MINUTES OF MEETING OF
IRONTON CITY COUNCIL
February 25, 2021
6:00 p.m.
A regular meeting of Ironton City Council was held on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. via video conferencing. Present was acting Vice Mayor, Nate Kline, who presided and members:
Cleary, Haney, Hock, Pierce, Rist – six.
All persons stood for an invocation from Rev. Margaret Tyson of Quinn Chapel AME Church, and then the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes of the Finance Committee of February 11, 2021, and the Regular Meeting of
February 11, 2021, stood approved as submitted.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Mr. Cleary said he received an email from Mrs. Waldo (McKee) about her property that she is wanting to de-annex. He asked if any work had been done on that yet? Mr. Kline said in talking to Mr. Harvey, he was waiting for her to get some information back. He said he thinks it had something to do with a plat. He said he is not 100% sure on that. Mr. Cleary said Mrs. Waldo was just asking if it was still moving forward and if they needed anything else. Mack Anderson said he could add something to that. He said Mrs. Waldo had called him about it. He said the statute requires that she provide a plat or a map of the area to be de-annexed. She is getting that information for them so it can be attached to the ordinance that is going to be introduced. He said it is the County Commissioners who have the final say on it. He said if Council passes an ordinance saying they are ok with it, then she files that along with a petition with the County Commissioners and with the plat or the map, asking them to approve it. Mr. Cleary asked Mr. Anderson why it was like that and was the property not totally in the City? Mr. Anderson said no, it is totally in the City, that is just how the statute is written. He said the County Commissioners have to accept it on behalf of the townships because it will become part of Upper Township. But it’s the Commissioners who have to accept it. It takes both the City Council and the County Commissioners to agree to do it.
Mr. Haney said he had received a few phone calls regarding the bad weather. He said they were positive comments regarding the Sanitation Department and the Street Department, and also with the Fire Department and Police Department. He said they had a fire on Third Street, and he heard a lot of comments that people were impressed that it didn’t spread, as well as comments about the Police Department with the recent police chase and the police apprehending the suspect. He said there were also comments about the City Departments and how they handled the unfortunate situation everyone was put in. He wanted to pass that on to Council. Mr. Kline said he also wanted to commend all of the City Departments based on our ice and snow storm and how they were able to react to it; but specifically, our Street, Sanitation, Water Distribution, Police and Fire, because he thinks they really stepped up during the last two weeks, and they did a great job. Mr. Kline said there is always going to be an issue with the potholes and what the weather does to them. He said he noticed that the Street Department did some pothole work earlier before all of the bad weather. He asked Mr. Pemberton, if someone has an issue or concern with potholes, what should we tell them about possibly reporting it, or is there a certain season where the Street Department goes out and hits all of those, or something we could possibly update the public on? Mr. Pemberton said they try to get them on how critical they are, if they are in the line of wheel traffic, they try to get them as quick as they can because it is dangerous and could bust a tire or break a wheel off. He said another thing they could use right now is coal patch material. He said it doesn’t really work that well, but that is the only thing they can use until their hot patch asphalt plant opens hopefully within the next 30 days. He said if someone sees a pothole, they should call the Mayor’s Office or his phone, and they will react to it as quick as they can.
COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Kline said in their agenda packet they have an email from Mike Burns from Baird regarding bonds and bond covenant compliance, a letter from Rayetta Waldo regarding Ora Richey Road property and a letter from Mayor Cramblit regarding reappointment of Mark Dickess to the Income Tax Review Board.
REPORTS – None
ORDINANCES
ORDINANCE NO. 21-04 – ADOPTING THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF IRONTON, STATE OF OHIO, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY was given first reading.
Mr. Cleary said he wanted to mention that Ordinance No. 21-04 was given a favorable recommendation by the Finance Committee. Mr. Cleary moved, seconded by Mr. Pierce, to suspend the rules and give Ordinance No. 21-04 second and third reading by title only. Motion passed unanimously and Ordinance No. 21-04 was given second and third reading. Mr. Cleary moved, seconded by Ms. Rist, to adopt Ordinance No. 21-04. Motion passed unanimously. ADOPTED
ORDINANCE NO. 21-07 – REPEALING ORDINANCE 06-28 SETTING A FLAT FEE OF $10.00 PER MONTH FEE FOR STORM WATER UTILITY FOR VACANT RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES NOT OTHERWISE BEING BILLED THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEE was given first reading.
Mr. Kline said in talking with Mr. Harvey, and Mr. Kline agrees with him, he stated that he thought this needed to be heard and given a recommendation from the Public Utilities Committee. He asked Ms. Rist to at some point coordinate with Mr. Harvey and Mr. Haney to schedule a PUC meeting sometime prior to their next meeting to hear it and give it a recommendation. Ms. Rist said she would.
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION NO. 21-05 – RESOLUTION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR ODNR GRANT was read.
Mr. Haney said he would like to mention that this Resolution was favorably recommended by the Recreation Committee and also by the Finance Committee. He said also this is time sensitive, and it has to be in by March 1st. Mr. Haney moved, seconded by Mr. Cleary, to adopt Resolution No. 21-05. Motion passed unanimously. ADOPTED
RESOLUTION NO. 21-06 – RESOLUTION APPROVING THE MAYOR TO FILE AN APPLICATION FOR THE PADDLING ENHANCEMENT GRANT THROUGH THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WATERWAYS SAFETY FUND AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY was read.
Mr. Haney said he wanted to clarify what this Resolution is actually for. He said it is for the City Recreation and Waterways and would enhance parking, with additional parking, disabled parking, boat drop-ins and basically enhance the area for recreational purposes. He said this Resolution was favorably recommended by the Recreation Committee and also by the Finance Committee. Mr. Haney moved, seconded by Mr. Cleary, to adopt Resolution No. 21-06. Motion passed unanimously. ADOPTED
MISCELLANEOUS
Mr. Cleary said he wanted to mention that they have the January 2021 financials. Mr. Cleary moved, seconded by Mr. Haney, to receive, file and make a part of the minutes the January 2021 financials. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Pierce said at their last Council Meeting Mr. Haney said that he had received a bid on a leaf collector and that he had emailed it out to Council. He said he has not received it and wondered if Mr. Haney could resend that email with the bid to him. Mr. Haney said he would do that. Mr. Pierce said also at their last Council Meeting the Mayor had said that he had been in discussion with several of the business owners downtown concerning parking. He asked if there had been any movement on this situation? Mayor Cramblit said he is going to meet with Joe Sokol on Tuesday, and he will make that part of their discussion; and he will have more information at the next meeting.
Mr. Kline asked Mayor Cramblit if he could extend an invitation to Dr. Bill Dingus for their quarterly Economic Development update in one of the meetings for March? He said that has been a great thing for communication. He said also they had talked about having Kevin Wood on a quarterly basis to give them an update on some of the projects that they have going on in the City. He would like to see if Mr. Wood could come on the alternate meeting date and give them a few updates on where they are at—specifically for the most recent projects that they approved, the flood pumps sanitary sewer and storm sewer feasibility study and the North 5th Street Bridge water line replacement. Mr. Kline said the next item he had was the opinion he requested from Mack and Brigham concerning the process needed for condemnation and demolition of unsafe structures. He said they issued that opinion on January 21st. He said he had tried to send this out on his City email, but he had some issues. He said he would like for all councilmembers to review that opinion. He said he will resend it back out. He said in conversations with other councilmembers, the Mayor and Brett Thomas, he thinks there is a large need in our community to identify blighted property that is vacant and a hazard in our community; and he thinks this is something they really need to pursue and really get enforced. He said in their discussions on Thursday and in their budget workshop, he would like to identify some areas where they could fund a program to be aggressive in attacking some of this blighted property. He said also in their conversations they talked about how to get those empty lots back to market and developed, and he referred to Step 8 in Mack and Brigham’s opinion. He said that would require a transfer from City to a Community Improvement Corporation to get those back out into the market and get them developed for housing or commercial. He said in his opinion that would require the development of a Community Improvement Corporation which would be able to accept that property and transfer that to possible buyers or someone who would develop it instead of some of the actions needed by municipalities to liquidate land. He said he would like to ask their Solicitors to start the process, whether it be by legislation or what would be needed, to go ahead with the next steps for developing an Ironton Community Improvement Corporation, so that would be able to be in place to be reviewed by Council and Mayor. He would like to see a Board of Directors established for the Ironton Community Improvement Corporation. He said he would like for councilmembers to be able to get some feedback on how that Board of Directors would be established. He said his thoughts would be two councilmembers, the City Solicitor, the Mayor and a member at large appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council. He said in addition to that, he has already talked to Mr. Harvey as far as when the Mayor is ready, to have a Council as a Whole meeting to discuss those steps to condemnation and demolition exclusively because this will be quite a bit of a conversation. He said he knows this is a lot of information to throw out at Council, and he is open to hear some comments. Mr. Haney said he completely agrees and thinks it is something that is much needed and if well utilized, it could really be a big asset toward the development of our community. He said if Mr. Kline needs any help with it or volunteers for it, he would be willing to help. Mr. Pierce said he is in agreement as well, and he thinks it is a need for our town. Ms. Rist said she was also in agreement.
Mr. Haney moved, seconded by Ms. Rist, to go into Executive Session to discuss imminent litigation with Council, the Mayor, and the Solicitor, with no action to follow. Motion passed unanimously.
Minutes were taken by Marta Leach, Clerk.
In attendance: John Elam, Finance Director, Mayor Cramblit, Mack Anderson