City of Athens, Ohio Athens City Council 2022, 11 Apr 2022

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From YouTube: Athens City Council - April 11, 2022

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Athens City Council - April 11, 2022

A

Good evening and welcome to athens city council, it is monday april 11 2022 at 7 pm. We are in amidst committee meetings tonight and you might notice that some of us have masks some of us that don't and at the top of our agenda that was published, we do say that masks are optional.

A

We are encouraging those who would feel safer to continue to wear a mask when you come into chambers. So thank you. We'll start off tonight with transportation committee, that's chaired by council member reisner and joined by council members zif and swank.

A

Oh, and we do. While you are getting seated you do. We do have two items to modify on our finance committee agenda, we're going to be adding fire headquarters, repairs and also fire department staffing.

A

So those will be two additional items under finance: okay,.

B

We all settled in okay. Okay, excuse me, I've got a touch of bronchitis. um We have three items here uh under the transportation committee, a special event, 72-hour parking permit fee and 2022 annual paving. So the special event um is a request for a street closure to take place. On august, the 12th 2022 from 6 pm to 9 pm the street is being requested for the event the athena ride for women.

B

This is a woman's only motorcycle event that has been sanctioned by the american motorcycle association. The charity that they are partnering with this event is my sister's place of athens. Ohio proceeds from the event will be donated to the msp my sister's place.

B

The reason we're bringing this up is. If you recall, back in january february, uh council passed a list of street closures. The idea was to streamline the process instead of passing separate ordinances all through the year for the various street closures that are occurred here in the in the city, get it all done at once, and once it's done we'll forget about it.

B

However, when andrew chicky, the deputy service safety director introduced the the concept, he added the caveat that there could be events that are on the list that may be canceled or there may be an event that has not been considered and may be considered later to be added to the event if it was possible, you know an if statement there, so this in this case is the one to have an additional event which will require an ordinance from the city council to close the street, giving the police authorization to set everything up.

B

So uh I think I've read all the facts of the of the case for this. If there's any comment or suggestions or otherwise, remember zip.

C

Thank you, council riser. I was just curious. I was looking over on the on the document that we have on our google drive with the description of the event. It doesn't say a specific street. Do we know what street it would be, or did I just miss that somehow? Oh it is union? Oh okay, I think I must have missed that. I'm sorry gotcha all right, cool cool, so yeah. I think there's been motorcycle events there before in the past, yeah.

B

I think you're right, the administration have anything to add to this.

D

Just as a reminder that the athens arts and music festival will also be taking place on union it'll be on west union in between court and congress and that's on the 13th, so there may be some logistics in terms of having the full stretch of union in between university terrorists and congress. If that's the intent to close down that much of east union street, but uh there will be another event. That's already been planned for it'll be going on that same area.

E

Lay out the union street again, please from where to where port to college is that in the.

D

Door, it is in the door, um I come from swank, I believe for sure the the west union is, uh but not all of east union is within the dora footprint. So yes, and no.

E

So I bring that up for two reasons. The second part, the no part- uh and I guess the the primary part was this- will be primarily a group of ended up. I won't say primarily there were probably quite a few individuals from out of town who may not be familiar with dora, how that works, rules and regulations.

E

So perhaps uh we need to do two things figure out what we're going to do with that union area or not even that part in front of the old baker center, because it's outside the door, but also conveying to this group in advance, so they can convey to their members how dora works and all of that, I'm not anticipating any problems by any means. But it would be nice to to share that information.

E

But I think we do need to think about what happens in that other area. If someone inadvertently walking down union street crosses court now they're into the no door zone.

B

Then they, then you hear that funny background music and you realize.

B

The voice over from rod sterling yeah, okay, you have entered the door zone little did he realize yeah. Something to think about members of the council uh see um remember, um crowl had your hand.

F

Up first, thank you, member eisner, um two things one. I believe the intersection of union and college will be completely closed for a university project working on the steam tunnels.

F

So that's something to keep in mind both for the I don't know how many, how far down union or the east they will be, but I don't know how many motorcycles are going to try to fit into that area, which is the way we did it in the past. I think so. I don't know where their border is.

G

Why they fit them? Ultimately, the I'm sorry to me interrupt um you know. There's some space that'll still be available on the east union section in between college and court. It just won't be the whole stretch right.

F

Okay, another uh just wanted to say that their selection of a local organization for a fundraiser couldn't be more vital than my sister's place and fully in support of that. Thank you.

H

Member of kerry thanks. I just wanted to confirm that it sounds like this is a one-time request, as opposed to getting on the list of our annual closures for events that we anticipate happening on an annual basis. Well,.

B

There's nothing here in uh mr chicky's memo that would suggest otherwise, but on the other hand, there's nothing there. That doesn't not say that it could happen again. A double negative.

B

D

um To my knowledge, this is this will be the second or maybe third large motorcycle event like this here in athens. So I think, moving forward we'll make sure that we communicate that to the executive director for the convention, visitors, bureau, boone troyer, just to make sure if to see, if he's, anticipating more events like this during the summer and then making him aware that we have a slate of city uh street closures for summer events or year-round residents really so he's aware, but some of these just kind of pop up as well.

D

So this is where I think, being a little more flexible with unknowns uh events coming into the city. That clearly is not aware that we try to pass all these street closings and ordinance that particular ordinance in one slate. So we'll we'll uh I'll speak with director troyer about that moving forward. Thanks.

B

Any other comments or questions.

B

All righty next item 72 hour permit fee and let's see I have a few emails here.

B

Track them all down. uh Yes, uh here's one from david riggs, who is a director of the our code office, says the 35 application fee would be adequate for us to process the permit.

B

This is in reply to ordinance 1 13 21, which removed the 35 application fee, indicating it would be separate orders under title 1 so on there was a reply from jeff mccall, who, let me just read this. I would suggest we move away from the handwritten permit and move it into the ips permitting system.

B

This would allow the citizen to complete the application online and upload any documentation we require. The permit, once approved, would be accessible by our parking enforcement officers through their handheld unit. The citizen would be issued a virtual permit, but there are additional fees associated with this convenience.

B

The additional cost would be approximately six dollars, and I believe these transaction fees should be added into the language, so we're talking thirty five dollars or forty one dollars or both well. I would assume that what we're talking about, as the mayor pointed out a few moments ago to me, would be a system where it would be online for someone who wants to do it that way or they could go in person to the code office and say I want to permit fill it out.

B

There pay the 35 dollars, walk out the door as opposed to being at home, filling it out online and getting charged to 35 dollars for the permit and the six dollars for the privilege of using your computer. I'd. I'm not quite sure how to put that, but anyway count council.

E

What's the current fee 35, and what does the permit look like physically.

B

I've never seen one.

E

Either, that's why I asked.

G

Pretty rare, I don't know I've seen one I think, maybe a window hanger at this point or.

D

Here's some indication that is on the vehicle. You know we had discussed, you know putting a sticker on the bumper or we discussed all kinds of things, but there there must be some permit that the individual has that's clearly visible, so that when parking enforcement's driving around they recognize that that vehicle has a permit.

B

Of course, on the other hand, just thinking about this- if it goes virtual, the license plate will be on file. The handheld device would then be able to track it down and say: oh yeah, it's permitted. No, it's not write them a ticket, so at least I think that'd be.

E

The way we go, what about the case where a residence has two vehicles, they get one permit and they alternate.

B

They can alternate the way I understand the permit. Was it it's for that vehicle. It's the.

A

Car specific, it's.

B

Car specific yeah, so you say, for example, you had a bulldozer you, you couldn't park your bulldozer and put the tag on it right because it's it's for your honda.

B

Does that make sense?

B

I

Okay, yes, the one with funny name: okay, so, okay! So uh sarah grace it's too bad she's, not here when I spoke with her some time ago about something else entirely.

I

She happened to mention that on her street there was someone who had the tags, and so I saw them physically and they are just, I think, they're red hang tags, you put on your mirror, and so but it is for only one vehicle, and so you can't trade it because it does show.

I

But my concern is: why does it cost an extra six dollars? And what exactly would that look like? It said something about a virtual something- uh and I don't know what that means. So I I think I'd like to have more information about that. I mean, I think, the way it works now, which is lots of complaints about this on facebook.

I

First of all, I'm hoping nobody knows about it, so it'd be really nice to make it more easily findable on our website. I think that's really important and make it easier to obtain, and I think that message has perhaps gotten through with this discussion, but as I understand it now you pay for it and then you have to go down and pick something up and it would be.

I

It would be nice if it could be all virtual, but if that's obviously some people can't do that. So you have to give the option, but I'm not clear as to if there's less human activity involved, why would it cost an extra six dollars? I want some clarification. I mean there's, perhaps there's a justification for that, but I'd like to know more about that.

I

um So that's where I am with it. Thank you.

B

Was that a question to the administration yeah.

D

Okay, but we'll have to look into.

I

D

You an answer for that. um You know. I believe this came through lieutenant mccall. um You know the whole concept of what it's going to cost and I've not seen it quite honestly. So we'll certainly have that conversation tomorrow with if.

G

I, if I may there's a couple departments that have an activity that's necessary to to review in order to issue one of these, so the code office has to check several things based upon the way that this body wrote the ordinance uh specifically, um it was a requirement to only have one per property. So if there's a duplex on a property, only one or the other side of the duplex can apply for it, not right blueflex entirely.

G

You have to check if there's zero or one parking spaces available at the property.

G

Also, it has to be a permanent resident, and I know that that has been an issue in the past, but that's the way that the body uh wrote the the ordinance when it went through originally and then subsequently updated it that that was a requirement as well, and so the code office is checking those things and then it subsequently gets past a parking enforcement in order for the issuance of the permit, and if we go to an electronic system to where we're looking at license plates, um that's going to still need to go to parking enforcement as far as being able to process that through one interface with the public.

G

You know that will be a goal of ours so that you know two different apartments can look at it without people having to go to two different places. um It's just not where we are right now.

I

uh On that note, because I've had some conversations with david riggs about this, and I think that um I think we ought to revisit the process again, because it seems unfair that people who are renters can't have that option again.

I

But I understand that there's a lot of complexity to that. So I think it needs some thought before we move forward. Is my my opinion on the issue.

H

Remember mccarry. Thank you. I just want to add to the comments about the b or extra cost of filing online. It sounds similar to the online fee for re-registering your dog license, um and I would think that would be helpful for us to look at similar kinds of permits and see if we can, if we're, to what extent we're being consistent with those administrative charges for online processing or if there are other costs associated with that extra six dollars or, however much it ends up being. It could be helpful for us to understand that too.

B

There was a tie between you two so.

F

Thank you, member eisener. um It seems to me that if we want to make this process better, everything needs to be in the computer system right. So even if somebody chooses to come down here and fill out the form somebody here then needs to put that information in the computer system, because the police don't want to be looking for the red tags on some cars and being able to scan the on the other cars.

F

So I don't know, but my guess is that lieutenant mccall knows that there is a set fee that anything that gets added to their thing. I don't think he took six dollars out of the air right.

F

um I know that if I'm now going to register myself for adult soccer at the community center, their software currently charges you 4.75 just to run your credit card through the system, so it could be that that's the big chunk is that it's just if you're going to pay online for this permit they're automatically charging you the credit card company or whatever this much money, and then they have some additional. You know. um So I think we need to look at it.

F

Whole, you know fully and say: okay, we need everybody to be online, whether they do it in paper, because they don't have computer access or not right the same, the same fees. You know- and I it doesn't surprise me that 35 is what's come up in order to make all these different offices be able to. You know, pay for their administrative.

F

um I don't know if, as things get easier, if we're not printing tags anymore and there's a cost there, printing type everything is online and they can just scan it their savings in there somewhere. So maybe can we leave it at 35 and not make it 41. I don't know, but that's something we should discuss.

B

E

Turn I'd like to return to what member spelman said uh not only the uh permanent residence versus renter, but also the duplex issue. um You know who gets it first, one of the lease or the other. My point being, I think, before we bring this before council for a first reading. There are a lot of things that we need to work out rather than having to go back and mend it and play with it later. It's not a big issue, but let's get it done right.

E

The first time, rather than having to come back and revisit component parts of this.

B

Well, I would agree, I don't think we're ready for an ordinance for next week, so we definitely need to get. We need more detail like from about the transaction fees, and you know what the plan is for the computer system and how it's going to operate so.

B

Oh, someone in the audience uh is all council members and administration done.

I

I'd like to make one last comment.

B

All right, sorry.

I

Thank you uh memorizer. um I I'd like to just say that, as I alluded to earlier there's a number of people that are very unhappy about parking in general, and this is a piece of that not knowing and making this easier. So I do think I really want to emphasize it. Although we don't have, we don't have enough information to make a decision now, I'm hoping that we can quickly come to that place because it would make our citizens happy.

I

B

J

Hi I'm rob black. I live on morris avenue here in the city and just representing myself, so I agree with member stillness what she just said. Absolutely it's an issue that a lot of people talk about all the time on social media, especially it's of concern to people, and it would be good to make sure we do this right and make it easier for people.

J

My one question, though, is: I can't remember where we're at with this. As far as is it geographically, the whole city, you can get this tag or is it certain streets now still or what's the.

B

My understanding is still certain streets. Is this still certain streets.

A

J

A

I

Thought it was changed that was all x down. I thought that was changed. Yeah.

F

I thought we changed it yeah.

E

It was a bunch of lines through the streets.

I

99, certainly, we've changed it mayor.

D

Yeah, they, I think, that's correct. Initially, it was a pilot to where there were certain streets just to see how this would actually function as an option, because if we all hop in the wayback machine, you know the reason we had 24-hour parking was.

D

You know, because we were experiencing a lot of storage parking in the city of athens and so went to 24 hour and then in hearing from citizens who were tired of quote-unquote walking their car every day, which I thought was a clever term, that the 72-hour was to give relief to citizens who do not have off-street parking or have very limited off-street parking to give them an option to use the 72-hour.

D

And then I believe that city council did strike the streets that were being uh that were on there as part of the pro the pilot.

D

But the same requirements are still in place in terms of what what is what is missing. You know if you do not have off street parking that this was a mechanism to relieve that, because they are constantly subject to the 24-hour law in the city of athens, and this would give them that 72 hours to where they have to walk their vehicle. Every 72, as opposed to every every day,.

J

So can I follow up with that, so, okay go ahead.

J

So um let's see if I lost my train of thought there, so uh so is that a requirement that's in there, that you have to have no on street parking or no no off street parking or not enough for your vehicles or something what's this criteria there do. We know.

D

Zero or one space to park a vehicle, because some people have more than one vehicle and they're forced to park on the street with their second vehicle. Thank you.

B

A

Just add people have been unhappy about parking. I came on council in 2008, and parking and trash are the two biggest issues that people are unhappy about. So I'm not surprised that people are still unhappy about it, and the only caution I always make is is that this is coming before council now, because there's a 35 permit fee that, for the moment, is not in the books and we're trying to figure out that solution.

A

Now, if we can come up with a timely solution towards renters other people who are not property owners, I would caution that if you can do it within a few weeks and return it to the next committee meeting with some kind of resolution on it. Wonderful.

A

But in the meantime, if you can't- and it's going to need some further discussion, I would urge that that you settle the fee move forward with it if we can electronically whatever and then and then come back to the other. Some of the other questions about policy of who is able to get them.

B

Sounds reasonable to me any other comments on the topic.

B

Well, as you say, it should be done in a timely manner,.

B

I for myself I'd like to know when we could come up with a timely manner. Just figure out you know, is it going to be 35 or 41 or electronic or paper?

B

So is that going to require another committee meeting two weeks from now or can the administration come up with uh some suggestions to pass to us.

D

City administration can come up with suggestions.

B

For that and get as.

D

I mentioned look at the details as to where that amount came from.

B

Okay, I suspect.

D

The six dollars is the convenience fee that is really a pass-through for ips.

D

That's the the company working with us on the parking meters and then also the enforcement of these with the license plate. Readers on our parking enforcement vehicle.

E

I was just going to say in regards to the trash rate thing I met since it's our committee. I met with director stone uh um mr riggs, andrew chickie. We worked it all around around the car conference table. They ran the numbers and sent it back to us. What would we meet with stone for about 45 minutes, and then you folks did the homework and had it back to us in no time.

B

That's a good model.

B

Okay, next item uh the 2022 annual paving that's my favorite topic.

B

Which we do every year? That's why it's annual- and uh this is the a list of the recommended for annual paving below armitage row chip seal banbury cook, drive courier street elliott, highland upper section kern street north congress, carpenter to state palmer street smith street barred to union stewart street east union south looks like 465 feet, 682 path, pending railroad and odot approval alternate streets of funding, allows for an alley state to number 13, hickory mulligan to dead end stuart loop by gammerfeld hall.

B

um Oh, that was gamer felder, uh wallace and watt morris to stimson, and this is from our assistant engineer.

B

Much is that going to cost.

G

We're asking for 500 000 to be appropriate for this 250 000 from the 220 fund and 250 000 from the 572 fund.

B

How many miles will this be.

G

uh I have to calculate that. I don't have that information right now.

B

Be handed no, I kind of like know how much per mile we're spending. uh Are we going to try to get ou in on this? You know I. I know we've done it before in the past, where they're going to do a big bunch of paving and we were going to do a big bunch and if we all went together, we would get a discount because we're buying in volume.

G

This year, that's not the plan.

B

Okay, no it's too bad.

B

uh Member accounts uh committee, I miss.

E

What uh just out of curiosity? What is the process that we don't need to get? You know deep into the weeds, but what is the process that goes into identifying which streets get um attention in a particular year.

G

Remember, swank: there's a system level analysis, that's done annually that assigns a condition value to every street in the city.

G

Initially, and- and I started this back when I was actually the street director prior to being a city engineer, so it would have been in the 2004 time frame when we started this process, we used the odot pavement condition rating system, which is a 0 to 99 value several years into using that system.

G

We found that it was too too detailed for the level of information that we needed, and so we changed it to a 0 to 10 value process and then subsequently ranking them annually through inspections that typically take place in the february time frame and then spit out. You know all the streets in the city subsequently will go and pull from those, and you know typically the ones on the worst end of the spectrum and bounce that across.

G

Like other considerations, for instance, is there a water line or sewer line that may be done on that street in the next couple years, which would cause it to need to be delayed? Is there some other reason? You know pedestrian consideration, something else that might cause it to need to be done sooner and then kind of juggle things around and then spit out. Basically a list of of the streets that we're going to go and put in, and we typically spend anywhere between 300 and 700 000 in a given year uh on annual paving.

E

Do we try to group those along those uh criteria somewhat geographically, so we're not jumping all over portions of the sale.

G

No and the reason for that is, is you know I mean there's you know, every ward members of every ward have interest in having paving happening in their section of the city, and so you know, while we don't try to spread it around, to ensure that there's absolutely every every award has at least something paved. You know.

G

Ideally we do and we try to follow that that payment condition rating uh template, because that's something that we've done now for about 18 years 17 years, so you know we're trying to stay consistent with uh you know that methodology advice um you know because somebody yelled the loudest. That's what got added to the list. Instead, try to you know follow this process thanks.

B

Other questions from the committee other members of council uh member, stillness.

I

Thank you um so the first one was armitage and it said spit and seal or something like that. What is that seal chip seal.

G

What does that mean? That's a process where there's an emulsion, that's sprayed on the surface and then chipped rock is placed on top of that emulsion.

G

It's typically what would be done in a township road setting armitage road is both in the city and out of the city, and so there's a portion that has maintenance responsibility of athens. Township, there's a portion that has a maintenance responsibility about the city. uh What we tend to do is try to line up repairs to that particular road or any of the roads that we have that are chip and seal in the city. There's only a couple portions of hooper street.

G

I think- and I have to think about a couple other places, but you know bottom line- is there's not very not very many, um and then what we'll do is we'll split the cost with the township when the township is doing it. So I believe this year. That's what is happening and so athens township will do their portion and the city will do our portion.

I

I do have one other question, and that is so, of course, for short streets, and some many of these are there's some consistency in how bad one portion is to another. Their other streets were very long and one part may be really bad, but the rest is fine. So how do you assess streets like that.

G

um You know the the um that the pavement condition rating tool- you know, is not a somewhat of a blunt instrument in order to get a systems level view if there are particular areas that, for whatever reason, there's significant differences between one section to another section of the street, we'll break them up, for instance, this year I think north congress street specifically or congress need has just a section because it had been broken into a couple, different sections for raiding purposes.

G

If there's something that's not broken into sections, we typically wouldn't uh break it into sections in order to evaluate, usually it has to do with the you know the type of pavement, whether it's composite pavement or um uh you know, uh just a straight asphalt or what have you? um You know in instances where the majority of the street is in good shape, but there might be a couple areas of distress.

G

The crew will um identify that and do patching on it. You know basically, where you grind out sections and patch it by a total overlap.

I

Okay, because I believe that was the decision I heard for university of state's boulevard sure.

G

So university of state boulevard is a street that has received a significant amount of attention from the city over.

G

You know the last 15 years that portion in the front has experienced a bit more distress than maybe some of the other portions, and I think some of that has to do primarily with some of the underlying base drainage in that particular area, as well as some truck traffic during construction of some of the the buildings at the front front portion of university estate.

G

So I think the intent of the street crew this year is to do patching in the front boulevard portion of university of state's boulevard to hit some of those areas of the worst distress.

I

H

Remember, mccary I'll, try and be equipped with these. I am assuming uh director stone that these projects would comply with our complete streets objectives, so this is repaving.

G

Okay, this is not rebuilding okay, so in no case are we going to widen a street on this section of projects in order to add lanes or add something else if there is opportunities for restriping in instances, although I don't believe that any of these are marked roadways, let me double check congress. Is congress includes a uh a bike lane right now, but to your point about complete streets can can you can you make the question a little bit more specific to this list? Is there something in particular that you're interested in.

H

Sure, for instance, um accessibility, curves, yes,.

G

Absolutely, okay, absolutely so in instances where there aren't um uh proper ramps for accessibility, uh that's been our policy for a long time is during paving we'll go ahead and- and um you know, replace the existing. You know bulldoze curve with a with a proper ramp uh in the vicinity of the the streets that are being paid so yeah that that's absolutely the case, but as far as like widening to add sidewalks, where they don't exist now or widening that bike lanes where they don't exist.

G

Now that is not part of annual paving, because annual paving is really a maintenance activity.

H

Thank you uh and then the rating process, which sounds very detailed and appropriate. um Is it similar at all to the rating process for sidewalks no.

G

No, no so the rating process for sidewalks basically is a is a like. A stop light red amber green and black, with black being it doesn't exist, red amber, green, being red is in significant distress. Amber is somewhat distressed and green isn't is in good shape. um This is a zero to ten scale, um as I mentioned, loosely based upon the zero to 99 scale that that odot uses for pavement condition ratings.

G

So uh if you wanted to get into the specifics on on cracking and types of distress and asphalt, I could probably sit down with you and go through some of that, probably a little bit too long for this um this. This setting thank.

H

You and the last one is: do we have a philosophy behind incorporating public demand into those equations at all when it comes to what streets get prioritized or is it uh really are we just trying to be as rational and objective as possible sure.

G

The the correct answer is we attempt to be as rational and objective as possible. um You know, as all of us know, there are periods of time where there's a significant amount of outcry for a particular area. We tried to at least the guidance to me when I started from service safety after wayne. Key who's now passed away was stop listening to people yelling about what needs to be paved and come up with an objective system on on evaluating the entire, the entire city, and so that's what we've attempted to do.

G

You know obviously people you know just like in in all instances in government um you know. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but we really try to avoid that. Thank you.

B

F

Treacherous stone what is 682 path, sure.

G

G

Development called kershaw green, which is the apartment complexes that are going in at the intersection of university states, boulevard or lord road and 682..

G

The developer is intends to give the city funds in order to connect the um development to the city, bike and pedestrian infrastructure. That was one of the things that, during planning commission, we gave direction to them, and we said um we said you need to connect to the infrastructure and they came back to us and basically said hey look. You know it would be difficult for us to deal with the railroad to deal with the state highway department on 682.

G

Can we just give you money to do it, and so we believe that between um city forces, uh a contractor um to do an initial grading and then uh doing paving in conjunction with annual, paving we'll be able to do a proper, shared use path that will connect that development to the high high community in a bikeway spur that goes to basically crosses on the old railroad bridge over there on the uh the west state from the west state park into the area where the wetlands are then goes up to armitage, but basically we'll connect there um and and the paving portion of that I'd like to do with annual paving.

G

That was the way we're going to skin that cat rather than make a separate project. Basically so.

F

I'm just curious: this doesn't connect to armitage, it's not a path that will, I mean they're, going to have to cross 682 at some point right. So are we concerned about that? Absolutely.

G

Yeah, absolutely okay, so you know, we've got a location uh based upon sally's review of the situation and then also working with odot district 10. You know what's the least worst spot uh to cross, you know, and it's going to be in near the railroad, but not at the railroad uh crossing of 682 uh and then ultimately getting a permit from the railroad to cross the railroad right away, um because the railroad was their first.

G

You know before anything, so there they have like preeminent rights right and and uh and then connecting to uh the path along the other old railroad uh embankment that the city owns just uh just west of the existing kind of escort portion of the bikeway spur. Thank you.

B

C

Oh, thank you, I'm sitting here peering at google maps um and never do that. I I'm maybe I maybe hit something, but I'm slightly confused as to why we have to put that in that path going across 682 to that, because there's already a section of the bike path that connects to armitage road over there's already a path that makes that connection. So I I don't see necessarily the maybe you can just explain enlightenment but yeah.

G

Maybe it would be better for us to sit down outside this meeting and look at a couple drawings. I mean the bottom line is that this apartment complex is going to be. You know over 150 units of um you know, one two three bedrooms, so we expect there to be families.

G

We expect there to be um children and such and- and you know, if you, if you're building a new, you know high density uh facility in the city of athens, you need to connect to the bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and so um the connection um in in our minds will be a a a more rapid connection to get to the high calculator bikeway, the west state street park um and other points inside the city.

G

Vice going up armitage road up the hill past little fish, then back down to the hill, to then hit the bike bath and then come back and go around. So it's a more direct way. You know, ultimately, um I you know my my experience is that people, um if there's an indirect way to go somewhere, people choose not to use it, they go the direct way, and so this is the most direct way that we would hopefully get used by the by the residents that will choose to live at this facility.

G

B

Members of the audience.

J

I'm rob delac morris avenue here in the city, speaking for myself, so it sounds like christmas to me. This is great. uh This connection, I think, is going to be very valuable, um but once the question I was going to ask was what sidewalk improvements might be included in the street projects this year and it sounds like there is one here, but there might be curb cuts, potentially added as well. Is there anything else, sidewalk-wise that might be included in this? That you're, you can think of. You know all off top of your head.

B

I can't answer that no.

J

Okay- oh I'm not supposed to ask administration directly! Oh you could oh.

D

You just didn't.

B

I mean you're, a citizen, I I can't stop you from okay.

G

It's not part of this ordinance, but I would anticipate there'll be quite a few sidewalk improvements that will happen this year. That's.

J

Good to know so, I'm serving on the ad hoc pedestrian accessibility committee, and so that's on my mind. Of course, we just met with the engineers epw today and so lots of good stuff going on good to hear this. So I do have um the complete streets thing just to mention that that um there's the possibility, whenever you repave that there might, if you look at the bike pad master plan, maybe there was a planned planned recommended uh bike lane that could be added without any additional cost, except for some paint.

J

So I think that's the kind of thing that member mccarry was thinking about when talking about complete streets and repaving, there's those sort of low-hanging fruit or easy, easily attainable changes to the infrastructure that can happen at almost no cost. In some of these situations now, you've already talked director stone. You've already talked about how there's probably not any streets on that list that in this case get to that. But uh it's good just keep that in mind and that's what I think it's a good point by member mccary.

J

You want to interject here. Oh.

A

Yes, just to note that I believe that service safety director stone was the one who got the congress avenue bicycle lane on, and it was using exactly that plan. So he's modest about it. But he's done it before, and I know that he and his crew will be. um I'm very confident that if they see something they'll sounds.

J

Good, so I just wanted to clarify that point: um chip and seal armitage road. I have some concern about that. It happened five years ago when I first got here and I ended up interacting with the township that was doing the chip and seal, because it is uh it's a huge issue for cyclists, so ship and seal is loose gravel, basically at first at least after a while it gets the loose stuff gets pushed off by car traffic and it becomes a solid pavement again.

J

But when it's loose gravel, it is a treacherous place to ride a bicycle, and so I had contacted the township to see what's going on about this chip and seal and they actually made some slight adjustment to what they would normally do to try and make it a little safer for cyclists by sweeping it more quickly, and so that's just an extra step that they said they could do and they went and did that, and it was a big change. It really helped a lot.

J

So I just like to plant that seed that, when working with them on armitage, because it is an important cycling connector, if you come off the bikeway there, then, unless you're going directly to littlefish, if you're going to ride somewhere out outside town, which a lot of people do that's a treacherous place to ride them, and it's usually weeks or a month or so it's bad, but that's long enough in the middle of the summer to be a huge barrier to especially road cyclists.

J

So, just if you keep that in mind, I'd appreciate that I can't.

D

That's a great suggestion. We can work with township.

J

It was just we have a great partnership.

D

With the township you know to where, as director stone, just saying that you know to work on a project like this jointly and covering the costs.

D

You know they don't have, they don't have line straightness um line, painting equipment at uh in the township, and so a lot of times we'll cover some of that. If they cover some of the chip and seal.

J

Yeah, it was a great relationship to be able to do that. So I think that's all I have thank you very much.

B

Okay, if there's nothing further, then that concludes uh transportation committees.

A

Thank you, councilmemberizer we'll now have finance and personnel, and that's chaired by council member crowl joined by council members, reisner stiff ziff and spielness.

F

Thank you, president eisley. We have a number of items on our agenda tonight, starting the first two are related. The first item tonight is the local tax amnesty. This would be proposed as a one reading resolution.

F

The amnesty refers to penalties and fees for for uh people who owe uh back income. Taxes. Excuse me penalties and interest um for for those who owe back income tax.

F

So there would be a one month, amnesty in the month of june, where citizens could take advantage of of having those penalties or interest waived in order to get up up to speed up on their what they owe for income taxes and we'll get into the related ordinance. Next.

F

Does the auditor have anything to add to the tax amnesty resolution.

K

Not really, I mean you explained it a one month, amnesty for people to come forward. I guess most of the people here didn't live through this 10 years ago, when we did it. So I don't know if anybody has any questions for me about that. It's um I just think. One thing I want to make clear is that people move to athens. They don't realize we have a local income tax.

K

Not every place you live has that one of our first clients who came forward 10 years ago had been in athens about seven years and lived here about three years before he realized that we had a local income tax and then he didn't know what to do was probably kind of worried or afraid to come forward. And um so then, when we ran this amnesty he he came right in about it.

K

Most people want to pay, they just don't know if they owe taxes and there are most people pay their income taxes through their employer and if they don't have any other types of income or second job or anything like that. They don't owe us, but there are some forms of income that people don't realize is taxable and they they don't think about it, because they're already having local income tax withheld by their employer, and so it's an opportunity for them to come forward. I think we all understand that I'm paying my fair share.

K

We all need to pay our fair share for the services we receive from the city through our local income tax.

K

We need this, probably more than ever now, with the reduction of income taxes that are going to be coming in the next several years. So it's um really. The fair thing to do, though, is for everybody to pay their fair share. So the amnesty is just a way for people to come forward. We help them and do whatever we can.

K

We offer payment plans and things like that to help them get caught up and then once they do come forward, they get an account number in our system and they can pay annually. Not have the you know, burden of paying several years at a time, etc, etc, and then that moves forward.

F

Thank you honor, so this amnesty program is an incentive really to get people caught up and I think it's a very good idea. Any questions from the committee on this amnesty one. Reading resolution, yes memorize me.

B

um Yeah, I was here when we did it the first time and I remember um in addition that there was a program to try to collect back taxes. You know people who have been owing for several years and just simply I'm not going to pay or can't track them down, and we had a there was a company in cleveland, I'm trying to think of this name. That's.

K

Our next step.

B

That's our next stop! Okay, that.

K

That's kind of the amnesty is helpful um as a precursor to that.

A

K

People get in our system and then then, basically, as you said, it's run by the city of cleveland, it's um called central collection agency and it's a collection agency, it's a government collection agency um and they have access uh because of the size of cleveland. It's special access that not every city. We couldn't get this to people's federal income tax returns, and so we do the amnesty.

K

We clean up our our uh our records, our accounts and then we turn a list over to them and they can go in and see if people who file the federal return, but they aren't in our system and that they have income on there. That should be reported that wasn't and, like I said it's pretty much always because they didn't know you just don't always think of it, and so so that it does it's a collection agency. They send out the letters people who get a letter respond to them.

K

Occasionally somebody they don't really owe anything. But there aren't complete records in the federal system to tell that, and so they might just ask for copies of their last three years of w-2s and things like that.

K

um But a lot of times there is other income like part-time income, that people didn't realize that they should be paying taxes on and so, like I said, the central collection agency, cca works with them, gets them caught up and then turns the information over to us so that we can follow up and we have them in our system system. Moving forward.

K

So yeah you're exactly right about that. I.

B

Just wanted to comment: is there anything that the the city can do in the situation where you have people who live in the city? No question about it, they're they're residents, but they work outside of the city and their employer is under no obligation whatsoever to deduct our city income tax. I mean they just simply say. Well, I don't have to do it. It's just an added expense to me.

B

You take care of it. It's your problem. Now school district is the other way around, but the school district by god, you are going to pay and you will deduct it from your employees, salary, no matter where they work they're going to collect it. The law says you will and they do, but for some reason a municipality can't do that.

K

You're right, our jurisdiction is the city of athens. So, for example, my husband worked in canal winchester and they did not withhold our income tax for him and that had to be paid separately.

K

There are other entities outside the city who will withhold, but we have no authority to make them do that. We do have the authority to require any business or agency within the city to withhold taxes for their employees.

K

But that's we just don't have the authority.

I

B

We need our state representative to change that.

K

Well, you know it would make it easier for the employees too. You.

C

K

They didn't have to deal with that on their own and just had it withheld automatically. But, as I said, we we can't do anything about that.

F

Other questions specifically on the amnesty from the one month, amnesty that we are offering or proposing okay well we're bleeding into the next or anyone else have any comments: administration, okay, citizens.

F

The next item on our agenda, which is this cca program and I'll just note that the auditor provided us some helpful descriptions of these programs in the document on our drive.

F

The amnesty program they last did ended up collecting about 50, almost 50 000 from 20 or 30 citizens who came forward to be a part of that amnesty program. And then, following that, the second item on our agenda tonight.

F

Working with the cca, the city of cleveland, to collect the delinquent taxes in 2012, the auditor notes that they received a total of over three hundred thousand dollars um in outstanding taxes. uh So that is uh obviously a benefit to to us to to be working with this collection agency.

F

So in order to move this forward, this you know in a timely manner. We need this cca program to start after the amnesty period, so after june, so starting in july, which means that we need to pass this ordinance by late late june.

F

So that's why we're introducing this proposed legislation now to work with this third party delinquent income tax collection agency? Are there any questions from the committee on the second agenda item? Other members of council citizens, administration mayor, as you mentioned,.

D

No revenue was collected um through cca in that first year, but it went on for three years um and I I'm not mistaken the third year it just kept.

D

You know kind of dropping down in terms of revenue being brought back into the city's um revenues and uh I think it.

K

Was about 200 000 the first year about 70 000 the next year and then, as you said, and there was some that still came in after that, but that the total we saw in our system. We didn't really renew the program with them and ask them to send another round of letters or anything like that. That's revenue that came in from that first year of working with them, so there will be a contract. um I'm sorry!

K

I don't know if there's anything else about that or actual revenue, but there will be a contract with the ordinance that goes through the their share. um We don't pay them anything, but they keep 25. It wasn't that much 10 years ago, but it's 25 now um for for their efforts. But this is money we would never be able to find. Otherwise we don't have access to people's federal returns and there's just no way. We could find this taxpayer.

K

We don't have mandatory filing in the city of athens either, and um so it's uh you know, 75 of something we would never have otherwise.

F

I'll just note that if I remember correctly, some of the correspondence that's used is from the city of cleveland and it's a little bit bizarre. I mean at first you look at it and say: oh, what is this? This is not for me, but it is. We.

K

Have people call and say is this for real or scam um and understandably- and I would almost expect more people to do that now- the way things have increased in that regard, but um yes, we, my files, um I keep. I keep a lot of stuff and we have a lot of newspaper articles psas.

K

We do it on our local government channel website. I did an interview and we try to put as much information out there over and over again. So people know that this is going on and and we can, we help them we'll fill out the forms our city tax returns are a one-page form. It's pretty easy and it's all information that you put on your federal return.

K

It's not a lot of new information, you have to come up with, but it just needs to be filed, and so we, you know we're happy to help with that, but they would have to deal with the collection agency to begin with the other thing about using cca.

K

When I was on council, we approved the for the idler's office to use a collection agency, but because it's uh income, tax information, it's um considered confidential and we they're very limited in what they can do to collect income tax from people. You can't leave phone messages or anything like that, and it's all done by mail and it's just you're limited because of the confidentiality of the information that you're dealing with. You can't talk to anyone else about it.

K

You know you have to get the person that owes and that's it, and so um you know it's it's just very helpful to to go through the cca, because it's basically this city of cleveland who collects their own income taxes and they understand all those rules.

K

F

D

Yes mayor, I just want to share um when we went through this program several years ago. There were you know, individuals who did receive the infamous green envelope and uh but and then working with cca. Sometimes it was just documents that they wanted to to see and therefore the individuals in fact did not owe anything and it was corrected and moving forward.

D

So so I just want to get that out there for the viewing audience tonight, because you know that that that could happen this around as well, where someone gets a letter um and then it'll detail the information that they are looking for um and by providing that, like, I said a lot of times, I shouldn't say a lot of times. Sometimes the individuals actually do not owe um because there was missing document.

K

Follow up on that, um yes, and the other thing about it is these people aren't avoiding paying their taxes? They don't realize they owe. Some of them might be paying us some taxes, but they aren't paying us. You know for some of their other income and things like that. So it's um and, as I said, the person who moved here- and that was three years for you- realized we had a local income tax and things like that.

K

It's not because they're trying not to pay their taxes, it's just, but this is our way to find them, and let them know that we do have this local income tax.

F

Thank you, okay. Moving on on our agenda, we have appropriations and the first three items listed under appropriations are all to individual funds to cover annual insurance premiums.

F

So this is the one thousand six hundred and ten dollars to the cemetery fund, one hundred dollars to the cdbg formula, grant fund and four thousand two hundred dollars to the recreation fund.

F

F

Yeah, that's all I have. Are there any questions from the committee on this appropriation. Other members of council citizens, administration.

G

I'm going to ask soon for an additional appropriation to the cemetery fund for um electric, it's in the tc 300s as well, so it's possible that you know um going forward. I, if the it's not an emergency, but as a way to avoid additional um ordinances and that's something that we just discovered today. This.

F

Is a utility bill, or this is the.

G

Killer television- just we didn't put it off the budget for what is coming cost-wise on electric for the cemetery.

F

G

Just something we discovered today- and I just caught it here so as this was coming through, if you'd like to add it prior to the ordinance going through, you can do that or we can.

C

G

Another two weeks and bring it up as a separate appropriation.

F

G

F

Editing it now is the committee okay.

G

About 750, okay,.

F

More president, nicely: are you comfortable with that? Okay, that's! Fine! Thank you, director, stone, okay! Moving on to the next appropriation, um speaking of uh paying our utility bills, um the appropriation of two thousand five hundred dollars to the armory, which we all know quite well uh for an electric bill, but also for um a building that the city owns on hudson avenue in athens, um and this is a storage facility and uh and we have a utility costs for obviously both the armory and this uh storage facility.

F

And so we need this appropriation uh to pay our utility bills. Any questions from the committee on armory or hudson other members of council citizens, administration, anything to add.

G

I have to go back and check. This might need a transfer as well, because I don't believe there's anything in the unappropriate balance in the armory and have some fun. I have to double check, though, but I think that was the other part of this particular item.

G

I may be incorrect on that, but I don't know.

F

uh My notes say: 2000 was budgeted but need to add this.

K

You're correct, okay,.

G

Yeah, I remember when this came a couple weeks ago. We kind of talked about it. Bottom line is there's no money and the inappropriate balance is not, and because.

K

There's no there's.

G

No revenue right, it goes into the armory fund or the the uh the hudson fund unless uh there's a transfer into another fund, so that would that would be cool. Okay, so.

F

Transfer will be part of this okay. uh In the last item under appropriations, uh we were informed thanks to the careful eyes of the mayor's office that, while we actually remember, grace's planning and development committee had authorized the forty five thousand dollars for the sunday creek horizons add-on contract for the armory project.

F

We never appropriated the money, so this will be coming through now to appropriate the forty five thousand dollars uh to the american rescue plan act fund. As per the ordinance. We have already passed any questions from committee members on this other council members: citizens administration.

F

Okay, now we do have a couple of additional items added to the finance and personnel committee agenda.

F

Sort of at the later moments, one is that we have recently learned- and I don't have a lot of information on this so I'll- be turning to director stone that there are additional repairs that need to be done for the fire department headquarters director stone. You want to fill us in on that. I.

G

Can um so you know, as this body knows, we've been spending money to try to keep the existing fire department headquarters glued together. You know for the next couple years and the the engineer that did the design for the.

G

For the repairs and stabilization basically evaluated an additional section, provided that information about what was necessary to the contractor, that's working on it. The contractor just returned a quote over the weekend to chief reimer for an additional thousand five hundred dollars um to um basically repair concrete and and stabilize rebar and stabilize rebar and concrete both in the ramp um in front.

C

More more locations in the ramp.

G

In the front of the building, so that's the that's the quote. You know it's not an emergency, but if you were able to add it onto this, um they can keep the contractor moving. As once, this appropriations ordinance would work to go through.

F

You think it makes sense to me yeah. Unfortunately, other members committed any comments on seventeen thousand five hundred dollar uh for additional repairs to the fire headquarters on columbus road. Other members of council member swank.

E

Director stone, um none of us have a crystal ball and they're, hoping that all these things will get us to the point where we're out of that building and into a new brand new structure will last us for 50 75, maybe 100 years, any idea what the next two years are gonna or, however many years it's gonna look like they anticipate that we might have to spend more money on this thing. Sure.

G

um Remember, swank the the goal of this project. That's been happening, you know at the at the fire station right now was specifically a stabilization in order to buy. You know just a couple more years of time. I'm you know cautiously optimistic that, based upon this additional due diligence that we did when that contractor got in and actually started doing the work and found the additional areas of distress, and then we evaluated them that this will be sufficient to get us an extra couple years at that facility.

G

It's important to note that that facility is not suitable in the long term. um You know again putting hundred thousand pound vehicles on the second floor of a building is a terrible idea. um You know especially a building. That's you know pushing 60 years old, but um but it's it's. uh I believe that this work, once it's completed, will stabilize it and and by the time necessary to get out of that building, assuming the other timelines hold. Okay, great. Thank you.

F

Other comments: okay. The last item on our agenda tonight is a staffing um item.

F

This committee has heard from director stone about plans to reorganize the athens fire department, um restructuring um with a single captain and lieutenants and firefighters, which is very similar to what the athens police department sort of structure has lots of reasons for this at this time, mostly people, captains, leaving and retiring and the opportunity to do something and we've already discussed it, but I know it was asked to be put on the agenda again tonight, director stone. You want to fill us in on the current updates.

G

Sure I believe the hr director provided two of the three ordinances to to the clerk, um specifically a modification of the staffing ordinance that changes the number of captains from three to one changes, the number of lieutenants from um three to six uh and then ultimately adds. um And then it's right decreases the number of firefighters by three for those lieutenants that would within with an ad but then also adds one firefighter you giving out the shift. So, at the end of the day, there'll be one extra person in the department for the staffing ordinance.

G

um There will be an mou. That's the second ordinance that we go through, that modifies article 24, the afd contract, which is command pay. I believe that has already been forwarded. The portion that I don't believe uh that you have in your possession yet is a modification to the non-union pay and benefits ordinance that talks about the existing fire.

G

Captain's position changing from a 2496 position to a 20 80 position, that is to say the number of hours uh per given year and then there's a series of places where that's referred to in the um uh the non-union pay and benefits ordinance and those modifications would have to would have to happen. So those are the three the things that would that would come forward, and I know we talked about it before um hr.

G

Director lucas had a family emergency and actually ended up having to leave uh last week for several days and he's still out of the office right now, and so you know I'm working to pull together the last bits of information and get to this body in preparation for uh introducing legislation.

F

Thank you, director, stone any questions from the committee on the fire department, reorganization, other members of council citizens heard administration that ends fight some personnel. Thank you president. Thank.

A

You, member crowl, we'll now move on to city and safety services and that's chaired by council member mccary and joined by council members, swank and crowl.

H

H

All right we're ready to get started. The first item on our agenda is community development. Development block grant looks like it's application season time and it's an opportunity for us to hear an update. I believe, on potential uh target areas for this grant, but I'll ask director stone.

G

There's a meeting this friday um with uh the cdbg um personnel from half cap that we use, where you know we're going to go through several different iterations of looking at potential programs through cdbg and what projects might fit said programs and be competitive. You know one of the challenges with cdbg is they they want?

G

They want it to fit their perfect criteria that they want and so melding your project to fit the criteria that the program uh offers both the allocation, as well as some of the other, what they call allocation uh fees, which is kind of a standard amount that that that localities get. uh But then some of the other programs uh that are out there as well like the critical infrastructure programs and the um I've, got some of the other names that are good, yeah, pig and a few other ones.

G

And then they uh sometimes make recommendations of leveraging your allocation money against some of the other programs. So it's really kind of a um a little bit of a kabuki dance to to to get funded through cdbg and- and uh you know, we're going to use hapcap as the agency to do that. I believe there'll be a public meeting as part of this process, and I think that's you know.

G

One of the intents of this legislation going through is to hold the public meeting in conjunction with the um the legislation when it goes through like in in this count as the public meeting. Basically.

H

Just to check my understanding, then this is not so much a situation where we are dreaming up our ideal programs and projects and then asking for the money we're instead looking at what they're most inclined to fund and then trying to come up with projects that fit that criteria. Yeah.

G

It's it's um it's kind of both right, I mean you know, we know what some needs are and a lot of needs are in the city. Obviously, because we manage it every day and then also there's the needs that come forward from the community as well and in many cases those overlap um and then our goal is to try to kind of meld them to turn them into something that is a you know, is fundable and is competitive with that program. um For instance, the critical infrastructure program is a cdbg program.

G

You know two projects that we went after a couple times to get funded and eventually did get funded, where the um the deposit list station and the uh de-watering uh facility at um to make sure that we did get that de-watering improvements at the wastewater treatment plant again two things that are terribly unsexy and nobody really cares about it until they don't work, um and so that's a type of project um that that is in the suite of cdbg uh funding programs. That's out there all right.

H

Thanks I'll open it up to questions from committee members, other council, members, administration and our audience yes,.

J

Hat trick today uh rob barbara delac. I said my full last name, robert de lac, 124 morris avenue here in the city. So I'm thinking about last year's cdbg funding. There was a public meeting like we just talked about, and there were some projects that I think are underway or maybe have already been accomplished. But I was curious if the administration can talk about what those were. So we have an idea of what we've done recently.

J

So it was the second street stair removal, sidewalk placement with cg cd cdbg funds, or was that other functions for.

D

That yeah, we just did that because.

J

I remember that was on the list last year, but that was other funds. Okay, how about the west state street sidewalk project? That's sort of in the works is that cd.

G

Design right now now, there's a previous allocation or two years worth of allocation is kind of committed toward that and it's under design right now. One of the challenges in that particular project, if you really want to get in the weeds, is, is there a couple slips that are causing some of the sidewalk distress uh that involve a significant amount of space outside of the public right away? And so how do you deal with uh that in those situations, particularly when this includes private property and structures?

G

So it can, it could really really grow that cost.

J

And how we're going to solve that problem? The thing that they're looking at that's good, so my comment about that is- that is a sexy program. I think that's good work that we need done here so good stuff. Thank you.

H

Very much, thank you any other comments from the audience or yes, administration.

D

I mean I can list another great project that was a cdbg project, which was the rubberized surface at southside park underneath the playground equipment. That was, I believe, about forty nine thousand dollars that went towards putting ada accessible rubberized surface. There.

G

Grant street was the cdbg project. It's 2008.. um There is a booster station project happening at the kim's reservoir right now. That's a current cdbg project allocation project. That's going on um it's getting close to the end! So all.

H

Right, thank you. We'll stop with that topic and move on to fireworks, amending city code, to add a definition and reaffirm ban on discharge.

H

It's my understanding that this is an opportunity to clarify an omitted definition that will clarify our expectations for the use of fireworks within city limits.

H

So this do we have any additional comments on any changes coming with our expectations for what's allowed with fireworks in athens.

H

It's my understanding is that there's not a big change in any, what's permitted just that we need to add a definition council.

E

Members yeah a couple questions. uh The first deals with.

E

Do we have a process for special events? uh Obviously we have the fourth of july fireworks and that's something would count you know year in and year out, uh but um if, if there were like ohio university had a special event and wanted to do fireworks um homecoming do we have a process for that? We do. We.

D

Do it goes through the police chief or the fire chief permits? Those copperheads games we'll have fireworks um the city's firework display.

D

I'd like to go back real, quick to kind of your opening comment on that I mean there has been a major change uh and that's happened at the state level to where they have basically deregulated the the commercial fireworks to where they can be purchased and and lit off, where what this ordinance is doing is is uh putting in language to where we're restricting that use and because I I would contend that the last place you want to have unregulated fireworks of that scale.

D

Going off is in a city, that's uh over 222 years old and has a rather large population of individuals who could be laying these off just about anywhere and I'm.

G

Not I'm sorry, sir, I have no there's not preemption and the state law like there isn't so many other state laws and that municipalities are allowed to further regulate. um You know which is unique in the legislative times that we live from the state of ohio. But uh but you know it does take a uh affirmative step from municipality to do that and that's what this is. Okay,.

E

Thank you, so the second part of that question. I think you two both addressed it uh d1 um a county with respect to uh may uh do either the following one: restrict the dates and times the person made his charge ignite or explode fireworks purchase pursuant to the section, in other words, uh the way I read this, uh our friends in columbus have allowed us to exercise home rule in.

F

D

E

Okay, that was gonna, be my second question, so all three of us affirmed that.

H

Excellent councilmember crowley thank.

F

You, member mccary um the definition or do you are you? What is the definition that will be added.

H

I believe that's information that our law director can provide us with, but I don't have the definition right now. I don't believe it.

H

Other questions at this time will otherwise be seeing this come forward with that additional information um looks like this is an effort to keep us safe and I'm supportive of that. Any other questions.

A

Yes, just in the uh some of the information that was relayed back and forth that we were going to get input from the police and fire chief.

H

A

And we do have that or.

H

uh It's my understanding that we have support from our police and fire chief for uh maintaining.

A

Okay and then that's oh.

H

Yeah yeah, and that was just uh I think, good communication strategy to make sure everyone's on the same page.

C

H

Any other questions, then that will conclude our city and safety services committee meeting.

A

Okay and our last committee meeting of the night is planning and development and we have council members, crowl, mccary and swank. Do I have that right? No you're, not I'm sorry.

F

A

Be honest, I'm sorry say s words, I'm sorry.

A

Okay and councilmember grace is not here to chair the uh the meeting tonight.

A

We do have two applications and council members have received copies of the applications from ohio valley museum, and this is a special use right of way for 67 columbus road, and this is to request 27 parking spaces and the other use of right-of-way is for windstream kentucky data and that's a 55 foot of 55 feet of utility conduit in the right-of-way, and we do have maps and uh showing, and I do believe there was some question on the ohio valley, museum council member spielness. Did you have a question about the 27 additional parking spaces.

I

Thank you, president nicely. I looked at the map and I thought boy. You know I should I'm not sure exactly where this is and I went over and drove around and and looked at it, and I thought I'm not sure what all those things on the map actually mean. So there's yellow stripes that I'm assuming is not parking and then those pink stripes that I think are parking, uh but it I'm trying to figure out exactly where they're talking about.

I

As I looked at it because there's a steep slope there and I had some difficulty figuring out where exactly those spots really are because there's there's a fair amount. I mean it looks like it extends the parking that's already existing, which is fine, but uh I I wasn't completely clear. I I don't have a problem with it. I'm assuming that there's some logic to this. It's just hard from the drawing to figure out exactly where these are to.

J

I

A

Mayor patterson.

D

I'm familiar with this project and, interestingly, the current parking lot of the former church. Now obimod is within the public right-of-way already it's really it's a wide public right-of-way through here, and they just want to be able to repave the parking lot area and re-stripe it, but that requires again going through the use of public right-of-way process for them. So.

I

Just out of curiosity, what are the yellow strip striping do you know.

D

That might just be the boundary of the property itself.

D

I I don't know for sure what that is. I.

I

Yeah I mean that that's just not very clear. I mean if, if those pink little angles are extending to where the parking is, you know, I don't have a problem with that. It seems reasonable and if what you just said is true, it's no big deal at all.

D

I can find out what the yellow markings are again to me. It appears to be the boundary of that property itself.

D

But I can double check.

A

Yes, councilman.

F

Thank you um president nicely um just to point of clarification. I believe it's 29 spaces not 27, and the the some of the information that director riggs included uh reads.

F

It appears that the current plan has 11 spaces located completely on private property, with 29 spaces partially or completely in the public right-of-way. So it's those that I think have to come through council in order to be re re-striped. But to your point members beyond this, I have no idea what the colors on the map are, and it's I mean the yellow, almost looks like parking spaces. Yeah.

I

I don't believe that's and I don't think it is. I think it's.

F

Just the uh I didn't count them remember spike. Can you count those the.

J

F

Ones are there 29 of them.

E

What's up, maybe maybe president nicely.

A

A

I can't take credit for it.

A

Yes, okay and we we have questions from two council members and then a public member, so council members, if yes,.

C

Thank you. I I didn't.

A

Actually have a question.

C

I'm pretty sure just for just looking at this. You know here. I am second time tonight using google maps, but the the yellow stripings on there. I think pretty clearly are just you know, denoting where the right-of-way exists.

C

Currently, um because that's right along the road and all that down there and then obviously, I think the pink would be parking spaces in this large sort of, according to the satellite view, this large already slightly paved area that would get extended. I think.

F

Remember I see the r o.

C

W now in yellow for right.

F

Of way, so you must be correct.

C

I don't know if I must be correct, but.

F

Maybe I am I'm following you, man.

A

Thank you, okay, council member strike.

E

Yeah I had the opportunity to speak with one of the founders of the museum, oh gosh, within the last 10 days, and a couple things one. They just received another huge chunk of money and they're currently reaching out all over southeast ohio to bring lots of people to town. This could be a potential economic driver, not to mention the great educational opportunity for underserved youth in southeastern ohio.

E

So I think anything that can allow within reason anything that'll allow this museum to expand to expand the services. It's offered it's something that we ought to get on board with and help in any way we can.

A

Okay, council, member doc, I almost made you a council member.

A

H

You I am noticing, in our athens 2040 comprehensive plan that there is a suggestion that we value add to the ohio valley, museum of discovery with outdoor public space, that complements the science technology, engineering, arts and mathematics scheme focus. And this is an outdoor project. But I'm wondering if uh there's been any and I'm excited by the large chump chunk of money and such. But um will this feed it all into this proposed goal for a comprehensive plan or making public space that complements steam stuff.

E

Absolutely that's what this museum is just by virtue of parking.

H

E

No, no, no. The museum itself is a steam museum. Yes, people come to see it they're coming from not only athens county, but the counties all around gotta have some place to put cars school buses, and things like that. So yeah. This is uh definitely uh making it more accessible. The mayor can speak to it better than I, but uh it's it's an exciting project. Okay,.

H

So a possible interpretation that um adding outdoor public space that complements could be the as practical as parking. Yes,.

D

Yes, it could, but no, the the actual intent with that comment was the abutting property to this is the fire station headquarters, which also has a sizable green space. So it's opening up the opportunity to where, for the existing green space beyond all this parking, that obi mod will own that there could be some opportunity to have some outdoor recreational elements.

D

That would you know possibly transcend that property and use some of the city's property, but but we also know that at some point in the future, if successful that we will likely be divesting ourselves of the fire station headquarters predicated upon several, I think known factors that were on council and so uh but anyway, that's where that comment came from was the possibility of just having usable green space by both ovimod and the property that is the fire station headquartered. Thank you.

A

Any other questions comments all right, uh then the use of the right-of-way for wind stream, kentucky data link to 55 feet of utility conduit any questions or comments about that.

G

I have one yes, this is this is not a special use of the right-of-way.

G

This is a registration, because uh windstream kentucky datalink um is a is a utility under the puco and it's a different section of title 49 that is granted through council for utilities, and, specifically, you do a registration, one-time registration for the utility to be an occupy, an operating system inside the right way, and then future permits are administrative. um So, while the 55 feet of utility conduit, that is part of this was the thing that precipitated us to say when they sought a permit.

G

For that us to say: hey, you need to register as a utility in the right way, but you're not granting the 55 feet of utility conduit as part of this legislation, you're granting them a registration and then we'll permit the utility conduit, because it's a different than the special use of the right-of-way situation, and if anyone has any questions of that.

A

I can get into the specifics on how we develop this in title 49. Thank you for the clarification councilmember crowl.

F

um I see the map and I think this is on the southeast corner of west state and shaffer 55 feet. I don't I don't get it.

F

Why do they need 55 feet in that location? I remember.

G

Crowd, I don't have the specific item right now. My guess is it's a it's a.

G

You know something having to do with being able to provide telecommunications somewhere in the right of way that isn't hanging from a pole. You know in in all cases where somebody gets a pole hanging agreement. When I say somebody, I mean a telecommunications company from another poll from another utility.

G

um We don't even see those come across because they're, basically just floating up there in the air attaching to existing poles that are stuck in the right way, but in this particular instance, I believe it is they've got partial of their run, this via pole hanging agreement, and then they have to access a different location and are going underground, and so it's new conduit and that's why they sought a construction permit and we said well whoa, if you're a utility operating system in the right of way in the city, you need to register, and so they said, okay, we'll register.

G

That's. Why he's sharing this legislation right now? Okay,.

F

A

Okay, any other comments or questions.

A

If none we can, we will adjourn at 8, 34 and we'll see you all next monday night. Thank you.