Garrettsville – Village Council met on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 for their first regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the new year. The first order of business was to ask for nominations and elect a new Council President. 2012 Council President Steve Hadzinsky, who was elected to fill the spot when former Council President Rick Patrick acceded to Mayor, was the only nominee for 2013 and was unanimously elected.
The Mayor then read his annual State of the Village Report. In it he reviewed significant events of 2012 affecting the Village including the acquisition of the Clock Tower, reconstruction of curbing on S.R. 88, the wastewater treatment plant expansion and the positive upswing in economic development. The mayor also recognized the contributions of the late Mayor Craig Moser. In closing, he offered cautious optimism for continued growth and prosperity. Mayor Patrick invited all residents and property owners in the Village to contact him at any time with comments, concerns or suggestions. He can be reached by email: mayor@garrettsville.org or by phone: 330-687-9637.
After the Mayor’s speech, he recognized former Councilwoman Karen Clyde and presented her with a plaque, in honor of her years of service to the Village as a former elected member of Village Council and her work while serving on the Sidewalk Committee and Utilities Committee.
Next up for business, Council approved the minutes from the December 12, 2012 meeting after some minor grammatical corrections. Revenue, expenditure, cash balance, and income tax reports were reviewed. Councilman Klamer remarked positively on the increase in revenue for the Village in 2012.
Ordinance 2013-01 was up for first reading and then discussed by Council. If passed, the ordinance will amend section 1155.02 of the Codified Ordinances of the Village relating to the composition of the Design Review Board (DRB). The amendment would allow Council to dissolve the existing DRB and assign its duties to the Planning Commission. However, it also allows for the reformation of a stand alone DRB should the need arise in the future. There will be a Public Hearing before the next scheduled Council meeting on February 13th to allow public input on this proposed ordinance.
Council passed to enact two other ordinances: 2013-2 which approves the consortium agreement between Robinson Heath Affiliates and the members of the Portage County Drug and Alcohol Testing consortium and 2013-3 which refers Ordinance 2013-1 to the Planning Commission for their review and recommendation.
Mayor Patrick opened the floor to the gallery. Resident Trish Harness addressed Council with concerns about the impact of fracking in the area on Garrettsville’s water supply. Councilman Matson suggested she talk with members of the Board of Public Affairs (BPA) who have been proactive in addressing the issue. The BPA meets the second Monday of every month here at the Village Hall.
During round table discussion, Council President Hadzinsky shared that he had toured a few of the manufacturing facilities located in Garrettsville and was impressed with what he saw. Councilman Matson reported that there were 681 fire calls in 2012, eleven of those were structure fires, and Councilman Kaiser reported that the EMS district answered 890 calls in 2012. He was also glad to report that the EMS district is fiscally solvent and that a large part of net revenue from 2012 was going to be placed in a new, to-be-created Capital Equipment Fund for the purchase of a new squad that will be needed in the not-too-distant future.
Mayor Patrick informed Council that he had received permission from the owners of the Paul’s Grist Mill property to install temporary barricades on the street below the budging wall of the structure in an effort to protect residents and/or their property should the building collapse. Council discussed the fact that this past Fall the County had ordered the owners to demolish the building within twelve months; however, that time has not yet expired.
The Mayor also announced his committee appointments for 2013. They are as follows:
Streets, Parks and Cemetery: Chuck Klamer
Utilities: Christina Anderson
Safety Committee: Bob Matson-GFN Joint Fire District, Jeff Kaiser-Community EMS Rep, Rick Ptrick-Mayor
Village Properties and Sidewalks: Chuck Klamer and Steve Hadzinsky
CRA Housing Officer: Bob Matson
EMS District Representative: Jeff Kaiser
Portage County Regional Planning: Rick Patrick, alternate: Becky Harrington
Planning Commission: Don Harvey-Citizen, Steve Hadzinsky-Council Member, Gerald Kehoe-Citzen Member,
Tom Hardesty-Citizen Member, Rick Patrick-Mayor
Board of Zoning Appeals: Becky Harrington, Larry Eiermann, Dave Kirk
Design Review Board: Roger Angel, Connie Knop, Hallie Higgins, Larry Seaman, Carolyn Sendry
Finance: All Council Members
Income Tax Review Board: Bob Matson, Michele Stuck, and Chuck Klamer
Records Committee: Nancy Baldwin-Clerk/Treasurer, Gretchen Cram, Rick Patrick-Mayor, Michele Stuck-Solicitor
Audit Committee: Nancy Baldwin, Christine Anderson, and Gretchen Cram
Fire District Representative: Bob Matson
The next regular Village Council meeting will be held on February 13th at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. The meeting will be preceded by a Public Hearing, in which proposed Ordinance 2013-1 will be open for public discussion.
