City Council

Office of the Clerk of Council City of Gahanna 200 South Hamilton Road Gahanna, Ohio 43230 Meeting Minutes City Council Thomas R. Kneeland, President of Council Stephen Renner, Vice President of Council Karen J. Angelou, Ryan P. Jolley, Brian D. Larick, Jamie Leeseberg, Michael Schnetzer Kimberly Banning, CMC, Clerk of Council Monday, September 21, 2015 7:00 PM City Hall A. CALL TO ORDER - Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call Gahanna City Council met in Regular Session on Monday, September 21, 2015, in Council Chambers of City Hall, 200 South Hamilton Road, Gahanna, Ohio. President of Council Tom Kneeland called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Vice President of Council Renner delivered an Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Agenda for this meeting was published on September 18, 2015. Present 7 - Karen J. Angelou, Ryan P. Jolley, Jamie Leeseberg, Stephen A. Renner, Michael Schnetzer, Thomas R. Kneeland, and Brian D. Larick B. ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA. None. C. HEARING OF VISITORS. Brian Gildea, 1012 Arcaro Drive, not in favor of high density apartments; schools have trailers to house students; property taxes have doubled; the people in apartments do not have to pay taxes directly but rent will likely go up if property taxes are going up; plan calls for high density, expensive apartments; he is not in support of this plan of development to put in more apartments; developers come to bring in money; noted he supports the Gahanna Police Department and showed up to support them yesterday. Eric Anderson, 480 Barwood Drive, asked at what point did anyone in Gahanna get notice of this plan; Kneeland said Development Director will cover that in the Public Hearing; Anderson said he wanted to hear from Council on this matter; asked if his tax money will be used to support this project; President Kneeland said it's a strategic plan, not a City of Gahanna Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 project; Jolley noted this is a time to hear from the public and we can answer questions at a later time. Ray Kautz, 199 Regents Road, said he is here to speak about the Economic Development Plan; said professionals need to make opinions on the plan before it's implemented; encourages City Council to listen to the residents before adoption. Thomas Lafferty, 425 Agler Road, owns Sunshine Laundry Gahanna, LLC, knew nothing about this Economic Development Plan until just a few days ago; put a lot of time into his business; doubled his business in fourteen years; always room for improvement but if this plan calls for something more high end he is not in support; is paying a reasonable lease; if the developers come in, his rent will increase; this seems rushed; need a longer process. Melinda Bryant, 674 Agler Road, manager at the Sunshine Laundry Gahanna, this proposal affects her work and her family; will listen at the public hearing. D. INTRODUCTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT TO COMMITTEE: Vice President Renner introduced the items under section D. Ordinances - To Be Introduced and Assigned to Committee: ORD-0102-2015 AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE IMPROVEMENT TO CERTAIN PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY'S JOHNSTOWN ROAD DISTRICT TO BE A PUBLIC PURPOSE AND EXEMPT FROM TAXATION; ESTABLISHING A TAX INCREMENT EQUIVALENT FUND AND PROVIDING FOR THE COLLECTION AND DEPOSIT OF SERVICE PAYMENTS INTO THAT FUND; SPECIFYING THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS DIRECTLY BENEFITING THE PARCELS; AND AUTHORIZING MAKE-WHOLE COMPENSATION PAYMENTS TO THE GAHANNA-JEFFERSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE EASTLAND FAIRFIELD CAREER & TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. This Ordinance was introduced. E. CONSENT AGENDA: Minutes - To Approve: City of Gahanna Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 2015-0188 City Council Meeting Minutes & Special Meeting Minutes - September 8, 2015 These Minutes were Approved and Filed on the Consent Agenda. Ordinance: Introduce, Waive Second Reading, Adopt as Emergency: ORD-0103-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH FACEMYER COMPANY FOR THE TECHCENTER SLOPE STABILIZATION ST 1037; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. This Ordinance was Adopted as an Emergency on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0104-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH VALOR CONTRACTING, LLC FOR THE GOLF COURSE FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT PV 376; AND TO SUPPLEMENTALLY APPROPRIATE $29,546; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. This Ordinance was Adopted as an Emergency on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0105-2015 TO ACCEPT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND APPURTENANCES THERETO, FOR OAK GROVE; IMPROVEMENT NO. ST 1018 AND SA 1019; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. This Ordinance was Adopted as an Emergency on the Consent Agenda. Ordinances on Second Reading: ORD-0098-2015 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION - Contract Plan Review Services. This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0099-2015 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION - Contract Electrical Inspections. This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0100-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF COLUMBUS FOR GAHANNA'S PORTION OF THE HAMILTON ROAD PHASE A WIDENING PROJECT. This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0101-2015 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION - 2015 Sanitary Sewer Processing Charges from the City of Columbus. This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. Resolutions to Adopt on First Reading: City of Gahanna Page 3 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 RES-0008-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO MAKE APPLICATION FOR THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (ODNR) BOATING SAFETY EDUCATION GRANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING AND CONTINUING THE CITY'S EDUCATIONAL CANOEING PROGRAM AND FOR ESTABLISHING AN EDUCATIONAL KAYAKING PROGRAM. This Resolution was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. Motion Resolutions: MR-0047-2015 MOTION RESOLUTION TO RE-APPOINT TOM WEBER TO THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AREA HOUSING COUNCIL (CRAHC) BOARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE YEAR TERM. This Motion Resolution was Approved on the Consent Agenda. Approval of the Consent Agenda A motion was made by Leeseberg, seconded by Renner, to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Angelou, Jolley, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick End of the Consent Agenda F. PUBLIC HEARINGS: ORD-0095-2015 TO ADOPT THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN. President Kneeland opened the floor to the administration for discussion and comments. Anthony Jones, Development Director for the City of Gahanna, said the last Economic Development Plan was done in 2007; a lot has changed since then to include the depression; recent state funding cuts have put additional pressure on our general fund; this was the reason they obtained a team of local experts to develop this strategy; the experts have produced a thorough comprehensive and detailed plan about demographics and concepts about what can be done with private and public resources; had a steering committee, interviewed CEOs, local businesses, local developers to better describe their perceptions of Gahanna; submitted report to Council; held a public meeting about the topic to answer questions; key take-aways from the report include: many businesses believe Gahanna needs a better brand; despite being built out, Gahanna has enough land for City of Gahanna Page 4 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 development, there is a demand for real-estate development; our local economy has seen a shift in occupations; happy to say this report concludes that Gahanna has one of the highest office start-up concentrations within central Ohio; will continue to study the findings of the strategy; look forward to using the analysis within this report to help the vision of Gahanna. Council Member Jolley asked Jones the difference between a formal plan and this strategy; a strategy enlists the support of real estate experts and professionals we do not have in City Hall; somewhat unique to the granular level to get down to what the market can support; it pointed out where those efforts should be focused; and where we should identify the needs; Jolley confirmed this is more of a report and not a project plan that the City has devised for implementation; Jones said the project within the plan will need funding and approval. President Kneeland stated the rules that would govern the Public Hearing. President Kneeland opened the Public Hearing at 7:21 p.m. Proponents: Eric Johnston, 117 Moorfield, said he is a proponent & opponent; asked haven't you already purchased property to implement this plan; seems like the City is moving forward; concerned that he lives where Moorfield will cut into Agler; will impact the quality of his neighborhood; said there are a couple of bars; looking at rest of the plan, it is very innovative; sees the roundabout at Imperial and Agler; concern there will be three traffic lights right in a row in the area; suggested we put another roundabout there and eliminate the lights; concerned with traffic in the area and then plan will not benefit; Kneeland said the light at Agler and Stygler will be removed. Laurie Jadwin, 1222 Pond Hollow Lane, also the Executive Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), supports the Economic Development Report; as a City we lose a substantial amount of money when it comes to places to host events because of the lack of hotels; we simply cannot accommodate the requests; surrounding areas, including Dublin, are able to support this request; they recognize the need for a conference center; strongly supports this Economic Development Plan; understands the concern of residents on the west side; however, there has been a substantial amount of time invested in traffic problems on the west side and traffic lights versus roundabouts; the main entry point into our City is off of 670; suggests development in that area as people are seeing that area when they City of Gahanna Page 5 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 exit into the City; maybe make some modifications as they continue to hear public outreach. Jeri Pinnell, owner of Pinnell Dance Centre; have seven classes; all classes have 10 to 20 students; often has trouble getting out of the studio and on the road because of traffic and realizes there is a need for improvement; said she loves the area; supports the improvements to the area; would like to see expansion of the west side; concerned how in the world we are going to figure out traffic pattern; Kneeland said these are concepts and none of this is set in stone; will not happen for a number of years. Laurie Jacks, 358 Morgan Lane, has mixed feelings; believes need a new Economic Development Plan in Gahanna; agrees we need a substantial plan on the west side; proposes that we need additional public input before adoption. Al Hamm, 329 W. Johnstown Rd, just found out about this plan a few days ago; not opposed to it; owns the 5 acres next to the Moose Lodge; looking at page 88; his concern is that zoned limited overlay AR (Multiple Family Residential); concerned that the area development is not in the drawing; he believes his address is in that drawing; zoning can be used for a number of businesses in Gahanna. Katherine Jones, 255 Amfield Court, said the City of Gahanna now owns property at the end of Moorfield; Jones said the CIC (Community Improvement Corporation), is a quasi-corporation; have what is called a land bank program; when the concept was developed two properties were up for sale; if the strategy is to move forward; intent of the City was to not have someone purchase property and then have to relocate. Margaret Ferguson, 632 Bonnington Way, loves the idea of development but not bringing in more hotels; human trafficking is a problem; do not want the children exposed; concerned with the businesses in high rotation because they cannot afford it; think the City is on right tract but had those concerns; Kneeland said great points and will be taken into consideration and the concept used in this plan was based on data based on MORPC and the Inside 2050 Plan; consultants recommendations area based on that; nothing on there that is concrete that will happen in the near future or at all; these are proposals acquired through many different sources; all the data is based on current market value; Leeseberg confirmed she was concerned with the west side; Ferguson said she has not had a chance to look at the plan; Leeseberg encouraged her to look at the plan to get accurate information before looking at flyers; Angelou said Inside 2050 is to deal with the expected growth of this particular area; City of Gahanna Page 6 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 it's the only growing area in the State of Ohio; expected 500 more people living in this area; this may need to happen to preserve our land; making it more accessible with walkers, etc; large change for the area; does not believe there are any Section 8 or low income housing coming to the City. Opponents: Sylvia Casas, 319 Amfield Court, the plan on Moorfield Drive will be extended to her house; she was contacted by a realtor to sell her home; she did not sell her property but other neighbors did because they were contacted by the realtor; talked to Tom and nervous about imminent domain; now she hears it was bought by the committee and no attempt has been made to rent it out; the windows have been boarded up; she is nervous that she will have to move; concerned where the money is coming from to the purchase the homes on the street; Kneeland said there is no money in the plan to move forward; doesn't think it will move on a fast track; Casas said there were a lot of rumors and nobody would tell her what was going on, there is a need to disclose; Jones said the property off Agler is slated to come down; the repairs were greater than the repairs to make it salvageable and will be torn down; there will be a controlled burn, Casas also noted her kids went to the dance school with with Jeri Pinnell. Owner of Mi Tradicion, 111 N. Stygler Road, said him and his family have put their life savings into this business; this plan will make it a street; do not know what will happen with their business; said the parking lot is only place his customers can park; if it is a high end shopping center his rent will go up and cost his business; he is working 12 to 16 hours to make it; has a lot of repeat customers who enjoy his food; just want to be prepared and understand the plan; concerned his rent will go up; he wants to stay in business in Gahanna; is a place they feel is like home; really wants positive business and answers for his family; understands there are a lot of concerns of residents in the area. Deborah Thomas, 66 Imperial Drive, said if the plan goes through she will lose her home; asked how long will this plan take to be approved and when will it be approved; Larick said the approval of the plan gives direction of the future; it is not the implementation of the process to put her out of her home; said there will need to be a project; a request from administration; it will need to be designed, proposed, vetted and budgeted; some projects take a decade or longer; he said there is no project at this point that is identified to start; this plan will entice people into the City of Gahanna; Thomas said if the plan goes through it will affect her; asked who she can contact to get more information; said she also got something in the mail to sell her City of Gahanna Page 7 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 property; Larick said he knows that people are afraid; he said that communication is key; that is why Renner suggested the Public Open House and Angelou requested this Public Hearing tonight; anyone can send an email to council@gahanna.gov or the Development Director; the email addresses are first name dot last name @gahanna.gov; he said anyone can contact anyone on Council; there is always a great deal of venting; Council all has different positions and political backgrounds; happy to discuss this plan with anyone; Thomas loves Gahanna and wants to stay here. Becky Shaw, Eastchester Drive, co-own clinic on Stygler Road; she does not think her business will be impacted but she is opposed to this plan; no resident or business owner was contacted or informed; said she met with the Mayor and Planning and Development Department and was insured there will be public outreach; she went out and talked to everyone and nobody knew about this Plan; this change impacts people's lives; people said they are not surprised; spoke to PNC Bank, Rockwell Cleaners, and businesses next to them and they did not know anything about it; older people did not know anything about the Plan; wants to know why they are just now being informed or brought in for feedback; Mayor said they did not need to know since it is just a plan; she does not see anything in the plan about public meetings or addressing communication issues; this plan talks about zoning, planning and building; there is nothing to inform the public; she urged Council to reject this Plan; she doesn't want them to form a committee to look at the plan or push it back; urges Council to start over with the Plan; there is a lot of distrust within the community; the City is just the government and it is people's perception that they don't care; set up small meetings of people who live and work there; people can come together and make suggestions; not opposed to development but are opposed to not giving the citizens an opportunity to give input; fear and concern is here because of the lack of communication; business owners should have been engaged; urges Council to come up with a better plan. Jolley encouraged people to stay for the remainder of the meeting to hear about the Strategic Plan later on the agenda; said the Economic Development Plan is just a concept. Terry Steek owner of Starchild, 419 Agler Road, his concern is what they promised for Creekside; properties that we were supposed to make money now have tax abatement; not impressed with the City and Council and their economic development. Amanda Blaine, 69 Imperial Drive, she said Becky Shaw said it best; she wanted to know when this was started; Jolley said this was a study that administration commissioned, done by a team of City of Gahanna Page 8 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 consultants and economic development experts who did involve many local business owners; asked Jones when this began; Jones said this was approved in December 2014 and the analysis period took several months to formulate the strategies; she said they moved into their home in July 2014; she said they were excited for her family to start in the area; not familiar with Council but the communication has not been good; supports something being done with the traffic at Stygler and Agler but does not know if this is the something. David Ferguson, 632 Bonnington Way, said his wife was talking about page 197; asked what it was referring to; Kneeland said this is a concept plan only; this would be based on market; this is what could be allowed; Jolley added there is nothing there or planned to be there, it is just representing that some development could go there; possible offices; Schnetzer said this plan is more like a menu; he said not a single project in this plan is guaranteed to happen; the funds are not available; need to prioritize the funds; these projects will go through an extensive vetting process; said we are in the Committee Room every other week to discuss these types of topics. Kneeland said the consultants put diagrams of potential space; discusses square footage; shows what the area can support; cannot say what will go in the developed areas as it is market driven; Leeseberg said he likes the word "menu"; he said this is a document that the Development Director can sell to potential developers; can show ways to promote Gahanna and businesses; will show the Police Department where they may potentially need to patrol and how to staff and conduct their department; this is looking at future revenue; will look at the return on investment; this plan will make the west side better; this will not happen overnight; the city doesn't have the money; this is a plan of what could be. Melinda Bryant; 674 Agler Road, has lived here 23 years; proposed plan on page 97 which is private homes and businesses will be built there; if you want to improve Gahanna; ask residents what they want; don't assume they want something that they don't. Kelly Glaze, 311 Granville Street; received information by a flyer that was dropped off to her home; lives around senior citizens; most of them rent and are alone; most people here who own homes will be bought out but what about poor people who have nowhere to go; every senior center is full in this area; need to notify the public; people saw this on TV before they heard about it; something went wrong; need to correct this and all citizens need to know; Larick said he understands fear but his daughter lives in the same apartments on Flintridge Drive; she is not getting bulldozed and did not get the flyer City of Gahanna Page 9 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 Glaze did; the fear is in how the message was delivered; Connie owns the apartments; nobody has contacted her about selling those apartments; the only way it will happen if the property owner signs and then it still has to go through the process; he spoke to the owner of the building that residents lives in and he spoke to him today; there is not just one newspaper to get this information out or a TV channel for Gahanna; he said he can't stress enough that they are always looking for ways to communicate and publish in any means possible; encourages citizens who use email to give the City their email; not affordable to send letters out about each topic; said for almost two years have been holding coffee with Council to discuss issues and have never had a good turnout; had them twice a month last year and once a month this year; there is not a simple answer for communication; this document wasn't intended to be kept from anyone; there have been multiple meetings; people who attended those meetings had their questions answered and were satisfied; stressed how hard how they try to communicate; Glaze suggested that this be postponed as residents haven't been notified properly. Jolley asked City Attorney to address the adoption of this plan; Ewald stated that the passage of this would be acceptance of the report; said this doesn't allocate money or approve a project; the plan will have to be separately approved, vetted and funded by council; Jolley said he supported this report; he wants it to be acknowledged and will include the community; he will vote for adoption to note that he accepted these recommendations. Angelou said, we can say we have areas that can be developed; that in and of itself is good; it explains the possibilities of buildings; where we should put our marketing; should we put technology on Technology Drive; people can say they don't want this; she thought this would be good for the west side; the idea is to bring revenue into the City to keep from upping tax dollars; not trying to push anything on anybody; this is what land we have and what can be developed; Dublin has $88K budget from people working in their community; we have $21K in Gahanna; need to bring in more jobs and more money to do more with the roads; no good real solution with Agler & US-62; the solution is listed as the most probable; Council will listen, they are a representative democracy; there has been a lot of communication on this study; had several meetings on this Plan; is looking for attraction of good jobs; economic development is to help residents; bring roads and trials; she was happy to see everyone here tonight; this plan has substance but we can look at what is the best or not; she appreciates guidance from everyone. Jeanie Hoffman, 708 Waybaugh Drive, thanked Renner for pushing through on an engagement meeting, concerned with the problems with City of Gahanna Page 10 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 density; cannot stop Jefferson Township from adding students but we can stop it through our zoning; schools become overcrowded; that will be the beginning of the end; asked if you can adopt part or as a whole; if someone purchases Royal Plaza tomorrow, asked where is the chance for public input; Kneeland said there were no residential components to the Plan impacting Royal Plaza. Brenda Herman, 432 Canterwood Court, agree with the growth on west side; her suggestion is in regards to the communication; there is always an insert in the water bill sent out every 3 months for what is going on with Parks & Recreation and around the City; asked why can't this information be put in the water bill; Jolly said the residents he has spoke to said they throw that insert away; said that is one of many ways to reach the residents but it may not be the best option; he said they try; Angelou added that we use the website. Ron Beitel, 314 Agler Road, two doors down from CVS; just from study it shows they have only purchased two houses and will resell if this plan does not go through, but then heard they will burn a house down; the house next door to him is boarded up; asked if Council is burning down more houses; asked what is happening with the houses on Agler; Jones said the CIC has purchased two properties; one will be demolished and there will be a vacant lot until the City approves the process needed; the Agler Road house to the north is in the process of being rented currently; if the concept does not go through it will be resold; there will not be a demolition of that home; Beitel said when he called the City he was told the home on Agler was donated to the Fire Department and could be used for parking; Jolley wanted to know who at the City the resident spoke to; said communication is an issue; huge issue in all communities to reach out to the public; appreciates that he called the City to get some answers; said many are getting flyers dropped off and looking on social media that is not associated with the City and getting false information; said the City has a Facebook and a Twitter; we are constantly looking for ways to communicate. Ray Kautz, 199 Regents Road, he said the same people ask the same thing; why approve a plan that people have most of the same concerns and questions; apologized that Council thinks this plan is gold; does not think an hour and half open town hall meeting is enough to pass this plan; wants more public input. Kneeland said site 1a, on the west side near Royal Plaza shows that's all office, retail and no residential. Another resident said this plan is on the map and up for redevelopment; the Plaza there meets the needs currently; needs City of Gahanna Page 11 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 answers as business owners; does not want to get the boot with new development; appears Royal Plaza will be a road; Larick said regardless of this plan, if someone wants to buy a property, the buyer can do anything they want within the guides of the zoning; this Plan for the City is giving guidance and does not change the current risk; this Plan does not put residents more at risk; Kneeland said Royal Plaza has always been advertised for development. Renner said he has sat silent to listen to everyone's comments; he said he can't emphasize enough that people asked him over and over while he was campaigning "when is the City going to do something with the Royal Manor Plaza"; the objective was to start the process in order to put something on paper to have the discussion; is why he agreed to fund the study to get data; administration found a firm and now they have the data; the overall adoption is the study; the authors of this study were hired to emphasize a starting point; they created concepts; this is not a plan this is the start of a long discussion; that is what they will do; communication problems are frustrating; next thing that happens, if any of these concepts are matured, assures residents there will be civic engagement; before any concepts can move forward they go to planning; that's where you get civic engagement from residents and business owners; things drastically change once you start the planning of the projects; he's excited everyone is here; this is a concept plan that has many miles to go; Leeseberg said the plan is a strategy and it clearly states it; he said it is a guide only. Amanda Blaine, said it does not matter what it is called; it is the baby steps to the many miles and there are concerns, nonetheless. A resident said he spoke earlier and he likes his older home and does not support the redevelopment; suggests administration put this into words the public can understand and not legal wording. Greg Jones, 255 Amfield Court, loves what we are doing on the west side; concerned that the City is already buying house; said the Development Director works for the City; Leeseberg said they have answered the concerns; said the properties came available and they were purchased; would have been irresponsible to allow someone to move into those homes just to potentially purchase them in the future. Angelou added that the next Coffee with Council is on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Donatos on E. Johnstown Road. Becky Shaw, said heard a lot that we are not like Dublin; residents are happy about that; like that this community is family oriented for the City; Council's goals are not the same as the residents; urge them to reject the Plan; like the sleepy, little community; Jolley requested the City of Gahanna Page 12 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 residents do not leave and listen to the items later on the agenda. Kevin Dangle, teaches in the Gahanna schools, will volunteer his assistance in helping communication to the residents. Rebuttal: Margaret Ferguson, Stygler Village and Stygler Common is low income; Angelou said that is senior living; said it is not open; Ferguson said it is government funded; encouraged Council to make a phone call and utilize the phone services like the schools do. Rick Duff, 312 Dunbarton Road, said he did receive the communication from the City via email, the website, Twitter, and Facebook; went to the public meeting and had all his questions answered; specifically the reconfiguration of the Agler and Stygler Road interchange; given increase in traffic and most dangerous intersection; said it is a wonderful plan; also said some things are not so great; would be nice if there was more input; recommends maybe not approving this tonight; CIC transparency is the real issue; they are moving forward without any public record; their meeting minutes are lacking; usually these decisions are made in executive session and not available in the minutes. Scott Handle, 3155 Bingham Mills Drive; bought the old Wonderbread building; happy with the plan; is up for progressive; have put a lot of money into the building; sounds like it is not a plan, it is a study; said some things will be implemented and some will not; good direction to have a direction. President Kneeland closed the Public Hearing at 9:13 p.m. G. STANDING COMMITTEES: 2015-0187 Committee Minutes - September 14, 2015 Committee of the Whole - Renner No report. Finance - Schnetzer No report. Service & Safety - Leeseberg City of Gahanna Page 13 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 No report. Development & Parks - Larick No report. H. CORRESPONDENCE AND ACTIONS: Clerk ORD-0106-2015 TO REZONE .588+/- ACRES OF PROPERTY AS SF-3, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL; SAID PROPERTY LOCATED AT 351 AND 357 CLIFFVIEW DRIVE AND 272 ROCKY FORK DRIVE SOUTH, PARCEL ID NO. 025-000625, 025-000662 AND 025-000624; CURRENT ZONING RID, RESTRICTED INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT; BROOKEWOOD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, APPLICANT. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Cliffview Drive and Rocky Fork Drive South Rezoning application (Z-0005-2015) on September 8, 2015. The Public Hearing will be held on October 5, 2015 and discussed in Committee of the Whole on October 12, 2015. Council No report. I. SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES: ORD-0095-2015 TO ADOPT THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN. A motion was made by Larick, seconded by Jolley, to Adopt the Ordinance. A motion was made by Renner, seconded by Schnetzer, to Amend by Substitution to have the Ordinance read with additional Whereas clauses as follows: WHEREAS, Council is in agreement that further public engagement is preferred in order to fully consider the City’s Economic Development Plan; and WHEREAS, Council desires to form a committee entitled “Economic Development Community Engagement Committee”; and and also to add language in Section 1 as follows: Section 1. That the Economic Development Community Engagement Committee shall be comprised of nine (9) members which will be appointed by City of Gahanna Page 14 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 the President of Council. These members shall consist of four (4) residents of the City of Gahanna, two (2) Council Members and three (3) Administrative Staff. Discussion on the Motion: Renner said he is excited about the public participation we have had; also thanked President Kneeland for his leadership on this topic; thanked Mrs. Hoffman; noted that Karen Angelou was with him in asking for more community engagement; emphasizes that is important to form a working Committee; the Strategy has a lot of good data; the concepts were proposed by a firm and a starting point for discussion; Larick asked for clarification on the Motion made; Renner said the Motion is proposing to add language to the legislation that will create a working group committee; Angelou asked if it would be possible to change the word Plan in the Ordinance to Strategy; will come back with that Motion. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Angelou, Jolley, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick A motion was made by Angelou, seconded by Jolley, that this Ordinance be Amended by Substitution to change the terminology to the Economic Development Strategy instead of Economic Development Plan. Discussion on the Motion: Jolley said the terminology is important; said it is difficult to change the language from professionals to give to the public and to include legal wording that is required; Kneeland added that the Executive Summary that was handed out was given to help Council understand. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Angelou, Jolley, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick Larick said to make it clear this is implementing the strategy as described; Kneeland said this is the Ordinance as amended; Jolley said this is to adopt the findings and create a committee; said it is excellent everyone is here; said we are a representative government; Council was elected on the residents behalf to spend the time looking through these types of documents; does not believe that means the residents should not look through the documents; also want to discuss items that are important to him; talked to many residents throughout the City but there are residents who he has not talked to; no one person can be completely familiar with every document or word on each topic; said there is a large onus on citizens to go out and get the information; all information is online and we are completely transparent; we cannot reproduce thousands of pages and drop off to each resident; asked how many people in the audience who have never been to a City Council meeting before; the point is a lot of people do not come to the meetings; seems sometimes that things are not happening; a lot of things go on 24/7 around the City; not every person can be familiar with all topics; heard tonight that people were not informed ahead of time; asked ahead of what time; this was proposed before Council over a year ago; funds were approved last December; input was gathered; these topics take weeks, months, City of Gahanna Page 15 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 years, and even decades and the information is out there; we are not taking any action tonight that will do anything directly; there is a lot of misinformation out there; we need to think critically about what a random person posts on the internet; not everything on the internet is true; come to the City or call the City to get questions answered; encouraged citizens to go to the City's Facebook, website and other social media websites; the City is a business and we have a business plan; there are a number of services provided; there are incredible experts in this room who put hours and talent into these types of plans; the Executive Director of the CVB can attest to the time that goes into the planning of events; the woman who spoke who was in tears pains him as she was given information that scared her and not accurate information; hears the word high-density housing and said the information being spread is wrong; change happens and we want the young professionals in an apartment who will eventually buy a house with land in the City and then move into a senior living facility in the community while supporting our businesses; that is the cycle; the reality is, cost is going up, funding from the state government is being cut, we will do less as a City with the costs without implementation of development like this or raising taxes; this is not about the City generating revenue to stuff in the employees pockets; this is so we can pave more roads; thanked the public for coming out and being involved; hopes to see these residents at future meetings; important that people understand what City Council does in the City; said in regards to the strategy we need this and it's analysis; this is a Ph.D. level thesis; plans to vote for this tonight. Larick said there is an e-newsletter that is put out on a routine basis about topics going on in the City; just need to provide an email address; Angelou said on each agenda and legislation is the Gahanna vision statement; the statement was written by Council; tries to see how each thing we do in the City plays into the vision; Leeseberg said emails are collected at each Coffee with Council to provide any feedback or information that is being requested; Kneeland thanked everyone for coming out; have not seen a turnout like this in years; has a deep connection to this community and the west side; realizes there are problems on the west side that need to be addressed; there is much traffic in the area as people pass through to Columbus and New Albany; we need revenue streams to accomplish the tasks being requested by residents; hopes that residents look forward to being a part of discussions; Schnetzer added that Dublin has a resident population of about 40k which is similar to ours; said their population budget is around $88k and ours is around $26k; would like to have some of Dublin's money; we can support some of the things we need and want with the economic development; hopes the Council supports the adoption of the document. A motion was made by Larick, seconded by Jolley, that this Ordinance be City of Gahanna Page 16 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 Adopted as Amended. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Angelou, Jolley, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick ORD-0093-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH MANAGING RESULTS, LLC FOR THE PURPOSE OF FACILITATING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PHASE OF THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. A motion was made by Jolley, seconded by Schnetzer, that this Ordinance be Adopted. Discussion on the Motion: Jolley said have been learning about this strategic plan for over a year and a half; this is finding out what a consensus of what the community wants to see moving forward; that includes all economic development and many other topics; this next step is to put together the information with the public; they will gather in cross section with the community; will get the entire community to come together for a vision; the economic development strategy gives us the data needed; this plan will help ideas come together; keep the small town feel while addressing the realities that need to be brought forward; this is an actual plan to hold a specific number of meetings throughout the City; will include stakeholders and will come to a consensus and get direction; regardless of members or staff, we can't move ahead without input of where to go. A motion was made by Renner, seconded by Larick, that this Ordinance be postponed two weeks. Discussion on the Motion: Larick said he expressed concerns a few weeks ago about this plan; he said the cost of this project as proposed is more than the value proposed; Renner said he has questions on the contractual items; Jennifer Teal, Director of Finance, gave him contact information but it's not clear to him; wants to discuss it in committee; asked how much of the data we will claim to a strategy plan; agrees with Larick that the costs outweigh the value at this point; also like to know more about this plan. Jolley said they had a Committee meeting that was over an hour and the scope of work was discussed and concerns were brought up; opportunity was brought up last Monday and nobody said a word; planned to spend the funds last year and we knew this going in; no logic in saying no now; we have overwhelmingly heard the need for public input; what purpose will this serve; we have the opportunity; absolutely opposed to postpone; challenge colleagues to provide clear and reasonable position on why; Renner said this has been a process; there was a lot of time spent reading and digesting the information; did not have the plan in front of him when the funding was approved; now questioning the strategy plan before us; Jolley said was not challenging logic on challenging the plan; said Renner said did not want to spend funds on this now since we spent money on the Economic Development Strategy; concerned that it was already planned and approved; do not understand how postponing this will change the goals or timeline that were identified; need to implement a strategy to move forward. Kneeland said he is on board with Renner and has new questions that are paramount with him supporting the plan; things he could not put his finger on previously he is now able to ask for input and has acquired new information; City of Gahanna Page 17 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 what collection methods are going to generate the results that we need; we spend money and we should be able to measure our successes; he intends to support it once he gets his questions answered; Jolley asked what new information was presented, he is not aware; Kneeland said he does not have the data in front of him; will send that out; Jolley concerned that the information was not shared before tonight or as soon as it was obtained; Schnetzer said he supports the plan; optimistic hope for more buy-in for a plan that he supports; despite the second of the original Motion, if it helps to get other questions answered not opposed to postponement; Angelou supports the plan; said she believes the two agencies have two different components to bring what we need like measuring goals, etc; does not understand why this was not brought up last Monday; so she will support postponement if it gets us to the end product; wants discussion next Monday. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 6- Angelou, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick No: 1- Jolley AMEND BY SUBSTITUTION: ORD-0094-2015 TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH ACP GREENE AND ASSOCIATES, LLC, DBA planningNEXT, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FACILITATING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PHASE OF THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. A motion was made by Jolley, seconded by Schnetzer, that this Ordinance be Amended by Substitution and Adopted. Discussion on the Motion: A motion was made by Renner, seconded by Leeseberg, that this Ordinance be postponed two weeks. Discussion on the Motion: Jolley reiterated his displeasure with this process; Schnetzer said he has the same comments as he had when postponing ORD-0093-2015; said we risk the Motion failing if we do not allow the postponement; Angelou added that she has the same comments and wants this portion to pass because this firm engages the public; Kneeland said he is for the plan but has additional concerns. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 6- Angelou, Leeseberg, Renner, Schnetzer, Kneeland and Larick No: 1- Jolley J. FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES: None. K. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS: City of Gahanna Page 18 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 MR-0046-2015 MOTION RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF $7,500 FROM THE FINANCE CONTRACT SERVICES FUND TO THE MAYOR CONTRACT SERVICES FUND NECESSARY FOR THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN. A motion was made by Jolley, seconded by Schnetzer, that this Motion Resolution be Approved. Discussion on the Motion: A motion was made by Larick, seconded by Leeseberg, to postpone the Motion Resolution two weeks. Discussion on the Motion: Jolley said he hears that there is still support of the plan; would like this passed to show good faith; Larick said he would like to pass everything as a whole. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5- Angelou, Leeseberg, Renner, Kneeland and Larick No: 2- Jolley and Schnetzer L. REPRESENTATIVES: Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) - Larick/Kneeland Larick said next meeting is October 20, 2015 at 7:30 a.m. in City Hall. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) - Angelou Angelou said they met on September 10; started with Mayor Stage with Grove City a discussion and presentation on distracted driving; noted they had a simulator and they will lend that out to other communities; all students have actually gone through this; Director's report showed we have the best job growth in the midwest; it was also opening up the tunnel on 23; have done an intern program this summer and will be having the same program next year; we want to put our name on that list; our Development Director will present data in October to MORPC; the Summit on Sustainability will be on October 2; will cover a number of topics; from 8:30 - 4:00 p.m.; Anthony Jones will be presenting at a breakout session; MORPC will be doing the safe routes to school conference; sponsorship will be Nationwide Insurance; plan to show various projects; hopefully can spread the news about Gahanna; noted we are the people who will set the dates for community trick-or-treats; set for October 29; got our sixty second member from the village of New Lexington in Perry County; this is the 70 year birthday of the metro parks; they are funded by property tax; MORPC puts together crash sites and we have the top 40 regional City of Gahanna Page 19 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 crash intersections; happy to report none are within the City of Gahanna; will have a copy in the Council office; Federal Transportation bill was extended to October 29. Bd. of Education, Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools - Jolley No report. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Jolley Thanked Laurie Jadwin for her presentation at the last committee meeting; adds value and is great information; shows what can be done when we think outside the box and engage in long term strategic planning; can look at what adds value to our community; wants to highlight the things that seem like a waste of money; these are real things that have a financial impact to the City; very large major businesses from central Ohio that have considered Gahanna; the CVB plays a huge role in publicizing the wonderful things that go on in Gahanna; asked Jadwin how many states we have reached; Jadwin said 46 states and some parts of Canada that have requested information about Gahanna. M. OFFICIAL REPORTS: Mayor Not present. City Attorney Thanked everyone for coming tonight; said it is important to hear; understands the frustrations having been a Council member for 8 years; need the public engagement. N. COUNCIL COMMENT Angelou thanked everyone for coming and giving ideas; said we are always listening; may not always agree; would be difficult to get the people here to agree on everything in one particular spot; give long hard discussion on things; do not want to hurt the people of Gahanna; government exists to be able to do the things that the residents cannot do; we want to do all of the things that are important; tourism is a large component of bringing in dollars to a City; the revenue from tourism is such a substantial number; that is worthy of our money; it is all about customer service; want to give good customer service; Leeseberg reiterated that he is pleased with the outcome; said it is the only way City of Gahanna Page 20 City Council Meeting Minutes September 21, 2015 we get feedback; will work together to communicate; Schnetzer said he is happy about the large turnout; said it was beneficial to him to hear the concerns; will carry the notes from tonight into future discussion; urges everyone to stay engaged; every project will be fully vetted in the committee meetings; Jolley echoed the thanks to the audience for coming out; we understand how time consuming it is to sit through the meetings; staying involved is the only way to keep things going the way you want it to go; start at gahanna.gov; Larick thanked his mother for attending tonight; said she is not local and is happy she was able to attend this meeting; will be here to answer any questions this evening after the meeting; Renner echoed all the comments; it is important to emphasize the point that civic engagement is necessary; took his Oath of Office very seriously; it is a responsibility; Kneeland said it is sometimes very difficult to make decisions; just have to do the right thing; would like to create the Economic Development Community Engagement Committee (EDCEC) at this time; asked Angelou and Renner to be representatives; will work on the administration staff and residents. O. ADJOURNMENT: 10:34 p.m. Kimberly Banning, CMC Clerk of Council APPROVED by the City Council, this day of 2015. Thomas R. Kneeland City of Gahanna Page 21