City Council

NEW PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL MET IN REGULAR SESSION IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON JANUARY 8, 2024 WITH PRESIDENT KEMP PRESIDING. COUNCILMAN RIPPETH OFFERED A PRAYER, AND ALL IN ATTENDANCE RECITED THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ATTENDENCE MR. KRIS KREINBIHL MR. DAN LANZER MR. MITCH PACE MRS. CHERYL RAMOS MR. STEVE RIPPETH MR. TOM SIMMELINK MR. MIKE WALKER EXCUSED ABSENSES: NONE  MR. LANZER MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA MR. RIPPETH SECONDED THE MOTION 7 YEAS TONIGHT’S AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED  MRS. RAMOS MOTIONED TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 11, 2023 REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL MR. RIPPETH SECONDED THE MOTION 3 YEAS, 4 ABSTAINED MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 28, 2023 REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPROVED CORRESPONDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLERK, JULIE COURTRIGHT 1. To Council and Administration from Jami Bailey, Executive Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, Dated January 2, 2024. This is the Mayor’s Office End of Month Report for December 2023. 2. To Council and Administration from Heather Denham, Administrative Assistant to the Auditor, dated January 4, 2024. These are the December 2023 Month-end Reports. 3. To Council and Administration from President Kemp, dated January 4, 2024. This is an email titled Material Bids. President Kemp assigned this issue to the Finance Committee. 4. To Council and Administration from Mayor Day, dated January 5, 2024. This is a response to an email titled “Planning Commission at 1 o’clock with Wendy Moehler with Compass Point Planning. 5. To Council and Administration from Mayor Day, dated January 8, 2024. The Mayor’s Report. 1  ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2024 7 YEAS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2024 HAVE BEEN APPROVED MAYOR’S REPORT/REQUESTS ….MAYOR JOEL B. DAY Mayor Day had the following report: City Planning Commission Continues its Work on Zoning Code Revisions The City Planning Commission will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1pm in the Council chamber to have another workshop with Wendy Moeller of Compass Point Planning. Her company was hired last year to modernize the City’s zoning and planning codes. Ms. Moeller told us last week that she has completed about 75 percent of the revisions. The latest changes will be reviewed at tomorrow’s meeting. In a related matter, I have appointed retired City Councilman Dean Holland to fill the vacancy on the Commission created by Tom Simmelink leaving to take his at-large Council seat. The Cost of Providing City Services on the Rise The City’s cost of providing its quality services has not escaped rising prices of equipment and materials due to inflation and supply chain issues. Department heads have reported increases anywhere from 30 percent to 100 percent for materials and equipment, and delivery dates up to 18 to 24 months in some cases. And landfill fees for sanitation and recycling are expected to increase this year. To offset these rising costs, I have asked Service Director McAbier to review the various fees charged by his service departments and recommend revisions. Using Rent from the Bank Lane SE Building for Economic Development Included in the donation to the City of the Hicks property on Bank Lane SE is a storage building being rented to a Cleveland area company that provides commercial cleaning and maintenance supplies. Now that the City owns the building, I would like to use the rent money to create an economic development fund that could provide grants and loans to downtown businesses to improve building facades and make other improvements. Council President Kemp, I ask that this proposal be assigned to the proper Council committee for consideration. County Regional Planning Commission Considers Land Use As the mayor of the largest municipality in Tuscarawas County, I have the privilege of being a member of the County’s Regional Planning Commission. One of the issues that will be discussed by the RPC this year is land use in the county. Land available for housing and industrial development is at the top of many lists in State government and among private developers. Ohio’s industrial and technological growth, particularly by Intel, is driving the need. The challenge for Tuscarawas County is to protect its agricultural land while identifying logical areas for development. That’s why a plan is necessary. SERVICE DIRECTOR………….. Service Director Ron McAbier: Mr. McAbier had the following report: I would like to welcome the new Council Members and I look forward to working with them this year. The Mayor had reported on trying to get some RFBs (Rapid Flashing Beacons) out at Tuscora Park. We wanted to make a beacon there for Tuscora and 2nd at the one end and Tuscora and North Broadway at the other. We’ve got enough grant money to do both of those, which is roughly around $60,000. That project should happen mid-summer. Much needed, and glad we were able to get that grant. AUDITOR ……………MS. BETH GUNDY…………..NO REPORT SAFETY DIRECTOR ………..MR. GREG POPHAM…………..NO REPORT Mr. Popham had the following report: Tomorrow night at 6:00 PM is the entrance exam for the Police Department. It will be held at the Fire Department. 2  TREASURER . . . . MR. TOM GERBER……………….NO REPORT LAW DIRECTOR……MR. MARVIN FETE Mr. Fete had the following report: I want to welcome our new Council Members. I want to thank all of you for your dedication to the City of New Philadelphia, and I’m looking forward to working with all of you. BOARD/COMMISSION REPORTS: PLANNING COMMISSION……………….MAYOR JOEL DAY The Planning Commission will meet tomorrow at 1:00 PM in Council Chambers. BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS…….MR. RON MCABIER The Board of Zoning Appeals will not be having a meeting tomorrow. The one variance request we Thought we were going to have cancelled today do to scheduling. AIRPORT COMMISSION…….MR. DAN LANZER The Airport Commission will be meeting here in Council Chambers on January 9th at 6:00 PM. PARK BOARD………………….MR. MITCH PACE…..NO REPORT CEMETERY BOARD…………………….MR. MITCH PACE………..NO REPORT HEALTH BOARD ………………….…. MR. TOM SIMMELINK The Health Board will be meeting on Wednesday at Noon in Council Chambers. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 3 FINANCE COMMITTEE ………………MR. STEVE RIPPETH……..NO REPORT Mr. Rippeth noted that the Finance Committee will be meeting prior to the January 22, 2024 Regular Session of Council. . PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE…MR. DAN LANZER….NO REPORT SAFETY, HEALTH, AND SERVICE COMMITTEE……MR. TOM SIMMELINK….NO REPORT ZONING AND ANNEXATION COMMITTEE……MRS. CHERYL RAMOS……NO REPORT Mrs. Ramos noted that there will be a meeting scheduled on January 22, 2024 at 7:00 PM to discuss a rezoning request. SALARY COMMITTEE………..NO REPORT………MR. KRIS KREINBIHL….NO REPORT PARKS AND CEMETERY COMMITTEE……………MR. MITCH PACE………NO REPORT SPECIAL AND CONTACT COMMITTEE……MR. MIKE WALKER…..NO REPORT VISITOR’S COMMENTS__ NONE COUNCIL COMMENTS Mr. Pace welcomed the three new Council Members. Mr. Simmelink had the following comment: I think the City does a great job. The Mayor has been a friend for many years. I think the City is going in the right direction and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it. 4  READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS ORDINANCES: NONE RESOLUTIONS: NONE UNFINISHED OR OLD BUSINESS: Mr. McAbier asked President Kemp if the Material Bids Legislation was assigned to Committee. President Kemp stated that issue had been assigned to Mr. Rippeth’s Committee. NEW BUSINESS: NONE With no other business to discuss Mr. Lanzer motioned to adjourn at 7:44 PM. CLERK OF COUNCIL______________________________________________________ Julie Courtright APPROVED ______________________ PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL __________________________________________________ Don Kemp 5 6