MINUTES OF MEETING OF
IRONTON CITY COUNCIL
September 23, 2021
6:00 p.m.
A regular meeting of Ironton City Council was held on Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. Present was Vice Mayor, Craig Harvey, who presided and members: Haney, Hock, Kline – four.
All persons stood for an invocation from Rev. Jeff Cremeans from the City Mission Church, and then the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 9, 2021, and the Finance Meeting of September 9, 2021, stood approved as submitted.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
John Elam, Finance Director, said Council has received the August 2021 financial statements. He said also, according to legislation that has been passed, there are two 5-year plan updates, April and October. He said he was a little early on this one because he wouldn’t have had September numbers prepared for an October 5-year plan.
Chris Perry, 840 N. 6th Street, said he has spoken to several citizens around town, and one particular issue is from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eldridge of 1022 Vine Street. He proceeded to read from a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge concerning a flooding issue in their basement. He said he has asked Terri to make copies for Council. He said the second issue was concerning the church at Depot Square, Triedstone Baptist Church. He said he understands there has been a furor of concern and worry over the eventual outcome of what may or may not happen with the church and the parsonage. He said he was at a town hall type of event last night, and it was proven that they paid some sort of fee to extend the process and possibly a stay against any further actions. He said they had until December 3rd to pay this year’s fee. He said it is a very small church with less than 20 members. He said a couple hundred dollars per year could possibly make a difference to their financial standing. He said the church is an essential part of the black community as one of the original black churches that were built in Ironton in 1856. He said he grew up in the shadow of that church across the street. He said his understanding is that the parsonage portion of that building has been in bad shape for a very long time. He said their concern is that it hasn’t become an issue with either the City or the CAO or the investor until this recent housing project that is being built on the adjacent property. He said at the meeting it was suggested by a construction professional that they obtain a building permit, which would give them some time to get their ducks in a row. He said he was fortunate enough to be at an event in Huntington earlier in the week, and there was an anonymous donation that was made; but the church should at least be able to put things on hold until they can get an appraisal done, etc. He said they had asked him to bring this to Council’s attention if he attended the meeting. Mr. Harvey said when that story was first run by WOWK TV, they never reached out to the City for a comment, and it could have very easily been squashed right then because in this past year one of the major complaints they have had from their citizens has been, there is this eyesore on our block that is in disrepair that has rats and weeds, etc. He said not only did they hear those things, but the one thing that they could do as a legislative body was pass a nuisance property ordinance; and they did that in the last year. And with the nuisance property ordinance, it was the thought amongst this body that if the parsonage would catch on fire, it still gets City attention. Or if there’s a vagrant living in there, the Police still show up. So, they receive all the services but don’t necessarily pay for those services. He said they tried as a legislative body to take action to say, do something with the property, either sell it or reinvest back in it, so you essentially pay your fair share. He said the timing was coincidental, but the Mayor has addressed it with WOWK, and they did an update to that story. The Mayor said this one was deemed as vacant on the vacant property registry from a 2018 ordinance. He said they have identified that there are 107 of these vacant properties across the City that have been sent the same letter for a number of reasons. He said they always check it with their Utility Department to see if they have services. He said this one didn’t, and he told them that once they deem that as true, that this one is serviced by the same utilities as the church, the same tap and same water; and that if they are working on it, it clearly states in the vacant property registry that with a valid building permit you are exempt from having to pay that fee. Mr. Perry said he thinks that was the resolution they came to agreement on was it’s the same parcel and all the same utilities. The Mayor said it’s not the same parcel, but it is the same utilities. Mr. Harvey said he just wanted Mr. Perry to have some background. He said he can’t speak to the timing, and he can’t speak to the project going on around it; but he can speak to all the feedback they get constantly about properties sitting vacant and the Police having to show up and run people out of them, and nobody is paying for that. Mr. Perry said the last suggestion he had to them with the building being 150 years old, that they apply to become a historic site and all the protections that may provide as well. He said there should be a lot of opportunities and resources they have to get this problem addressed. Mr. Kline asked the Mayor if he was able to talk to someone from WOWK? The Mayor said yes. Mr. Kline asked if there was any reason that they didn’t reach out to the City before they published that? The Mayor said the person who reached out to them reached out directly to this person in Charleston, and he doesn’t think this person is familiar with the area at all. He said he knows who it was, and they have asked for letters, etc. in Council meetings. Mr. Kline asked the Mayor if he thought it had been corrected? The Mayor said yes.
Mr. Harvey said Mr. Pierce had left a letter regarding potholes, and he asked that Mr. Harvey make it a part of the minutes and read it to Council. Mr. Harvey proceeded to read the letter. Mr. Kline asked the Mayor if Kevin Wood and IBI were going to start assessment of the streets? The Mayor said he will address that in few minutes. Mr. Kline said regarding the complaint from Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge about their water backup that Mr. Perry was talking about, he asked the Mayor if there is some way they can submit that complaint on the website? The Mayor said he is actually familiar with it. He said from what he understood, Brett and Ryan and Dennis have been up there looking. He said whatever is going on is on their property. He thinks Brett, Ryan and Dennis told them that needed to have a plumber come in to find out what was going on there, but he doesn’t think there was any test for chlorine or no test for sewer gases from what he can remember. He said that was the last he had heard of it, but he will follow up with them to find out what happened.
Mayor Cramblit said there is a resolution on the agenda, and that is the OPWC for a transportation grant regarding paving. He said they identified 3 streets to match the maximum grant application that they could ask for on this is a $400,000 grant. He said they put together approximately a $850,000 paving project, paving 7th Street from Park all the way to the end on Wyanoke; Maple Avenue coming from Liberty to 9th Street; and Kemp Avenue. He said they are looking at trying to strengthen the application and get as many points as they possibly can. He said there was some discussion that he wanted to have with Council about this, and it wouldn’t necessarily be in Finance, but it kind of does need to be in the sense that it is just for the application this time. He said once they actually do submit for the funding, there is an opportunity for a zero-interest loan to be used for paving so they can save on the bond that they put out for paving and maximize their dollars. He said they will only give the zero interest for the life expectancy of whatever it is that you are requesting, so in 15 years he thinks it came out to $110,000 if they did a 40% match of their local funds. He said you could do 25% match, but that 40% match would be $340,000 from that paving money they have already obtained through the bond, and then $110,000, or they could do the whole 50% local, but he is thinking if it is zero interest for 15 years, he didn’t know what their thoughts were, but using as much money as they can on that bond because they have some other projects, assessing the streets. They are working with KYOVA Planning Commission, and they should be wrapping up the full thing by the end of the month. He said he talked to them today, and they’re going to do some traffic counts on these roads that he just named off for this application starting tomorrow. So, they’re waiting on KYOVA for the full thing, and then they will be looking at maybe using money from the study that they want to do with them to go on to a much larger scale paving plan later. He said the list of streets that they put together were streets that they know are very highly traveled. He said you can’t even submit an application without the traffic count, so they wanted to get those traffic counts up; and hopefully, they will have those numbers by the end of the day on Monday. He said they should be fine with passing this tonight because they just need it for the application. He said with the money involved, he wants to know what everyone’s thoughts are on the % of what they want to use, if they want to use loan money since it is zero % interest, or if they want to just use their full bond money to do that. Mr. Haney asked if they were including the water lines on these projects? The Mayor said there is no need. Mr. Kline said he is in favor of zero %. Mayor Cramblit said that is kind of where they are, too, so they will finagle whichever percentage is going to give them some strength in the application, too. He said it is not going to be very cost prohibitive. The Mayor said he had also left Council a copy of his Mayor’s Budget on their desks. Mr. Haney said he would like to maybe dive a little deeper into it, and he is not on the Finance Committee, but he would also be in favor of the zero percent loan option. The Mayor said he will keep them posted on that.
COMMUNICATIONS – None
REPORTS – None
ORDINANCES
ORDINANCE NO. 21-57 – REPEALING ORDINANCE 18-83 OF THE CITY OF IRONTON, OHIO AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY was given first reading.
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Hock, to refer Ordinance No. 21-57 to the Strategic Planning Committee for recommendation. Motion passed unanimously. REFERRED TO STRATEGIC PLANNING
ORDINANCE NO. 21-58 – ESTABLISHING A HOTEL/MOTEL EXCISE TAX PURSUANT TO ORC 5739.08(A) AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY was given 1st reading.
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Hock, to refer Ordinance No. 21-58 to the Strategic Planning Committee for recommendation. Ayes: Harvey, Hock, Kline. Nays: Haney.
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION NO. 21-56 – A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OHIO PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION STATE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM(S) AND TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS AS REQUIRED was read.
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Haney, to pass Resolution No. 21-56. Motion passed unanimously. ADOPTED
MISCELLANEOUS
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Haney, to accept and make part of the minutes the three items: the August 2021 financials, the City of Ironton Five-Year Plan as of September 23, 2021 and the City of Ironton Mayor’s Budget for 2022. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Hock, to approve the Mallinckrodt Drug Settlement, as submitted by our City Solicitor. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Hock said he would like to call a Strategic Planning Committee meeting. It was decided to schedule the meeting for 5:30 p.m. on October 14, 2021, prior to the next regular Council meeting.
Mr. Kline asked the Mayor if he would need any Executive Sessions to discuss anything with those strategies with the Economic Development fee, or is that something that can be discussed in Strategic Planning? He asked if 15 minutes in the Strategic Planning Committee meeting will be sufficient to discuss what the Mayor is wanting to do? Mayor Cramblit said it depends on whatever else is going to be discussed.
Mr. Kline moved, seconded by Mr. Hock, to adjourn. Motion passed unanimously.
Minutes were taken by Marta Leach, Clerk.
In attendance: John Elam, Finance Director, Brigham Anderson.