Garrettsville – Village officials present at the village council meeting on February 10th were Village Solicitor Michele Stuck, Mayor Rick Patrick, Assistant Fiscal Officer Deb Wordell and Councilpersons Tom Hardesty, Chris Knop, Larry Beatty, John Chambers, Jeff Kaiser and Tom Collins. Due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements, the meeting was held in person with no audience. The meeting was streamed to Facebook for the public.
Prior to the council meeting, a public hearing for Ordinance 2020-45, an ordinance that adopts a new zoning map for the Village of Garrettsville. The public hearing lasted about a minute, during which time there were no comments from the councilpersons, or any of the public attending the meeting through Facebook Live.
After the public hearing was closed, the regular meeting was called to order by Mayor Patrick, the minutes of the January meeting were reviewed and accepted as written. Following the approval of the minutes, council reviewed the financial reports and income tax receipts. Knop asked for clarification on how the spreadsheet council receives works. He noticed that tax revenues dropped a bit heading into January, which Hardesty explained was normal and happens yearly due to when certain payments are collected. The reports were accepted as presented.
Ordinance 2020-45, the zoning map ordinance, was approved and enacted at the meeting.
Next up, conversation turned to the subject of the Fox Hollow development. Council voted to approve and enact Ordinance 2021-04, which accepts and approves, for recording purposes only, a re-plat of the “Fox Hollow” subdivision, block C-R, and authorizes the Mayor and the Fiscal Officer to sign the plat for recording. Garrettsville’s Planning Commission had previously reviewed the application for the creation of creating Sublots 43-47, and had recommended Council approve the replat. Passage of the 2021-04 does not accept the subdivision roadways or water and sewer infrastructure for purposes of maintenance and upkeep.
Ordinance 2021-05 was approved and enacted. The ordinance grants approval and consent to the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation to apply, maintain and repair standard longitudinal pavement markings and erect regulatory and warning signs on state highways inside village corporate limits, and gives consent for ODOT to remove snow and ice and use snow and ice control material on state highways inside the village corporate limits, and authorizes ODOT to perform maintenance and/or repair on state highways inside the village corporation limits.
Resolution 2021-06 was approved and enacted at the meeting. The resolution honors Jerry Kehoe for his many years of outstanding service to the Village of Garrettsville and the community as a whole. The resolution reads, “Jerry Kehoe has been a respected and esteemed member of the Garrettsville business community for more than four decades; has further served the local business community with more than fifteen years on the Board of Directors of the Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce; also served the Village as a citizen member of the Garrettsville Planning Commission from 2004 through 2020; and this Council now wishes to honor and thank Jerry Kehoe for his many years of service to the Village, its residents and the greater community as a whole. The Council of the Village of Garrettsville hereby commends and honors Jerry Kehoe for his many years of service to the Village of Garrettsville, and sincerely thanks him for sharing his wisdom and experience in order to make our Village a better place.”
Resolution 2021-08 was approved and enacted. The resolution allows the village’s Utilities Superintendent Jeff Sheehan to solicit statements of qualifications for professional field inspection services for the year 2021. The Village of Garrettsville from time to time seeks to conduct improvements within the Village, particularly relating to waterlines, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, pavement rehabilitation, pavement reconstruction, sidewalk construction and associated facilities. Professional and independent inspection services are necessary to ensure that such projects are conducted and completed to the required standards. The Board of Public Affairs of the village of Garrettsville made the recommendation to authorize Sheehan to begin the statutory qualifications-based selection process for professional field inspection services for various improvements within the village. The resolution was declared an emergency measure, in order to begin the selection process for inspection services at the earliest time possible so services will be in place in time for the South Street Water Main Replacement Project – which begins in the spring of 2021.
Reimbursement of the Portage Country District Library’s electric and gas bill was also up for discussion at the meeting. Each year the council agrees to pay up to $5,500 towards the utilities. This year they are requesting $4,216.49. Council agreed to pay that amount.
The Portage County Solid Waste District (PCSWD) sent over a proposal for recycling bin placement in the village. Patrick explained that this is regarding the recycling program from the county, and their desire to cut back recycling bins to three locations in the county (northern, central, and southern). The PCSWD would like to know if the village would consider being the northern location, which would mean an increase in the number of bins available, fencing around the location, and cameras to monitor usage/residents dumping garbage into the bins/property. The proposal also comes with a much larger cost to the village. Given the state of overflowing the village’s ten recycling bins are usually in, Hardesty expressed concern about the number of additional recycling bins required to accommodate all of the surrounding communities. As it stands now the village pays $6,000 per year for the existing bins. Under the PCSWD proposal each additional bin will add $600 per year. Hardesty also questioned the merit of continuing to invest in the current recycling system when there is no longer a market for recyclables and most items end up landfills anyway. Beatty recommended doing away with recycling in the village altogether and encouraging residents to take their recyclables to a PCSWD location directly. Council voted unanimously to exit the existing recycling drop-off contract when it ends. Knop expressed his disappointment that recycling as a whole has fallen apart and is no longer a viable solution.
Roundtable
Hardesty has been applying for a Nature Works grant to make improvements at Hardesty Park on Brosius Road. He would like to build a storage facility and restroom building (similar to what the village has a Bill Phelps Park on South Street). He has asked that $20-30,000 in the village budget be set aside as matching funds. Hardesty also shared that the BPA’s willingness to waive the tap in fee for sewer and water will bump the matching funds to $38,000. He is also going to look for additional grant money. The storage structure would enable the village to more actively maintain the ball fields, soccer pitch, and park. Beatty stated that it was a wonderful idea that benefits the community, and other communities in the area. Knop also suggested that this would also open up additional usage for village and chamber events.
In road news, Hardesty shared that the village is planning to make improvements to Wolff Drive, High Street, Park Avenue and Garfield Drive.
Beatty thanked council for agreeing to discontinue the recycling bin program on Water Street. He believes that the area around the service garage can be spruced up, repaint the buildings and do some landscaping to improve the street view. Beatty also shared that he received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and has had no side-effects.
Patrick shared that Safety Committee is researching a permanent Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), which would permit carrying and consuming beverages purchased at bar/restaurant from the light at the intersection of Main Street and SR 88, to the St. Ambrose side of the Windham Street Bridge, and the Eagles Club parking lot on Water Street. According to Kaiser and Patrick you would purchase a wristband and a beverage in a plastic cup at one of the participating bars. Unlike the temporary ordinance proposed by Aaron King of the Summerfest Committee, a DORA would permanently set a designated area for outdoor refreshments, opening up new options for restaurants that had been impacted by COVID limitations. This idea will likely be discussed further at the March council meeting.
Collins mentioned that he applied for a grant for improvements to the Headwaters Trailhead.
The meeting was adjourned after round table.
