Present were council members Tom Hardesty, Frederic Ahrens, Sheri Johnson, John Brachna, Richard Beatty and Jeff Kaiser. Officials present were Mayor Rick Patrick, Fiscal Officer Donna Love and Solicitor Bill Mason.
Council opened a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Ordinance 2026-18, which would approve and adopt a permanent budget for 2027 for the village of Garrettsville after publication and a public budget hearing pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5705.30. The ordinance also was written as emergency legislation.
No one was present to speak for or against the ordinance. The hearing closed at 7:02 p.m.
The minutes from the June 10 meeting were approved on a motion by Beatty, seconded by Ahrens.
As of June 30, Garrettsville reported an all-funds balance of $5,684,313.14, including $3,669,363.39 in available primary checking and $2,014,949.75 in pooled investments. The largest balances were in the General Fund at $2,155,810.87, Sewer Operating Fund at $1,872,822.54 and Water Operating Fund at $848,012.90. Year-to-date revenue totaled $2,220,133.03, or 57.696% of the $3,847,986 budget, while year-to-date expenditures totaled $1,223,864.17, or 42.715% of appropriations.
Income tax collections through June totaled $1,006,762, down $25,562 from the same point in 2025. After $8,705 in refunds, 2026 net income tax revenue stood at $998,057. The June payment register listed $140,944.48 in total payments, including health insurance, utilities, paving, equipment and maintenance costs. The STAR Ohio statement listed a June 30 account value of $3,988,374.39 and year-to-date earnings of $74,463.87.
Brachna commended Hardesty for securing a $25,000 cemetery grant. Hardesty also is applying for another grant to fund a new veterans’ memorial at the site of the columbarium.
Ahrens moved to accept payment of the bills. Beatty seconded the motion.
Ordinance 2026-16: 12-month data center moratorium, received a second reading. A public hearing will be held at the August meeting ahead of the third, and final, reading of the legislation.
Ordinance 2026-16 would impose a 12-month moratorium on the village accepting, processing or approving new zoning applications, permits, licenses, variances or other approvals for data centers in Garrettsville. The legislation defines data centers as physical facilities housing computers or networking equipment used for data processing, storage or transmission. Council cited concerns that current zoning rules may not fully address potential impacts, including energy and water use, land use, building quality, aesthetics, lighting, noise, location and environmental issues.
The moratorium would remain in place for 12 months unless council first amends village ordinances to regulate data centers or passes legislation revoking the moratorium. It also would allow council to extend the moratorium if deemed reasonable and necessary. The ordinance includes an appeal process for property owners, operators, lessees or optionees who claim extreme economic hardship, with appeals to be filed within 20 days and heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals within 30 days. The measure is written as emergency legislation, making it effective immediately upon passage and mayoral approval.
Councilman Tom Hardesty referenced a June 14 Canton Repository guest column by Jeff Dafler, president and CEO of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. Dafler argued that data centers should be viewed as critical infrastructure supporting banking, health care, logistics, cybersecurity, manufacturing systems, cloud storage, artificial intelligence and other digital services. He wrote that communities can welcome private investment while continuing to ask questions about infrastructure needs, land use, environmental impacts and public benefit.
The column also cited an Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation study that found data centers have attracted more than $40 billion in private capital investment to Ohio. According to the column, the industry supported more than 95,000 jobs in 2024, contributed $11.8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product and generated $6.9 billion in labor income. Dafler acknowledged concerns about electricity use, relatively few permanent jobs compared with the scale of investment and land-use compatibility, but argued those issues should be evaluated on a site-by-site basis rather than through blanket opposition.
Because the ORD 2026-16 is a zoning ordinance, it must go through three readings. A public hearing is being scheduled for the August meeting. If the village moves forward with the moratorium, it will join a growing number of Portage County communities that have temporarily halted data center development while they review and update local zoning regulations.
Over the past several months, officials in neighboring Ravenna, Streetsboro, Shalersville Township and Windham Township have approved similar moratoriums or pursued new zoning restrictions in response to proposals for large-scale artificial intelligence data centers. Local officials across the county have said the additional time will allow them to evaluate issues including utility demand, water consumption, noise, land use and long-term community impacts before considering such developments.
Patrick said he believes a 12-month moratorium will give the village time to evaluate the risks and benefits associated with data centers.
Ordinance 2026-18: 2027 permanent budget, received a second reading and was passed as an emergency.
Ordinance 2026-18 adopts Garrettsville’s permanent budget for 2027, as outlined in Exhibit A provided to council members. The ordinance states that a public hearing on the proposed tax budget was held July 8, before the regular council meeting, with notice published in the Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier at least 10 days in advance. It authorizes the fiscal officer to submit the adopted budget to the Portage County auditor before the July 20 deadline.
The budget projects General Fund revenue of $1,735,250 and expenditures of $1,960,989 in 2027, leaving expenditures higher than revenue by $225,739. The General Fund is projected to begin the year with an unencumbered balance of $1,736,165 and end with $1,510,426. Other major funds include the Street Fund, with $481,500 in projected revenue and $470,000 in expenditures; the Water Operating Fund, with $651,000 in revenue and $723,653 in expenditures; and the Sewer Operating Fund, with $884,000 in revenue and $873,000 in expenditures.
The ordinance also is declared an emergency measure so the budget can take effect immediately and be delivered to the county auditor by the statutory deadline. Its passage formally sets the village’s 2027 budget framework but does not, by itself, describe individual project approvals beyond the fund-level revenue and expenditure estimates.
In discussion of the ordinance and the notice of public hearings, Brachna asked whether the village would be better served by placing notices in The Weekly Villager and/or The Portager. Hardesty said the rules have adapted with the times and that notices can be published on the village website. Patrick said he thinks notices should appear in The Weekly Villager.
The budget ordinance passed with Brachna casting the only no vote.
Public participation — Gary Haney told council he would like to organize a Christmas parade as part of Small Business Saturday.
Lt. Keith Whan spoke to council about golf carts in town, an issue he said has been discussed by council before. Whan presented information on Ohio law and said the village may authorize golf carts and side-by-sides to operate on village roadways if it passes an ordinance allowing them. The village also could restrict them to roads with speed limits of 25 mph.
Whan said the village has been lenient in the past, but that leniency has been taken advantage of over time. He presented policies from Streetsboro and Geneva-on-the-Lake and asked for approval to work with Mason to develop an ordinance.
Hardesty said such an ordinance would allow the village to clarify what is legal and what is not. He cited e-bikes and e-scooters as examples.
Whan said an ordinance would give residents who want to be responsible a way to operate legally. He said there would be a stop-and-advise period for issues such as ATVs riding in fields all day and then coming into town.
Brachna questioned whether the village needs to pass an ordinance to enforce existing Ohio law. Mason advised that state law requires the community to establish an ordinance. Johnson said she would like to see a requirement that vehicle operators have a valid driver’s license.
Hardesty asked whether Whan would like the proposal to be developed by the Safety Committee. Whan said he would like the Police Department to work with Mason. Council gave its blessing for that process to move forward.
Police Chief Tim Christopher said Whan was present to answer any questions council may have about Christopher’s recommendation to promote Officer Emily Ahrens to sergeant. Emily Ahrens requested that the discussion not be held in executive session. Council declined the request to make the discussion public and said the executive session would be held after the roundtable portion of the meeting.
Roundtable — Councilman John Brachna has been researching options for a safety study at the intersection of state Route 82, Center Street and Water Street after Ohio Department of Transportation traffic engineer Aaron Conley advised the village to begin by selecting an ODOT-prequalified consultant for safety studies. Conley recommended the village contact EMH&T, Woolpert Inc. and Environmental Design Group LLC, then submit a draft scope of work to ODOT for review.
The review also has focused on funding. Conley said state Route 82 is listed as a medium-priority segment within village limits and is eligible for ODOT’s Systemic Safety Program, which supports new safety countermeasures rather than maintenance work. Brachna also sought help from AMATS, but was told the agency does not assist communities with funding engineering studies and generally helps with the federal share of project costs, including construction, preliminary engineering or right-of-way clearance.
Cost estimates remain a concern. Brachna told AMATS that Woolpert submitted a $16,850 proposal and that another firm offered options of $31,171 and $34,994. Arcadis later told Brachna that an ODOT-style traffic or safety study typically costs $25,000 to $50,000, depending on whether it is abbreviated or formal. Arcadis also reported eight crashes in the area from 2021 to 2025, all involving property damage and apparently tied to vehicles backing from the inclined parking area onto Main Street. Arcadis suggested possible local measures, including making Water Street one-way eastbound, limiting the right turn from Center Street to Main Street and adding pedestrian crossing safety features.
Hardesty proposed adding a nose of curbing for traffic coming across the bridge from Windham toward Main Street, forcing vehicles coming off Water Street farther out so they are more visible to other drivers. Hardesty said the idea could be completed by village employees if an engineering firm approves the plan as viable. He said the approach would avoid making Water Street one-way or right-turn-only.
Ahrens said he would like to see the village address traffic safety at Center and Maple streets, where he said there are actual problems.
Patrick asked about Headwaters Trail signs. Brachna said ODOT was waiting until road paving is complete.
Ahrens said he has heard complaints from residents about the village’s agreement to pay for portable restrooms at Summerfest. He said the people he spoke with do not think the village should be paying that expense for a nonprofit.
Ahrens also said the Water Department hired a new employee a few months ago and that he had heard complaints from village employees that the opening was not posted internally.
Love said, “We also don’t post police officers because they have to have certain licenses. So that was why we didn’t post it.” The new position in question requires certain licenses for both water and wastewater plant operation.
Ahrens also said the village website needs to be updated with names, addresses and other minor corrections.
Council reviewed a $2,690 invoice from Aris Company for portable restroom facilities and related service during Summerfest. Patrick reminded council that the village historically has covered that expense for the event. He said when Summerfest started 20 years ago, the village agreed to pay for garbage service and portable toilets.
A total of $425 was deducted from the payment this year because the village paid for grease traps last year that should not have been included on the 2025 invoice. The total paid this year was $2,265.
Beatty dedicated his yes vote to former council member Deb Wordell, who raised the issue last year about the grease traps being included.
Love said she would like to hold a shredding event. The village has not held one since 2021. A three-hour event would cost $175 per hour through Shredding Now. The date will be promoted once it is set.
Patrick said the village had been fortunate that Shannan Jursa’s business had held a shredding event for the last several years as a benefit to the community. He said a village event would fill that gap.
Love also said the village moved $750,000 from Middlefield Bank to STAR Ohio at the beginning of July to earn more interest.
Johnson said the Buckeye Block Amphitheater dedication was very nice. She said she has heard a lot of positive comments and enjoyed seeing the stage in use during Summerfest.
Hardesty said the Street Department installed ornamental grass in the planters behind the village municipal lot, near the Chamber of Commerce’s Buckeye Block Amphitheater, earlier in the day.
Beatty echoed the comments about the Buckeye Block Amphitheater. He also said he spoke with Heritage Roofing following last month’s discussion about the Village Hall roof. Beatty said metal shingle roofs are about twice as expensive as standing-seam metal roofs. He said he will move forward with getting a final quote for a standing-seam metal roof.
Kaiser said one of his neighbors has asked about the dangerous intersection sign at Brosius and Center streets and would like to see a flashing-light sign. Brachna said he will talk to ODOT about where to get pricing for that type of sign.
Executive session — Council entered executive session on a motion by Brachna, seconded by Hardesty, “for the purposes of discussing [the promotion of] personnel.” Brachna invited Christopher and Whan individually. Councilman Frederic Ahrens was excluded from the executive session at the advice of Mason, who said Ahrens’ presence could “have a chilling effect” on the conversation.
The executive session lasted approximately 50 minutes.
After council returned from executive session, Patrick said, “I would like to entertain a motion to promote Emily Ahrens.” No one on council made a motion.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:53 p.m.
The next council meeting will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday, August 12 at village hall.
