There being five (5) yea votes and no (0) nay votes thereon, said ordinance was declared duly passed and it was so ordered.

A copy of the ordinance, having been placed on the desks of each member of Council prior to introduction, was read by title.

Vice Mayor Byington explained that in the coming months, the city will begin the 2023 Far Hills Storm Sewer Reconstruction Project. This is a critically important infrastructure upgrade that affects stormwater drainage in the areas of Dellwood Avenue, Greenmount Boulevard, Forrer Boulevard, Far Hills Avenue, and Devereux Drive.

In order to complete the project, the city needs to acquire four (4) easements. Three of these are permanent easements where new storm sewer pipes will be installed. One is a temporary construction easement that will be used for material storage and equipment staging during construction.

The easements are roughly located as follows:

• Two (2) permanent easements along the property line between the homes located at 7 and 9 Dellwood Avenue, resulting in a 719 square foot easement upon 7 Dellwood and a 1,059 square foot easement upon 9 Dellwood Avenue;
• One (1) permanent easement, 20’ in width, running along the southern property line and the full depth of the property at 1400 Devereux Drive, consisting of 3,646 square feet; and
• One (1) temporary construction easement at the northeast corner of 1410 Devereux Drive, consisting of 502 square feet.

Each easement was valued by an independent appraiser, and appraisals were provided to each affected property owner. The City Attorney and Staff Engineer engaged in negotiations with the affected property owners and have reached tentative agreement as to the purchase price for each easement. The total acquisition cost is $47,350.

This ordinance will authorize the City Manager to finalize the acquisition of these easements at the negotiated purchase prices. It is being introduced as an emergency measure to ensure that the project remains on schedule for a late spring or early summer start.

Thereupon, it was moved by Vice Mayor Byington and seconded by Mrs. Hilton that the ordinance be passed as an emergency measure.

Upon call of the roll on the question of the motion, the following vote was recorded:

There being five (5) yea votes and no (0) nay votes thereon, said ordinance was declared duly passed and it was so ordered.

Finance Department Presentation: Mrs. Cindy Stafford, Finance Director, referenced a PowerPoint presentation and updated Council on the following topics: 2022 year-end finances and 2023 financials through March 31, 2023.

Mrs. Stafford shared that all of the information she is reporting on this evening is also available on the city website. She encouraged people to contact her with any questions.

In regard to the 2022 year-end financials, she referenced a chart for Non-Enterprise Funds (General City Services), excluding transfers, showing budgeted versus actual for receipts (budgeted: $15,652,995 versus actual: $16,722,031) which is 106.83% of budget; and disbursements