February 6th, 2017 Council Minutes
Once approved, a link to the official council minutes will be at the bottom.
COUNCIL MINUTES
February 6, 2017
St. Clairsville City Council met in Council Chambers on Monday, February 6, 2017, with the following present:
Jim Weisgerber, Council President Terry Pugh, Mayor
Mark Bukmir, Council 3rd Ward Jim Zucal, Service Director
Linda Jordan, Council-At-Large Jeff Henry, Police Chief
Beth Oprisch, Council-At-Large Tom Murphy, Planning & Zoning Administrator
Jake Olsavsky, Council, 1st Ward Richard Myser, Law Director
Frank Sabatino, Council 2nd Ward Cindi Henry, Finance Director
Mike Smith, Council-At-Large Don Smithberger, Electric Superintendent
John Tomlan, Council 4th Ward Shelley Fortney, Utility Office Manager
The meeting was called to order by Council President Jim Weisgerber.
Members of Boy Scout Troup 59 led the Pledge of Allegiance.
MINUTES
Minutes of the January 17, 2017 regular meeting were distributed to Council. A motion to accept the minutes was made by Jake Olsavsky and seconded by Mike Smith.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
CITIZENS HEARING: Charlotte Hill & Maryann Abraham, Garden Club
Charlotte Hill: We are here just to tell you we bought new ribbon to wrap the poles uptown. We know how beautiful the city looks and we want to keep that festive look, but when the guys put them up and take them down please ask them to do it very carefully and store it appropriately. A few of us have volunteered to come and help them the first time they take it down to show them how it should be stored so it will be good for a few more years. The Gardner’s Forum is not a fund raising organization. We took on the project of replacing all of the City’s holiday decorations because we like all of you are so very proud of our town and wish to make it a showplace. Our contribution to the city over the last three years was over $17,000. We were happy to do that. Jim Weisgerber: We appreciate what you have done for the City and we will try to take a little better care of them. Terry Pugh: I talked to Brenda Ponzani and I have on my calendar October 1st to schedule a meeting with everyone involved. We really appreciate everything you have done for this city. A wedding was held in St. Clairsville in December and the groom was from Denver, Colorado and his family was not very happy about coming to a coal mining town in Ohio. However from the minute they showed up they fell in love with our town. They look forward to coming back to see the flowers in the spring.
REPORTS:
Service Director: Jim Zucal
Ordinance No. 2017-06. The Tax Increment Financing Agreement (TIF) is with GDNG, Equity and the City. This is for the infrastructure improvement at Commons Mall Crossing. This group has worked together to put this before the Franklin County Finance Authority, we are ready now to enter into an agreement. We will have the first reading tonight. There is no rush on this, we can have all three readings.
I also want to talk with Council about having a special scheduled work session about this along with the potential for a utility rate increase. It was decided to hold the meeting on Monday, February 13th at 7:00 in Council Chambers.
Mayor: Terry Pugh
We received a check for $7,640.80 from Volunteer Energy Services. This is the check that we receive annually the company that administers our gas aggregation program.
I have a Police Report for January 2017
Calls and Complaints 189
Special Teams Call Outs 1
Accidents 16
Arrests 24
Parking Tickets Issued 0
Traffic Stops 62
Miles put on Cruisers 6,218
Gasoline Used 748.8 gallons
Police Chief, Jeff Henry:
We will have a brief Police Committee meeting after this meeting. Frank Sabatino: I want to thank Chief Henry and his Department for handling an issue last week. Jim Weisgerber: I would like to make a comment to Jeff and the Police Force. I have noticed since we dropped our speed limit to 25 which we took a little flack over that the accident report is dwindling down and as Jeff mentioned we have had no real serious injuries. That is hats off to the Department for being visible out there and also the fact that we did lower the speed limit.
Finance Director, Cindi Henry:
Presenting Ordinance No. 2017-05. The City in the past has had the Audit team from the Auditor of State’s Office audit our books as well as the Local Government Services employees do our GAAP reporting. We are going to an independent audit, not of our own wishes. This will be for the 2016 audit, however they have chosen to keep us for the GAAP reporting. This is their letter of engagement requiring it to be passed as soon as possible. They want it back no later than February 17th.
Planning & Zoning, Tom Murphy:
The Planning Commission met tonight. Back in May of last year the Jack Malik property at 100 High Street had been proposed for a zone change. There was a public hearing. There was no decision made, the meeting was tabled until a traffic study was prepared and brought before the Planning Commission. In December Greg Malik and Hull & Associates wanted to get clarification on what was required with the traffic study so they came before the Committee tonight. There was no decision. They will proceed with drawing up a traffic study unless we hear differently.
A Board of Zoning Appeals meeting has been scheduled for March 1st at 6:00 P.M. Paula Henry is requesting a conditional use home occupation at 251 East Main Street, that is where she resides on the second floor. It is to establish a small office for a business known as Quantum Bio Feedback.
Jim Zucal and I met with Kathy Kelich the Belmont County Treasurer in regard to the land bank. In St. Clairsville we are very lucky that there are not very many structures in town that need to be demolished. It is a long process to get to that point. We have two properties that we are working with Kathy on one on Neff Street and one on Jefferson to see if we can get them involved in the land bank and ultimately get those structures torn down. Kathy has been great to work with. February is the first hurdle just to make sure these structures can be part of that and in March there is a potential that we could get grant funds. The positive thing is the City could take over these properties if they aren’t part of the grant funds and demolish the building and sell the lots either to the adjacent property owner to maintain or someone who might want to build a structure. The positive thing is we get the property back on the tax roll.
There is an ordinance before you No. 2017-04 that we definitely need as an emergency. Mayor Pugh received a letter from the Ohio Development Services Agency. We have an agreement with them in regard to Home Funds, CDBG Funds, for example first time home buyers, housing rehab program. The City still has some funds available that are handled by Bel-O-Mar Regional Planning Organization. This agreement should be approved every three years. They need an ordinance and the agreement signed in 14 days.
COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Finance, Mike Smith: No Report
Utilities, Frank Sabatino:
Committee met this evening Shelley Fortney, Don Smithberger and Scott Brown were present.
Don Smithberger: We did put up a security light requested by the Police Department down by the biketrail.
Police, Mark Bukmir: Meeting after Council
Street North Side, Jake Olsavsky: No Report
Street South Side, Linda Jordan: No Report
Safety, Beth Oprisch: No Report
Building & Grounds, Mark Bukmir: Committee met Friday morning, will be presented to Council by Mayor and Service Director later.
Planning Commission, Mike Smith: No Report
Fire District, Frank Sabatino
Met on Wednesday, January 28th Chief Rice reviewed the annual report. It will be available in the Mayor’s Office.
Recreation, Linda Jordan: No Report
Park District, Linda Jordan: No Report
ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS
Law Director, Richard Myser
We have no Ordinances to be read for the third time. We do have Ordinance No. 2017-03, that is the Ordinance that is extending the time to file the final plat for the St. Clair Commons Subdivision. We have three Ordinances to be read for the first time.
Ordinance No. 2017-04 is directing the Mayor to authorize the execution of a housing revolving loan fund agreement with the State of Ohio.
Resolution No. 2017-05 is a resolution authorizing the city to enter into agreement with the State of Ohio Auditor’s Office for service to prepare financial statements.
Ordinance No. 2017-06 is approving an agreement among the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority, the City of St. Clairsville, Senior Suites at St. Clair Commons and the Huntington National Bank.
You also have a draft of a vicious dog ordinance. It is not to be voted on tonight it is just for you to review so we can have discussion at a later date.
There was presented and read to Council on its second reading by title only, ORDINANCE NO. 2017-03; AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE TIME TO FILE THE FINAL PLAT FOR THE ST. CLAIR COMMONS SUBDIVISION FROM MARCH 17, 2017 TO SEPTEMBER 17, 2017.
There was presented and read to Council on its first reading by title only, ORDINANCE NO. 2017-04, AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A HOUSING REVOLVING LOAN FUND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF OHIO, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGENCY AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Linda Jordan moved that the rules requiring ordinances and resolutions to be read on three separate readings be suspended and declaring an emergency; Jake Olsavsky seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
There was presented and read to Council on its third and final reading by title only, ORDINANCE NO. 2017-04. a motion was made by Jake Olsavsky and seconded by John Tomlan that Ordinance No. 2017-04 be passed by Council.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
Ordinance No. 2017-04 was declared adopted
There was presented and read to Council on its first reading by title only, RESOLUTION NO. 2017-05; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF OHIO, AUDITOR’S OFFICE, REGARDING SERVICES TO PREPARE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Linda Jordan moved that the rules requiring ordinances and resolutions to be read on three separate readings be suspended and declaring an emergency; Jake Olsavsky seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
There was presented and read to Council on its third and final reading by title only, RESOLUTION NO. 2017-05. a motion was made by Linda Jordan and seconded by Jake Olsavsky that Resolution No. 2017-05 be passed by Council.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
Resolution No. 2017-05 was declared adopted.
There was presented and read to Council on its first reading by title only, ORDINANCE NO. 2017-06; AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AMONG THE COLUMBUS-FRANKLIN COUNTY FINANCE AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE, SENIOR SUITES AT ST. CLAIR COMMONS, LLC AND THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK AS TRUSTEE.
MAYOR’S REPORT:
The Mayor’s Collection for January, 2017 was $13,878.25. A motion was made by Jake Olsavsky and seconded by Mark Bukmir to accept the Mayor’s Report.
Roll Call Vote
Bukmir Yes Sabatino Yes
Jordan Yes Smith Yes
Oprisch Yes Tomlan Yes
Olsavsky Yes
Roll Call Vote: Seven (7) Yes Zero (0) No Motion Approved
Council will meet in a work session on Monday, February 13, 2017 at 7:00
The next regular Council Meeting will be Tuesday, February 21, 2017, at 7:30 in the Council Chamber.
There being no other business to come before Council, a motion to adjourn was made by John Tomlan and seconded by Frank Sabatino.