City Council

NEW PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL MET IN REGULAR SESSION IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON JANUARY 13, 2025 WITH PRESIDENT DON 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 MRS. CHERYL RAMOS MR. STEVE RIPPETH MR. TOM SIMMELINK MR. MICHAEL WALKER EXCUSED ABSENSES: NONE  MR. SIMMELINK MOTIONED TO APPROVE TONIGHT’S AGENDA MR. RIPPETH SECONDED THE MOTION 6 YEAS TONIGHT’S AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED  MR. WALKER MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2025 MR. SIMMELINK SECONDED THE MOTION 6 YEAS THE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2025 HAVE BEEN APPROVED  MR. LANZER MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 23, 2024 MR. KREINBIHL SECONDED THE MOTION 5 YEAS (MR. WALKER ABSTAINED) MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 23, 2024 REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPROVED CORRESPONDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLERK, JULIE COURTRIGHT 1. To Clerk of Council from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, dated December 31, 2025. Responses must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2025. This is a D1 D2 D3 D6 Liquor License Request from Red Lobster Hospitality LLC located at 255 Graff Rd. SE. I forwarded the request to President Kemp and he asked Mr. Walker to take the request into his Committee for consideration. 2. To Council and Administration from Executive Administrative Assistant to the Mayor Jami Bailey, dated January 2, 2025. This is the Mayor’s Month-end Report for December of 2024. 3. To Council and Administration from Income Tax Administrator for the City Carly Loos, dated January 2, 2025. This is a month-end Income Tax Report for December of 2024. 4. To Council and Administration from Mayor Day, dated January 6, 2025. This is the Mayor’s Preliminary List of 2025 Goals and Projects. 1  5. To Council and Administration from Danielle DeMattio with the Auditor’s Office dated January 8, 2025. This is the December Month-end Report. 6. To Council and Administration from Assistant to the Service Director Jonalee Fernatt, dated January 9, 2025. This is the 444 Bank Lane Lease Agreement. 7. To Members of Council from President Kemp, dated January 9, 2025. This is an email titled “Committee Assignments for 2025.” 8. To Council Clerk from Treasurer Gerber, dated January 9, 2025. This is the City of New Philadelphia Investment and Savings Report for December of 2024. There was a technical difficulty with the scanner so I was not able to send it out to members of Council and Administration today but I will as soon as I am able to. 9. To Clerk from Jen Boger with the Ohio Ethics Commission, dated January 9, 2025. This is a reminder for Elected Officials to file a Financial Disclosure Statement. I will forward this notice to Council members as soon as I can. 10. To Council and Administration from Mayor Day, dated January 13, 2025. The Mayor’s Report. MAYOR’S REPORT/REQUESTS ….MAYOR JOEL B. DAY Mayor Day had the following report: Commending City Crews for Keeping Our Streets Clear I want to commend Ray Grewell, Mike Pyle and the entire City Street Department for their efforts to clear the snow from our streets over the past week. They don’t get enough praise for their work, which comes at all hours of the day and night. There is more snow in the forecast. And they’re ready for it. The Search Is Underway for a New City Health Commissioner The City Health Board has been notified by Health Commissioner Vickie Ionno that she plans to retire on May 31st. She has been the City’s Health Commissioner for nearly 14 years. During that time, she guided her department through a threat by the Ohio Legislature to close smaller health departments, the COVID pandemic, and the achievement of mandated national accreditation. Commissioner Ionno has led a staff that I call, “The Hardest Working Health Department in Ohio.” Vacant Ward 2 Council Seat Will Be Filled Tomorrow Night The New Philadelphia members of the Tuscarawas County Republican Party’s Central Committee will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) night to fill the vacant Ward 2 Council seat. The seat was held by Mitch Pace, who has moved on to become a Tuscarawas County Commissioner. Treat Your Valentine to a Pancake Breakfast The New Philadelphia Advancing Our Community Together (NPAct) organization is having a pancake breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, February 15th from 8am – 11am at the Tuscora Park pavilion. And I’ll be one of the cooks behind the griddle! NPAct is raising funds to pay for downtown and community events. Tickets are $10 each. They’re available at the door, at the Mayor’s office window, or at Fresh the Market on Saturdays between 10am and 2pm. Much to Do in 2025 I’ve been filling up the whiteboard in my office with “To Do” lists for 2025. Among the City projects on the board: • Construction of the redesign of three of the four downtown quadrants. The City received a $2.9 million Appalachian Community grant to fund the project. • Construction of the second phase of the Southside Community Park's development. If we receive a $300,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, we will use it to match the $300,000 already secured for the project to build a multi-use building near the high school soccer fields. • Construction of the first leg of the Roswell hiking and biking trail. • Installation of pedestrian crosswalks and lights at the entrances to Tuscora Park on North Broadway and 2nd Street NW. In addition, my administration will continue to work with the County’s Economic Development and Finance Alliance (port authority) to redevelop the Joy/Howden property on South Broadway. Progress is being made toward that end. We will also be assisting the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District as it begins construction of its new headquarters facility on Tech Park Drive SE. And we will continue to partner with the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition to secure grant funding to complete New Philadelphia’s section of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Also, new contracts must be negotiated with the City’s four bargaining units and several departments’ staff positions need to be filled. This will be another challenging year. Together we will meet those challenges and continue to improve New Philadelphia and its City services. ## 2  Continue to pray and assist the flood victims in North Carolina and the fire victims of Southern California. Pray for Donald Trump as he becomes America’s 47th President on January 20th. And there could not be a better matchup for next Tuesday’s college football national championship game: Ohio State vs Notre Dame. Either way, we can’t lose… SERVICE DIRECTOR………….. Service Director Ron McAbier: Mr. McAbier had the following report: 1. They’re still trying to get the waterline completed on North Ave. NE. There were a couple services that they had to re-do and then run some stuff up 1st Drive. 2. General Services has been busy salting and plowing. 3. This freezing and thawing is causing water leaks. We’ve had three watermain breaks since the last time we met. 4. Another issue we’re having is potholes. We’ll be patching for the next week until the next snowfall. If anyone sees any call Ray or I and we’ll put a temporary patch on it. That will hold hopefully until we get the hot mix on it. AUDITOR ……………MRS. HEATHER DENHAM Mrs. Denham had the following comment: Last week we did close out the last year and we got our budget entered for the new year. I have not gotten to sending the report showing each person’s budget but we’re already paying bills and making requisitions for the new year. We can get the statements caught up very shortly. Once that happened, I immediately started working on a contract for our 1095s. Also, we’re starting the financial statements already for this year. I’ve been busy working on those so I haven’t really studied the year-end reports to see how we finished. We did have a 4% increase in income tax. We have a hiring freeze right now, and the wage increases, I haven’t gotten to put all the numbers together to see if we can start looking at the wage increases and eliminating the hiring freeze. This week we’re going to be working on W-2s and sending out 1099s and working on the 1095s, those all have to be done by the end of the month. SAFETY DIRECTOR ………..MR. GREG POPHAM Mr. Popham had the following report: We’ve learned today that the Governor has announced that he is putting a work group together on missing persons. A member that was put on that group was our Police Chief Tessa Pohovey. She’ll be one of many who will be looking at ways as to how missing persons cases are handled in the State. TREASURER . . . . MR. TOM GERBER Mr. Gerber had the following report: I submitted the Investment and Savings Report for December. When you get it, it will be the complete year, January through December. For December’s we had investment gains of $27,128.47. Once you get that in your email you’ll be able to look through the whole year. LAW DIRECTOR……MR. MARVIN FETE 3  Mr. Fete had the following report: On the 19th of December and last night, I sent out a courtesy reminder to pass Resolution 21-2024. That deals with the Bank Lane Lease. Between the time of when it was passed out of Committee and when it’s up for a 3rd Reading, the parties met and agreed on an increase in the rent. In order to proceed I sent out an amended 21-2024 and someone will have to motion for an amendment and adopt Amended Resolution 21-2024 in its place. The other thing I want to do is invite everybody to the First Baptist Church on Regent Street for the Martin Luther King Day Celebration. We moved the event to Sunday evening at 7:00pm so we wouldn’t conflict with the Inauguration and the OSU Championship Game. We’ll have community leaders as speakers and fellowship, and it’s a great event. BOARD/COMMISSION REPORTS: PLANNING COMMISSION……………….MAYOR JOEL DAY The Planning Commission will meet here in Council Chambers tomorrow at 1:00pm. We have An annexation request to consider. We’ll also continue discussion with the New Philadelphia Schools about new school locations. . BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS…….MR. RON MCABIER The Board of Zoning Appeals meeting has been cancelled for this month. . AIRPORT COMMISSION…….MR. DAN LANZER The Airport Commission will be meeting tomorrow evening at 6:00pm in the Harry Clever Airport Meeting Room. PARK BOARD………………….NO REPORT CEMETERY BOARD……………………NO REPORT 4  HEALTH BOARD ………………….…. MR. TOM SIMMELINK STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: FINANCE COMMITTEE ………………MR. STEVE RIPPETH…….NO REPORT 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 SALARY COMMITTEE………..………MR. KRIS KREINBIHL……….NO REPORT PARKS AND CEMETERY COMMITTEE……………NO REPORT SPECIAL AND CONTACT COMMITTEE……MR. MIKE WALKER…….NO REPORT Mr. Walker noted that he needs to schedule a meeting prior to the January 27, 2025 Council Meeting. 5  VISITOR’S COMMENTS_....................NONE Council Comments ……..None READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS ORDINANCES: NONE RESOLUTIONS: AMENDED 21-2024 A RESOLUTION BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO TO AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A LEASE AMENDMENT WITH THE TRANZONIC COMPANIES FOR THE CITY OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 444 BANK LANE SW, NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO. 3rd Reading MR. LANZER MOTIONED TO AMEND RESOLUTION 21-2024 WITH AMENDED RESOLUTION 21-2024 MR. RIPPETH SECONDED THE MOTION 6 YEAS AMENDED RESOLUTION 21-2024 HAS BEEN AMENDED MR. LANZER MOTIONED FOR APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 21-2024 MR. RIPPETH SECONDED THE MOTION 6 YEAS AMENDED RESOLUTION 21-2024 HAS BEEN APPROVED UNFINISHED OR OLD BUSINESS: NONE NEW BUSINESS: NONE 6  With no other business to discuss Mr. Lanzer motioned to adjourn at 7:49 PM. CLERK OF COUNCIL______________________________________________________ Julie Courtright APPROVED ______________________ PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL __________________________________________________ Don Kemp 7