Ashland City Council


MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR SESSION OF COUNCIL
October 16, 2007




Council President Glen Stewart called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.   

ROLL CALL

Ward 1:    Robert L. Valentine    Absent
Ward 2:    Robert M. Valentine    Present
Ward 3:    Ruth Detrow        Present
Ward 4:    Paul Wertz            Absent
At-large:      Glen Stewart        Present

Move to excuse Paul Wertz W4 and Robert L.Valentine W1 by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

PRESENTATION OF MINUTES
   Regular Session:  October 2, 2007
 
No Corrections or Comments

Motion to accept the Minutes by Glen Stewart, approved by Robert L. Valentine W2, seconded by Glen Stewart, Council at Large
Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Comments of questions from the Audience: Items that are not included on the Agenda.

No Comments.

LEGISLATION

Ord.
Item (a)  AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE SANITATION DIVISION OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OHIO, OBVIATING FORMAL ADVERTISING AND BIDDING; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. 1st Reading

Moved for non-reading in full by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2 to invoke Section 113.01 of the Codified Ordinances as the distribution of this Ordinance has satisfied the requirements of said Section and that a further reading be dispensed with at this time.
Ayes:   Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Glen Stewart:  Since we have only three of our five members here this evening, it constitutes 60%; we will not be able to act on any legislation this evening and in an emergency or one evening reading manner.  So with that I would ask, is there any discussion on this particular Ordinance?

Questions or Comments?

Curt Young:  This is a purchase to replace one of our packer trucks that is currently in service.  This allows us to take advantage of state bid prices. With the help of our vehicle maintenance supervisor, we visited other cities to look at what would best suit our purposes.  This will also include a driver’s side conversion.  We feel this is the direction we want to move in our department and will allow us to be more efficient allowing the driver to help at some point in picking up at curbside.  The truck will initially be used to replace the unit that right now fits dumpster accounts.  

Glen Stewart:  Curt, this is the Chassis only, is that correct?

Curt Young:  Yes sir.  We will be going out to bid separately for the packer unit to go on the truck. To get the type of unit that we desire that will get the best service from this is the direction we will go.

Questions or comments?

Move the Ordinance be passed by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Glen Stewart:  That is as far as we can go with that particular Ordinance this evening.  

Ord.
Item (b) AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR, DIRECTOR OF
             PUBLIC SAFETY, TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH MILTON TOWNSHIP,
             ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, FOR FIRE PROTECTION, RESCUE AND AMBU-
             LANCE EMERGENCY SERVICE AND NON-EMERGENCY AMBULANCE TRAN-
             SPORTATION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.  1st Reading.

Moved for non-reading in full Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2, to invoke Section 113.01 of the Codified Ordinances as the distribution of this Ordinance has satisfied the requirements of said Section and that a further reading be dispensed with at this time.
Ayes:   Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Mayor Strine:  Since we are going to address them I assume the first reading, as it states the Fire and Rescue Squad for Milton Twp, it is a 5-year contract and it is a 5% increase per year and that expires next year, the agreement we have with them now.  It goes through 2008 but this gives them an opportunity if they need to put in on the ballot in Milton Township for 2009.

Motion to act on this on the 1st reading by Glen Stewart, move to pass the Ordinance on the first Reading by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
Ayes:  Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Res. #
Item  (a) A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE AMOUNTS AND RATES AS DETERMINED BY
              THE BUDGET COMMISSION AND AUTHORIZING THE NECESSARY TAX LEV-
              IES AND CERTIFYING THEM TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR. 1st Reading

          Move for non-reading in full by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
          Ayes:  Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Comments:

Anna Tomasek:  This Resolution set for 2008 budget which is required by law, it sets our rates, determined by the County Budget commission.  This piece of legislation is required to set those lines.  

Schedule A lists our General fund at $711,150.00 dollars, which is 2.1 mil. park levy that was voted on, outside $151,418.00 dollars.  The rest of the millage goes towards the Police and Fire pension funds which is $101,622.00 and that same dollar amount again $101,622.00 will go towards the Fire pension fund.  The remaining amount of the tax levy would go towards paying off the City’s dept in our General Obligation fund, which is $237,117.00 dollars.  That is schedule A.

Questions or comments?

Richard P. Wolfe II:  When is that required to be back to the Auditor?

Anna Tomasek:   As soon as you act on it, obviously by the end of the year.

Move the Resolution be passed by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Passed on the 1st Reading only.  These will all come back up on our next Agenda.

Res. #
Item  (b) A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, PURSUANT TO CODIFIED ORDINANCE SEC-
              TION 521.07 (b), THE USE OF BARBED WIRE WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIM-
              ITS OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OHIO; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
              1ST Reading


      Move for non-reading in full by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M Valentine W2.
      Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart

Comments:  

Glen Stewart:  I do not know if any of you have gone out to look at this site but I did go out last Thursday or Friday and I have to tell you Mr. Jewett, I am somewhat dismayed that the barbed wire is already installed.  This Resolution is that when we act on it, is what authorizes the barbed wire to  being installed.  I thought everyone understood this is what has to be acted on to put the barbed wire in.  It is up, some of it is vertical, and it appears to be on a swinging arm, I think that can swing either way.  

Ken Jewett:  That is correct.

Glen Stewart:  There is some construction to be done yet.  I think at that point in time, the gates were not up, so it is still in construction.  The Resolution is before us to allow the barbed wire to be put into place.  It directs that the three strands shall be horizontal and shall be positioned at the highest point atop the fence and shall be swinging inward from the property located at 1945 Claremont Avenue.  It runs with the use of the property.  If the property changes use, the barbed wire authorization goes away.  

Ken Jewett:  Did I hear you correctly say, if I was to sell the property, the Resolution goes away?

Richard P. Wolfe II:  It states, the authorization shall remain effective only for so long as the premises continues to be used in a manner and for the purposes existing at the time of the granting of this authorization.  If the present use ceases, then the authorization ceases.  A new application can be applied for if there is some different use.  

Ken Jewett:  When I was here 2 weeks ago, I misunderstood about having wire put on at that time, because I think I had said that I added to where I could run it inward or outward.  The guys were there and they wanted to get as much done as possible after the fact, so I apologize for that.  That is the reason that I bought the pivoting top so that it could be somewhat universal that way.  

Questions or comments?

Move the Resolution be passed on the 1st reading by Robert M. Valentine 2, seconded by Ruth Detrow.
Ayes: Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.

Glen Stewart:  In reality, we cannot approve this Resolution until it is read twice more because there are not enough Council members here to read it in one night.  I am not suggesting taking the barbed wire down unless our Law Director feels it should.  

Ruth Detrow:  I am not either, however, I do not want to set precedence.  The next person who comes will probably make it abundantly clear that he is in violation of our law until it is passed.   

Glen Stewart:  You have become the example tonight Mr. Jewett.  I apologize for making an example of you. But those who comment in the future, if you should know someone who is going to make this application, it could help us all by getting the Resolution signed before they move forward with it.

WARD REPORTS:

Ward 2:    Robert M. Valentine
(a)    I talked to Rick Wolfe about it on West Main Street.  My wife saw a wrecked car being delivered a week and ½ ago at 1020 West Main.  I do not think it is a runable car by looking at it.  We just got the weeds out, now we can see the wrecked car.

Ward 3    Ruth Detrow
        None

Councilman at Large:     Glen Stewart
(a)    We are approximately 3 weeks away from election evening; there are a lot of signs, campaign signs out and please start the removal process as quickly as you can following the election.  We have a lot of very tolerant residents in our town allowing us to put signs out and I am one of them.  We need to be cognizant of the fact that it is also our responsibility to remove them as quickly as possible.  

OLD BUSINESS:
    None

NEW BUSINESS:
    None.

MAYORS COMMENTS:
    None.


Motion to Adjourn Regular Session and go into a Work Session at 7:20 by Glen Stewart, moved by Robert M. Valentine W2, seconded by Ruth Detrow.
Ayes:  Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.


WORK SESSION:  

PURPOSE:    Update on the Industrial Park Infrastructure.

Jim Cooper:  Mr. McMullen is building a commercial building out on Rock Road, which he has moved from Cleveland Avenue.  Mr. Wolfe just signed the contractual agreements.  So they are ready to go to Simonson to put water and sewer line up Rock Road.  We have easements that we need and then sanitary will take care of them.  That is the most current thing that is happening.  There are 5 acres that J & L Lawn care has. This cul-de-sac has been designed of the auspices of ODOT and Schaefer Johnson.  The plans were basically done there.  The plan is to bid that out in late December and construction in the springtime.  That is about 1500 feet long and that will open up this area for Economic Development. That does not include water and sewer and that does not get paid under the grants.  We will have to budget that accordingly.  This area was an intentional site for the Ethanol Plant.  The Railroad is CIC’s intention to bring this Railroad Spur across the road to at least this intersection.  We have a half million dollars, I guess 500,000.00 dollars now to spend.  We get that with that money from the state.  Construction will start the fall of next year.

Glen Stewart:  One of the things that Evan and I had some discussion on with Ashland Railway recently was that they are ready to invest some money and in making that become a Y.  We had planned on taking the spur across Faultless drive.  There is a customer that has a problem with not receiving the rail cars with the unload side of the car next to their dock.  I didn’t know these were kinds of problems that you would have.  When their supplier loads their car, they put a tag on the door to unload from this side.  So you have a fifty-fifty chance that a car getting to the customer right or wrong.  It is relatively expensive to send the car back to Norfolk and Southern down at Mansfield.  It is even more expensive because there is car damage if they open the door and the load is against the door.  They would like to talk to us, if that time frame could be accelerated.  Now there is design involved.  It seems it would be the appropriate time to spend our money and their money to make a better situation for everybody concerned.

Jim Cooper:   With the 500,000.00 dollars, there is quite a bit of storm water work here, a large ditch and what we will need to do is sharpen the pencils and take a look to get an estimate of  what it is going to take to get this across and to  whomever else the Y would come into at one of these other facilities.  If there is money left over then we could use it there.

Evan Scurti:  I am meeting with the customer October 29, 2007 so that is one reason I haven’t come to you Jim is because we don’t have any details yet to see what their exact needs are and then I will follow up with you.  We will then need to go back to CIC to make sure because they were the holders.

Jim Cooper:  I see at the last meeting they authorized Lowell Bender to get started on the design and look into some of the possibilities.   

Evan Scurti:  I told Brenda, the CIC is going to require some kind of commitment that if we do this Y design, we will want to make sure the Spur gets to Faultless Drive.  

Ruth Detrow:  How does putting a Y in, turn the railroad cars?

Glen Stewart:  You go in and then back out this way.  It is connected at the top.

Jim Cooper:  The design on the retention area is basically done.   Mr. Laughery has that.  We initially had a design and it exceeded our money by a considerable amount due to the cubic yardage of dirt, so we redesigned that and it is supposed to be next week and we still want to get that done this year, early November.  

Glen Stewart:  Will that have some aesthetics going with it?

Jim Cooper:  Yes, it will.   In this other area, Mr. Baker has a facility here.  Novatex is here also.  There is an area with an option in case they want to expand.  Archway warehouse is also down there.  

Questions or comments?

Phil Rafeld, 1039 Oakhill Circle: Whatever happened to the plant, the Ethanol Plant?

Glen Stewart:  The Ethanol Plant from my perspective has I believe died.  Back in the summer, they contacted Evan and thought that there might be a chance for funding to the best of our knowledge, they did not get their funding, it had been delayed.  We had dates that they would have funding in March, dates of in the spring and July was the last date.   The funding did not materialize and as far as we know right now, that is not on the horizon for Ashland, Ohio at least with the Nevada firm, Silver State Ethanol. They have not shown any interest since mid summer.  They were going after at least $200,000,000.00 million dollars for a facility out west and for our Ohio facility.  It had controversy both pro and con.

Evan Scurti:  In my opinion, they approached you too early.  They did not have all of their ducks in a row.  They came and talked to the city before they had all of their funding.

Glen Stewart:  Evan is going to share with us some of thoughts and updates, potential updates on the business park from a standpoint of what we call the Riley property itself.

Mayor Strine:   I am a little bit surprised that this is being discussed tonight.  

Glen Stewart:  Based on what?

Mayor Strine:  Well we have had meetings on the administrations, meetings to discuss all of these things and it appears to me that there is a lot of changes here that have not been discussed.

Glen Stewart:  I think there is a balance here that, and I am going to speak for Council based on the discussions we have had individually and that the Riley property was purchased for the purpose of increasing jobs in Ashland Ohio and I don’t think there is any question about that intent.  Along with the main farm, some of the ground on the east side of route 60, 250 has been developed but it has also been subdivided for resale and the sign is on the property.  Council members, if I am not speaking properly, please tell me.  We do not feel that, that is the intent for the main farm.  The main farm is to sell the ground to someone who is going to create jobs, not that Mr. Baker didn’t.  He has created jobs; there is no question in my mind about that.  But to create jobs and if something happened to the entity before they were able to build, we want the possibility or the opportunity to repurchase that ground and not have it go into a re-sale process.  I am surprised; I thought you were aware of our thoughts on this from the general discussions we had when the Baker property was handled.  

Mayor Strine:  There was no discussion with the group that originally set this up and spent a lot of time with contractors and developers in developing this.  

Evan Scurti:  When we first started working on this two years ago, we talked to several developers.  

Mayor Strine:  Now there are some recommendations to change this and I don’t know where they came from.  

Glen Stewart:  I have talked to Evan and Evan has talked to other developers and I am not wanting at all to subdivide the farm property.

Mayor Strine:  I don’t disagree with you Glen, I am just saying the process here, and I feel it should have gone through the same process that set this up.  Then come to Council and then if Council didn’t like it then they change it.  That is all that I am saying.

Glen Stewart:  There is another group and I don’t know who that other group is.

Mayor Strine:  That other group is Evan, myself (William E. Strine, Mayor), Jim Cooper, and Lowell Bender.  That started long ago when he was still on Council and Mr. Bender is very active in giving us a lot of expert advise, we feel.

Glen Stewart:  Where do we go from here Council? I have no problem in letting this go and referring this back to that group, but I guess I would say that the red would certainly be a recommendation that we would like to have that group consider.  

Mayor Strine: Council has all the right in the world to go ahead and do this; I am just saying the process.  

Glen Stewart:  I guess I am not fully aware of all of the names.  I thought there were developers involved too but maybe not.

Evan Scurti:  I was the primary author.  I took 80-90% of this from other cities.  Lot of community and parks have restrictions very similar to this.  So that my research, other cities.   Some areas around Columbus.  

Ruth Detrow:   So when the original document was decided on by the Mayor, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Bender and who?

Glen Stewart:  Is the black type from the original document?

Evan Scurti:   Yes the black is what we worked on.  Red hasn’t changed substantially.  Red is for your review.   

Glen Stewart:  Since there was a group that authored this in the beginning, I guess I would suggest that this document go back to that group, whoever makes up that group in today’s environment.   The key is to me, since we have gotten this far, is the protection of that land and to not be sold for investment, but be sold for the creation of jobs in the Ashland area.  That is what mostly this red reflects.   

Evan Scurti:  Again this is standard in many communities, they don’t just let somebody buy it and say, Oh I am sorry, I cannot do my project, I am going to resell it.  That is definitely part of it.  The restrictions themselves.  The design standards themselves.  It is definitely not anti-business.   I have not found any developer that states this is anti-business.  It doesn’t allow fences.  You can’t do outside storage. No retail in the business park.  It is industrial office type businesses.  So those are the base restrictions.  On top of that there is a committee we are proposing that would review all land improvements, whether it is expansion, then come before this committee for approval.

Ruth Detrow:  Evan, you said you got a great deal of this from other communities.  I like the changes.  I have read them carefully.  I am just wondering, if we are in competition with other communities for businesses, is it likely that some people say well we are too restrictive, therefore I will go down the road 20 miles and find a business park that isn’t that restrictive.

Mayor Strine:   I believe that is a distinct possibility unless you have something in there that says that it can be reviewed and the rules can be changed or there can be exceptions to it.  

Evan Scurti:   Well if someone needs a fence for safety purposes.  Most businesses like it because it protects the property values.  

Ruth Detrow:  Well, I want this business park to be as high class and wonderful as it can possibly be.  I don’t want to lose people who would be a wonderful addition to it.  What places are this restrictive?  About buying for investment and reselling.

Mayor Strine:  What would these regulations have done to an Ethanol plant?

Evan Scurti:  That Ethanol plant would have to get their plans together, show this development committee what it would look like.  Once that is approved, then we could sell the land and construction begins.   One of the concerns was well what if that committee runs people out and tries to become too powerful and say no to projects.  Well now we are suggesting appeal system so that the business can appeal to City Council and you all can approve the design.

Mayor Strine:  And along that line we already, I believe have too many roadblocks for businesses.  And I think you just need to be careful because you are adding more. I think that’s reality.  When a businessperson wants to build something, they don’t like a lot of regulations.  I am not saying that a lot of these aren’t right, I am just saying be careful.

Glen Stewart:  I look at an investment that the city had made of the tax payers bucks, but I look at that investment as being a very wise investment for the long term future and we thought we might have an Ethanol plant here that would take 160 acres which basically would have been taking a vast majority of the park, but it didn’t happen and that is okay.  We have some seeds out there that I call maybe MAGNET companies that there are some things happening out there but the key is, we want that park to be aesthetically acceptable to others as the park is developed and not have an outside storage.  I don’t know if that is a detriment to many industries or not.  The small mid size manufacturing firms, I don’t think that is a big detriment personally.  I think that the sign Ordinances that I think the Planning Commission has before us would pass them as they are coming to us.  The sign Ordinances I think are a compliment to our Industrial Park from that standpoint.  The development committee is almost the same committee that put these rules together with this that would include, and this is only part of the current document, made up of the Mayor, or his or her designee, City Engineer or their designee, Ashland Area of Council for Economic Development, or his designee and Member of the City Planning Commission appointed by the Mayor for a 2 year renewable term and Member of the Ashland County Community Improvement Corp.   I think with the exception of the CIC, that is probably the same organization that put this together.  So it is not a change of basic organization but if this were approved and presented for approval, it would make some changes.  I couldn’t look at it as restrictive personally.

Evan Scurti:  We could always call these cities if you wanted.  Have a conference call.  I know that Bowling Green has positive things to say.  I think if you look at this, ours are actually much less restrictive then some of these.  

Mayor Strine:   Who prepared this?  

Evan Scurti: I did.  

Glen Stewart:  Evan worked with several communities; I think there are five.  

Mayor Strine:  So this actually is a recommendation from the Economic Development Department?

Glen Stewart:  Through me.

Mayor Strine:   Well, you’re the President.  

Glen Stewart:  The key from my viewpoint again, is I don’t think I am leading this Council wrong that we really do not want to have someone come in and buy a chunk of land, more than they need for their development and subdivide it and sell it off.  

Evan Scurti:  In the Bowling Green, I think it is Bowling Green; they absolutely forbid splitting off.  Our restrictions, again, it is not saying you cannot split it off, but the committee has to review it.  

Mayor Strine:  Don’t parcel splits have to be approved by the Planning Commission?  

Glen Stewart:  It wasn’t approved for the one on Mr. Baker’s was it?  So, you approved Baker splitting off out there, but not the Planning Commission?

Ruth Detrow:  Evan, the last page, where it says, if the property owners cancel the project within a 3 year time frame, the property owner must first provide the city of Ashland with the option to repurchase at the original price with no interest applied prior to placing the land on the private market.  Is that included in most, more than half of the documents you have studied?

Evan Scurti:  Definitely, that is standard.  We are selling you the land free and proper.  If you cannot do your project; you shouldn’t be able to profit by reselling it at twice the price.  We would get the land back and sell it to someone else.

Glen Stewart:  There is some opportunity from my perspective in establishing the pricing of the land; Mayor I am taking some leverage with what I think are your perrogative.  But if I want to come in and buy five acres and create 200 jobs, those 200 jobs add a tremendous amount of value to our community.  And the price of the land might be at this level.   Let’s say we price the land for 100 dollars an acre, this isn’t factual, this is just for example, however if they come and they say, we want that same land and we are going to create ten jobs, the price per acre may be up here; because there is less value to the city for 10 jobs then there was for 100 jobs.  So the price breaker may be up here.  Now if this fellow down here that bought it for 100 dollars an acre decides that he cannot do the project, the city must have the option to repurchase it at that price and not at the market price of that land and never have done anything, in my opinion.  That is where I think this comes in.  

Mayor Strine:  Didn’t it say that in there?

Glen Stewart:  I didn’t see it if it did.

Evan Scurti:   Yes, I added it.  It says, if they cancel a project within that three-year time frame, we still have the right to repurchase.

Glen Stewart:  But this says that they must offer it to the city first.

Mayor Strine:   I am confused, because I thought that is what it said originally.

Evan Scurti:  It probably does Mayor.

Ruth Detrow:  If someone gets approval on five acres for a business and then they decide no, that is not really the best idea after all, they cannot go to another business either.  They cannot make widgets and then decide to make balls.  

Evan Scurti:  If they come to the development committee and say here is my 40,000 square foot building and the committee approves it, but then they come to 6 months later, and say well sorry the plan changed, now I will build 80,000 square feet.  They can only build what this development committee approves.  

Ruth Detrow:  Well I am talking about changing projects.  It wouldn’t seem sensible for a business person to change projects in the middle of things unless he were doing it as a way of getting a hold of the land and then doing later what he wants.

Glen Stewart:  I understand what you are saying,  Ruth the proposal is going to make rubber balls and they are going to employ 200 people and the committee approves the aesthetics and 40,000 square foot building and things change so they want to make steel balls and he may need a little more square footage and the employment base may change.  He has to go back to the committee.

Evan Scurti:  Yes just for the aesthetics.  This is part of the reason you see a lot of red.  We wanted to make it perfectly clear that this development committee is only reviewing the physical layout of the park.  They have no role in the Mayor’s discussions with the prospect setting the price of the land whether we want business, their role is just to review the proposed development, what it looks like and approve or disapprove of that.  

Glen Stewart:  You come back to them for any changes that you want to make.  

Evan Scurti:  Your issue is with their job creation process; that is a hard one.  A lot of prospects can apply for tax incentives. They would have to reapply for incentives if the project changes.  But none of that is aimed to deal with the development committee.  This committee is just to look at the land improvements on the ground.  

Ruth Detrow:  Okay, I don’t think I have made myself clear yet, but I do understand that it doesn’t apply here.  

Evan Scurti: Those are things you can maybe address in your purchase agreement.  Some communities I have seen sell land at say 30,000.00 dollars an acre and create 100 jobs after three years and the company gets a rebate.

Mayor Strine:  The way I see this, the problem with the process that we are going through right now is that this is, the Economic Development Department changing these rules or proposing to change these rules, and it actually should be the City’s responsibility. Obviously the Economic Development Department, which is not part of the city, can make recommendations to the city and to the Council to change things.  I believe that these original, which you have in black, was made part of the, it goes with the land; Deed restrictions.  None of this was put in Ordinance form.  So if Council feels that it is not right, you can change it anyway you want and put it in Ordinance form, and that is the way it will be.  

Glen Stewart:  I guess I would ask the question, Mayor and I am not interested in getting into a pro and con situation on this but I am interested in making sure that what we have asked our community to go in debt for that, that intent is followed and that intent from my view is not to buy land to resell.  We bought the land to sell to those people who want to invest in jobs and I think there is a very vivid view of that on the East side of 250 and there is nothing against that or wrong with that but I think our intent is not to let that happen on the West side of 250. The intent was to invest our money for jobs, not to invest our money to sell it to someone else to reap the benefit of selling that land at a higher price.  Whether that is a Councilmatic action or not, we are looking at this and there is a lot of red in there and Evan and I have talked about this for several months and looked at it and looked at other entities, other communities and there may be some redundancy and the red is merely a suggestion but I think it warrants whatever committee this should go to, if it shouldn’t come here, so be it.  

Mayor Strine:  I am not saying it shouldn’t come here; very obviously it is Council’s responsibility.  All I am saying is, This is not Council, and in this case you had your ED hat on.

Glen Stewart:   How can I take it off?  

Mayor Strine:  Well it could have gone through the right process.  

Glen Stewart:  Nothing prescribes the right process to me, Mayor.  Obviously I do not normally work outside the process.  If I am not aware of the right process, I apologize to the whole world but this is a desire that this Council presents and whatever the process needs to be, I would like to follow that process.  If it needs to go back to the Mayor, the Engineer, the Planning Commission, so be it.  Someone needs to be receptive to look at our suggestions and I will take my ED hat off and I will abstain from any decision on this.  

Mayor Strine: I guess my whole point on this is that it is coming from an ED department which is not part of the city at this point and the process should be if Council wants to change it, then they change anything they want to.  If you folks feel that everything in the red there is right for this community and that is what I think you have to do; but up to tonight, I don’t believe what I am hearing has just been Economic Development Department.

Glen Stewart:  This was distributed to everybody in Council four weeks ago.  

Mayor Strine:  I did not get a copy of it.

Glen Stewart:  But Council did receive this, Valarie included it in our packages either 2 weeks, or 4 weeks ago.  

Mayor Strine:  Maybe it was in my packet and I overlooked it.  

Ruth Detrow:  We are not being asked to approve this.  This is subject to change according to what Council feels about it.  

Glen Stewart:  It is subject to recommendation for change, right.

Ruth Detrow:  And this would go back to where?

Glen Stewart:  The group that put it together originally, is that correct?

Mayor Strine: Here again, I am only asking that Council consider these, which you are doing tonight.  Obviously I am trying to explain that that process was, the normal process in how this originated wasn’t followed, so now all of a sudden you are getting recommendations to change something that you were not privy to or any of the discussion that originally went into it.  

Glen Stewart:  And that may be a problem.  I am not being critical guys.  We see some areas that we think possibly need to be considered for updating or changing or improving or whatever, and in whatever direction we need to take, we are willing to do.  

Ruth Detrow:  Can we go back and this document be sent back to this four-member group, they are the ones which should have originated it, is that what you are saying Mayor?

Mayor Strine:  Well, that was the group that originally authored this.

Ruth Detrow:  So these suggestions for change should have gone to that group first?

Mayor Strine:  That is what I feel.  So we can make recommendations to Council and wish in a year what that board had to say.

Ruth Detrow:  I think that is what we should do.

Robert M. Valentine W2:  My only problem is driving out 250 and see those out lots for sale.  That is disgusting in my view and that is what would precipitate a lot of this.  That for me precipitated my questions.

Ruth Detrow:  So when do you think these four people can convene; and where you can be at?

Mayor Strine:  Up to the last month, we have been meeting every Tuesday morning.  

Glen Stewart:  Well, can we pass this back to Evan and Evan bring it back to you, is that the appropriate way?

Mayor Strine:  Well, I have got it now.   I will present it to the group and he will be there.  It will only take us a couple of weeks to get back to you folks with what we think of this.

Glen Stewart:  Okay, That’s great.  I think we are making strides now.

Evan Scurti:  I think the Mayor is absolutely correct, an Ordinance needs to be passed.

Glen Stewart:  I am not sure that we need an Ordinance if this is tracked.  If this has become a part of the Deed Restrictions that go with the land.  This group actually serves the investors of the Economic Development.  Economic Development has got an idea, they don’t serve you, but you go back to them and everyone will have to work with this document jointly whether Joe Smith comes to the Mayor to buy land, you get a call from someone that wants to develop something, we are all going to be working together.  We will have to have knowledge of this obviously.   
There is nothing else on this Agenda for this Work Session.  I will share with you publicly now, there is a second item for the October 30th Work Session following the Ohio Partners for Excellence process update and that will be, I am going to propose that Scott Brown come to talk with us about the proposal for the Siler farm and he would like to have 20-30 minutes.  So if that is okay with you, we will schedule that for that night also.  

Nan Wertz:  I was informed that Council wanted an Investment update, when would you like that?

Glen Stewart:  Mr. Robert L. Valentine W1 requested that, I think it would be appropriate, if you want to share that at the next regular meeting and not knowing when Mr. Valentine will be here, it would be appropriate if you might choose to call him and walk him through it.  

Comments or questions.  

Move to Adjourn the Work session by Ruth Detrow, seconded by Robert M. Valentine W2.
Ayes:  Robert M. Valentine W2, Ruth Detrow, Glen Stewart.


Meeting adjourned at 8:05 P.M.




                                        Submitted by
                                        Valarie Bishoff
                                        Clerk of Council