City Council Minutes 2012 10 02 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes October 2, 2012 Page 5 of 13 • Grain Elevator Public Meeting - Thursday, October 4th, at 7:00 p. m., in the City Council Chambers, to receive input for an RFP. The RFP approval is proposed in November 2012. The closing on the property is the second week of November. • Business Retention Visits— Staff has met with several primary businesses and overall, the outlook for business in the future is strong with several companies anticipating growth in the next 1-3 years. COUNCIL COMMENTS Council member Loo stated her understanding of the current budget is the inclusion of permanent Main Street patios for year-round use. Economic Development Director DeJong confirmed the 2012 budget did envision permanent patios. Planning Director Russ explained the Downtown Parking/Pedestrian Action Plan called for the extension of the curb and more permanent patios however the Public Works and Planning Departments will meet with DBA and the LRC to discuss different options. One option would be the extension of the curbs and wider sidewalks. Another option would be to do partial extensions of the curbs for seasonal patios. The third option would be for seasonal patios only. All three options will include providing water and lighting to the patios. The Public Works Department created a one-block section as a model of a seasonal patio. Council member Loo asked if the $200,000 allocated for this project is a place holder. Deputy City Manager Balser stated the City the process is very dynamic at the moment, and the City is trying to be responsive to the community, the DBA and interested parties. She confirmed the funding currently serves as a place holder until consensus can be reached on the preferred option. AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES STRATEGIC PLAN TO BERRY, DUNN, MCNEIL & PARKER, LLC Mayor Muckle requested a staff presentation. Public Relations Manager Muth explained changes in the IT Division staff have led to a review of the options, issues, and the general state of the IT facilities that currently exist in the City. During this review two items became clear: 1) Louisville has a much smaller IT staff than most communities of similar size; however citizens have said service levels remain high and 2) technology improvements could enhance staff's ability to do their jobs and reduce staff time. IT capability has also become an issue in employee retention as other employers have significantly better and updated technology than the City uses. The IT Strategic Plan would give staff and Council a roadmap to follow for staffing, purchases, infrastructure, and budgeting. Staff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in July and received eight proposals ranging in price from $18,500 to $287,670. Staff