City Council

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING MASSILLON CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025 COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Good evening. Welcome to the Massillon City Council meeting for Monday, July 7, 2025. We have in attendance the following City officials: Mayor, Jamie Slutz, City Engineer, Alex Pitts and Director of Development, Ted Herncane. Under #5 on the agenda is where the public can speak on any topic that appears on tonight’s agenda and under #17 is where the public can speak on any topic that does NOT appear on tonight’s agenda. I’d like to remind you that if you have a cell phone, please set it to mute, vibrate or turn it off. Thank you. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Roll call, please. 1. ROLL CALL Roll call for the evening found the following Council Members present: Holly Bryan-Huth, Jill Creamer, Mike Gregg, Julie Harwig Smith, Ed Lewis, Seth Marcum, John Paquelet and Eric Ray Roll call of 8 present COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilman Gregg. COUNCILMAN GREGG – Thank you, President Slater. I’d like to make a motion that we excuse Councilwoman Cunningham from tonight’s meeting. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Seconded by Councilman Ray. Roll call. 8 yes to excuse Councilwoman Cunningham COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you, Madam Clerk. 2. INVOCATION COUNCILWOMAN JILL CREAMER 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY COUNCILWOMAN CREAMER COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you. 4. READING OF THE JOURNAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Madam Clerk, are the minutes of the previous meeting transcribed and open for public viewing? COUNCIL CLERK ROLLAND – Yes, they are. 1  COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Are there any additions or corrections to be made? COUNCIL CLERK ROLLAND – No, there are not. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – If not, then the minutes stand approved as written. Thank you, Madam Clerk. COUNCIL CLERK ROLLAND – You are welcome. 5. REMARKS OF DELEGATIONS AND CITIZENS TO MATTERS ON THE AGENDA 6. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 7. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Ord. No 54 – 2025. ORDINANCE NO. 54 – 2025 BY: STREETS, HIGHWAYS, TRAFFIC & SAFETY COMMITTEE AN ORDINANCE authorizing the Director of the City of Massillon, Ohio, to sign the Preliminary Participatory Legislation with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the resurfacing project, PID 113028, and declaring an emergency. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilman Paquelet. COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – Yes. Mr. Pitts, could you please come up? ALEX PITTS – Good evening, Council. COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – Does anyone have any questions for Mr. Pitts? COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilwoman Harwig Smith. COUNCILWOMAN HARWIG SMITH – Thank you. I just had a question; maybe you can reiterate where it’s at just for the public since it’s the actual Council meeting? But as far as the cost, you said we pay 30% and 20% of the resurfacing, did I get that right? ALEX PITTS – So we pay 20% of the asphalt resurfacing. We pay 100% of any base repairs, curb ramps or utility adjustments. So, ODOT had suggested that we budget around 30% of the project which is around $450,000. Now again, that is not a set in stone amount as for a lot of the curb ramps are already done. They were done last time ODOT came through and resurfaced. So, we shouldn’t have to pay for those and then also the base repair, the pavement repair, I’m trying to lower that as well; the quantity that they have in there. It’s almost like they have a boiler plate quantity per however many linear feed or however many miles that they go to resurface. I want to bring that down a little bit, if possible, and it’ll also, subsequently bring down the cost. So, at minimum we will have to pay $265,000, at the bear minimum. Because that includes just the surface course of the asphalt. That’s 80%/20%. COUNCILWOMAN HARWIG SMITH – And this is Erie St. to Rt. 241, city limits, Community Park? 2  ALEX PITTS – Correct. COUNCILWOMAN HARWIG SMITH – Erie St. to Tremont Ave and then there’s a blank space and then Erie St. to the Lincoln Way viaduct. Are they doing bridge repairs too? ALEX PITTS – No. Just that part of Lincoln Way to the viaduct. So, Rt. 172 all the way up to where we paved. COUNCILWOMAN HARWIG SMITH – So, Erie St. to the bottom of the viaduct or over? ALEX PITTS – Yes. Just not the portion of what we’ve already done, though. There’s a portion that’s already done, basically, from Erie to Lincoln Way. We’re not doing that because that’s already done. Everything else within that limit is being done. COUNCILWOMAN HARWIG SMITH – Alright. Thank you. That’s all I have. COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – And this is all for 2026, correct? ALEX PITTS – Correct. The bid opening will be March 12, 2026, according to ODOT’s calendar. COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – Does anyone else have any further questions? This has emergency language, so, time constraints, so if anyone doesn’t have any issues, I’d like to move it ahead for a vote. So, I’d like to make a motion to waive the rules requiring three readings and bring Ord. No. 54 – 2025 forward for a vote. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Seconded by Councilwoman Creamer. Roll call for suspension. 8 yes for suspension COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – And for passage. 8 yes for passage COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you, Madam Clerk. Ord. No. 54 – 2025 has passed. 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 9. PETITIONS AND GENERAL COMMINCATIONS 10. BILLS, ACCOUNTS AND CLAIMS 11. REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS Treasurer’s Report - May 2025 Auditor’s Report - June 2025 COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilman Lewis. 3  COUNCILMAN LEWIS – I make a motion that we accept the Auditor’s report. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Seconded by Councilman Gregg. Roll call. 8 yes to accept the Auditor’s Report COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you, Madam Clerk. The Auditor’s report has been accepted. 12. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Our next Work Session will be Monday, July 14, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. 13. RESOLUTIONS AND REQUESTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilman Gregg. COUNCILMAN GREGG – Thank you, President Slater. I just wanted to report that I will not be at the next regular meeting on July 21st. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you. Councilman Paquelet. COUNCILMAN PAQUELET- I will not be here at the meeting on the 21st or the 28th. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Thank you. 14. CALL OF THE CALENDAR 15. THIRD READING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 16. SECOND READING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 17. REMARKS OF DELEGATIONS AND CITIZENS TO MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA DOUG MOFFIT – My wife and live at 500 – 25th St. N.W. We’ve got a very annoying neighbor in regards to fireworks. He had a party Friday night and for a good four hours there was nothing but explosions and he was within twenty-five feet of our house launching these things and the last straw was the one that exploded in front our picture window next to my truck and thought it, it was so big, I thought it blew the window out of my truck. So, I went out and confronted him and asked to move further away. Maybe go to the backyard, and he said, this is his logic, “I might catch tree on fire back there or grass”. But he’s within twenty-five feet of our house. So I guess that didn’t bother him and I was also wondering if there are ordinances or rules for distances? I did look that up aerials, if you shoot aerial fireworks, they’re supposed to be launched with a 150 ft. range to a structure. Mind you, he’s only twenty-five feet from our house and as soon as the cops came and confronted him, he told them that he would stop. As soon as they left, right back at it again. Also, after everything settled down at 11:00 p.m., he woke us up at 2:30 a.m. firing some more. So, we have just had it with this guy. I’d like to know, is there a distance rule or not? Ok, I’m done. 4  JANELLE MOFFIT – I’m Doug’s wife. We were having a lot of problems with this neighbor who’s very unruly and not very respectful for anybody else in the neighborhood. I’m also a disabled vet who has PTSD so it was really nerve wrecking for me as well. We tried to confront them but they would stop and then once the police would leave, they would go back at it again. My main concern is these hot big explosions were landing on our roof and I just had my roof inspected about a month and a half ago. So I’m a little worried about things catching fire and things like that. Because they were just so close, right outside our front door is where they were. I mean, it’s their yard, but it’s like our yards are like this close together. So, we didn’t know if there’s some kind of rule, like my husband was saying; if there’s some way of saying “Hey, you’re too close. You need to be back over this way or something”. That would be better. Also, and our neighbors hear are with us too because this neighbor does not mow his grass at all. He gets violations put on his door. He will not mow it. He’ll have them come and mow and then take the fine, I guess. He did mow it though, just the little bit up front so he could blow off the fireworks. He did mow just the front to do that. Thank you. Thank you for listening. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – What ward do you live in? COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – Ward 6. I spoke with them prior to the meeting. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – You’re going to take care this and kind of figure out what’s going on? COUNCILMAN PAQUELET – I will. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – I appreciate that. Anyone else? HOLLY DEAN – My husband and I live on the other side of this gentleman. I think he’s been three years, so the fireworks were just the icing on the cake. He hasn’t cut his grass and we’ve called Eddie and he’s taken care of it. The City has come and cut his grass a couple of times. His yard is just a mess. So, we were given advice to talk to Ted too about that. So, we do have a lot of fireworks things too and on our roof and on our pool deck next door too. We just thought we would…the police told him to come to Council and share everything with you guys. So, I appreciate you listening to us. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Yes ma’am. Thank you. DOUG MOFFIT – Would you like the debris that he left in our front yard? COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Anyone else? 18. ADJOURNMENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Councilwoman Creamer. COUNCILWOMAN CREAMER – I’d like to make a motion to adjourn. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Seconded by Councilman Gregg. Roll call. 8 yes to adjourn 5 COUNCIL PRESIDENT SLATER – Meeting adjourned. ______________________________ ______________________________ DIANE ROLLAND, COUNCIL CLERK MIKE SLATER, PRESIDENT 6