CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JANUARY 10, 2008
The meeting was called to
order by Acting President Gore at 7:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Taylor, Ms. Sellers, Mr. Fogt, Mr. Gore, Ms. Groat, Mr.
Reams
Excused: Mr. Marshall
OTHERS PRESENT: Mayor Schmenk, Director
of Administration House, Finance Director Morehart,
Law Director Aslaner, Clerk Patterson
REPORTERS PRESENT: Ryan Horns – Journal Tribune
CITIZENS PRESENT: Marvin Rudd, John Howard, Max Amrine, Andrea Milton, James Taylor, Karissa
Hacker, Kathy Werkmeister, Rolly
Rausch, Carmella VanZant, Alan Seymour, Helen Britt,
Bill Kelley, Denise Faldowski, Charlie Fraas, Aron Madsen, Peter Griffin,
Scott Martin
REORGANIZATION:
ELECT PRESIDENT -
Mr. Fogt nominated Mr. Gore. Mr. Reams moved to close nominations;
affirmative voice vote was unanimous.
Affirmative voice vote was unanimous for Mr. Gore as President.
ELECTION OF VICE PRESIDENT – Mr. Taylor nominated Mr. Fogt. Ms. Sellers
moved to close nominations; affirmative voice was unanimous. Affirmative voice vote was unanimous for Mr. Fogt as Vice President.
APPOINT CLERK OF COUNCIL – Ms. Sellers moved to appoint
Connie Patterson as Clerk of Council, affirmative voice vote was unanimous.
REVIEW RULES OF PROCEDURE – Will be assigned to Committee once
committees are established.
APPOINT COUNCIL COMMITTEES – Appointments will be made at
the next City Council Meeting. Council
Members are to get with Mr. Gore to express interest in committees.
Mr. Gore welcomed Mayor Schmenk and said he was excited about the opportunity to
work with her and about the partnership that the Mayor wants to form with
Council, Administration and with all the government entities in
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: There being no additions or corrections, the
minutes for the meeting on December 20, 2007 were
approved as written.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: Mayor Schmenk gave
the State of the City Address as follows:
STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS (2008)
Mayor Christiane W. Schmenk
January 10, 2008
Thank you for having me here tonight. I would like to add my welcome to our two new
members of Council, Nevin Taylor and Debbie Groat. Thank you for
being willing to give your time and talents to serve our City. And, thanks also to the other members of
Council. You keep our City’s legislative
functions running smoothly and are a critical part of this City. I look forward to working as part of your
team and pledge to do my best to keep us on the same page, working together
toward the same goals.
As most of you know, I was elected as Mayor this past
November, and I was just sworn in on Monday, December 31. Therefore, I have a grand total of a week and
half of experience, which doesn’t give me a lot of credibility in delivering
this State of the City Address. However,
what does give me credibility are the wonderful
employees of our City. As I speak and
provide an overview of the City’s challenges and accomplishments during 2007
and provide you with our basic goals for 2008, our approximately 159 employees
deserve all of the credit. Even though
Mayors may change every 4 years, these employees keep the City going, without a
hitch.
So, giving credit where credit is due, I’d like to start by
thanking all of our City employees. In
business terms, employees are known as our “human resources”, and our Human
Resources Department is headed by Brian Dostanko,
with assistance from Donna Nicol. Since joining us, Brian has professionalized
this function and has done his best to ensure that our employees know that they
are valued and appreciated.
Additionally, in heading our Information Services function, Brian has
done a great job overseeing the creation of a topnotch city website. Our site, located at www.marysvilleohio.org, is a wealth
of information about who does what within the City and how our citizens can get
almost any help they need. If you have
not spent time surfing our site or haven’t looked at it in a while, I’d
strongly encourage you to visit it.
In
2007, our Human Resources area continued to place a major emphasis on the
safety of all our employees. They were
able to complete a record high 99.1% of scheduled safety training and were able
to reduce the City’s workers compensation bills significantly by participating
in innovative programs. In 2008, our
Human Resources Department plans to continue proactively training our supervisors
and managers in leadership training so that they will possess the necessary
knowledge and skills to keep the City running smoothly. We also plan to continue to focus on employee
wellness, so that we can reduce missed work time, reduce costs to the City and
ensure that our employees enjoy longer and healthier lives.
Another very valuable “human resource” that I’d like to
recognize is Kathy House, our Director of Administration. Kathy manages all of our City Departments,
and her role is full-time, versus that of the Mayor’s, which under our City
Charter is only part-time. Kathy, thank you for all of your hard work over this past year. You have led us through many challenges and
opportunities. Along with former Mayor
Tom Kruse, you put plans into place and made significant strides in major
infrastructure projects that will ensure our City’s growth and stability for
many years to come. Thank you for your
loyalty and dedication to our City.
And now, I’d like to update you on the progress of our City
and on our main goals for 2008. I can
tell you that in the short time I’ve been in office, I’ve been very impressed
with the well-being and stability of the various functions of the City. Our Department directors and chiefs are very
well qualified, passionate about their jobs and hard working. Your City is in good hands.
Getting to specifics, the Public Services Department,
headed by Tracie Davies, had a very busy and productive year. Public Services is in charge of many
divisions that keep our citizens happy, including: Buildings and Grounds, headed by Lane Stillings; Parks and Recreation, headed by Steve Conley;
Streets, Sanitation and Stormwater, headed by Joe
Tracy, and the Wastewater and Water Divisions, ably led by Rick Varner. Public Services, along with our Engineering
Department, has been front and center when it comes to
the very major infrastructure projects occurring in Marysville. Very rarely does a community have to tackle
so many major projects at once, but during 2007, this department made major
progress on the following major projects:
·
Our new
wastewater treatment plant, also known as the Marysville Water Reclamation
Facility
·
The Crosses Run
Pump Station, Force Main and Trunk Interceptor sewer projects
·
A comprehensive
update on the Wastewater Master Plan, so that we can determine how best to work
with the County to provide services for areas outside our city limits, and
·
Our Upland
Reservoir Project and Water Lines, so that we can ensure a plentiful water
supply for our citizens for years to come.
Our Public Services
Department also worked on many smaller projects during the year that are near
and dear to our citizens, including:
·
One Million
Dollars in street re-paving
·
The widening of
·
Drainage
improvements and the installation of a walking trail in
·
Completion of a
new salt barn at the Public Service Center so that Joe Tracy and his very able
crew can continue the great job they do in plowing our streets.
In
2008, most of the major projects of the Public Service Department will
continue. The Department will bid out the remainder of the reservoir project
and break ground in the next few months, begin work on the infrastructure for
the site off of Scottslawn Road that received a $3.5
million Jobs Ready Site grant, possibly design a new water plant for the City,
and, if all goes well, complete the new Water Reclamation Facility at the end
of the year. At the same time they are
managing these major projects, they will ably handle day-to-day assignments,
including paving of
Now,
I’d like to turn to our Engineering Department, ably led by City Engineer Phil
Roush with help from Assistant Engineer Brian Palmer. This Department has primary responsibility
for the planning, construction and maintenance of infrastructure throughout the
City. They also are responsible for
engineering, zoning and subdivision regulations and for construction
inspections for City capital improvement projects and subdivision construction. Engineering has also been very busy working on
major projects this year, including the new Water Reclamation Facility, working
to obtain a re-rating of our existing Water Plant from the Ohio EPA so that we
have more time before we need to build a new plant, and preparing for the
construction of our new Water Reservoir off of
·
Planning with
·
Beginning the
design phase for a possible new fire station, and working with an architect and
all current Fire staff to determine the proposed layout for a new facility
·
Working with the
Public Services Committee and Council to implement a traffic study to determine
needed improvements for managing traffic and relieving congested areas
·
Installing a new
restroom facility and shelter house at
·
Continued work
with ODOT for final plans for a Transportation Enhancement grant for planting
of trees and shrubs along Delaware Avenue from US33 to Charles Lane, and
·
The completion of
the
In 2008, the
Engineering Department will continue to stay very busy with major
projects. Our City will continue to
experience growth, and the planning work that this Department does will become
more and more important. Major plans
for 2008 include the following:
·
Working on
redevelopment of existing areas in the City including
·
Continue working
toward design for a possible new fire station, as well as putting plans in
place for future stations
·
Completing
traffic studies and determining a schedule for implementation of
recommendations for the interchange area with US33 at SR31 and SR4, the
eastside corridor between five-points and US33 and a traffic signal system
along
·
Contracting for
and completing the work for the Transportation Enhancement project along
·
Continue sidewalk
replacement program. This is an area
near and dear to my heart, and we will be assessing all sensible ways to enact
a project to connect by sidewalks all of our schools and neighborhoods
·
Complete
northwest area drainage study.
·
Compile listing
of all storm projects from the three studies (Town Run,
Moving on to our
Police Department, this area is ably led by Chief Floyd Golden,
and Glenn Nicol is our Assistant Police Chief. It has been a joy getting to know them both,
and I look forward to working with them and their officers as they protect our
citizens. Their 2007 Major
Accomplishments included the following:
·
As the result of
an undercover investigation lasting several months, a local liquor
establishment that had become a nuisance was closed down. The owner and three other people received
prison sentences.
·
The hiring of two
additional police officers. This will
allow us to add an additional detective to expedite criminal investigations.
·
“Neighborhood
Watches” have been organized in
·
Seventy percent
of the marked police cruisers were equipped with video in-car recording
systems.
·
The division
placed a Honda motorcycle into regular patrol service with a primary purpose of
traffic enforcement in residential neighborhoods.
·
A February
robbery of McDonalds was solved resulting in the arrest and conviction of three
adults.
·
Fourteen daytime
residential burglaries were solved with the arrest of an adult male who
received a ten-year prison sentence.
·
Fifteen north and
east side business breaking and entering cases were solved with three people
being indicted for related felony offenses.
·
Two adults were
arrested and convicted of felony offenses stemming from over thirty thefts from
motor vehicles.
In
2008, Major Goals include:
·
Obtaining funding
to acquire and implement mobile reporting in all marked police cruisers by
means of in-car computers. The ultimate
goal is to have GPS and L.E.A.D.S. (Law Enforcement Automated Data System)
access in each car. Due to strong fiscal
management by our Finance Department this past year, I’m pleased to report that
we have funding available to do this, and with Council’s help, will fund it
this year.
·
Completion of the
in-car video system implementation in the remaining three police cruisers.
·
Conducting a facilities needs assessment to identify current and future
physical plant needs for the division.
·
Working with the
City IT to enhance the website to allow public submission of reports, forms and
information directly to the police division and
·
Partnering with
the schools, coalitions and other entities to improve overall traffic safety in
school zones directed at “Safe Routes to Schools” for students.
Our Police Department is
currently stretched thin, and its facilities and vehicles are not exactly
optimal. As our City grows, our Police
Department will be strained even further.
I know that Council is well aware of the Department’s needs, and I
pledge my help and support in working with you to find creative ways to fund
improvements and to keep our Department top-notch. We will look at these issues
in 2008 and plan for the future.
Another
critical department for our City is our Fire Department, ably led by Chief Gary
Johnson and Assistant Chief Jay Riley. I
met with them this week and toured our fire station. I was very impressed by their organization.
If you read their department website, you get a true picture of the pride and
discipline they instill in their people.
Quoting briefly from their website:
“The Marysville Division of Fire proudly
protects 30,000 people living in an area of 86 square miles. We operate
out of one station that protects a diverse area including residential,
business, industrial and agricultural uses. There is a heavy emphasis on
organizational excellence through both mandatory and voluntary training and
education. There is also a significant emphasis on mission readiness and
personal/professional development.”
In 2007, the Department had
many accomplishments, including:
·
Over $40,000 in
grants and donations was received in 2007. This money was and will be used to
upgrade or buy critical equipment that would otherwise be purchased from the
general fund.
·
The AVL/mobile
computing project (initial phase) came online in mid-2007, providing GPS,
mapping, and resource access/acquisition.
·
Another siren was
added to our Early Warning System, and our low power, AM Alert station was
brought online. We are the only community in central
·
General
discussion and planning meetings were held with Council to explore the need for
new facilities.
·
A “Code Red”
system was implemented thru the joint efforts of City and County officials,
providing a “reverse 911” notification of up to 1,000 residents per minute
during an emergency.
The Department’s goals for
2008 are posted on their website, and the first one says it all: “Continuous
Self-improvement”. Other major Goals for
2008 include:
·
Continued review
and planning for possible replacement facilities as well as additional
manpower, with examination of feasible funding mechanisms.
·
Adding an
additional Full-Time Inspector to the Prevention Bureau, creating 2 full-time
fire inspector positions
·
Working with the
city attorney and the court system to collect nearly $50,000 in outstanding
false alarm fees.
·
Remodeling the
downstairs offices to facilitate better public access and streamline
administrative operations.
·
Complete the AVL/mobile
computing project, adding 2 more vehicle laptops, finalizing 911 mobile
communications interface.
The final two areas I’d like to report on tonight
involve the glue that holds all of this together: money. Our Division of Finance manages all of our
City’s money, while our Economic Development Department focuses on attracting
and retaining quality businesses that will provide us with income tax funds to
help run our City.
Finance is ably run
by Director John Morehart and Assistant Finance
Director John Green. The Finance
Department is responsible for the overall day-to-day financial activities of
the City involving cash management, budget, debt administration, investments,
income tax, accounts payable, payroll, utility billing and collection and
prudent investment of the City's resources.
Our City’s Finances
have been stretched thin in recent years due to our need for major
infrastructure improvements, primarily in the areas of water and sewer. However, while I have only been on the job a
short time, I have the utmost confidence in the abilities of our Finance
Department. I am pleased to report that
due to their efforts, the General Fund of the City continues to remain
healthy. At December 31, 2007 the
unreserved General Fund balance was $4,780,272, which is favorable to the
forecast. Most of the favorable position
was due to careful monitoring of expenses.
These efforts obviously paid off, and I thank Director Morehart and Assistant Director Green.
Other major Finance
accomplishments for 2007 include:
1) Completion of financing for the Water Reclamation and
Reservoir projects. Both required
efforts from Council to pass utility rates to enable the funding to be adequate
for the debt service of these capital projects.
2) Payoff of a $490,000 vehicle note. This repayment was 3 years ahead of schedule,
primarily due to available funding in the General Fund.
3) Continued receipt of “unqualified” audit opinions from
the Independent audit group. The unqualified
opinions means the financial statements are prepared in accordance with
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and there are no material
financial misstatements contained.
4) Income Tax revenue continuing to remain strong. In 2007 we received $7,877,319, which is
5.54% higher than the prior year.
In 2008, we will continue to monitor expenses very carefully. Additionally, as development occurs, we will
work with developers so that growth pays for itself.
As most of you know, our City’s Economic Development function is headed
by Eric Phillips, a resource we share with
·
Construction
began on the $9,000,000 Ohio Army National Guard Training and Community Center
to be located adjacent to the
·
City Gate saw the
opening of Bob Evans while construction began on Walgreens, Boston Pizza,
Delaware County Bank, and Liberty Bank.
Additionally, a
·
Coleman’s
Crossing saw the opening of First Federal Bank, BW-3, Best Buy, Office Max, and
MC Sports.
·
Uptown Marysville
saw the renovation and revitalization of two properties in Uptown Marysville,
which will provide more retail and residential options. With these developments, Uptown Marysville
has realized over $2,000,000 of private investment since 2005. These investments were made possible by the
City’s promotion of the Community Reinvestment Area and the granting of
incentives to various businesses.
2008 promises to be another
year for growth and economic development in our community, and I look forward
to working with Eric Phillips in my new capacity as Mayor.
My tenure as Mayor has been very brief. My report tonight is of accomplishments
earned by my predecessors: Former Mayor Tom Kruse, City Administrator Kathy
House and the very able employees of your City.
They deserve much credit and thanks for the fine work they have done
this past year. They have guarded your
resources well and have put plans in place that will provide for our City’s
future. My pledge to you tonight is to
do my best to continue in the fine tradition they have set. Additionally, I pledge a new spirit of
cooperation and community. We are one
team, and we will work together in the best interests of our community. We will also work together with our County
and townships to make our community a strong region. Thank you for all you do, and God Bless.
Ms. House reported that CSX
has done some basic prep work for the crossing gates at the railroad. CSX has until April 18, 200 8 to complete the
project.
Ms. House asked Council’s
consideration to add a piece of legislation to the consent calendar which would
authorize the Mayor to apply for a Natureworks Grant.
Ms. House also requested an
Executive Session to discuss labor negotiations for Police.
Ms. House spoke for the
Public Hearing – FY2008 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
The CDBG Formula Program
< The
City of
< The
City can fund up to three (3) projects.
The City must allocate funds for a fair housing program and administration,
but these are not counted as projects.
< All projects
must meet a National Objective: Benefit to low and moderate income (LMI)
persons (at least 51% of the project benefit area must be LMI or
serve limited clientele groups); or elimination of slums and blight (ie. historic preservation or demolition of substandard
buildings).
< A
maximum of 15% of the grant is allowed for administration. A maximum of 5% of the grant is allowed for
fair housing. A maximum of 15% of the
grant is allowed for public service activities.
A maximum of $10,000 is allowed for planning activities.
< The
City will be soliciting project proposals until May 2, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. In fairness to all applicants,
project proposals received after this date and time will not be considered for
FY2008 Formula funding. The City will
have final say on which projects will be selected. Proposals can be submitted in writing to the
Mayor’s Office.
< A
second public hearing will be held in May or June announcing the proposed
awards. The City’s application for
FY2008 CDBG Formula Program must be submitted to the State by July 15,
2008. The State makes the final determination
of eligibility and funding of the projects.
< The
following activities are eligible for CDBG funding: rehabilitation of centers
for the handicapped; clearance (demolition of substandard/hazardous units);
code enforcement; curbs and sidewalks;
home repair (in conjunction with existing housing programs); fire protection facilities
& equipment; neighborhood facilities improvements that serve LMI areas;
equipment for public facilities serving LMI populations; off-site
infrastructure (waterlines, sewers, etc.); public parking facilities serving
LMI populations, parks & recreation facilities; planning studies; public
service activities; public utilities; removal of architectural barriers and ADA
modifications; senior center improvements; public solid waste disposal
facilities; street improvements; water & sewer facilities; and historic
preservation.
< The
FY2008 Formula Program timeframe is from September 2008 (and after
environmental clearance is received) through December 31, 2009. All work must be completed by December 1,
2009.
< No
project can begin until the City executes a grant agreement with the State in
September or October 2008 and receives written notification from the State that
the environmental review process is complete.
If funded, improvements to properties over 50 years of age must be
approved by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
< All
activities and projects must be bid through the City and must follow CDBG and
City procurement procedures. Non-residential
projects with construction costs of $2,000 or more must pay
Davis-Bacon (Federal) prevailing wage rates.
< All
grantees are responsible to pay their own engineering or architectural fees and
provide project plans and specifications to the City. Any A/E fees paid by CDBG funds must be
awarded as a result of a Request for Qualifications/Proposal (RFQ/RFP).
Anyone having questions about the
CDBG program in the City may contact Kathy House at the Mayor’s Office at (937)
645-1050.
Ms. Kathy Werkmeister
addressed Council about the Marysville CHIP Program. The City of
There are three major
activities. 1) Home Repair.
Under this program, they work to eliminate conditions that pose health
and safety threats to the residents. Eligible activities or repairs include
electrical, heating or plumbing systems, roof or structural repairs. Properties must be owner-occupied, and the
household must meet income guidelines.
She cited an example, a family of four must
make $33,150 per year or less. The
income information is provided in the blue brochure. A family can receive a grant of up to $5,000,
which they don’t have to repay through this program. They have done 38 home repairs in the past
four years and will do another 19 home repairs in the next two years. In the past two years, a total of 55 families
have been helped. Those are first-time
homeowners and people that own their homes through these programs. 2) Housing Rehabilitation Program. This
program is available to help low and moderate income homeowners with more
extensive needs. All major systems in
the house will be inspected and brought up to the program residential rehab
standards. Eligible repairs include
electrical, heating and plumbing systems, roof and foundations, windows, doors
and gutters, steps and sidewalks.
Additionally, repairs may address interior surfaces and floor
coverings. Properties must be
owner-occupied and the household must meet income guidelines, which are
slightly higher for this program. A
family of four can make up to $53,050 per year.
This program provides a loan of up to $35,000. A family would receive a mortgage against
their property, however, the loan does not have to be
repaid if they stay in their home for ten years. After that time, the loan is forgiven. The first program is down-payment with
rehabilitation. This program is
available for first-time home buyers.
Five families have been helped to purchase their first home through this
program. They received some down-payment
assistance and also received some rehabilitation funds to bring the property up
to state standards. The property value
cannot exceed $144,000, and they must meet the same income guidelines. A family
of four has to make less than $53,000 per year.
A family can receive a loan up to $32,000 for both combined down payment
and rehabilitation services. If the
family maintains that home for ten years, the lien is forgiven after that time
period.
Ms. Werkmeister
invited anyone interested in seeing some of the sites that have received
assistance.
Mr. Gore asked if all of the
funding had been used. Ms. Werkmeister said every penny of the 2005 CHIP has been
used. In the first CHIP in 2003, there
was some money left. The program was
being marketed and they were having difficulty getting people to take advantage
of some of the programs. They anticipate
using all of the funding in this program.
REPORT OF CLERK OF COUNCIL: Clerk
Patterson reported that she received a request for a liquor license transfer
for a D1 and D2 license from Herschels Inc,
Also
received a request for a C2 liquor license for
REPORT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: Mr. Eric
Phillips reported they have three planning processes that are beginning. One is the Town Run. He noted there is legislation for this
project. Surveying is being done today
and work is beginning. There will be a
conceptual drawing of what the Town Run will look like once restored. Currently working on
applying for a Tier II grant for Uptown, which could involve some streetscape
and façade improvements if approved.
Chamber
is currently in the process of taking a serious look at where we are with the
EDAP (Economic Development Action Plan).
It’s been five since years since it was adopted. They hired a firm to re-evaluate the Plan;
where we are, where we need to go with the Plan and hopefully come up with some
new goals and objectives for years beyond.
Mr.
Phillips said the website has been updated “whereprideresides.com or .org”. Under Economic Development, different
informational pieces have been added, such as available sites and
buildings. Also, a small business
section has been added.
The
Chamber of Commerce has hired a New Business Development Manager, Jason
Stanford, who will start work on January 21st. He replaced Joe Clase,
who resigned to accept another position.
Mr.
Gore asked who is actually updating the EDAP? Mr. Phillips stated Resource Development
Group, out of
HEARING OF CITIZENS: Mr. Rolly Rausch from American Legion Post 79 addressed
Council. He thanked Council for their
past financial donation to the 4th of July fireworks. Without that and assistance from others in
the community, they would not be able to have fireworks. Half of the expenses are raised from various
businesses, organizations and industry and the other half is from the City and
County. He asked for assistance again
for this year’s fireworks. Mr. Gore said
Council budgeted $2,500, so that amount will be donated.
Mr.
Taylor moved to add the legislation to the consent calendar and the question
put, stood:
Mr.
Taylor YES Ms. Sellers
YES Mr. Fogt YES
Mr. Gore YES Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES
Motion
passed.
RESOLUTIONS
Consent Calendar Legislation
“RESOLUTION
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE STATE OF
OHIO NATUREWORKS PROGRAM AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY” was presented for first
reading, title only. This is one of
three grants for the Town Run Revitalization project. She asked Council’s consideration to expedite
this legislation. Mr. Taylor moved to
pass the emergency and the question put, stood:
Ms.
Sellers YES Mr. Fogt YES Mr.
Gore YES
Ms. Groat
YES Mr. Reams YES
Mr. Taylor YES
Emergency
passed.
Ms.
Sellers moved to waive second reading, public hearing and the question put,
stood:
Mr. Fogt YES Mr. Gore
YES Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES Mr. Taylor
YES Ms. Sellers YES
Motion
passed.
Mr.
Reams moved to waive reading in full; affirmative voice vote was unanimous.
Mr. Fogt moved to waive third reading, title only and the
question put, stood:
Mr.
Gore YES
Ms. Groat
YES Mr. Reams YES
Mr. Taylor YES Ms. Sellers
YES Mr. Fogt YES
Motion
passed.
Mr.
Taylor moved to pass the legislation and the question put, stood:
Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES Mr. Taylor YES
Ms. Sellers YES Mr. Fogt YES
Mr. Gore YES
Resolution
1-08 passed.
ORDINANCES
The
ordinance “TO CREATE CHAPTER 1110, PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, TO BE PART OF
THE CITY OF MARYSVILLE’S PLANNING AND ZONING CODE” was presented for third
reading, title only. This legislation
was tabled at the last meeting. Mr.
Reams had requested an opinion from the Law Director. Mr. Aslaner said he
saw no problem with the way the legislation was written. The plat will dictate who maintains the
parkland. Mr. Aslaner
said the ordinance could be amended to reflect that statement. Mr. Reams moved to amend the ordinance by
adding
the following:
1110.02 Associations
A. With the
exception of platted property dedicated to the City, restricted open space……
and the
question put, stood:
Mr.
Reams YES Mr. Taylor
YES Ms. Sellers YES
Mr. Fogt
YES Mr. Gore YES
Ms. Groat
YES
Motion
passed.
Legislation
returned to second reading, public hearing.
Mr. Taylor moved to waive the reading in full; affirmative voice vote
was unanimous.
Mr.
Seymour said Planning Commission would support waiving of readings.
Mr.
Taylor moved to waive third reading, title only and the question put, stood:
Mr.
Taylor YES Ms. Sellers
YES Mr. Fogt YES
Mr. Gore YES Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES
Motion
passed.
Mr.
Reams moved to pass the legislation and the question put, stood:
Ms.
Sellers YES Mr. Fogt YES
Mr. Gore YES Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES Mr. Taylor
YES
Ordinance
1-08 passed.
“AN
ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 721 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE
CITY OF MARYSVILLE “CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEMS” AND REPLACING THE CHAPTER 721
“VIDEO SERVICE AUTHORIZATIONS” IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE ENACTED OHIO SENATE
BILL 117” was presented for third reading, title only. Ms. Groat moved to
pass the legislation and the question put, stood:
Mr. Fogt YES Mr. Gore
YES Ms. Groat YES
Mr. Reams YES Mr. Taylor
YES Ms. Sellers YES
Ordinance
2-08 passed.
The
ordinance “TO REZONE 18.555 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, LOCATED AT 17779 SR 31 AND
17255 MILL ROAD FROM BR (BUSINESS RESIDENTIAL) TO B-1 (SERVICE BUSINESS
DISTRICT)” was presented for second reading, public hearing. Mr. Fogt moved to
waive reading in full; affirmative voice vote was unanimous.
Mr.
James Taylor,
Ms.
Helen Britt,
Aron
Madsen,
Scott
Martin, taxi service owner in Marysville addressed Council. He has heard from several residents in the
Mr.
Donald Plank, attorney for the applicant, addressed Council. Representatives from Casto
and Kroger are also in attendance. Mr.
Plank distributed a booklet to Council. Applicant is seeking to rezone a 18.555 acre parcel, actually a number of parcels from the
BR district to the B-1 zoning district.
Original plans were to rezone 15.64 acres, but Planning Commission
recommended they include the additional 2.915 acres, hence the 18.555. Property is located north of US 33, west of
SR 31 and
Even
though the property is zoned BR, there are a number of ways to transition from
commercial to residential. The major
difference in the uses is that the BR does permit multi-family, unrelated to
commercial. In the B-1 district,
multi-family can be put above commercial.
He does not feel this would happen.
It’s not common. In the BR
district, he can put multi-family in, and this 18.555
acres could support about 161 multi-family units. That would add significant traffic to the
peak hours. Their proposal for B-1 is
separated from residential, from the
At
the Planning Commission meeting, there was some discussion about lighting and
landscaping and the traffic study. All
of that will be addressed as part of Design Review, which is the second stage
to this development. Mr. Plank knows the
City has strong opinions about traffic and what improvements would have to be
done. They have the same concerns for
their site. A major traffic study is
being done in which they will be participating in some regards.
Mr.
Charlie Fraas, Casto Group,
addressed Council. They are a
development company based in Columbus and have been in the business of
developing commercial shopping centers for about 60 years. They do their own due diligence to make sure
it makes sense for all of their efforts.
With regard to the Comprehensive Plan, current zoning, abutting the
freeway and the only area on the Comprehensive Plan north that is really
planned for commercial retail, other than that which has already been developed
on the far east side, made sense to them. Kroger approached Casto. Although this rezoning is not about Kroger,
but a land use, they feel this does make sense for supplying goods and services
to those communities north of 33. He
pointed out that not only are they rezoning a portion from BR to B-1, that
there is already a fairly large segment to the north of this property that is
already zoned B-1. The request will
match the zoning that is already there on the property to allow for continuous
type of uses on the property. They are
meeting with the residents next week.
They hope to work with the residents and be able to satisfy some of
their concerns.
Mr.
Gore asked the Mayor if there had been some meetings with Kroger because of
some of the same concerns voiced by the residents. Mayor Schmenk said
they have met with Kroger personnel and felt the meetings went well. The City is happy that Kroger wants to invest
in the community and they want to try to make that happen. There are traffic concerns that they will
work on.
Mr.
Seymour re-emphasized that this is rezoning, and this is a project that is
proposed to go on the rezoned property, but best use of the land comes to play
here. Is B-1 appropriate for the area. Planning
Commission struggled heavily with this.
It ended up with a 4 to 3 vote.
Discussions on infrastructure, current and future, were among the big
concerns that divided the Commission. He
emphasized that the limits of Design Review is not beyond the project. They have nothing to do with the current road
that services the area. They cannot
require the developer to go beyond their prescribed area for development. The most Design Review can do is to require a
buffer that would protect the citizens across the street.