquired about how long construction would take, but Bledsoe said she did not know. The Mayor also asked about lighting, and Bledsoe said there would be none because the pool was not open after dark. Madden asked how much space was between the street and the proposed new parking areas. Rorie said it was about 50 or 60 feet. Bledsoe pointed to a cart path that was 10 feet wide and said there was plenty of space past that. Madden asked why proximity to the tennis courts was a problem, and Bledsoe said the noise and kids running around would cause complaints from the dedicated tennis players at that location. Rorie noted that tennis occurred mostly in the morning, while the pool did not open until 1 p.m. Bledsoe also pointed to a water line in that area that could hamper construction. Fleisch commented on all the renovation and construction projects going on at Glenloch. She recalled what the building looked like previously and the poor condition of the soccer fields. She commended Bledsoe on good use of grant money for projects, including the playground and tennis court revitalization, and mentioned the Skate Park as another ongoing project. Bledsoe said it was a very good park with many attractions. Executive Session King moved to convene in executive session for acquisition, sale, or lease of real estate and threatened or pending litigation at 8:23 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Ernst moved to reconvene in regular session at 9:10 p.m. Madden seconded. Motion carried unanimously. King moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:11 Martha Barksdale, Recordin cretary p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously anessa Fleisch, Mayor