Cuyahoga Falls City Council holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Council committee meetings are held on the first and third Mondays in order to allow councilmembers to publicly discuss pending legislation that will be voted on at regular meetings. The public is free to comment on pending legislation during the allowed time set aside as part of committee meetings.
Finance Committee:
A-35: An ordinance authorizing the director of finance to enter into a contract or contracts, without competitive bidding, with Storm 7 Labs for the purchase and installation of IT data storage and network hardware upgrades. John Kington made the presentation on this legislation. This was an item discussed during the budget and the reason it has been moved ahead is due to supply chain issues and assuring that the city can still be supported with the platform currently being worked under. The decision to go with Storm 7 Labs was a simple one— they know our system and how to use it and have performed well doing similar upgrades in 2010 and 2015. Their prices are also very fair plus the amount of knowledge they have of working with our system. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-36: Authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, without competitive bidding, with Sherman + Reilly for the purchase of braking reel trailer equipment. Service Director Anthony Zumbo explained that the device keeps tension on a cable or wire as it is strung from pole to pole and prevents the cable from drooping. The city already owns a similar piece of equipment made by Sherman & Reilly, which has stood the test of time. Demos the city has done on newer units show their quality and durability has remained the same. We are also able to purchase this item directly from the manufacturer, thus saving the city the cost of paying a dealer’s commission. The trailer will cost approximately 70k. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-37: Authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, without competitive bidding, with Skylift Inc. for the purchase of mini-derrick equipment. According to Zumbo, our electric service department currently owns one and it is how they access rear yard power lines and plant new electric poles in hard-to-get places in residential areas. The reason we are going with Skylift Inc. is because our personnel are already familiar with the controls and the quality of the systems. Once again, purchasing directly from the manufacturer saves the city a commission. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-38: An ordinance authorizing the Parks and Recreation Board to enter into contracts, without competitive bidding, for the lease and maintenance of golf carts for Brookledge Golf Club. Mike Fallis made this presentation on behalf of Parks and Recreation, saying this contract will be for the 2023 park season and will be for another 6-year contract as we have done in the past. The new carts will run on lithium ion batteries and will have features such as GPS and Geo-fencing that will make them more efficient and easier to operate. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
Public and Industrial Improvements:
A-39: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Dant Clayton for the replacement of seating in the Downtown Amphitheater in an amount not to exceed $58,900. Mike Fallis from Parks and Rec stated that current seating from 2004 and parts for repair are no longer available. The proposed new seating will be stadium seating in the center portion and bleacher seating on the outside sections, making the area more accessible. CBDG funds will be used to pay for the replacement and the current number of wheelchair openings will be maintained. The public and industrial improvements committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-40: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a modification of Contract No. 8495 with Environmental Design Group. This legislation expands the scope of work that Environmental Design Group will be doing under this contract as discussed when the project was originally presented. The original part only covered the survey work; now they will move on to the engineering phase of the plan. The public and industrial improvements committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-41: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the repair and resurfacing of Broad Boulevard, from 2nd Street to State Road. City Engineer Tony Demasi explained that this ordinance will allow the city to take advantage of a federal grant to have Broad Blvd. paved this year. The public and industrial improvements committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
Public Affairs Committee:
A-42: A resolution authorizing the director of finance to represent the City of Cuyahoga Falls as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Summit Area Regional Council of Governments. Mayor Walters said that with the city holding a seat on the new council of governments, should there be a time the council has to meet and he isn’t available, this measure would allow whoever is serving as the city’s finance director to take his place in his absence. The other member cities are all passing similar resolutions. The public affairs committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-43: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a NOPEC Energized Community Grant Agreement with Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, Inc. for energy efficiency or energy infrastructure projects. Anthony Zumbo explained that NOPEC is the agency who handles our natural gas aggregation plan and they also give grants to member cities in the form of energy efficient infrastructure such as lights, and solar phone charging stations and other public amenities. This ordinance will allow the city to accept these grants. The public and industrial improvements committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-44: An ordinance amending the traffic control file by providing for installation of various traffic control devices by ratifying a decision that was voted on by the traffic committee to prohibit parking on a certain area of Roosevelt Ave. due to site distance issues. The public and industrial improvements committee agreed with the traffic committee’s decision and voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-45: An ordinance establishing pay ranges for part-time, per diem, and special classification workers, and declaring an emergency. Per Finance Director Bryan Hoffman this will set the part- time rate for the year and take into account that the federal minimum wage has gone up. He also noted that per diem rate will remain unchanged. The public and industrial improvements committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
