Mar 11, 2024 City Council Meeting

AND NEXT WE HAVE OUR FLAG CEREMONY BY THE WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR, ROTC.

COLOSSIANS ONE 15 TO 17 SAYS, HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION.

FOR BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.

WHETHER THRONES OR POWERS OR RULERS OR AUTHORITIES, ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM AND FOR HIM, HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS.

AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER.

HE IS JESUS.

HE IS THE ORIGINAL.

THERE ARE NONE BEFORE.

HE'S THE SOURCE AND HE IS GOOD.

SO IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE TRUTH OF YOUR TRUE PURPOSE AND THE TRUE PURPOSE OF ANYTHING, YOU MUST BEGIN WITH CHRIST.

SOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WERE ARRESTED FOR SAYING SUCH THINGS, FOR PROMOTING TROUBLE, BUT A WISE MAN DESIRING TO CALM THE CROWD SAID SOMETHING LIKE, IF WHAT THESE MEN ARE PROMOTING IS OF HUMAN ORIGIN, IT WILL FAIL.

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

BUT IF WHAT THEY'RE PROMOTING IS OF GOD, YOU'LL ONLY FIND YOURSELF FIGHTING AGAINST GOD.

YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT THAT.

PROVERBS SAYS, MANY ARE THE PLANS OF A MAN'S HEART, BUT IT IS THE LORD'S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS.

MANY PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN HUMANITY BEGINS WITH ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION, BECAUSE OF SIN.

HUMANITY ON ITS OWN FAILS BECAUSE IT IS BY NATURE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL INCOMPATIBLE WITH GOD AND HIS PURPOSE.

THOSE FOCUS MORE ON THEMSELVES THAN THEIR AND THEIR HUMAN AGENDAS THAN ON THE LORD.

AND HIS WILL WILL GET IT QUITE WRONG.

AND STARTING AT THE WRONG PLACE WILL CERTAINLY LEAVE ONE UNFORTUNATELY AT THE WRONG DESTINATION.

THE DESTINATION OF FALLEN HUMANITY IS DEATH AND SEPARATION FROM GOD.

BUT JESUS CAME FROM HEAVEN TO CHANGE THAT HE CAME NOT ONLY TO SHOW US THE WAY, BUT TO BECOME THE WAY IN US, TO UNITE US WITH GOD THROUGH HIS SPIRIT SO THAT WE MAY HAVE AUTHENTIC LIFE, ETERNAL LIFE IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE.

THE ONE WHO IS THE ORIGINAL, WHO IS GOD.

LET'S PRAY.

FATHER, ALL WE NEED IS TO LIVE BY THE TRUTH.

AND YOU ARE THE SOURCE.

YOU ARE THE TRUTH, LORD, AND YOU ARE LOVE.

LORD, FILL US WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND GUIDE THIS MEETING TONIGHT SO THAT ALL MIGHT BE DONE IN A WAY PLEASING TO YOU FOR IT'S IN CHRIST'S NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN.

[3. Flag Ceremony - Wayne High School Junior ROTC Honor Guard]

HONOR, HONOR, COLOR, MARK.

[4. Pledge Of Allegiance]

BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL CARRIED COLOR COLORS.

ED, DIP COLOR.

[00:05:01]

MR. ROGER,

[5. Roll Call]

WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE PLEASE? MR. DAVIDSON? HERE.

[6. Approval Of Minutes]

I NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

THERE ARE NO MINUTES FOR APPROVAL THIS EVENING.

NEXT UP I NUMBER SEVEN, WE

[ Special Recognition For Significant Achievement And 90th Birthday Mayoral Proclamation Presentation To Mrs. Jan Vargo - Mayor Jeff Gore]

HAVE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

ITEM SEVEN, A LIEUTENANT ITEM SEVEN, A SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AND 90TH BIRTHDAY MERRILL PROCLAMATION PRESENTATION TO MRS. JAN VARGO BY MAYOR JEFF GORE.

SO MRS. VARGO, WE'D ASK YOU TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.

STAND HERE BY ME.

SO I THINK, UH, NOT EVERYBODY WAS IN THE BACK, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, IN THE BACKGROUND KIND OF CELEBRATING JAN BEFORE.

UH, WE'VE COME OUT HERE THIS EVENING AND CERTAINLY BEARS REPEATING, UH, WHAT THIS SPECIAL WOMAN HAS MEANT TO MANY OF US AND TO THE CITY OF HUB HEIGHTS.

YOU KNOW, JAN IS GETTING READY TO CELEBRATE HER 90TH BIRTHDAY AND SHE STILL SERVES OUR PLANNING COMMISSION.

SHE STILL SERVES IN OUR CITIZENS PATROL.

SHE IS EXTREMELY ACTIVE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AND THERE JUST ISN'T ABOUT ANY PLACE THAT YOU CAN GO WHERE THERE'S SOME TYPE OF COMMUNITY EVENT GOING ON THAT YOU WON'T FIND JAN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I EVER GOT INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF CITY POLITICS, AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER MY FIRST MEMORIES OF JAN, UH, I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IS IN THE HU RIGHTS COURIER AND THE DID, YOU KNOW, COLUMN THAT, AND I LEARNED A LOT.

I COME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A LAW I DIDN'T KNOW.

AND, AND, AND, AND JAN SO THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WAS GOING ON IN, IN HUB HEIGHTS AT THE TIME.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE KIND OF REMINISCING.

I I MISSED THE CAREER AND I, AND I MISSED THOSE, I MISSED THOSE ARTICLES, BUT IT IS, UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S IT'S A GREAT PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR FOR ME THIS EVENING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THIS CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS MAYORAL PROCLAMATION FOR SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT TO JAN VARGO THIS EVENING.

SO JAN VARGO SERVED WITH DEDICATION AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AS A MEMBER OF THE HEBREW HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL, REPRESENTING AT LARGE FROM JANUARY, 1984 THROUGH DECEMBER, 1985, AND FROM JANUARY, 1992 THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2015.

WHEREAS JANE VARGO HAS BEEN A DYNAMIC LEADER AND AN INTEGRAL PARTICIPANT IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITY EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE MIAMI VALLEY MILITARY AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION, THE MIAMI VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND THE FIRST TIER SUBURBS CONSORTIUM HAS SERVED AS THE VICE MAYOR FOR FOUR TERMS, IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF ST.

PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CAN BE SEEN AT MANY OF THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL SPORTING EVENTS CHEERING ON HER FAVORITE TEAMS. AND WHEREAS JAN AND WHEREAS JAN VARGO HAS SERVED ON THE CITY'S PLANNING COMMISSION FROM 2016 TO THE PRESENT AND HAS ALSO BEEN A LONGSTANDING AND CURRENT MEMBER OF THE HEBREW HEIGHTS CITIZENS PATROL.

AND WHEREAS JAN VARGOS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HEBREW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN MANY INSUBSTANTIAL AND HAVE BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY THAT HAVE ENHANCED THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HEBREW HEIGHTS FOR THE BETTER.

AND WHEREAS JAN VARGO WAS BORN ON MARCH 18TH, 1934, I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D CARE IF WE'D SAID YOUR BIRTHDAY SINCE WE WERE TELLING EVERYBODY YOU'RE 90.

SO, AND WE'LL CELEBRATE HER 90TH BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH.

I DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MONDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2024 IN HEBREW HEIGHTS, OHIO AS JAN VARGO DAY.

AND NOW THEREFORE, I JEFF GORE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS, OHIO, DO DESERVINGLY PRESENT THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF JAN VARGOS 90TH BIRTHDAY AND DO HEREBY TENDER THIS PROCLAMATION OF PUBLIC RECOGNITION TO MRS. JAN VARGO AND HEREBY EXTEND OUR VERY BEST WISHES FOR HER HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND CONTINUED SUCCESS.

AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, I EXTEND A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS MILESTONE.

AND THANKS FOR HER MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT

[00:10:01]

THIS RECOGNITION IS SEALED BY PRESENTING TO THIS HONORED INDIVIDUAL A KEY TO THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS AS A TOKEN OF OUR ESTEEM IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE HERE TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF HEBREW HEIGHTS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 11TH DAY OF MARCH AND THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2024 JAN.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

SO THERE'S THAT.

THIS IS ALL MINE.

YES, WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS FOR YOU HERE.

YOU WANT THOSE TOO.

SO THIS IS THE KEY TO THE CITY.

THE KEY TO THE CITY.

WILL IT OPEN THE FRONT DOOR? YEP.

I HAD TO TURN IN MY KEY.

IT JUST MINE.

SO YES, IT'S MY, MY HONOR TO, TO PRESENT TO YOU A KEY TO THE CITY.

HUBER HEIGHTS, CITIZEN PATROL.

YOU'VE GOT THE KEY TO OUR HEARTS.

NOW YOU'VE GOT THE KEY TO OH MY GOODNESS, HOW NICE IS THAT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

UM, BEFORE, I'M CERTAINLY GONNA INVITE YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I KNOW, UM, MS. LIEBERMAN IS HERE, ONE OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THEY HAVE A PROCLAMATION AS WELL.

SO I KNOW, UH, DEBBIE WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS.

SO, OKAY.

CAN I PUT THESE ON YOUR CHAIR? YES, MAY.

THANKS MAYOR.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK OF HUBER HEIGHTS, UM, WHEN IT BECAME A CITY AND UM, THINK BACK ON SOME OF THE NAMES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR HUBER HEIGHTS, YOU THINK OF A NAME.

THIS LADY'S ONE OF THEM, AT LEAST FOR ME, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AROUND 90 YEARS, .

YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU JAN, AND SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE, WHETHER IT'S DIFFERENT EVENTS.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER COMING TO DINNERS OUT HERE, LASAGNA, DINNERS.

MM-HMM, AND SPAGHETTI.

JUST JAN, YOU'RE HUBER, RIGHT? UM, SO FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO AND, AND SOME OF THE PROS THE SAME AS THE MAYOR.

SO I WILL NOT SAY ALL THAT, BUT WHEREAS IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT WE PROUDLY HONOR MRS. JAN VARGO ON THE OCCASION OF YOUR 90TH BIRTHDAY.

AND WHEREAS YOU'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN THE HEBREW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY FOR MANY DECADES.

OKAY, WELL I'LL TAKE THAT.

YEAH, YEAH.

UM, OF COURSE SERVING ON HUBER HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL AND WHEREAS MS. VARGO HAS HAD A LIFETIME OF PARTICIPATION IN THE AREA, INCLUDING THE MIAMI VALLEY MILITARY AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION, THE MIAMI VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, THANK YOU.

AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS, THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER IN HER UNIFORM, I WAS LIKE, WOW, LOOK AT HER CITIZEN PATROL.

SO IT'S JUST GREAT.

UM, HE HEIGHTS AND THE FIRST YEAR SUBURBS CONSORTIUM.

AND WHEREAS MRS. VARGO HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE LEADER SERVING AS VICE MAYOR FOR FOUR TERMS AND THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION FROM 16 TO THE PRESENT.

SO THEY GIVE YOU THE HARD WORK, HUH.

PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND WHEREAS MRS. VARGO HAS AN UNPARALLELED LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF HEBREW HEIGHTS FOR YEARS TO COME.

AND WHEREAS TODAY YOU CELEBRATE YOUR 90TH BIRTHDAY SURROUNDED BY THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO DOES HEREBY RECOGNIZ AND CONGRATULATE MRS. JAN VARGO ON THE OCCASION OF HER 90TH BIRTHDAY.

PLEASE ACCEPT OUR WARMEST WISHES ON THIS VERY SPECIAL OCCASION.

AND IT'S NOT IN THE PROCLAMATION, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR MAKING NEXT MONDAY, JAN VARGO DAY.

SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE IT.

WE, WE CAN'T DECLARE IT.

I LOVE THAT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY, BUT WE WILL RECOGNIZE THAT, THAT IT'S YOUR DAY.

SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU DEAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

PLEASE EXTEND MY I'LL TO THE JUDY AND CAROLYN.

I'LL JUST TAKE, MIKE IS YOURS.

OH, YOU MIGHT BE SORRY.

YOU SAID THAT

[00:15:01]

, I'VE ALREADY SAID THIS ONCE, BUT I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH.

I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM.

EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE PLAYED A PART IN MY LIFE.

EVERY ONE OF YOU, MAYBE FOR A SHORT TIME, MAYBE FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT EACH OF YOU MADE AN IMPRESSION AND MADE ME WHO I AM.

AND I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE 90 YEARS BEHIND ME, BUT I'VE BEEN REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE MADE HUBER HEIGHTS MY HOME AND UH, IT WAS JUST A VERY SMALL BEDROOM COMMUNITY WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE.

AND TO LOOK BACK AT HOW IT HAS GROWN AND HOW I WAS ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF THAT GROWTH MEANS A LOT TO ME, BUT I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT EVERYBODY.

SO THE AWARDS I RECEIVED TODAY, THE ONES FOR MY 90TH BIRTHDAY, THAT'S JUST FOR ME .

BUT, BUT THE OTHER AWARDS I COULD NEVER HAVE HAVE RECEIVED THOSE WITHOUT YOUR HELP.

SO I THANK YOU ALL.

SO ONE LAST, DID YOU KNOW THING, UM, I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, I JUST LEARNED THIS TONIGHT, BUT, UM, COUNCILMAN CAMPBELL INFORMED ME THAT JAN WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SLIDE DOWN THE SLIDE AT THE KROGER AQUATIC CENTER WHEN IT WAS .

SO NOW, NOW YOU KNOW TOO, IF WE WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES RECESS TO LET EVERYBODY LEAVE WAY BACK WHEN WE WERE FIRST KANSAS CITY.

HUH.

AND HIS FATHER, DO YOU WANNA BREAK? YES.

COULD I SAY SOMETHING? OF COURSE, YEAH.

JAN, YOU AND I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER AND IT WAS MY HONOR AND YOU TAUGHT ME WHAT BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT IS AND HUBER HEIGHTS OWES YOU A DEBT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPAY.

AND I REMEMBER WHAT THE CITY LOOKED LIKE PRIOR TO JAN VARGO AND IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY, AND I'VE MISSED YOU EVERY MEETING SINCE YOU'VE LEFT.

AND, AND I NEVER THINK OF YOU THAT I DON'T THINK OF JUDY BLANKENSHIP ALSO.

AND, AND YOU TWO WORKED VERY HARD AND THE CITY OWES YOU A GREAT DEAL.

BUT LORI AND I, UH, IN ADDITION TO YOU BEING A COLLEAGUE, CONSIDER YOU OUR FRIEND.

AND ONE, ONE THING I THANK YOU FOR CALLING IT A PUBLIC SERVANT.

I'VE NEVER EVER CONSIDERED MYSELF A POLITICIAN.

I WAS ALWAYS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SLASH PUBLIC SERVANT.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT, UH, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR HU HEIGHTS TO BECOME WHAT WE ARE TODAY BECAUSE WE HAD PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVING.

AND YOU LED BY EXAMPLE.

TO ITEM SEVEN B, STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS BY MAYOR JEFF COURT.

SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON

[ State Of The City Address - Mayor Jeff Gore]

SO I KNOW, UM, A LOT OF YOU HERE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF OF JAN THIS EVENING.

UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY AND HEAR SOME OF THE GREAT NEWS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN HUB HEIGHTS AS WE KINDA GO OVER THE, THE STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, UH, YOU ARE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO DO THAT.

UM, BUT CERTAINLY THIS EVENING, IF, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE NOW IS THE, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO THAT.

IT'S A MASS EXODUS OF THE BUILDING.

THANK YOU MS. DELARY.

THANK YOU JOHN.

BYE DONNA.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU MAYOR, YOU AT THE CENTER? I ALREADY DID.

THE REST IS

[00:20:01]

BORING ANYWAY, MAYOR.

THEY WOULD, I'M JUST GOING WHERE THEY TELL, WE JUST GO WHERE THEY TELL.

THAT'S RIGHT.

JUST GO.

LET'S SWING.

YEAH, LET'S SWING OVER HERE TO THE PODIUM.

THESE ARE FOUR OF MY FIVE CHILDREN OF THOSE WHO DUNNO.

LET'S, OKAY.

TRYING TO GET OUTTA THE WAY.

BRIAN, JILL THERE AND BRUCE WILL BE HERE LATER.

THAT'S WHAT I DO.

I'M ALWAYS DUCKING IN.

REALLY? WOW.

WE NEED CHAIRS THAT LORD, WOW.

WE NEED CHAIRS TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR.

NOW YOU HAVE TO SIT LIKE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND THE VICE.

IT'S A LONG ONE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.

SO WE'LL TRY NOT TO MAKE THIS TAKE ANY LONGER THAN IT TAKES AND NOT WASTE ANYONE'S TIME.

BUT WE HAVE SOME, SOME GOOD INFORMATION TO GO OVER AND GO THROUGH AND ANYTIME I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY AND, AND THE GREAT THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING HERE, I'D LOVE TO TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

WE CAN'T HEAR TOO WELL.

CAN WE PUT THE SOUND UP A LITTLE BIT? WELL JUST SLIGHTLY.

IS THAT A LITTLE BETTER? YEAH.

DUE TO ITS DIVERSE RANGE OF HOMES AND VALUES THAT CATER TO EVERY FINANCIAL DEMOGRAPHIC AND EVERY STEP IN THE CYCLE OF HOME BUYING FROM THOSE WHO ARE PURCHASING A STARTER HOME THROUGH UPGRADING TO RAISE A FAMILY TO THOSE LOOKING FOR AN EMPTY NEST AND THOSE LOOKING TO AGE IN PLACE.

SO FIRST, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME EVERYONE.

SO I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU, UH, WHO IS IN ATTENDANCE HERE THIS EVENING IN THE CHAMBERS AND ALSO THOSE WATCHING FROM HOME ON OUR LIVE STREAM.

ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL AND OUR STAFF, I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT THE STATE OF OUR GROWING CITY.

I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT ON ALL THE SUCCESSES OF THE CITY, WHICH THERE ARE MANY, AND OFFER A PEEK AT WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE YEARS TO COME.

I'M VERY PROUD TO STAND BEFORE YOU HERE TONIGHT IN THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO VERY CONFIDENTLY DECLARE THAT THE STATE OF OUR GREAT CITY IS EXTREMELY HEALTHY.

THE STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESSES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CELEBRATION.

SO LET US CELEBRATE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SHOUT THE STORY OF OUR SUCCESS, BUT LET US NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE CONTINUOUS WORK THAT LIES AHEAD.

THE STRENGTH OF ANY ORGANIZATION IS DEPENDENT ON THOSE WHO SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

OUR PEOPLE FROM OUR MOST SENIOR TENURED TO OUR MOST RECENTLY HIRED EMPLOYEE ARE THE LINCHPIN THAT HOLDS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION TOGETHER AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THEM AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY FOR THE NEARLY 44,000 OF YOU, THESE INDIVIDUALS GO TO WORK EVERY DAY WITH OUR MISSION IN MIND, AND THAT IS TO CREATE THE BEST MANAGED CITY IN OHIO BY PROVIDING AN UNSURPASSED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS CITIZENS.

IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE OUTSTANDING LEVEL OF SERVICE AND OPEN RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE THIS MISSION.

THE VERY FUTURE OF OUR CITY HINGES ON THE COLLABORATION OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 100% COMMITTED TO NURTURING OUR COMMUNITY AND SEIZING THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME BEFORE US.

LET'S BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE HOUSING MARKET.

THE DEMAND FOR HOUSING IS VERY STRONG AND HEBREW HEIGHTS CONTINUES TO BE A HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER COMMUNITY BY HOME BUYERS

[00:25:01]

WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH AN ENGAGED AND ACTIVE SENIOR COMMUNITY HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS AND I KNOW HOW EXCITED THEY ARE ABOUT THEIR NEW FACILITIES COMING.

MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN AROUND OUR COMMUNITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND THEY'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO TALK WITH ANYONE ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF THE CITY AND THE CHANGES THEY'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS.

WITH THAT SAID, WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU CAN FIND IT RIGHT HERE IN HEBREW HEIGHTS.

THE CITY'S POPULATIONS THAT WAS REPORTED IN THE 2020 CENSUS IS 43,439, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF OVER 14% FROM THE 2010 CENSUS.

AND THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS GROWTH HAS BEEN THE AVAILABILITY OF NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION.

A YAHOO FINANCE ARTICLE FROM JANUARY OF THIS YEAR CLAIMS THE RETURN OF THE RUST BELT IS ALIVE AND WELL WITH THREE OF THE TOP HOUSING MARKETS COMING FROM OHIO, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, AND CINCINNATI.

WELL, HEBREW HEIGHTS SINCE LOCATION IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF COLUMBUS AND CINCINNATI, AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPERATIVE IF WE WANNA SEE THE JOB GROWTH IN OUR AREA, THAT WE MUST HAVE PLACES FOR THEM TO LIVE AND CALL HOME, AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE A COMMUNITY THAT OFFERS THE AMENITIES THAT ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THAT COMPANIES WILL NOT LOCATE TO A PLACE WHERE THEIR PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME STATISTICS FROM DISCOVERY DAYTON.NET, WHICH DESCRIBES THE 90 MINUTE AIR MARKET AND THE HIGHWAY MARKET FOR HEBREW HEIGHTS VIA THE DAYTON AIRPORT.

JUST A SHORT 15 MINUTES AWAY, WE REACH 137 MILLION PEOPLE, WHICH REPRESENTS 75% OF THE US WORKFORCE ALL WITHIN 90 MINUTES.

WE REACH HALF OF THE COMBINED POPULATION OF THE US AND CANADA, WHICH RESULTS IN REACHING FIVE LARGE METRO AREAS AND ACCESS TO OVER 300 OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS.

WE OFFER ONE OF THE TOP SURFACE TRANSPORT MARKETS IN THE US REACHING NEARLY 52 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN A 36 HOUR DELIVERY TIME.

HEBREW RIGHTS ALSO SITS AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 70 AND 75, PROVIDING ACCESS TO 60% OF THE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND 53% OF THE NORTH AMERICAN POPULATION.

OVERALL DATA FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF THE DAYTON REALTORS ASSOCIATION SHOWS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS HOMES SPENT ON THE MARKET DECREASED FROM 91 DAYS TO 48 DAYS AND THE AVERAGE HOME SOLD FIVE YEARS AGO AVERAGED $118,411 IN COMPARISON TO $138,000 TODAY WITH A MEDIAN LIST PRICE OF 189,000 BASED ON DATA FROM REDFIN.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD IN 2014 WAS 567 AND THAT NUMBER INCREASED TO 781 IN 2017, BUT THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, DESPITE THE RISING INTEREST RATE MARKET WAS 565.

MORTGAGE RATES AVERAGED 4.31% IN 2017 AND ARE PREDICTED TO AVERAGE 7% IN 2024.

TO SUMMARIZE THAT INFORMATION, INTEREST RATES ARE NEARLY 3% HIGHER TODAY THAN IN 2014.

SO STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, THE NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD IS EXACTLY THE SAME AND THEY'RE SELLING IN HALF THE AMOUNT OF TIME, 3% HIGHER RATES, SAME NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD HALF THE TIME.

OUR RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION MARKET CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL, WHICH IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO DESIRABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

THE CITY ISSUED 153 NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOME PERMITS IN 2022.

THE AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY HOME CONSTRUCTION WAS $223,361 WITH A TOTAL CUMULATIVE INVESTMENT OF OVER 34 MILLION IN 2022.

PERMITS WERE ISSUED FOR 208 MULTIFAMILY UNITS WITH A CUMULATIVE TOTAL INVESTMENT OF OVER 49 MILLION TO KEEP UP WITH THIS DEMAND AND KEEP OUR CITY GROWING.

AND 2022, SEVERAL NEW SUBDIVISIONS WERE APPROVED AND EXISTING SUBDIVISIONS HAD NEW SECTIONS IMPROVED INCLUDING CARRIAGE TRAILS, WAVERLEY PLACE AND CAL MERE FARMS. THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO SEE STEADY GROWTH IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF EXISTING SUBDIVISIONS AND NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND 2023 PLANS WERE APPROVED FOR APPROXIMATELY 600 NEW MULTIFAMILY UNITS WITHIN TWO DEVELOPMENTS NEAR THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER.

FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, SINCE 2019, WE HAVE 1,501 NEW HOUSING UNITS.

WE'VE INCREASED OUR PROPERTY TAX VALUE BY $217 MILLION.

OUR DEVELOPMENT WILL YIELD $36.6 MILLION MORE OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS VERSUS THE CONVENTIONAL TAX STRUCTURE, WHICH COSTS THE PROPERTY OWNERS NOT A SINGLE PENNY MORE IN PROPERTY TAX.

WE'VE ACQUIRED 155 ACRES

[00:30:01]

FOR DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO GROW THAT $36.6 MILLION YIELD.

WE HAVE SUPPORTED OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES SUCH AS PBS, PLASTICS AND ALLOT INDUSTRIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOR GRANTS.

THE CITY HAS WELCOME NEW BUSINESSES SUCH AS WARP WINGING BREWERY AND BREWERY AND BUCKY'S, AND WE'LL BE ANNOUNCING SOME NEW RESTAURANTS SOON THAT OFFER SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE QUICK SERVE TYPE OF FOOD SERVICE.

OUR EXPANSION OF WATER AND SEWER MAINS TO THE ROUTE FOUR CORRIDOR SHOULD ALSO HELP BRING NEW INDUSTRY TO THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CITY, BRINGING WITH IT NEW JOBS.

WE'RE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT CREATING ENTERPRISE AND TECHNOLOGY ZONES TO GENERATE THE INTEREST AND THE COMPANIES WE KNOW ARE MOVING TO THE AREA ALONG WITH DEFENSE COMPANIES GIVEN OUR LOCATION TO WRITE PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE FOR A LONG TIME NOW, LONG BEFORE I BECAME THE MAYOR, WE HAVE HEARD THE CALL FOR ECONOMIC INVESTMENT IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CITY.

THAT WAS A VERY WELL DESERVED CALL TO ACTION AND WE COMMITTED TO MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT TO THE SOUTH BACK IN 2018.

WHEN YOU DRIVE BY THE OLD MARIAN MEADOW SHOPPING CENTER TODAY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROMISE WE MADE IN 2018 IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING FULFILLED.

WE WILL SOON SEE MORE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE MEADOWS WITH THE ADDITION OF THE AUTHENTICS MARKET RATE MULTIFAMILY UNITS.

THE HUBER HEIGHTS BRANCH OF THE DAYTON METRO PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN COMPLETED WITH A NEW $14 MILLION BUILDING AND IN MY OPINION, THE BEST LOOKING LIBRARY IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

WE WELCOME DOGTOWN TO THIS CITY AND THEY CONSTRUCTED A BEAUTIFUL NEW BUILDING AND WE WILL BE BREAKING GROUND ON THE NEW GOVERNMENT CENTER IN THE COMING MONTHS.

THE REVITALIZED STRIP MALL LOOKS AMAZING AS WELL, AND THERE WILL ALSO BE OUT LOTS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THERE AT THE MEADOWS.

PEOPLE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY ARE FEELING RENEWED, SENSE OF PRIDE AS THEY DRIVE DOWN BRANT PIKE AND SEE THE INVESTMENT THE CITY HAS MADE TO IMPROVE THE LOOK AND THE FEEL OF WHERE THEY LIVE.

I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT PROJECT AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO.

PART OF THE MEADOWS PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES THE ROAD THAT CONNECTS TO THE HUBER CENTER.

THERE IS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HUBER CENTER TO FURTHER THE REVITALIZATION EFFORTS OF THE BRANT PIKE CORRIDOR.

ALONG WITH CHAMBERSBURG, I NOT ONLY WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY BUT LOOK FORWARD TO THE POTENTIAL THAT IT OFFERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

IT'S NECESSARY THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN SPEARHEADED BY CURRENT AND FORMER CITY LEADERS.

WHEN I TOOK OFFICE BACK IN 2018, HEBREW RIGHTS FOUND ITSELF FROM THE BACK END OF AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN THAT STARTED IN 2008 WITH THE MORTGAGE CRISIS.

WHEN THE RECOVERY BEGAN IN 2013, OUR ECONOMY WAS BEING FUELED BY PENT UP DEMAND IN THE HOUSING MARKET, BUT BUSINESSES HADN'T GOT THE MEMO YET.

THE HEBREW HEIGHTS WAS A PLACE TO BE.

I KNEW WE HAD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OVERALL RISING TIDE THAT WAS THE NATIONAL ECONOMY IN 2017 LEADING INTO 2018, AND I MADE A PROMISE TO THE RESIDENTS THAT HEBREW HEIGHTS WOULD FOCUS ON CHANGING THE WAY OUR COMMUNITY WAS VIEWED BY PEOPLE AND BUSINESS.

SO THEY WOULD IN TURN BE EXCITED TO BECOME PART OF OUR CITY AND WANT TO GROW WITH US.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE PROMISE HAS COME TRUE AND IT'S IMPORTANT WE REFLECT ON THE SUCCESSES WE'VE EXPERIENCED AND WE HAVE MANY, BUT THERE IS STILL MORE TO ACCOMPLISH AND I'M FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING THE MOMENTUM THAT WE'VE CREATED.

OUR DIVERSITY MAKES SHEER HEIGHTS A CITY THAT SO MANY WANNA BE A PART OF.

HEBREW HEIGHTS IS A MELTING POT OF ALL KINDS OF ETHNICITIES AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND WE STRIVE TO MAKE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THOSE WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS FEEL WELCOME AND RESPECTED IN OUR CITY.

WE HEAR ALL THE TIME THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE TO MOVE HERE BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSITY.

AND AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD COUNCIL'S ACTION WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HELP TO DECLARE RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

ADDITIONALLY, THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZEN ACTION COMMISSION FORMED IN THE WAKE OF THE IN, IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD TO PROMOTE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND FULL EXERCISE OF CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL PERSONS WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE OF RACE, ETHNICITY, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND OTHER BIASES THROUGH EDUCATION, MEDIATION, POLICY, LEGISLATION AND COMPLAINT REVIEW AND RESOLUTION.

WE'VE ALWAYS TAKEN THE STAND THAT IT'S ABOUT EDUCATING AND GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND AND THE ISSUES THAT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND ETHNICITIES FACE.

AND I'M PROUD OF AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THIS COMMISSION DOES AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US.

OUR PUBLIC SAFETY HE RIGHTS IS WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING THE BEST FIRE AND POLICE EMS SERVICES IN THE REGION.

MAKE NO MISTAKE THAT THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT.

THE QUALITY OF OUR EMS SERVICES IN THIS CITY IS PURPOSEFUL AND DELIBERATE.

WE ALL KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SAFE COMMUNITY.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, PEOPLE MUST FEEL SAFE IN THEIR HOMES AND THEY MUST FEEL A SENSE OF SAFETY THAT IF THEY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND CALL FOR HELP, THE ABSOLUTE VERY BEST WE HAVE TO OFFER WILL BE ON THE OTHER END OF THAT PHONE CALL IN OUR DISPATCH CENTER.

AND THE MOST QUALIFIED AND CARING PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP TO THEIR HOME REPLACE OF WORK AND TAKE CARE OF THEM.

OUR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS HAVE PROVEN OVER AND

[00:35:01]

OVER THAT THEY ARE THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST.

NOW I HAVE TO GIVE THANKS TO THE CITIZENS OF HEBREW HEIGHTS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THE EXCELLENT LEVELS OF SERVICES OF OUR UNIFORMED WOMEN AND MEN GIVE US ON A DAILY BASIS BY APPROVING AND SUPPORTING OUR EMS SERVICES LEVY BY A MARGIN OF 70 TO 30% IN THE LAST ELECTION.

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR EMS SERVICES.

I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY POINTS IN OUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING WELL SPENT WITHIN OUR EMS DEPARTMENTS.

SO IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 2023, WE HAD THREE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS TRAINED AND ASSIGNED TO THE POLICE DIVISION'S REGIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM.

AS TACTICAL PARAMEDICS, WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL ROPES COURSE RESCUE CLASS, THE HE RIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL, AND SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES PROVING THAT A PROOF OF CONCEPT WHERE THE HEBREW RIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT PLANS AND INSTRUCTS TRAINING COMPLETE WITH A NATIONAL VALIDATION WHILE SHARING THE COST WITH NEIGHBORING FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

WE TOOK DELIVERY OF OUR NEW LADDER TRUCK WITH A TILLER.

COMPLETED THE DESIGN AND BUILD BEGAN PARTIAL STAFFING OF THE NEW ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE VEHICLE TEAM, NOW KNOWN AS SQUAD 22.

THE FIRE DIVISION WAS AWARDED $374,500.

FROM THE ASSISTANCE OF FIREFIGHTERS GRANT TO REPLACE RADIO EQUIPMENT, WE ORDERED ONE NEW FIRE ENGINE AND ONE NEW EMS UNIT.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION EMS MISSION LIFELINE SILVER AWARD FOR CARDIAC AND STROKE CARE.

SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE AWARDED LIFESAVING AWARDS FOR SUCCESSFUL RESUSCITATION OF CARDIAC PATIENTS.

WE ADDED ONE ADMINISTRATIVE CAPTAIN AND THREE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS TO THE DIVISION.

BEGAN TRAINING ALL SCHOOL STAFF ON STOP THE BLEEDS AND ROLLING OUT KITS FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES, HOSTED REGIONAL TRAINING AND CONJUNCTION WITH STRIKER CORPORATION FOR THE BEST PRE-HOSPITAL PRACTICES IN CARDIAC ARREST CARE AND POST-RUN ANALYSIS.

TRAINED ALL MIMI EMPLOYEES AT THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER IN CPR AND A ED UTILIZATION IMPLEMENTED STRUCTURED REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY FOR CPR DEVICES AND CARDIAC MONITORS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

IN 2022, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED THE GOVERNOR OF OHIO'S ARPA FUNDING, RECEIVING $700,000 FOR STAFFING AND MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS RECIPIENTS OF THE STATE OF OHIO STAR OF LIFE AWARD AND PROVIDED REGIONAL RAPID INTERVENTION TRAINING TO FOUR OTHER AREA FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

IN 2023, WE HIRED SEVEN NEW OFFICERS, ONE NEW RECORDS CLERK AND ADDED AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TRAINING COORDINATOR POSITION TO THE ORGANIZATION.

IN 2023, WE ADDED A NEW DISPATCHER.

WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AND TRAVELERS WITHIN THE CITY OF HE HEIGHTS CONTINUED OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT GRAND THEFT AUTO TASK FORCE TO TARGET THE SPECIFIC GROUP KNOWN AS THE KIA BOYS.

WE USE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT AND DIGITAL SPEED SIGNS TO ADDRESS EXCESSIVE SPEED COMPLAINTS IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS.

TARGETED ENFORCEMENT OF HOMES.

THE POSSIBLE NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING CONTINUED OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS UNIT REMAINED ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO DISCUSS THE RESIDENTS CURRENT EVENTS AND PROVIDE SAFETY TIPS ALONG WITH PROGRAMS LIKE COFFEE WITH A COP.

SPENT TIME DEVELOPING IMPROVED RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES BY VISITING LOCAL POLICE ACADEMIES, CAREER TECHNOLOGY CENTERS IN HIGH SCHOOL CRIMINAL JUSTICE CLASSES TO PROMOTE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND REMAINED ACTIVE AT SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES TO DISCUSS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS AND AVAILABLE WORK HERE AT THE HE RIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE IMPROVED THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DISPATCH EMPLOYEES BY PROVIDING MORE TRAINING AND LOWERING AVERAGE PROCESSING TIMES IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTER.

IN 2022, WE ADDED ONE NEW POLICE OFFICER AND PROMOTED TWO OFFICERS TO SERGEANT AND TWO OFFICERS TO LIEUTENANT.

OFFICER WALLER WAS ASSIGNED AS OUR NEW K NINE HANDLER AND SAM O WAS SELECTED AND TRAINED AS OUR NEW CANINE.

WE INSTALLED SIX FLOCK CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS AN ENHANCED INVESTIGATIVE TOOL FOR OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES, AND WE IMPLEMENTED OUR NEW COMPUTER AID DISPATCH AND REPORT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, OUR ENGINEERING DIVISION.

THEY'VE CERTAINLY BEEN BUSY AS WELL TOO.

OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN VERY BUSY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND IT'S TIME TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THAT I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN JUST BY BEING OUT AND AROUND TOWN.

IN 2023, THE STREET CURB AND SIDEWALK PROGRAMS 2023 MARKED THE 35TH YEAR OF OUR SIDEWALK PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP THE SIDEWALKS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.

WHILE 2023 ALSO MARKED THE 24TH YEAR OF OUR STREET AND CURB REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.

AND WE BUDGET $1.5 MILLION ANNUALLY WITH AN ADDED $400,000 OF GAS TAX MONEY FROM THE COUNTY.

LAST YEAR, SIX MILES OF ROAD REPAVED AND 30,000 FOOT OF CURB WAS REPLACED.

CURRENTLY WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 430 LANE MILES OF ROAD IN THE CITY.

2023 SEWER LINING PROGRAM.

THIS MARKS THE SIXTH YEAR.

THE CITY IS LINED EXISTING SANITARY PIPES WITH AN OLDER SECTIONS OF THE CITY.

THIS HAS BECOME A YEARLY PROGRAM TO LINE THE OLDER CLAY PIPES THAT ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF CRACKS AND LEAKS.

OVER 7,300 FEET OF PIPE WAS LINED IN 2023, WHICH ULTIMATELY HELPS PROLONG THE LIFE OF OUR

[00:40:01]

CITY'S SANITARY INFRASTRUCTURE.

2022 AND 2023 WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.

SIX DIFFERENT STREETS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE MOST SEVERE AREAS FOR WATER MAIN BREAKS HAD ALL NEW WATER MAIN'S, VALVES, AND FIRE HYDRANTS REPLACED ALONG WITH ROAD REPAVING.

LAST FALL, ROUGHLY 8,000 FEET OF WATER MAIN WAS REPLACED IN 2023 AND APPROXIMATELY $2.2 MILLION IS BUDGETED FOR NEXT REPLACEMENT CYCLE AND THAT WILL BE INCREASED TO 3.4 MILLION.

BEGINNING IN 2025, WE HAVE THE NORTHBOUND OLD TROY PIKE WIDENING PROJECT.

THIS IS A PROJECT THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL OF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED AND WONDER WHY THIS PROJECT WASN'T STARTED AND COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE BUSINESSES OPENING UP.

WELL, THE CITY WORKS ON ANNUAL BUDGET AND THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE WIDENING FROM TAYLORSVILLE TO THE NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS PAID FOR BY THE DEVELOPER AND THAT PROJECT WAS COMPLETED BY THEM.

WE BUDGETED THE MONEY TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT FROM THE NEW LIGHT THROUGH MERLY WAY TO I 70 IN 2023 AND A PORTION OF MERLY WAY WILL ALSO BE WIDENED FROM ARBY'S AND MCDONALD'S TO THE CAR WASH.

THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE OVERALL TRAFFIC FLOW BY ALLOWING MORE STACKING AND BETTER ACCESS TO THE NEW BUSINESSES.

ON THE 2 0 2 CORRIDOR NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT MA ARMS ARE ALSO GONNA BE PLACED AND INSTALLED AT THE MERLY WAY 2 0 2 INTERSECTION.

AND THIS PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED AROUND THE JULY TIMEFRAME.

OO COMPLETED THE MILLING AND REPAVING OF BRANT PIKE FROM FISHBURG TO THE SOUTHERN CITY LIMITS.

AND IN 2022, THEY COMPLETED THAT SAME WORK FROM FISHBURG TO THE SOUTHERN CITY LIMITS ON OLD TROY PIKE.

NEW WATER WELL THE RIP WRAP ROAD WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

THE CITY IS CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR A NEW WELL.

THAT'S TO BE CONSTRUCTED ALSO AT THE RIP WRAP WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

THE INSTALLATION SHOULD BEGIN LATER THIS YEAR IN THE NEW AREA JUST SOUTH OF THE PLANT THAT WE PURCHASED LAST YEAR FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE WELL FIELD.

THIS NEW WELL IS EXPECTED TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST PRODUCERS OF WATER COMPARED TO ANY OF OUR EXISTING WELLS.

THIS NEW WELL WILL HELP INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANT TO PROVIDE MORE WATER TO THE CITY AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW THE EAST WATER AND SEWER MAIN PROJECTS.

THESE PROJECTS WERE STARTED IN 2023 AND CONTINUING IN INTO AND WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2024.

WATER MAINE WILL BE USED TO MAKE THE CONNECTION TO THE CITY'S WATER SYSTEM IN CENTER POINT 70 AND TERMINATE THE WATER AGREEMENT WITH CLARK COUNTY.

THIS MEETING HAS BEEN COMPLETED IN THE FINAL CONNECTION WE MADE SOON THE SEWER EXTENSION ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY ALONG ROUTE FOUR BEGINS AT THE FAIRBORNE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND RUNS ALONG ROUTE FOUR CROSSES I 70 INTO CENTER POINT 70.

THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL ALSO MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS FOR OUR BUSINESS CITIZENS AND TERMINATE THE SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH CLARK COUNTY.

THIS NEW SANITARY SEWER WILL ALSO PROVIDE FOR NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY WHEN FUTURE EXTENSIONS ARE INSTALLED ALONG CHAMBERSBURG, WE HAD FOUR NEW RTA BUS SHELTERS WERE INSTALLED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND 80% OF THAT COST WAS FUNDED BY THE RTA AND INSTALLED AT THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED STOPS OF SOME OF OUR UPCOMING ENGINEERING PROJECTS.

WE HAVE A NEW TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN AT CARRIAGE TRAILS BOULEVARD AND BRANT PIKE.

FISHBURG ROAD WIDENING FROM OLD TROY PIKE TO TOMBERG 2023 AND 24 WATER MAIN PROJECT WILL INSTALL SEVEN NEW WATER MAINS ON SEVEN DIFFERENT STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED TO BE THE MOST IN NEED AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE LAST ROUND OF REPLACEMENTS.

THIS PROJECT STARTS IN MARCH AND ALSO INCLUDES ALL NEW VALVES, FIRE HYDRANTS WITH THE WATER MAINS AND ALL THE ROADS.

WE REP PAVED AT THE FALL AT THE END OF THE PROJECT MEADOWS PARK DRIVE CONSTRUCTION STARTS THIS MONTH AND IT'S WHAT THE OLD MARION MEADOW SHOPPING CENTER.

THIS ROAD WILL EXTEND WEST FROM MIAMI VALLEY WAY TO A SMALL ROUNDABOUT AND THEN LOOP BACK SOUTH THE BRANT PIKE.

THIS ROAD IS ALSO NEEDED FOR THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AT THIS SITE AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE NEW AUTHENTICS MULTIFAMILY PROJECT AND THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.

AND THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY JULY AS WELL.

NEW SIGNAL MASS ARMS WILL BE INSTALLED AT BRANT PIKE AND FISHBURG AS THE CITY HAS STARTED A NEW PROGRAM TO REPLACE THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT OUR MAJOR INTERSECTIONS.

THESE MA ARMS SHOULD BE IN PLACE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THERE'S ALSO A DANGEROUS S-CURVE ON POWELL ROAD, ABOUT 2,500 FEET WEST OF OLD TROY PIKE AND WILL BE REALIGNING THAT SECTION OF POWELL ROAD TO ELIMINATE THAT S-CURVE TO CREATE A ROADWAY THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAINTAIN A 35 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT.

THIS PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN QUARTER FOUR THIS YEAR, OR FIRST QUARTER OF 2025.

WE HAVE NEW CURB AND SIDEWALK THAT WILL BE INSTALLED ALONG BRANT PIKE, LEADING TO TOM CLOUD PARK.

WE'LL BEGIN RESURFACING ALL THE INTERNAL WALKING PATHS AT CLOUD PARK AND NEW HANDICAP RAMPS ARE ALSO BEING INSTALLED ON OLD TROY PIKE.

BRANT PIKE AND TAYLORSVILLE ROAD.

WE HAVE TWO MAJOR FEATURE PROJECTS.

CHAMBERSBURG ROAD WEST IMPROVEMENT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN STAGE WILL BE DONE IN 2026.

AND WE HAVE CHAMBERSBURG PHASE FOUR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN STAGE ALSO, AND IT IS SCHEDULED FOR 2027.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY BUSY WITH ALL THE COMPLETED AND ONGOING PROJECTS.

AS A COUNCIL, WE DEMAND A LOT FROM OUR ENGINEERING STAFF AND WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER ENGINEER TO THE TEAM IN 2024.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WE NEED WHO POSSESS THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR A CITY WHO'S EXPERIENCING THE DEMAND AND THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE.

[00:45:01]

I'M PROUD OF OUR ENGINEERING TEAM AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE RESOURCES THEY'VE HAD AND I LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING THEM BUSY.

OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY WHERE YOU JUST CAN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.

THE JOBS THEY PERFORM ON A DAILY BASIS REACH FAR AND WIDE.

AND MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH ALL THEY DO SINCE 2022, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO ALIGN OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION STAFFING LEVELS TO MATCH THE SURROUNDING LIKE MUNICIPAL STANDARDS.

AN ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED IN 2021 AND WITH FUTURE HUBER HEIGHTS PROJECTED GROWTH, A FIVE YEAR PLAN WAS CREATED TO BRING OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFFING LEVELS IN LINE BY 2026.

FOLLOWING THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, OUR STAFFING LEVELS WILL INCLUDE 22 STREET TECHNICIANS, THREE CREW LEADERS, TWO SUPERVISORS, AND A DIVISION HEAD.

THE FOLLOWING DATA SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF NUMBERS, BUT I WILL WORK TO SUMMARIZE HOW BUSY OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM STAYS YEAR ROUND IN 2022 AND 23, OVER 4,200 HOURS ALONE WERE WORKED FOR SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL.

1,285 OF THOSE HOURS WERE OVERTIME HOURS.

1700 TONS OF SALT WAS USED ALONG WITH 67,511 GALLONS OF SALT BRINE.

A COMBINED 2223 TOTAL OF 15,562 HOURS WERE SPENT ON ROAD MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR WITH 137 TONS OF ASPHALT AND 8,000 GALLONS OF ASPHALT EMULSION, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, MAY DON'T REALIZE ALL THE DIFFERENT JOBS OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HANDLES.

THEY WORK ON PROJECTS SUCH AS STORM WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE, TRAFFIC MARKING, SIGN REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT LEAF REMOVAL, PARKS MAINTENANCE, THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER, MAINTENANCE, STREET SWEEPING BUILDING AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, VEHICLE EQUIPMENT REPAIR AND SERVICE.

AND JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER MISCELLANEOUS MAINTENANCE PROJECT THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY.

THEY HAVE SPENT OVER 52,700 HOURS ON MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ALONE IN 2022 AND THREE LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR.

OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS ALL CITY EVENTS WITH THE REQUIRED LOGISTICS AND PREPARATIONS.

THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THE WARRIOR SOCCER TOURNAMENT VETERANS, A MEMORIAL REPLAYING THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AND THE STAR-SPANGLED HEIGHTS CELEBRATION EVERY 4TH OF JULY AMONG MANY OTHER EVENTS.

IN 23, COUNCIL APPROVED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM TO PROVIDE THE DESIGN AND SEEK BIDS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY, WHICH IS GREATLY NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY.

THE RESIDENTS DESERVE TO SEE THE CONTINUED LEVEL OF SERVICE THEY'RE USED TO AS WE GROW IN THIS NEW FACILITY HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL TO BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THOSE VITAL SERVICES THAT WE ALL DEPEND ON.

THIS PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO START IN MAY OF THIS YEAR WITH AN ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME AROUND MAY, JUNE OF 2025.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME SO FAR, BUT LASTLY, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE DEPARTMENT THAT KEEPS US ALL TOGETHER.

OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, KATIE AND HER TEAM CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, ATTRACT, RETAIN HIGH PERFORMING EMPLOYEES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE CITY EMPLOYEES OVER 200 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES WITH UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 125 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES AT THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED ADDITIONAL STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FIRE DIVISION, POLICE DEPARTMENT, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND TO ENSURE WE CAN DO ALL THIS, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, OUR HR DEPARTMENT JUST LAST YEAR CONDUCTED NORTH OF A HUNDRED INTERVIEWS AND ONBOARDED 30 NEW EMPLOYEES DUE TO ADDITIONAL STAFFING, RESIGNATIONS AND RETIREMENTS.

AND THEY'LL BE FOCUSING ON RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, TRAINING, AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR GROWING WORKFORCE.

ALONG WITH ALL THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, THE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTERS OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN.

THEY WORK WITH OUR INSURANCE CARRIERS AND NEGOTIATE A SAVINGS ON BOTH THE MEDICAL AND LIABILITY RATES, SAVING THE TAXPAYERS OF OUR CITY A LOT OF MONEY.

SO I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT ALWAYS SEEM TO COME UP IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CITY AND OUR FINANCES.

THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER AND TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS TIFFS.

THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER HAD ITS BEST YEAR ON RECORD IN 2023 AND PRODUCED A NET PROFIT OF $1.5 MILLION IN REVENUE TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, WHICH HAS TYPICALLY BEEN USED TO SUBSIDIZE SPENDING IN THE CITY'S SEVERAL PARKS.

IT SEEMS THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCE AND OPERATIONAL MODEL OF THE ROSE, IT'S ALWAYS IN QUESTION.

SO BEARS REPEATING AT THIS TIME, SINCE IT'S OPENING.

EIGHT YEARS AGO, THE ROSE HAS GENERATED WELL OVER $8 MILLION IN REVENUE AND WAS AWARDED OVER $4 MILLION IN SHUTTERED VENUE FUNDS WHILE IT CUT TO CLOSED.

DURING COVID, THE CITY HAS SEEN REAL DOLLARS IN ITS BANK ACCOUNTS FROM THE ROWS IN EXCESS OF $12 MILLION IN EIGHT YEARS VERSUS A COST OF 20 MILLION TO BUILD.

AND THE FACILITY LOOKS BRAND NEW AS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER WITH MORE SHOWS AND INCREASING REVENUE EVERY YEAR.

THE CITY HAS A MORTGAGE ON THE ROSE FACILITY ITSELF AND THAT MORTGAGE IS PAID ANNUALLY BY THE RENEW, BY THE REVENUE RECEIVED THROUGH THE TIF.

TIF REVENUE IS GENERATED FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX WITH THE TIF DIS WITHIN THE DISTRICT DISTRICT ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT THE ROSE INDIVIDUAL

[00:50:01]

TAX DOLLARS.

DO NOT PAY THE MORTGAGE.

INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS DO NOT PAY THE MORTGAGE TICKET SALES DON'T PAY THE MORTGAGE AND CONCESSION REVENUE DOESN'T PAY THE MORTGAGE AND THE FINANCING MODEL NEVER INTENDED FOR ANY OF THOSE TO PAY FOR THAT FACILITY.

COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES COUNTY, JUST LIKE INDIVIDUALS DO, AND IN A TIP DISTRICT, THE TAXES THE COUNTY WOULD NORMALLY KEEP, THEY SEND BACK TO HUBER HEIGHTS.

NOW THE ARGUMENT HAS BEEN MADE THAT TIFF ARE BAD BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING TAX DOLLARS.

IT COULD BE USED FOR COUNTY PROGRAMS, BUT THE COUNTY DOESN'T PAY THEIR BILLS OF PROPERTY TAXES.

THEY PAY THEIR BILLS OF SALES TAXES.

SEVEN AND A HALF CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR SPENT IN HUBER HEIGHTS EQUATES TO A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT MORE MONEY IN REVENUE TO THE COUNTY THAN 20 CENTS IN EVERY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX DOLLAR SPENT.

THE COMMISSIONERS ARE APPROVED OF EVERY TIP THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE THEY DESIRE THE SALES TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE CREATED.

THE COUNTY IS A BUDGETED OF APPROXIMATELY A BILLION DOLLARS COMPARED TO OUR 115 MILLION AND WE'RE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTY.

ONLY BEHIND DAYTON AND KETTERING.

YES, THANK YOU.

NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM SEVEN C OR ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MR. ROGERS TONIGHT.

THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE GENERATED, WHICH IS A HOT TOPIC, HAS A REVENUE STREAM AIMED DIRECTLY AT EACH OF THOSE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.

SO WHEN YOU HEAR THAT WE'RE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT NARRATIVE, IT'S JUST NOT BASED IN ANY KIND OF FACTUAL INFORMATION.

IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

I UNDERSTAND AND FULLY REALIZE, AND NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE DECISIONS THAT COME FROM THIS COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND THE MEMBERS WHO SAT THERE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WILL CREDIT BE CRITICAL OF THOSE DECISIONS AND WE ARE ALL OKAY WITH THE CRITICISM AS LONG AS IT'S BASED IN FACT AND NOT CONJECTURE, CRITICISM COMES THE JOB.

BUT I ASSURE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT THE WORK WE DO AND THE DECISIONS WE MAKE ARE CALCULATED WITH INTENT AND CLEAR PURPOSE.

THE GROWTH OF THIS CITY BEGAN WITH A CALCULATED RISK PURCHASING OVER 300 ACRES OF LAND BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, WHICH IS NOW CENTER POINT 70.

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF OUR INDUSTRIAL LOGISTICS JOB BASE, WHICH PROVIDED THE TAX REVENUE NEEDED FOR HUBER HEIGHTS AS A NEW YOUNG CITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES REQUIRED OF US TO PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS BY THE STATE OF OHIO.

NOW OF COURSE, EVERYTHING DOESN'T ALWAYS GO AS PLANNED, AND THERE HAVE SURELY BEEN UPS AND DOWNS BEFORE ME.

I'VE EXPERIENCED UPS AND DOWNS DURING ME AND THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS AFTER ME.

BUT THIS CITY HAS PROVEN, HAS A PROVEN HISTORY OF SUCCESS.

TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE ELECTED MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, THE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, AND YES, THE CITIZENS OF HEBREW HEIGHTS HAVE OVER A 40 YEAR HISTORY TO LOOK BACK ON.

THAT SHOULD GIVE ALL OF US THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND AFTER 40 YEARS, WE HAVE A CITY THAT WE CAN STILL HAVE FAITH IN.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE PROUD TO CALL OUR HOME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING AND NOW MORE THAN EVER, I AM BLESSED, HUMBLED, AND HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR MAYOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT IS, IT IS 6 57.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE A QUICK RECESS.

WE WILL COME BACK AT 7 0 5.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

OKAY, WE WENT OVER A FEW MINUTES, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

OKAY,

[ Announcement: Consistent With The Applicable Provisions Of The Ohio Revised Code, The Clerk Of Council Of The City Of Huber Heights Is In Receipt Of The Complete And Certified Record Of The Proceedings Related To The Petition For Annexation For 296.236+/- Acres More Or Less In Bethel Township To The City Of Huber Heights. The Clerk Of Council Is Providing Notice To The Huber Heights City Council Of The Receipt Of The Complete Record Of The Proceedings Related To The Petition For Annexation To Initiate Consideration Of The Petition For Annexation In Accordance With The Applicable Provisions Of The Ohio Revised Code.]

ITEM SEVEN C ANNOUNCEMENT CONSISTENT WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE.

THE CLERK OF COUNSEL OF THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS IS IN RECEIPT OF THE COMPLETE AND CERTIFIED RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS RELATED TO THE PETITION FOR ANNEXATION FOR 296.236 PLUS OR MINUS ACRES MORE OR LESS.

AND BETHEL TOWNSHIP TO THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, CLERK OF COUNCIL IS PROVIDING NOTICE TO THE HUBER RIGHTS CITY COUNCIL OF THE RECEIPT OF THE COMPLETE RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS RELATED TO THE PETITION FOR ANNEXATION TO INITIATE CONSIDERATION OF THE PETITION FOR ANNEXATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE.

OKAY, THANK YOU, UTILITY.

AND NEXT UP WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS CITIZENS' COMMENTS FOR SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. I HAVE NOT THIS EVENING.

UP IS ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS THE CITY MANAGER REPORT.

AND NEXT

[9. City Manager Report]

RICK, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? ANY OF THE, UH, CITIZENS' COMMENTS RELATED TO, UH, ANNEXATIONS SINCE IT'S NOT AN ITEM OF DISCUSSION, WILL BE UNDER THE, UH, THE, UH, GENERAL

[00:55:01]

SECTION FOR CITIZENS' COMMENTS.

MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, I, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER TONIGHT.

I WAS HONORED TO PEN A LETTER TO THE, UH, STEWART AND MIMI ROSE FOUNDATION THIS WEEK.

UM, THEY HAVE, UH, RE-UPPED THEIR DONATION TO THE MUSIC CENTER FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS, UM, WHICH IS GREAT FOR THIS CITY.

UH, I WILL SAY AS AN ASIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE ROSE MUSIC CENTER IS A GEM OF THE DAYTON AREA.

UM, BUT I WAS BACK IN MY OLD STOMPING GROUNDS IN MOUNT VERNON, NOT LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO, HEARING ABOUT THE CONCERTS GOING ON HERE, UM, THIS SUMMER.

SO, UH, IT IS CERTAINLY, UM, A STATEWIDE VENUE, UM, AS WELL.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, STAFF ATTENDED THE OHIO CITY MANAGERS CONFERENCE ABOUT A WEEK AGO.

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT POTENTIAL STATE FUNDING, FEDERAL FUNDING, AS WELL AS, UM, WORK ON SOME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

UH, STAFF ALSO MET WITH, UH, OUR STATE SENATOR HUFFMAN THIS MORNING, UH, TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE CITY.

AND, UM, AS ALWAYS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR LEGISLATORS IN COLUMBUS, UH, ON OUR FUTURE CITY PROJECTS.

AND THEN, UH, THE ONLY, UH, FINAL THING I WANNA MENTION IS THE CITY CONTINUES TO PLAN FOR THE APRIL 8TH SOLAR ECLIPSE.

UH, HUBER HEIGHTS IS A PRIME VIEWING DESTINATION FOR THAT, AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO, UH, STOP BY CITY HALL, UH, PROBABLY AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK, UH, TO PICK UP, UH, VIEWING GLASSES.

AND, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE PROGRAMMING FROM HOME, UH, GIVEN THE LARGE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC WE EXPECT IN THE CITY.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.

THANKS RICK.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, RICK? OKAY.

NUMBER 11, UNDER NEW BUSINESS ITEM 11 A ITEM 11 A.

MM-HMM, .

NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER 10, PENDING BUSINESS.

THERE IS NONE THIS EVENING, MAAM.

NO PENDING BUSINESS.

ITEM

[ A Motion To Reappoint Bryan Detty To The Parks And Recreation Board For A Term Ending March 31, 2027.]

A MOTION TO REAPPOINT BRIAN EDDIE TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR A TERM ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2027.

UH, COMMENTS, TONY, UH, AS DISCUSSED AT THE, UH, WORK SESSION, THIS IS A REAPPOINTMENT TO A NEW TERM.

UH, THE APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND CHECKS HAVE BEEN, UH, COMPLETED AND, UH, WE WOULD ASK FOR COUNSEL'S ACTION TONIGHT.

THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATIONS THERE.

YOU HAVE A MOTION? SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.

[ A Motion To Reappoint Jennifer Beard To The Personnel Appeals Board For A Term Ending March 31, 2027.]

IS ITEM 11 B.

ITEM 11 B, A MOTION TO REAPPOINT JENNIFER BEARD TO THE PERSONNEL APPEALS BOARD FOR TERMING MARCH 31ST, 2027.

UH, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, TONY? UH, SIMILAR TO THE ONE BEFORE, UH, THIS IS A REAPPOINTMENT TO A NEW TERM AND, UH, THE APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND CHECKS HAVE BEEN, UH, COMPLETE.

UH, WAS THE RECOMMENDATION? IS THERE A MOTION? NANCY? UH, MOVE TO REAPPOINT.

MOTION ALSO CARRIES EIGHT TO ZERO.

AND

[ An Ordinance Approving The Editing And Inclusion Of Certain Ordinances And/Or Resolutions As Parts Of The Various Component Codes Of The City Code Of Huber Heights, Ohio; Providing For The Adoption And Publication Of New Matter In The Updated And Revised City Code As Supplement 17; And Repealing Ordinances And Resolutions In Conflict Therewith. (first reading)]

NEXT IS ITEM 11 C.

ITEM 11 C, AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE EDITING AND INCLUSION OF CERTAIN ORDINANCES AND OR RES RESOLUTIONS AS PARTS OF THE VARIOUS COMPONENT CODES OF THE CITY CODE OF IDES OHIO, PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION AND PUBLICATION OF NEW MATTER.

AND THE UPDATED AND REVISED CITY CODE IS SUPPLEMENT 17 AND REPEALING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS AND CONFLICT THEREWITH AT THE FIRST READING.

TONY, ANY COMMENTS? THIS IS THE STANDARD ORDINANCE I BRING YOU, UH, EACH QUARTER FOR THE UPDATES TO THE CITY CODE.

UH, THIS IS SUPPLEMENT 17, WHICH REFLECTS THE, UH, FOURTH QUARTER OF 2023 AND THE CODIFICATION OF THOSE ORDINANCES.

UM, THIS, UH, ORDINANCE AND THE SUPPLEMENT 17 HAVE BEEN ADVERTISED, UH, AS REQUIRED IN THE CITY CHARTER AND A, UM, LEGAL NOTICE, UH, TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE THAT THIS IS BEING DONE.

AND, UH, THIS CAN GO TO A SECOND READING.

THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION AT THE WORK SESSION THERE.

ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING THIS TO A SECOND READING? OKAY.

WE'LL MOVE THIS ON.

AND NEXT IS

[ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Appoint Dave Warren As The Director Of Information Technology. (first reading)]

ITEM 11 D.

ITEM 11 DA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPOINT DAVE WARREN.

THIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT THE FIRST READING.

RICK COMMENTS? YES.

SO AS WE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, I BRING TO COUNSEL AS REQUIRED BY CHARTER, A, UH, DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

UH, DAVE WARREN HAS A, UH, NEARLY 20 YEAR CAREER, UH, AS AN IT DIRECTOR, UH, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

UM, HE CAME OUT VERY FAR AHEAD OF OTHER CANDIDATES.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVED 110 RESUMES.

WE INTERVIEWED EIGHT CANDIDATES, UH, DID A FINAL INTERVIEW WITH THREE.

UM, AND HE WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, NOT ONLY BY MYSELF, BUT ALSO BY, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.

SO, UH, I WOULD ASK COUNSEL TO APPROVE, UM, DAVE WARREN'S APPOINTMENT AS OUR IT DIRECTOR.

NOW WAS THE RECOMMENDATION, IS THERE A MOTION MARK? MOTION TO ADOPT NANCY? SECOND.

[01:00:01]

HAVE A MOTION.

AND SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? TONY? MRS. BERG? YES.

AND MOTION CARRIES EIGHT TO ZERO.

AND NEXT IS

[ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract For The Design Of The Carriage Trails Boulevard/Brandt Pike (State Route 201) Intersection Improvements And Signalization. (first reading)]

ITEM 11 E.

ITEM 11 EA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE DESIGN OF THE CARRIAGE TRAILS BOULEVARD GRANT, PIKES STATE ROUTE 2 0 1 INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AND SIGNALIZATION AT THE FIRST READING, RICK.

SO AS DISCUSSED AT OUR WORK SESSION, UH, COUNSEL'S RECOMMEND, OR ADMINISTRATIONS, I'M SORRY.

RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE, UM, PROCEED WITH A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT THIS INTERSECTION, UM, IN ORDER TO GET, UH, SAFETY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH OTHER OPTIONS, UH, IN THE FUTURE.

RICK.

IS THERE A MOTION? DON? I, I'LL MOVE THERE A SECOND.

SECOND, YES.

BRIAN, WE HAVE A MOTION TO END SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, NANCY.

UM, I'M ASKING, UH, THAT THIS ISSUE BE TABLED UNTIL MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE COST FOR OTHER OPTIONS IS AVAILABLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE A DATA DRIVEN DECISION ABOUT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THIS INTERSECTION.

THESE OPTIONS SHOULD INCLUDE THE FEASIBILITY OF ENACTING MORE COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES SUCH AS ADDING LANES, RUMBLE STRIPS, SIGNAGE, LAND STRIPING, LANE STRIPING, ET CETERA, TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND SLOW DRIVERS DOWN.

I SPOKE WITH TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM ODOT AND TWO FROM FIVE RIVERS METRO POCKET, OUR MONTHLY M-V-R-P-C MEETING THURSDAY.

NONE OF THEM WERE AWARE OF OUR CONSIDERATION OF A ROUNDABOUT.

HOWEVER, ONE OF THE ODOT REPS INDICATED THAT THE SUBJECT INTERSECTION IS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF HUBER HEIGHTS.

SO WE DO, ACCORDING TO HIM, HAVE THE POWER TO AFFECT, UH, SPEED LIMITS.

UM, I ALSO SPOKE WITH CARRIE, UH, SCARF AT METRO PARKS, WHO SAID SHE TALKED TO OUR PLANNER LAST WEEK, REFERRING HIM TO ERIC SOER ON HER STAFF.

SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR A WAY TO PROVIDE ANOTHER ACCESS TO THE PARK DURING THIS ROAD CHANGE, WHICH PIQUED HER INTEREST.

SHE MENTIONED THAT PERHAPS WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO CORRECT SOME ISSUES THAT THEY WERE HAVING AS A RESULT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARRIAGE TRAILS, PLUS CONSIDERATION OF OTHER CHANGES THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH HEBREW HEIGHTS AND THE PARK DISTRICT.

AGAIN, I REQUESTED THE MOTION TO BE WITHDRAWN AND THIS ISSUE BE TABLED UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM MR. RELL ON OTHER FEASIBLE OPTIONS.

THANK YOU, NANCY, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

UM, SO THERE IS A MOTION AND SECOND THAT'S ON THE TABLE.

SO UNLESS THOSE MOTIONS WOULD BE REMOVED, WE PROCEED WITH THE VOTE.

IF THE VOTE DOES NOT PASS, THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS.

SO FIRST WE NEED TO SEE IF, SO NO REMOVAL OF THE, OF THE MOTIONS.

I, OKAY, HOLD ON.

SO FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN NO, UM, WITHDRAWAL OF THE FIRST, UH, WHICH WILL LEAD TO NO WITHDRAWAL OF THE SECOND.

SO WE WOULD CONTINUE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION, UH, ON THE ITEM.

AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO TO FRED AND WE'LL COME DOWN TO CAPE.

UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THERE ARE, UH, SOME OPTIONS THAT WE COULD EXPLORE THAT WOULD NOT COST THE CITY SO MUCH SIMPLY BY HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

MAYBE WE OUGHT TO TAKE ANOTHER TIME.

LET'S GO TO ANOTHER, UM, UH, WORK SESSION AND, AND HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE OPTIONS BEFORE WE VOTE TO ADOPT THIS LEGISLATION.

AND, UM, I THINK WE, UH, WE OWE THE CITIZENS THAT I DON'T THINK TWO WEEKS IS GONNA DO TOO MUCH DAMAGE.

YES, KATE, I'M IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING BECAUSE WE WAITED TOO LONG FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.

SO THERE, YES, ANITA, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH COUNCILMAN AKINS AND COUNCILWOMAN BURGE.

I THINK TWO WEEKS ISN'T GONNA MAKE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO, IF WE'RE DOING THIS, LET'S DO IT CORRECTLY.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN DO THE, IF THE ROUNDABOUTS THE BEST WAY.

LET'S SEE IF THAT CAN WORK.

UM, SO I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT I WOULD PREFER TO MOVE ON TO A WORK SESSION.

SCOTT, I'M IN FAVOR AND FOR TABLE THIS RIGHT NOW.

UM, SAME THING AT THE WORK SESSION.

I DID NOT WANT TO PUT A LIGHT OUT THERE, AND THEN FIVE YEARS LATER, PULL IT OUT FOR ROUNDABOUT.

SO I THINK A COUPLE WEEKS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, UM, FOR THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UH, THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE DESIGN OF THAT INTERSECTION.

OKAY, SO WE STILL HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE TABLE.

SO A CALL FOR THE VOTE, AND THEN, YES, DON, IT'S JUST A POINT OF DISCUSSION.

[01:05:01]

WE'RE NOT STIPULATING THE DESIGN.

AND AS I ASKED DURING THE WORK SESSION, UH, TO MR. KOWSKI AND TO AARON, UM, WILL THE DESIGN, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE DESIGN, BE INCORPORATING, UM, SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE HEARD INTO THE DESIGN? AND THEIR ANSWER WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

SO AGAIN, MY CAUTION TO THE COUNCIL IS NOT TO DELAY THIS ANY FURTHER MOVE FORWARD, LET'S GET THE DESIGN GOING, AND IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS OR NEW CONTACTS YOU'VE MADE IN THE FEW PAST FEW WEEKS, BRING THOSE FORWARD TO THE CITY MANAGER AND WE CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO INCORPORATE 'EM.

BUT I AM 100% AGAINST ANY DELAY IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE FROM APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AFTER I SAT IN THE SEAT, I'VE BEEN AFTER THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC SITUATION AND CARRIAGE TRAILS.

SO HERE WE'RE NOW WITH, UH, LEGISLATION BEFORE US THAT WILL PROVIDE US WITH AN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN CONTRACT, AND WE WANT TO PUT ON THE BRAKES AND START THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.

I, I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.

I THINK THAT KARMA HAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF DOING BAD THINGS WHEN YOU, UH, WHEN YOU POSTPONE THINGS.

I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYONE HURT AT THAT INTERSECTION ON MY WATCH BECAUSE WE'RE DELAYING THIS.

THAT'S A PERSONAL FEELING.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU, THE DESIGNER, THE PLANNER SAT HERE AND TOLD US THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE, UH, THE CHANGE IS NECESSARY.

WE'RE TALKING RUMBLE STRIPS NOW.

UM, FINE.

TELL THE DESIGNER TO INCORPORATE RUMBLE STRIPS, RICK, BUT LET'S KEEP MOVING ON THIS PATH.

YES, NANCY, THAT RIGHT THERE IS EXACT THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DESIGN? WE'RE NOT, WE'RE, I HAVEN'T SEEN AN RFP OR ANYTHING THAT SAYS WHAT WE'RE TASKING THAT ENGINEERING FIRM TO DO.

ARE WE TASKING THEM TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT OPTIONS? ARE THEY GONNA COME BACK WITH A TO US WITH, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION? WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TASK A CONTRACTOR TO GO OUT THERE, YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC, YOU HAVE SPECIFICATIONS ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

SO I'M, TO ME, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HEARD ON THIS DIETS IS THAT THIS ENGINEERING IS GOING TO BE TO PUT A, A LIGHT IN.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT IS A, A WASTE OF MONEY IF IT IS NOT A, THE RIGHT SOLUTION.

AND WE HAVE WAITED, AS YOU SAID, A LONG TIME TO GET THIS, TO GET TO THIS POINT.

IT NEEDS TO BE THE RIGHT SOLUTION, NOT THE QUICK SOLUTION.

SO WE NEED MORE DATA AND WE NEED MORE, MORE VISIBILITY INTO WHAT WE'RE ASKING THAT ENGINEERING FIRM TO DESIGN.

YES, DON, IF I CAN COUNTER, I CAN TELL YOU I WAS A PLUMBER IN MY PREVIOUS, UH, LIFE.

UH, I'M CERTAINLY NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER NOW, BUT I HEARD FROM TWO PEOPLE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, TRAFFIC AND ENGINEERING.

AND THAT WAS OUR PLANNER, AARON RELL.

AND I HEARD FROM OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BRIAN KOWSKI, AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO TRUST THAT STAFF WILL BE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION.

THIS WAS A DECISION THAT WAS RECOMMENDED TO US.

AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE PROCEED WITH THIS.

AND IF THERE ARE SPECIFICS THAT SOME OF US HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF, UH, AGAIN, I'LL BRING UP RUMBLE STRIPS.

I FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD OF 'EM TONIGHT.

BUT WHATEVER IT IS IT TAKES TO IMPROVE THAT INTERSECTION IS GREAT.

BUT LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD ON GETTING SOMETHING DONE.

AND, AND I MAY, I, MAYOR, YES, I, I DO NOT DISPUTE THAT.

I, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND IF, IF THESE ALTERNATIVES THAT I MENTIONED ARE A FEASIBLE SOLUTION, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE THAT IDENTIFIED.

UH, BUT AARON RELL CALLED, UM, METRO PARKS ON THIRD ON THE DAY AFTER THE MEETING WE HAD LAST WEEK, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THAT THEY'D HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CAME OUT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

SO I KNOW WHAT BRIAN SAID, I KNOW WHAT BRIAN'S BEEN PROMOTING ALL THIS TIME.

I'M IN TO TRUST, BUT VERIFY.

YES, MARK.

RICK, IF THIS, UH, PIECE

[01:10:01]

OF LEGISLATION PASSES, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TO DO? SO BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT, UM, I CAN ADVISE OUR ENGINEERING FIRM TO LOOK AT MULTIPLE OPTIONS.

UM, AS BRIAN AND, AND RUSS AND AARON INDICATED PREVIOUSLY, UM, THIS INTERSECTION HAS BEEN A POINT OF CONTENTION FOR PROBABLY TOO LONG.

AND THE, THE DESIRE OF STAFF IS TO GET A SOLUTION IN PLACE, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

THE QUICKEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO INSTALL A TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

UM, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE HAVE CUT OURSELVES OFF FROM OTHER OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE? NO.

UM, BUT I'M WILLING TO GO BACK TO MY STAFF AFTER THIS MEETING AND ASK THEM TO BRING ME TWO OPTIONS IF THAT'S WHAT COUNSEL WISHES.

AND, AND DID I UNDERSTAND AT THE WORK SESSION THAT AARON RELL INDICATED THAT TODAY YOU COULDN'T EVEN DESIGN THE ROUNDABOUT BECAUSE THERE'S BUSINESSES THAT HAVEN'T EVEN DEVELOPED YET? YEAH, WE DON'T OWN THE LAND FOR THE ROUNDABOUT QUITE YET.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WOULD GIVE US AN ABILITY TO SEE HOW THE BUILD OUT OF THAT AREA AFFECTS TRAFFIC.

UM, BUT I I, I WANNA TELL COUNSEL THERE ISN'T A WRONG ANSWER HERE.

I, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE THIS INTERSECTION.

WE'RE GONNA PUT IN A SIGNAL OR A ROUNDABOUT.

UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S GONNA BECOME SAFER.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNSEL HAS DESIRED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND I, I AGREE.

I WANNA SEE THAT HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A WASTE OF MONEY GOING ON.

IF WE SPEND FIVE, 10 YEARS WITH THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND TURN IT INTO A ROUNDABOUT, THAT EQUIPMENT'S GONNA REACH ITS END OF LIFE AT SOME POINT AS WELL.

SO RICK, ARE YOU INDICATING THAT THAT INTERSECTION TONIGHT IS NOT SAFE? YES.

THANKS MAYOR.

NANCY? YES.

AND, AND RICK, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAY.

UM, BUT, AND I'M NOT PROMOTING A ROUNDABOUT.

I'M NOT PROMOTING A A STOP SIGN.

I'M ASKING IF THERE IS SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S ANY OF THE OPTIONS THAT I JUST BROUGHT UP THAT CAN BE DONE THAT WOULD MAKE THAT INTERSECTION SAFER WITHOUT DOING EITHER ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS.

SO AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE, WE HAVE TO, TO CONTROL THE SCOPE OF RESEARCH.

I THINK WE CAME INTO THIS MEETING TONIGHT WITH THE GOAL OF DESIGNING A TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR THE INTERSECTION.

UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM LEAVING TONIGHT, UM, WITH THE GOAL OF, OF LOOKING AT A ROUNDABOUT OR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

UM, BUT I DO THINK THROUGH DISCUSSIONS PRIOR TO MY TIME, UM, WITH THE CITY, I, I DO THINK THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE, OR, OR I, I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE.

AND, AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST, UM, IMPRESSION I'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT.

SO, OH, NO DISAGREEMENT.

MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, INDICATING THAT THERE WERE ACCIDENTS AT THAT INTERSECTION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

YES, BRIAN.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

UM, LOOK, I, I GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

LET'S, LET'S DO IT.

RIGHT.

LET'S NOT JUST DO SOMETHING JUST TO DO, DO SOMETHING.

BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH MR. WEBB, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, UH, PREVIOUSLY STATED, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND FOR ME, UH, IF, IF IT MEANS DOING SOMETHING NOW AND SPENDING A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY LATER, THE SAFETY ASPECT OF IT ALONE IS WORTH IT TO ME.

AND I, AND I, AND I CAN'T BE ALONE HERE.

UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING INTO THIS AGAIN, THINKING WE'RE GOING TRAFFIC LIGHT.

UM, I THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

UM, AND IF THAT'S THE QUICKEST, UH, ROUTE OF, UH, TRAVEL THERE, NO PUN INTENDED, UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S WHERE I'M LOOKING AT.

AND IF WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT AGAIN BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASON DOWN THE LINE, UH, IT DOESN'T, I I WOULD YOU AGREE THAT IF WE WERE TO CHANGE TO A ROUNDABOUT IN THE FUTURE, WHATEVER PARTS OR WHATEVER MECHANISMS, THEY COULD BE REALLOCATED OR REUSED TO SOMETHING ELSE SOMEWHERE ELSE, CORRECT? YES.

SO IT WOULDN'T BE A, IT WOULDN'T BE A WASTE.

AND, AND AGAIN, YOU, YOU CAN'T REALLY PUT A PRICE ON SAFETY IN, IN MY OPINION.

SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

YOU, ANITA, I WANT SOMETHING DONE TOO.

I'M JUST WONDERING, NANCY BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT.

SINCE ODOT SAYS THE CITY HAS IT, CAN WE DROP, MAKE A MOTION MAYBE NEXT TIME TO DROP THE SPEED LIMIT DURING PART OF THAT THING UNTIL SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN? IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? AT LEAST FOR AN IMMEDIATE.

SO, UM, WHAT COUNCILWOMAN BYRD SAYS IS NOT INACCURATE, BUT WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.

WE ACTUALLY DON'T A HUNDRED PERCENT OWN THAT INTERSECTION YET.

SO WE STILL ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING THE LAND THAT WE NEED FROM THE VARIOUS PARTIES, AND, AND WE'VE GOT AGREEMENTS IN PLACE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.

UM, YES, WE CAN CONTROL THE SPEED LIMIT THERE.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE RECEIVED PHOTOS FROM

[01:15:01]

I, I DO DRIVE THAT AREA OCCASIONALLY, AND IT, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S IFFY.

SO I, I THINK FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, I'D LIKE TO GET SOMETHING DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY.

I THINK, UH, WE ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY.

UM, AND SO IF IT, IF IT COSTS A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO GET IT SAFE IN A SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR VERSUS THREE YEARS, I, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE EILEEN IS AS CITY ADMINISTRATION.

SO, MARK, CAN I ASK BRIAN A QUESTION ON THE GUYS, PLEASE? SURE.

BRIAN, AT THE LAST WORK SESSION, YOU'D INDICATED YOUR TRAVELS THROUGHOUT BER HEIGHTS, MAYBE DURING THE CAMPAIGN, UH, YOU HAD HEARD, UH, CONSTITUENTS SAY TO YOU THEY DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GONNA DO ANYTHING MM-HMM.

WHY WOULD THEY THINK THAT? UM, WELL, AT THE TIME I, AS THEY WERE EXPLAINING, UH, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE INVOLVED IN JUST SAYING, HEY, YEP, LET'S DO IT.

LET'S NOT DO IT.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, AND I THINK JUST THE MORE TIME AND MORE ACCIDENTS, YOU KNOW, MORE TIME THAT PASSES BY, I THINK THAT'S JUST THEIR PERCEPTION.

UM, AGAIN, I KNOW THERE'S MORE, AND I'VE, AND I'VE SINCE I'VE, YOU KNOW, HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT IT'S NOT JUST, HEY, LET'S JUST TURN IT ON AND JUST DO IT NOW.

THERE'S THINGS THAT BEHIND THE SCENES, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES ON.

AND I, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT PROBABLY AT THE TIME OR BEFORE THIS.

SO I DO HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT GOES INTO THE PLANNING AND, AND, AND ALL OF THE, UH, INFORMATION, UH, GATHERING, UH, FOR THAT.

SO THOSE WERE MY CONVERSATIONS, BUT THEY'RE JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME, I THINK IS PROBABLY THE GENERAL CONSENSUS THERE.

AND MAYOR, COULD I TRY TO ESTABLISH FOR MYSELF AT LEAST WHAT TIME WE'RE TALKING? SURE.

BY ASKING MR. WEBB HOW LONG HE'S WAITED.

SUGGESTIONS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OR HAS IT BEEN SOMETIME RECENT AND DON YES.

I'M SORRY, MARK CAN DOWN HERE, UH, JUST TO ESTABLISH THE WAIT TIME THAT BRIAN INDICATES THAT CONSTITUENTS BRING UP, IT'S BEEN SURE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS INTERSECTION, IN THEIR OPINION HAS BEEN UNSAFE.

YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED A TIME THAT YOU HAD INITIATED THIS DISCUSSION.

WHEN WAS THAT? THAT WAS, UM, UH, LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I FIRST TOOK THIS SEAT.

SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, UH, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO TURN TO, MY WIFE IS BETTER WITH DATES THAN I AM .

AND IF YOU'LL RECALL, MY FIRST CONVERSATION WAS WITH THEN CITY MANAGER SCHOMER.

UH, AND THE RESPONSE THAT WAS GIVEN WAS WE COULDN'T CONTROL THAT.

IT'S ODOT.

UM, I FOLLOWED UP WITH, UM, INTERIM CITY MANAGER FALKOWSKI, WHO SAID HE WOULD, UM, GET TO IT.

UM, AND, UM, NOT FAULTING SCOTT, BUT SCOTT HAD A LOT ON HIS PLATE AT THE TIME.

UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, CHAD KOWSKI, WE'RE NOW THREE CITY MANAGERS.

INTERIM CITY MANAGER, CHAD KOWSKI, UH, STATED, UM, THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND THAT HE WOULD TAKE STEPS TO START THE PROCESS, WHICH HE DID.

UH, WE ARE NOW INTO, UH, CITY MANAGER Z.

AND, UH, UH, HE AGAIN, UH, UNDERSTANDS MY CONCERN.

MY CONCERN IS THAT, UH, SINCE 2019, THIS HAS BEEN ON SOMEBODY'S DESK SOMEWHERE.

IT'S TAKEN EVERYTHING WE'VE HAD IN US TO TRY AND GET THIS THING MOVED FORWARD.

WE'RE NOW AT A POSITION WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR THE DESIGN OF THIS INTERSECTION.

I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS, AND AGAIN, IF YOU RECALL THE WORK SESSION, I ASKED, UH, AARON SORELL, AND I ASKED BRIAN KOWSKI, UH, WILL THIS FIRM THAT WE'RE OUTSOURCING TO HERE, WILL THIS FIRM, UH, SUGGEST ANY ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS? I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL THAT CON, WILL THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL THINGS THEY'LL BRING TO THE TABLE? AND THE ANSWER WAS AFFIRMATIVE.

YES, THEY WILL.

SO IF THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED, I ASSUME THAT THIS DESIGN, UM, COMPANY, UH, WILL INCORPORATE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.

SO AGAIN, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH, IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG.

WE'VE BEEN PROMISING THE PEOPLE AND CARRIES TRAILS AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT HAS TO TRAVEL THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND HERE WE ARE ON THE EVE OF A VOTE ON IT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, LET'S HOLD OFF AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE.

I TOTALLY DISAGREE.

YEP.

I USED TO HAVE THE FLOOR, BUT, UH, YEAH, I THINK IT'S BEEN UNSAFE FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, BUT LET'S JUST TAKE FIVE YEARS.

AND HAVE YOU HEARD ALL OF THESE

[01:20:01]

HAVE, HAVE YOU HEARD ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS? NO.

THE FIRST OPTIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD, UH, WAS WHEN, UM, UH, MR. KOWSKI PUT FORTH HIS, UM, UM, TOWN HALL FORUM, A PUBLIC FORUM ON THAT, AND THAT'S WHERE WE SAW THE ROUNDABOUT VERSUS A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

SO, AND, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT ARGUING FOR A ROUNDABOUT OR A TRAFFIC LIGHT OVER A ROUNDABOUT OR A ROUNDABOUT OVER TRAFFIC LIGHT ON ANYTHING MORE THAN IT IS TIME TO GET THIS JOB DONE.

, WE'VE SAT ON THIS PROJECT, WE AS A CITY, HAVE SAT ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, OR GOD FORBID, A FATALITY UP THERE, BECAUSE IT IS A HORRIBLE INTERSECTION IN THE CITY.

SO, YEAH.

NOW WE'RE TALKING, UH, AGAIN, I, I DON'T MEAN TO HARP ON RUMBLE STRIPS, BUT TO BRING THAT UP NOW AS WE'RE GOING OUT TO DESIGN IS INCREDULOUS TO ME, UM, TO BRING UP THAT WE'RE NOW DOING THIS, UM, WE'RE NOW TALKING TO METRO PARKS ABOUT ANOTHER ENTRANCE, MIND BOGGLING, BECAUSE WE HAD A TOWN HALL SITTING RIGHT HERE WHERE ALL OF THE STUFF WAS PRESENTED, AND I DON'T RECALL ANYONE BRINGING UP ANY OF THOSE THINGS.

SO, UH, I, I'VE SAID MY PIECE ON THIS, I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT I, I WILL NOT WITHDRAW MY MOTION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ELISE'S DESIGN ASPECT OF IT.

AND IF THERE ARE THINGS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, I KNOW WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER OVER THERE WHO IS READY AND WILLING TO HEAR 'EM, BUT LET'S KEEP THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.

SO, MAYOR, IN CLOSING, YES.

UH, MY ONLY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF THE INTERSECTION.

AND RICK, DID YOU ATTEND THAT, UH, TOWN HALL? YES, I DID.

DID YOU HEAR THAT? IT COULD BE AT THE END OF 2025? YES.

YEAH, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE, RIGHT? THAT END OF 2025 IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT I BET WE COULD GET TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO AGREE WITH THAT.

UM, NANCY, YOU, YOU'VE WORKED ON A SIDEWALK PROJECT IN FRONT OF THOMAS CLOUD FOR 10 YEARS.

AND I THINK THAT WE HAD MAYBE A RESOLUTION TO PUT A SIDEWALK IN THAT I WAS GONNA SUPPORT, AND THEN WE TABLED IT.

SO YEAH, THESE PROJECTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO TABLE JUST CONTINUE TO NOT EXIST.

SO, IN CLOSING, RICK, IS THE INTERSECTION UNSAFE? IT IS.

DO YOU HAVE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO PASS THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION? I DO.

AND THEN CAN I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU THAT YOU'LL QUARTERBACK THIS MM-HMM, AND THE SOONEST TIME POSSIBLE, THAT INTERSECTION WILL BE MADE SAFER, PLEASE? YES.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, NANCY.

MY FINAL, UH, RESPONSE TO THIS IS, DON, I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT IT'S GONE ON TOO LONG.

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, IF IT'S GONNA TAKE TILL THE END OF 2025 TO GET A, A, A LIGHT IN THERE, THE MASKED ARMS, ALL THAT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE THE POWER TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT.

IT WOULD, IT WOULD, UM, HAPPEN QUICKER IF WE WERE TO ADD LANES, RUMBLE STRIPS, SIGNAGE, LANE STRIPING, ALL THOSE THINGS WOULD HAPPEN MUCH FIFTH, UH, MUCH QUICKER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE END OF 2025 TO PUT IN A STOPLIGHT.

SO I, I'M NOT PROMOTING ANY SOLUTION.

I'M ASKING IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR A QUICK, SAFE SOLUTION, THEN TO ME THAT WOULDN'T INCLUDE THE LIGHT THAT WE CAN DO THESE OTHER REMEDI REMEDIATION, UH, ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF THAT INTERSECTION QUICKER.

I'M GONNA MAKE A COMMENT.

WELL, I THINK, I THINK THE SOONER WE ENGAGE A COMPANY COVER THE DESIGN, THE SOONER WE GET SOME OF THOSE OTHER OPTIONS.

I MEAN, LOOK, LOOK, BUT IF YOU TELL THEM, I, I'M, WE PASSED LEGISLATION FIVE YEARS AGO TO INSTALL A TRAFFIC LIGHT UP THERE FIVE YEARS AGO, THAT LEGISLATION WAS ALREADY PASSED.

NOW, THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT MAKES ME QUESTION WHETHER I SHOULD SAY THIS OR NOT, BUT I THINK WE CAN WALK AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM AT THE SAME TIME HERE.

I THINK THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME DESIGN STANDARDS TO MAKE THAT INTERSECTION SAFER IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE THE INTERSECTION'S ACTUALLY BEING DESIGNED.

BUT UNLESS WE ACTUALLY HIRE A DESIGN FIRM, NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.

I DON'T KNOW WHY.

RICK, CAN WE DO BOTH THINGS AT THE SAME TIME? SO THIS IS WHAT I WANNA TELL COUNSEL.

UH, I WILL WORK WITH

[01:25:01]

STAFF TOMORROW.

UM, WE WILL ADVISE THE DESIGN FIRM TO LOOK AT MULTIPLE OPTIONS.

WE HAVE TO SCOPE THE PROJECT AT SOME POINT.

WE CAN LOOK AT SIGNALS, WE CAN LOOK AT A ROUNDABOUT.

WE CAN LOOK AT RUM.

AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO KIND OF DRAW A LINE.

UM, BUT BY PASSING THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ANYTHING'S SET IN STONE.

SO, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD IS COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS, WHICH WE CAN DO, AND ALSO THAT WE GET THIS DONE QUICKLY.

UM, SO IF I'M LOOKING AT OPTIONS AS THE CITY MANAGER, AND, UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE AN EXTRA ONE TO TWO YEARS TO GET SOMETHING DONE, I'M GONNA COME BACK TO YOU AS COUNCIL AND SAY, I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT.

I THINK WE GET SOMETHING DONE MORE QUICKLY.

UH, IF BY SOME MIRACLE WE FIND OUT THAT IT CAN HAPPEN QUICKER, THEN I'LL ALSO COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT.

LET'S REMEMBER WE'RE HIRING A DESIGN FIRM TO DO A DESIGN.

WE HAVEN'T BID THE PROJECT AND WE HAVE NOT AWARDED A CONTRACT YET.

RIGHT? BOTH OF THOSE THINGS HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL.

MARK.

WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD URGE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES ON THIS MOTION, GET THIS PASSED, AUTHORIZE YOUR CITY MANAGER TO DO WHAT HE JUST SAID, AND LET'S MAKE THIS INTERSECTION SAFE IN THIS FASTEST TIME POSSIBLE.

ALL THIS TABLING AND, AND ALL THIS STUFF THAT NANCY'S, UH, OVERHEARD OR TALKED TO SOMEONE AT A COMMITTEE MEETING, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.

BUT WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND IS OUR CITY MANAGER JUST SAID WHAT HE SAID ON CAMERA, IT'S RECORDED.

AND I WOULD URGE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES.

AND LET'S MAKE THIS INTERSECTION SAFER.

BECAUSE LIKE DAWN SAID, IF, IF WE PASS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY AND SOMETHING CRITICAL HAPPENS UP THERE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW EACH ONE OF US, YOU KNOW, ARE GONNA BE BOTHERED BY THAT.

AND I WOULD ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES TONIGHT AND MAKE THIS INTERSECTION SAFER.

AND, AND ALL ANY POLITICAL MANEUVERING OR, OR DELAYS OR, OR, OR LAY PEOPLE OPTIONS IS JUST THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HERE.

WHAT JEFF, FIVE YEARS LATER DID, DID YOU SAY WE'VE WAITED FIVE YEARS SO FAR? YEP, I'M DONE.

I MEAN, LOOK, YOU GET IN A SITUATION, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY AND THE SOUND OF MY VOICE KNOWS THAT NOTHING IS, NOTHING IS PERFECT.

PERFECTION DOESN'T EXIST, BUT WHEN YOU CONTINUE TO LET PERFECT GET IN THE WAY OF THE GOOD, YOU END UP WHERE WE'RE AT.

AND THAT'S WITH NOTHING.

YOU'VE SENT THAT TO MM-HMM, .

UM, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT MR. CAMPBELL SAID, UM, WAITING TWO, TWO WEEKS TO GET AN ANSWER IS NOT TABLING IT.

NO.

UM, INDEFINITELY.

UM, SO, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S, UH, IT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

BUT RICK, I HAVE TO ASK YOU IF YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO ASK THIS DESIGN FIRM TO DO.

THAT'S WHAT BOTHERS ME.

THAT COUNCIL HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THAT INTERSECTION.

WHEN I CONTRACTED, I KNEW WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR.

SO I NEED TO ASK YOU, ARE YOU GOING TO INCLUDE HAVING THEM ADDRESS THE BENEFITS OF ADDING, OR THE OPTIONS OF ADDING LANES OR SIGNAGE OR LANE STRIPING OR OTHER THINGS? YES.

THAT WOULD FURTHER ENHANCE THAT AREA? YES.

THAT MAYBE MIGHT ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A LIGHT? YES, I WILL ASK THEM TO PROVIDE ALL REALISTIC OPTIONS.

AND, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UM, I, I DON'T THINK, I THINK AT A CERTAIN POINT WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ACCIDENTS OCCUR AT THAT INTERSECTION BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, SITE LIMITS, ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS.

THERE'S GONNA NEED TO BE A RESOLUTION.

IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ROUNDABOUT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT.

THERE'S STILL GONNA BE ACCIDENTS.

WE CAN PUT RUMBLE STRIPS IN.

THERE'S STILL GONNA BE ACCIDENTS.

SO IF THE DESIRE OF CITY COUNCIL IS TO, YOU KNOW, MITIGATE ACCIDENTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, THERE'S REALLY TWO OPTIONS.

IS IT A ROUNDABOUT OR IS IT A SIGNAL? AND WHICH ONE CAN GET DONE QUICKER? UM, WITHIN REASON.

AND SO MY GUIDANCE TO THE FIRM WILL BE, YES, GIVE US ALL THE OPTIONS THAT YOU THINK ARE REALISTIC, UM, BUT PRIMARILY TELL US, UM, THE COST AND TIMEFRAME OF A SIGNAL VERSUS A ROUNDABOUT.

I, I JUST, EXCUSE ME, BUT I DISAGREE.

I I, WE HAVE NO DATA TO PROVE THAT IT HAS TO BE EITHER A LIGHT OR ROUNDABOUT.

THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM.

WE HAD MR. KOWSKI SITTING OUT HERE SAYING, WELL, THIS OPTION'S PROBABLY GONNA COST A ROUND THIS AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND EVERYTHING'S SQUISHY.

AND SO IT'S LIKE TRYING TO NAIL JELLO TO THE WALL.

AND, AND SO I JUST, I, THE LACK OF DETAIL IS VERY DISHEARTENING TO ME.

I, I THINK WHAT STAFF NEEDS, UM, AND WE THOUGHT WE HAD GOING INTO THIS IS, IS OBVIOUSLY GUIDANCE FROM COUNCIL.

SO, UM, STAFF CAME INTO THIS PROJECT UNDERSTANDING

[01:30:01]

UH, I DON'T THINK THAT CONCERN WAS UNFOUNDED.

UH, I'VE SEEN ACCIDENTS OCCUR THERE.

AND SO, UM, NOW THE PROCESS IS HOW TO FIX IT.

UM, I THINK WHAT WE NEED FROM A VOTE OF COUNCIL TONIGHT IS, UM, WE CAN GO OUT TO DESIGN AND I CAN WORK WITH MY STAFF TO DESIGN A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS.

UH, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS AUTHORIZING THAT.

BUT IF COUNCIL VOTES THIS DOWN TONIGHT, THE QUESTION I HAVE AND THAT I'LL HAVE WITH STAFF IS, IS THIS A PROBLEM? BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PITCHED AS A PROBLEM FOR FIVE YEARS, AND IF IT'S NOT A CONCERN, UM, WE CAN MOVE ON TO OTHER PROJECTS.

BUT I, I, I THINK STAFF REALLY DOES WANT TO, UM, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S SAFE AND, AND TO MOVE COUNCIL'S INITIATIVES FORWARD.

SO, UH, I THE ANSWER TO WHETHER, YOU KNOW IT'S NECESSARY OR UNNECESSARY, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S RELEVANT.

I HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT GOING ON CAR ACCIDENTS THERE, AND IF WE CAN FIX THAT, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING.

SO, UM, I THINK ALL STAFF NEEDS TONIGHT IS A GUIDANCE OF DO WE WANT TO TRY AND IMPROVE THIS INTERSECTION? AND I'LL GO BACK TO THEM AND SAY, LOOK AT A COUPLE OPTIONS.

SO, FRED, THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, RICK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THAT AND THE WORK THAT, THAT WE PLAN ON DOING UP THERE TO SAVE SOME LIVES.

UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD ASK, UH, SPEAKING OF WALKING TO CHEW AND GOVERNMENT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, IF WE DO VOTE TO APPROVE THIS TONIGHT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT, UM, IN THE INTERIM UNTIL WE DECIDE WHAT'S GONNA GO ON WITH THAT INTERSECTION? I BELIEVE SO.

LET ME DOUBLE CHECK WITH OUR ENGINEER AGAIN.

IT REQUIRES US TO OWN THAT INTERSECTION AND WE ARE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE OWN IT RIGHT NOW.

SO LET ME GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU AND IF WE CAN LOWER IT, WE'LL LOWER IT.

NOT A PROBLEM.

THANK DAWN.

JUST IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BOUNDARY LINE, UH, HAS TO BE MOVED AND APPROVED, UM, PRIOR TO US BEING ABLE TO PUT UP, UH, REDUCED SPEED LIMIT SIGNS IN THAT AREA.

AND AGAIN, THOSE SPEED LIMITS, UH, WOULD ONLY BE ENFORCED TO THE, THE CITY LINE OR THE NEW BOUNDARY LINE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN PUT 'EM UP AT THE CORNER OF 40 AND 2 0 1.

UM, THE, THE SIGNS WILL, THE, THE SPEED LIMIT WILL BE REDUCED TO 35, HOPEFULLY, UH, AT THE NEW BOUNDARY LINE OF THE CITY.

RICK, AT THE LAST THING I HEARD, THE BOUNDARY LINES HAVE NOT BEEN ADJUSTED YET.

IS THAT NO.

AND, AND YOU WOULD BE AWARE BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO THE CITY ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY, WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN ANNEX IT INTO THE CITY.

SO, RIGHT.

UM, WE ARE WALKING AND CHEWING GUM AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE DESIGNING THE INTERSECTION WHILE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY.

SO, AND JUST FOR SOME HISTORICAL RECORD, I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT IT WAS IN 2019, COUNSEL VOTED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT UP THERE AT THAT TIME, I BELIEVE IT WAS UNANIMOUS.

EIGHT TO ZERO.

SCOTT, MR. ZICK IS THE SAME PARCELS WE NEED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

WOULD BE THE SAME PARCELS WE WOULD NEED FOR A ROUNDABOUT TOO.

UH, SO WE KNOW WHAT PARCELS WE NEED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER TO ACQUIRE.

UM, WE, WE BELIEVE, UM, AND WE CAN HAVE A DESIGN COMPLETED FOR THIS, WE BELIEVE WE WILL NEED ADDITIONAL PARCELS, AT LEAST FROM THE METRO PARK.

UM, AND POTENTIALLY FROM THE OWNER TO THE WEST.

ROUNDABOUTS ARE MUCH BIGGER.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN KIND OF MOVING FORWARD ON A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND GETTING THE PARCELS WE NEED FOR THAT.

IF IT'S A ROUNDABOUT, WE PROBABLY HAVE TO GO TO SOME OF THE PARTIES AND ASK FOR MORE LAND.

WE'LL PAY FOR IT BY IT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S STILL IN PROCESS.

ALRIGHT, APPRECIATE IT.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.

REPEALING RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 3 DASH 7 3 3 0 AT THE FIRST RATING.

ANYTHING ELSE, TONY? MR. AKINS? YES.

[ An Ordinance Vacating And Extinguishing Certain Utility Easements At The Former Marian Meadows Property. (first reading)]

ITEM 11 F.

ITEM 11 F AN ORDINANCE VACATING AND EXTINGUISHING CERTAIN UTILITY EASEMENTS AT THE FORMER MARYANNE MEADOWS PROPERTY AT THE FIRST READING.

RICK? YES.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT, UH, WORK SESSION.

THIS IS FOR, UH, EASEMENTS TO THAT AREA.

COUNSEL WORK SESSION RECOMMENDATION WAS TO PASS THIS ITEM TWO A SECOND.

READING.

ANY OBJECTIONS? OKAY, WE'LL MOVE THIS ON.

AND NEXT

[ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Make Improvements To Shullgate Park And Repealing Resolution No. 2023-R-7330. (first reading)]

UP IS ITEM 11 G.

ITEM 11 GA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO SHAW GATE PARK.

[01:35:01]

RICK COMMENTS? SO AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION, UH, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT CAME IN, UM, WE HAD INSPECTIONS DONE THIS YEAR LIKE WE DO ANNUALLY, AND FOUND THAT SHELL GATE PARK, UM, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, UM, DETERIORATED MORE QUICKLY THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.

SO, UM, WE ARE ASKING COUNCIL TO REDIRECT SOME FUNDING, UM, FROM THE DIAL PARK PROJECT BACK TO SHELL GATE.

UM, I DID GO BACK INTO OUR LEGISLATION, UM, ON OCTOBER 23RD.

UM, WE DID ACTUALLY, UH, REAPPROPRIATE FUNDS, UM, IN THE AMOUNT OF $300,000 THAT WERE FOR SHUL GATE PARKS PLACE THAT EQUIPMENT, UM, TOWARD DIAL.

AND UH, I THINK AT THE TIME, UH, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, UH, BELIEVED THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT, BUT, UH, WE DID HAVE TO CLOSE IT DOWN.

UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF CRACKS AND, UM, OTHER ISSUES WITH SHE GATE PARKS.

SO, UH, AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF MYSELF AND OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, I DO THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON SHELL GATE PARK RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO DIAL PARK DOWN THE ROAD.

THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ADOPT THIS, UH, LEGISLATION THIS EVENING.

IS THERE A MOTION? OKAY.

MOVE TO ADOPT.

IS THERE A SECOND, DON? I WILL SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, SCOTT? WELL, AS PER OUR LAST WORK SESSION, YOU KNOW, I DID SAY I WOULD WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I DID WALK THROUGH DIAL PARK.

UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WASN'T HOME AT THAT TIME, BUT I DID HAVE A FUNCTION LATER ON AT SANDY'S, UH, FURNITURE STORE.

UM, MY SENSE IS I'M GETTING A LOT MORE PEOPLE ASKING FOR A GAZEBO OR PAVILION, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD AMEND THIS.

THE, YES, ALLOCATE SOME THESE FUNDS GOING BACK TO SHAW GATE PARK, BUT ALSO AMEND WHAT'S STILL LEFT OVER FOR PAVILION OR GAZEBO.

SORRY, I HAVE MAYOR.

THANK YOU SCOTT.

YES, ANITA? I KIND OF AGREE WITH SCOTT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THERE.

THERE'S NOTHING REALLY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SWING SET AND A SLIDE, A GENERAL SWING SET AND SLIDE SOMETHING THERE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS.

'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN WARD ONE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT FUNDS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN GENERAL FUNDS.

UM, THEY SAID THERE WAS 1.3 MILLION EXTRA INCOME TAX THAT CAME THROUGH LAST YEAR.

SO OBVIOUSLY GENERAL FUNDS HAS SOME MONEY THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING SIMPLISTIC IN YOUR WARD, SCOTT, JUST SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES HAVE SOMETHING.

SO, UH, I THINK IF COUNSEL APPROVES THIS CHANGE TONIGHT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK TO SARAH M WHO YOU MET, UM, LAST WEEK AND SEE WHAT SMALLER PROJECT WE CAN DO HERE.

UM, I THINK WHAT SHE JUST WANTS GUIDANCE ON AT THIS POINT IS, CAN I TAKE THIS AND, AND I, THE, THE PO'S ENCUMBERED FOR HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR DIAL PARK, CAN I TAKE THAT MONEY AND GET MOVING ON SHELL GATE? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATION TONIGHT IS ABOUT.

AND, UM, WE CAN HAPPILY COME BACK AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A, UH, A SMALL IMPROVEMENT TO DIAL AS WELL.

YEAH, I THINK WAS THE COST LIKE 3 97, SO WE WOULD NEED NOT TO EXCEED AROUND FOUR 10.

YEAH, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, SO THAT LEAVES ABOUT 90,000.

YEP.

UM, SCOTT, I MEAN, IS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD DO YOU THINK WOULD BE SATISFACTORY TO, UH, TO MY CENSUS OUT THERE WOULD BE SAYING, YOU KNOW, SAME THING WITH, UH, MS. KITCHEN SAID, I THINK THEY WANNA SEE SOMETHING OUT THERE.

I I DON'T THINK IT'S FULL-BLOWN, YOU KNOW, SWING SET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST STEP AND THEN WE GET ANOTHER CENSUS AGAIN, SEE WHAT THEY WANT OUT THERE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.

YEAH, I, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

I MEAN, TALKING FROM THE PARENT OF A 5-YEAR-OLD, DID YOU JUST GIVE A BASIC SWING SET AND A SLIDE? IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE FULLBLOWN PLACE AT LIKE SHAW PARK OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT YOU JUST GIVE THOSE SIMPLE AMENITIES AND IT MAKES A FIVE-YEAR-OLD HAPPY.

WELL, AND, AND I THINK IN TALKING TO STAFF, OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ONLY SIX MONTHS, MONTHS INTO THE JOB, BUT, UM, IT KIND OF KEPT GROWING THE DIAL PARK PROJECT.

IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, SWING SET, THEN IT WAS A BASKETBALL COURT, THEN IT WAS A PAVILION.

AND SO EVENTUALLY THE BUDGET FOR THAT BECAME HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE HAD TO FIND THAT SOMEWHERE AND WE FOUND IT IN SHELL GATE PARK.

AND SO, UH, WE PROBABLY SHOULD FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON SHELL GATE.

AND THEN, UM, I AM EMAILING STAFF RIGHT NOW TO SAY, BASICALLY GET US SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO OVER THERE? I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT A GAZEBO IS GREAT.

UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF TIMES FROM VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UM, THE RESIDENTS AREN'T SUPER EXCITED

[01:40:01]

ABOUT A FULL-BLOWN PARK.

UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PLACES WITH JUST A NICE SIT DOWN AREA.

AND SO, UH, I I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT CONCEPT FOR DIAL.

SO YES, DON, THANK YOU VERY.

UM, COUNCILMAN DAVIDSON, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, I DID AS YOU DID, UM, WALKED DOOR TO DOOR.

IN FACT, I DRUGGED THE MIRROR ALONG WITH ME, UH, AND WE WENT TO THE, THE RESIDENCE IN, IN THE AREA.

WE WERE FORTUNATE WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH QUITE A FEW AT HOME AND SPOKE TO 'EM AT LENGTH.

AND THEIR DESIRE WAS MORE TOWARDS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEE A GAZEBO WHERE THEY COULD, UM, HAVE FAMILY AND, AND FRIENDS AND GATHER, UM, A A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD SETTING.

UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD FIRST STEP.

I'M NOT AT ALL, UH, OBJECTING TO WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN KITCHENS IS SUGGESTING IN A, A PLAYGROUND SET, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, A GAZEBO THERE WOULD MAKE THE NEIGHBORS MORE THAN HAPPY.

SO, AND I KNOW PART OF THE CONCEPT WAS ALWAYS, UM, MAYBE PLANTING SOME POLLINATORS THERE.

UM, IT'S A BIG PUSH IN OHIO AND OTHER REGIONS TO SUPPORT OUR BUTTERFLY AND BE POPULATIONS.

SO, UH, IT ALSO HONESTLY REDUCES LOAD ON THE CITY.

WE DON'T HAVE TO MOW THAT SO SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, BUT YEAH.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION HERE? YES, KATE.

THANK YOU MRS. KITCHEN.

JUST KEEP IN MIND, THE PARKS THAT WE'RE GONNA BUY FOR SHAW ROAD, THAT PLACE AT WAS $397,000.

LIKE TO BE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE, WE CAN'T JUST PUT IN A SMALL PLAY YARD THAT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT? SO JUST, JUST, JUST MAKE SURE THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, WE'RE GONNA BE INCLUSIVE AND IT'S GONNA COST A LOT OF MONEY AND I JUST DON'T WANT A LITTLE PLACE SET.

I WANT IT TO BE INCLUSIVE OF EVERYBODY, JUST SO YOU KNOW.

MY, MY, MY APPETITE.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ANITA? 35 YEARS WORKING THE DISABILITY FIELD, YOU CAN DO A SWING SET WITH A WHEELCHAIR SWING ATTACHED WITH THE SWING SET THAT MAKES IT TOTALLY ACCESSIBLE.

SO IT IS PART OF A SWING SET.

MAYOR, CAN I, YES.

UM, SO I'VE BEEN TO, UH, COMMUNITY PARK.

UM, WE HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND THERE.

UM, I I USED THE QUOTATIONS BECAUSE IT WASN'T DONE WELL.

NO.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU CAN'T GET FROM ONE PLAY FEATURE TO ANOTHER IN A WHEELCHAIR OR CRUTCHES OR, OR WHATEVER ELSE, UM, IT, I, I DON'T CONSIDER IT ACCESSIBLE.

SO, UM, IF WE WERE GONNA DO AN ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND, LIKE WE, I THINK WOULD ALL WANT TO, UM, IT'S WORTH THE MONEY TO DO IT RIGHT? BECAUSE WE, I HATE TO SAY IT, WE DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT AT COMMUNITY PARK, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO FIX THAT ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND AT THIS POINT.

SO NANCY, YES, ANY NEW PARK, ACCORDING TO OHIO LAW, UM, TWO A DA REQUIREMENTS NOW HAVE TO BE INCLUSIVE.

AND, AND THAT INCLUDES HAVING, UM, NOT JUST THE EQUIPMENT AND IMPROVES AS, AS RICK MENTIONED, HAVING PROPER GROUNDS AND, AND THE PATHWAYS EVERYTHING NEEDED TO GET TO THAT, UH, FEATURE.

SO IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT CHEAP ANYMORE.

UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT WHAT SCOTT HAS SUGGESTED IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DOWN THE LINE AT INCREASING THAT IF THE CITIZENS COME IN AND SAY THEY'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING ELSE.

I THINK A GREAT, UM, EXAMPLE OF HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND WAS THE ONE THAT WE INSTALLED AT CLOUD PARK.

OVER THE BRIDGE.

I MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT, UM, WHAT AN ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND SET LOOKS LIKE, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY THE ONE TO LOOK AT TO, TO SEE WHAT, WHAT A PROPER SETUP ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.

I NEED, I WAS RIGHT TO SAY WHEN THAT POINT COMES, RICK, GET WITH ME.

I'LL TAKE YOU OVER TO DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES AT OURS AT THAT BUILDING.

THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS TO BE VERY ACCESSIBLE.

AND ALSO WE'LL TAKE A TRIP OUT TO OWENS PLACE OUT IN GREENE COUNTY THAT IS TRULY ACCESSIBLE.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND IT'S, BOTH OF 'EM ARE WIDE RANGED AS FAR AS COST AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU CAN GET A GOOD FEEL OF WHAT AN ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND REALLY IS.

I'LL DO THAT.

YES, MARK, RICK, JUST TO, UH, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT.

IF WE APPROVE G YEP.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ORDER THE SWING SET EQUIPMENT FOR SHAW PARK.

ASAP.

IT'S ALSO GOING TO ALLOW US ASAP TO TAKE DOWN THE STRUCTURE THAT'S NOT SAFE.

THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE NOW, CORRECT.

THIRD, YOU'RE GONNA WORK WITH SCOTT, THE REP IN WARD

[01:45:01]

ONE.

WHERE DO PARK IS? MM-HMM.

AND YOU STAFF ARE GONNA COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDED APPROACH IDEA FOR DOLLARS PARK? THAT'S CORRECT? YES.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THIS? YES, WE DO.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? TONY? MR. LOONEY? YES.

[ A Resolution To Increase The Not To Exceed Amount For SHI International For Additional Software Services For The IT Department In Calendar Year 2024. (first reading)]

IS ITEM 11 H.

ITEM 11 HA RESOLUTION TO INCREASE THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT FOR SHI INTERNATIONAL FOR ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE SERVICES FOR THE IT DEPARTMENT AND CALENDAR YEAR 2024 AT THE FIRST MEETING.

RICK? YES.

SO, UM, SHI INTERNATIONAL DOES A LOT OF OUR SOFTWARE AND, UM, LICENSING FOR OUR PRODUCTS THROUGH MICROSOFT AND ADOBE.

UM, AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION, UM, WE HAD SOME UNEXPECTED EXPENSES COME UP THIS YEAR.

SO WE HAVE ASKED COUNSEL TO INCREASE THE NOT TO EXCEED TO $100,000.

WORK SESSION RECOMMENDATION WAS ADOPTION.

IS THERE A MOTION, FRED? MOTION TO ADOPT.

IS THERE A SECOND? KATE? SECOND.

MOTION AND SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? TONY, MRS. KITCHEN? YES.

NEXT AS

[ A Resolution To Amend Resolution No. 2022-R-7101 To Increase The Not To Exceed Amount Annually For Greentech Lawn And Irrigation For Additional Mowing And Landscaping Services For The Public Works Division In Calendar Year 2024. (first reading)]

ITEM 11.

AYE.

ITEM 11, AYE, A RESOLUTION TO AMEND RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 2 DASH R SEVEN ONE TO INCREASE THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT ANNUALLY FOR GREEN TECH LAWN AND IRRIGATION FOR ADDITIONAL MOWING AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION AND CALENDAR YEAR 2024 AT THE FIRST READING.

GREAT.

SO THIS IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE, UH, AS DISCUSSING WORK SESSION, UH, DECIDED TO EXPAND OUR, UH, MOWING IRRIGATION TO CLOUD PARK AND OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.

UM, THIS HAS ALLOWED US TO FREE UP OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO DO A LOT OF OTHER, UM, NECESSARY MAINTENANCE.

SO, UH, WE ARE ASKING COUNSEL TO INCREASE, UM, THE NOT TO EXCEED, TO ALLOW OUR LAWN CARE COMPANY TO, UM, PROVIDE THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES.

THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION MARK.

MOTION TO ADOPT.

SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION.

AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? YES, DON.

JUST TO COMMENT, UH, MAYOR TONIGHT, DURING YOUR STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE SHEER NUMBER OF MAN HOURS THAT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS PUTS IN.

AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND MIKE GRAY ON WHAT I CONSIDER BE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF PUTTING THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, ARE, ARE GETTING PAID TO, UH, TO DO THAT WORK.

UM, PUTTING THEM IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS AND FREEING UP MOWING THE GRASS, UH, AND OUTSOURCING IT LIKE THIS.

IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT USE OF OUR PERSONNEL.

SO, UH, I, I DO APPRECIATE WHAT MIKE HAS DONE HERE.

THANK YOU, DON.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MARK, RICK? YES.

SOMEONE'S GOING TO MANAGE THIS GREEN TECH CONTRACT.

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE MANAGE THAT? THAT'LL BE MIKE.

SO MIKE WILL BE MANAGING THAT CONTRACT.

WELL, HE'LL BE MANAGING IT, UH, ALONG WITH SARAH.

SO THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER AS BOTH THE PARK MANAGER AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.

SO, UM, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT ONE OF THEM IS THE POINT PERSON ON THAT PROJECT.

SOMEONE'S GOING TO MANAGE.

SO IF THE LAWN SPRINKLERS AREN'T WORKING AND IT'S JULY MM-HMM.

THEY'RE GONNA GET WITH SOMEONE.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MR. WEBB? YES.

RECOMMENDATION WAS ADOPTION.

[ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Issue A Request For Proposals To Provide The Necessary Products And Services For The Purpose Of Emergency Medical Billing For The Fire Division. (first reading)]

IS ITEM 11 J.

ITEM 11 JA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL BILLING FOR THE FIRE DIVISION AT THE FIRST READING.

RICK? YES.

SO AS YOU HEARD FROM THE CHIEF, UM, WE HAVE A MEDICAL BILLING COMPANY.

UM, THEY'RE PIVOTING TO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

UM, THEY WOULD NO LONGER LIKE TO PROVIDE BILLING SERVICES FOR US.

UM, SO WE WILL GO OUT FOR A RFP FOR A NEW BILLING COMPANY.

UM, MEDICAL BILLING, UH, DOES BRING IN OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, UM, PRIMARILY THROUGH INSURANCE COMPANIES, SO, OKAY, THANK YOU.

IS THERE A MOTION ANITA? MOVE TO ADOPT THERE A SECOND.

SECOND MARK.

MOTION.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? NANCY? YES, RICK.

UM, I HEARD ON THE NEWS BEFORE I CAME IN HERE THAT, UH, THAT HE HEIGHTS HAD, UH, EXPERIENCED A SECOND BREACH AND IT WAS RELATING TO THIS.

AND IF, CAN YOU EXPLAIN

[01:50:01]

THE, THE WAY THAT IT SOUNDED WAS THAT THE COMPANY THAT PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED THEIR BILLING SERVICES, THEY EXPERIENCED THE BREACH THAT THE CITY DID NOT.

SO I HATE TO ADMIT THIS IF I'M BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT.

UM, AND I HOPE IT'S NOT TRUE.

NOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF THE COMPANY, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS CHANGE HEALTHCARE, UH, EXPERIENCED A BREACH OF THEIR OWN, UH, IT MAY TAKE THEM SOME TIME TO NOTIFY US.

UH, IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE AFFECTED OUR CITY.

UM, BUT AS OF NOW, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM OUR CURRENT BILLING COMPANY ABOUT THAT.

UM, COULD IT HAPPEN? YES.

I I THINK AS WE'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UH, ANYBODY CAN, CAN GET CYBER ATTACKED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING MAJOR CORPORATIONS.

SO, UM, I I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN PROMISE THAT ANY COMPANY WE CONTRACT WITH IS A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN A HUNDRED PERCENT GUARANTEE THAT THEY WON'T LOSE INFORMATION.

UM, BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY CONSIDER THAT IN ALL OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE, WE INSTITUTE AS A CITY.

SO MY CONCERN WAS THAT WE CLARIFIED THAT THE CITY DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE SECOND BREACH.

NO, NO.

I, I AM NOT AWARE OF A SECOND BREACH IN THE CITY OF BRS.

THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

OKAY, SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? LIEUTENANT MR. DAVIDSON? YES.

NEXT IS

[ A Resolution Declaring Certain City Property In The Police Division No Longer Needed For Municipal Purposes As Surplus And Authorizing Disposal Of Said Surplus Property. (first reading)]

ITEM 11 K.

ITEM 11 KA RESOLUTION DECLARING CERTAIN CITY PROPERTY IN THE POLICE DIVISION NO LONGER NEEDED FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSES AS SURPLUS AND AUTHORIZING DISPOSAL OF SAID SURPLUS PROPERTY AT THE FIRST STREET.

AS WE HEARD FROM THE POLICE CHIEF, WE WOULD LIKE TO DONATE, UH, AN OLD CANINE VEHICLE TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFF, UM, FOR A BACKUP FOR THEIR CANINE UNIT.

UM, SO YES, UH, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT USE OF THAT, THAT EQUIPMENT.

THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR A MOTION.

ANITA, MOVE TO ADOPT.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? PARDON? ANY DISCUSSION, ANITA? I THINK THIS IS GREAT.

THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WAS GREAT WHEN WE HAD THE SECURITY BREACH OF LETTING PEOPLE MOVE AND TO DO THAT.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO THEM.

? AGREED.

ANY DISCUSSION? ATTORNEY MS. BAKER? YES.

YES, SCOTT? MAYOR, I JUST, UH, NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF.

I'M STILL ACTIVE.

VOLUNTEER FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, SO, OKAY.

THANK YOU SCOTT.

AND MR. DAVIDSON HAS RECUSED HIMSELF.

OKAY, SO THE MOTION DOES CARRY SEVEN TO ZERO AND NEXT

[ A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract For The Thomas Cloud Park Path Resurfacing Project. (first reading)]

IS ITEM 11 L.

ITEM 11 LA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE THOMAS CLOUD PARK PATH RESURFACING PROJECT.

AT THE FIRST RATING.

RICK, UH, AS DISCUSSED AT WORK SESSION, WE'RE GONNA AWARD THIS TO THE LOWEST AND BEST BIDDER, UH, PER RUSS.

THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.

MARK.

UH, MOTION TO APPROVE SIR.

SECOND, FRED.

SECOND.

YOU HAVE A MOTION.

SECOND DISCUSSION ON THE SIDE.

MARK, WHICH WARD IS THIS IN? UH, THAT WOULD BE YOURS.

BOX .

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, TONY.

UP IS ITEM 12 ASSISTANCE COMMENTS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES.

[12. Citizens Comments - General]

OKAY, WE'LL START OFF WITH, UH, JULIE REESE.

GOOD EVENING COUNSEL.

JULIE REESE FROM BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M A BETHEL TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE AND WHILE WE ARE FIRMLY OPPOSED TO ANNEXATION AS A BOARD, I'M HERE TONIGHT SPEAKING ONLY FOR MYSELF AS A BETHEL TOWNSHIP PRIVATE CITIZEN.

I SEE TONIGHT.

THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT RELATED TO THE PETITION OF ANNEXATION FOR NEARLY 300 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF OUR LAND.

I'M OPPOSED TO THIS ANNEXATION AND CREATING A CARRIAGE TRAILS 2.0 AS IT IS KNOWN FOR THE FOLLOWING THREE REASONS.

ONE, AT THE LAST MEETING I SPOKE TO TELL YOU OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT THE CURRENT CARRIAGE TRAILS DEVELOPMENT IS HAVING ON OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THERE HAS NOT BEEN A LULL IN THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR OVER 10 YEARS.

IN THE FALL OF 2011, THE YEAR CARRIAGE TRAILS BASICALLY STARTED RAMPING UP.

BETHEL HAD 954 STUDENTS AS OF FEBRUARY 20, 24.

LAST MONTH WE HAVE 1,986 STUDENTS.

THE HIGH DENSITY OF HOUSING THAT IS ALLOWED BY HUBER HEIGHTS ZONING HAS RESULTED IN MORE THAN DOUBLING OUR ENROLLMENT.

SINCE 2016, COVID YEAR ACCEPTED, WE HAVE ADDED

[01:55:01]

FOUR TO SIX CLASSROOMS OF NEW KIDS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

TWO, THE CURRENT ROAD DESIGN DOES NOT SUPPORT ADDING AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND PLUS HOUSES ALONG 40.

IN FACT, THE ROADS AND SIGNALS HAVE YET TO BE UPGRADED TO SUPPORT THE TRAFFIC THAT FLOWS TO AND FROM CARRIAGE TRAILS.

TODAY WE ARE LACKING TURN LANES, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, AND THE WIDER ROADS NEEDED TO SUPPORT EVEN THE CURRENT CARRIAGE TRAILS TRAFFIC.

THE SHEER NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL CARS MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS FOR ALL VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, INCLUDING OUR SCHOOL BUSES TRYING TO TRANSPORT OUR CHILDREN.

THE SCHOOL SITS ON STATE ROUTE 2 0 1 AND BASICALLY HAS TWO ROUTES TO GET TO IT FROM CARRIAGE TRAILS, WHICH THEN FUNNELED DOWN INTO ONE PATH ON 2 0 1.

THERE IS A BACK WAY, BUT THAT IS A LONG COUNTRY ROAD, SOME OF WHICH ARE NARROW AND UNLINED AND AGAIN, ARE NOT DESIGNED AND CANNOT SUPPORT HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES OF HIGH VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC.

IF YOU DRIVE THE ROADS LEADING TO THE SCHOOL, WHEN SCHOOL BEGINS AND ENDS, YOU'LL SIT FOR LENGTHY AMOUNTS OF TIME TRYING TO TURN ONTO 2 0 1, 2 0 2 AND 40.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ANOTHER 2000 PLUS VEHICLES THAT CARRIAGE TRAILS 2.0 WILL PRODUCE.

THIS TRAFFIC ALSO SPILLS OVER INTO THE REST OF THE TOWNSHIP.

AS MORE AND MORE FOLKS ARE DRIVING TO GET PLACES BEYOND THE SCHOOL.

OUR SMALL COUNTRY ROADS JUST CANNOT HANDLE THE VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC THAT ALREADY EXISTS.

NO NEED TO ADD TO THE PROBLEM WITH MORE ANNEXATION.

THIS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC IS ALSO MAKING IT DANGEROUS FOR OUR FARMERS TO BE ON THE ROADS TRYING TO GET TO THEIR FIELDS TO PLANT, MAINTAIN, AND HARVEST CROPS.

THE QUANTITY OF VEHICLES IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE.

MANY OF THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RURAL LIFESTYLE HAVE A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS FARMERS OR ON TRACTORS OR IN COMBINES THAN DO THOSE RAISED IN THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT.

THREE ANNEXATION IS CHANGING THE CULTURE OF BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

OUR COUNTRY LOOK AND FEEL IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A CITY FEEL.

WE CHOOSE TO LIVE OUT IN THE TOWNSHIP BECAUSE WE LIKE RURAL LIVING.

WE LIKE GREEN SPACE.

WE LIKE LIVING A BIT FARTHER AWAY FROM OUR NEIGHBORS.

WE LIKE RAISING LIVESTOCK AND BEES.

WE LIKE SEEING FIELDS OF HAY, CORN AND WHEAT GROWING AND WE LIKE THE SMALLER FEEL OF OUR SCHOOL.

NOT SAYING THE HEBREW HEIGHTS LIFESTYLE ISN'T GOOD, BUT DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS.

OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT IS DISAPPEARING.

I MENTIONED THE IMPACT TO THE SCHOOL PREVIOUSLY FROM A NUMBER STANDPOINT.

WHAT I DIDN'T MENTION IS THE CULTURAL IMPACT THAT IS TAKING PLACE.

AS WE MOVE FROM A SMALL SCHOOL WITH PERSONALIZED SERVICE TO A BIG SCHOOL WITH BIG SCHOOL PROBLEMS, WE ARE LOSING THE BENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS OF GOING TO A SMALLER SCHOOL AND THE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN HUBER.

BUT GO TO BETHEL SCHOOLS ARE KIND OF IN LIMBO.

THEY HAVE A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS, WHICH CAUSES INCONSISTENCIES FOR THEM AND FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

THERE'S A CULTURE CLASH BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY, IF YOU WILL.

I ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE AREA OF TURN LANES, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ET CETERA, HAS NOT BEEN UPGRADED TO SUPPORT THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL VEHICLES ON THE ROADS.

BUT PART OF OUR RURAL LIFESTYLE IS THAT WE DO NOT WANT A STOP SIGN ON EVERY CORNER AND A LIGHT AT EVERY INTERSECTION.

WE LIKE THE SLOWER PACE OF LIFE THAT TYPICALLY COMES WITH RURAL LIVING AND THE LESSER STRESS OF THAT LOWER PA OF THAT SLOWER PLA, THE LESSER STRESS OF THAT SLOWER PACE TRIED TO SAY THAT FIVE TIMES.

IN SUMMARY, I KNOW THE LAW ALLOWS FOR YOU TO TAKE OUR LAND AND DEVELOP IT AS YOU SEE FIT WITHOUT ANY INPUT OR APPROVAL FROM US.

THIS IS VERY DISTURBING IN A COUNTRY THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON EQUALITY AND REPRESENTATION FOR ALL.

I WOULD NEVER TAKE FROM MY NEIGHBORS, EVEN IF IT WAS LEGAL TO DO SO.

THIS IS JUST NOT THE AMERICAN WAY AND IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

THE FOLKS IN BETHEL TOWNSHIP SHOP EAT, USE SERVICES AND ATTEND EVENTS IN HUBER.

PLEASE BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND DO NOT ANNEX THIS ADDITIONAL ACREAGE.

HUBER HAS A GREAT DEAL OF LAND ALREADY THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED.

PLEASE DEVELOP IT FIRST BEFORE YOU COME AND TAKE OUR LAND.

AND ALONG WITH IT, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

I NOTICED MAYOR GORE, YOU MENTIONED THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND YOUR ADDRESS AND YOUR ADDRESS THIS EVENING.

SO YOU MUST UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE IS.

IT IS THE DIMINISHING QUALITY OF LIFE THAT MOST CONCERNS ME.

WE DO NOT FORCE OUR RURAL WAY OF LIFE UPON YOU, AND WE ASK THAT YOU NOT FORCE YOUR CITY WAY OF LIFE UPON US.

AND JUST A LITTLE REMINDER THAT HUBER HEIGHTS BECAME A CITY TO STOP ANNEXATION FROM THE SOUTH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

NEXT UP, JENNY HODGE.

GOOD EVENING.

UM, I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU.

I AS BOTH A MOM, A LANDOWNER IN BETHEL TOWNSHIP AND ALSO I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MIAMI COUNTY FARM BUREAU.

UM, WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MY STORY.

MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH GREW UP ON A FARM.

WE MET IN COLLEGE WHERE WE BOTH OBTAINED ENGINEERING DEGREES BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WANTED AN EASIER LIFE THAN OUR PARENTS HAD ON THE FARM.

AFTER GRADUATING, MARRYING, WORKING FOR A FEW YEARS, WE BOTH HAD A DESIRE TO RETURN TO THE LAND AND START A FAMILY.

THERE ARE NO STRONGER FAMILY VALUES THAN THOSE THAT COME FROM A FAMILY FARM.

WE PURCHASED OUR OWN FARM IN BETHEL WHERE WE STILL LIVE TODAY.

WE RAISED OUR THREE KIDS ON THE FARM.

ALL THREE KIDS HAVE

[02:00:01]

A LOVE OF LAND.

OUR OLDEST CHILD ATTENDED THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND MAJORED MAJORED IN AGRONOMY WITH THE INTENT OF TAKING OVER OUR FARMING OPERATION.

AS A MOTHER, I COULDN'T BE MORE PR, MORE PROUD OF MY CHILDREN.

IT RIPS MY HEART APART.

TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT HUBER HAS ALREADY DONE WITH CARRIAGE TRAILS DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO ANNEX IN THE FUTURE, JEOPARDIZES HIS SAFETY EVERY DAY ON THE ROAD.

THERE IS RARELY A DAY THAT WE ARE ON THE ROADS WITH OUR FARM EQUIPMENT THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T PUT OUR LIVES IN DANGER WITH A RECKLESS AND UNLAWFUL DRIVING HABIT.

IT IS TOTALLY UNFAIR THAT A CITY SUCH AS YOURS CAN COME IN AND TAKE OUR TOWNSHIP WITH NO RECOURSE.

IN TODAY'S WORLD, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE IT FARMING ONLY THE LAND THAT YOU OWN.

MANY LOCAL FARMERS RELY ON RENTING FARM FROM OTHERS.

AS THIS LAND DISAPPEARS, IT GETS MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO BUY NEW EQUIPMENT AND EXPAND OUR OPERATIONS.

AS THIS LAND IS TAKEN OUTTA PRODUCTION, THE DREAMS OF MY CHILDREN ARE SQUASHED.

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO PASS OUR FARM ONTO THE NEXT GENERATION DIMINISHES.

I KNOW THAT.

PLEASE KNOW THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS, IN MY OPINION, IMMORAL.

YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO A HIGHER POWER.

EVENTUALLY.

I BELIEVE THAT WHEN HUBER WAS FIRST FORMED, YOU DID NOT LIKE HOW DAYTON ENCROACHED ON YOU.

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

MY CHILDREN AND OTHERS WILL THANK YOU LONG AFTER YOU'RE GONE.

IF YOU THINK CARRIAGE TRAILS INTERSECTION IS DANGEROUS, I INVITE YOU TO TAKE A RIDE WITH US IN SOME FARM EQUIPMENT.

IT'LL SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUTTA YOU.

I THINK YOU'D MENTIONED SAFETY FIRST.

LET'S DO SOMETHING.

PLEASE REVISIT THIS.

IF YOU WENT A ROUNDABOUT, HOW ABOUT YOU PUT ONE AROUND BETHEL TOWNSHIP AND PLEASE LEAVE OUR FARMLAND ALONE.

NEXT UP WE HAVE JEFF MORFORD.

MEETING, VOICE THEIR OPINION, AND GET HOME QUICKLY TO MAKE SUPPER FOR THE KIDS NOT NEEDING TO ATTEND THE ENTIRE MEETING.

UH, GOOD EVENING.

JEFF MORFORD, MIAMI COUNTY, BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS WHEN HUBER HEIGHTS AGREED TO ANNEXATIONS, THEY WERE NEW AND THE RAMIFICATIONS WERE UNKNOWN.

NOW AFTER 20 YEARS, THE RESULTS ARE APPARENT.

THE DAMAGE TO BETHEL SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS WELL KNOWN.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BETHEL CITIZENS, THE THREE BETHEL TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES, THE THREE MIAMI COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, ARE ALL AGAINST FURTHER ANNEXATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS OUTSIDE OUR ZONING REGULATIONS.

PLEASE BE AWARE, THE CURRENT LEGISLATION REGARDING ANNEXATION PROCESS WAS LOBBIED FOR BY BIG DEVELOPERS.

THIS LEGISLATION MIGHT BE LEGAL, BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.

YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAN LOOK AT ALL THESE FACTORS, MAKE MORAL AND ETHICAL DETERMINATIONS, AND SEE THE INJUSTICE, THE DISCRIMINATION, THE VIOLATION OF OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND VOTE NO TO THIS ANNEXATION REQUEST.

PLEASE BE AWARE THE DEVELOPER IS NOT ASKING HUBER HEIGHTS FOR THE USUAL REASONS TO CONNECT LIKE LARGER, MORE EXPERIENCED GOVERNING BODY, POLICE, FIRE, AND EMERGENCY.

NOT ASKING FOR EDUCATION HELP, NOT ASKING FOR SEWAGE AND WATER.

THE ONLY THING THEY REALLY WANT IS YOUR HIGH DENSITY ZONING.

YOU MIGHT THINK, WHAT BETTER SCENARIO? ALL THAT TAX MONEY WITHOUT ANY OBLIGATION.

PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE.

DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AGAIN, WE ARE A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WE HAVE NO REPRESENTATION AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.

WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE.

WE HAVE NO SAY.

PLEASE BE AWARE, 40 PLUS YEARS AGO, HUBER HEIGHTS, THEN WAYNE TOWNSHIP WAS UNDER ATTACK FROM DAYTON'S ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER.

IT WAS NOT RIGHT THEN.

IT IS NOT RIGHT NOW.

SOME MIGHT TRY TO CONVINCE YOU TO VOTE YES.

SUGGESTING THAT YOU HAVE NO CHOICE, THAT YOU ARE OBLIGATED.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT LEGALLY REQUIRES YOU TO VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

IT'S YOUR PERSONAL VOTE.

ACTUALLY, IT IS THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS YOU REPRESENT.

TALK TO A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN YOUR WARD AND ASK THEM, WHAT DO YOU THINK? IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME TO SEE HOW OFTEN ELECTED OFFICIALS FIND IT NECESSARY TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO HINDER OR IMPEDE THEIR COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS OR COMMENTS.

MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE YOUR RECENT ACHIEVEMENT.

MOVING PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE END OF THE MEETING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR CITIZENS WITH LIMITED TIME TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND A CITY COUNCIL

[02:05:01]

YOU VOTED TO MOVE IT TO THE END OF THE MEETING, WHICH I'M SURE WAS A BENEFIT TO YOU, WHO ARE ELECTED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

PLEASE ACT NOW TONIGHT.

REVERSE YOUR VOTE.

SHOW YOUR COMMUNITY THAT THEIR NEEDS ARE IN FRONT OF THE INCONVENIENCES OF THIS COUNCIL.

ALSO CHANGE TONIGHT THE RULES OF REFERENDUM AND INITIATIVE PETITIONS.

THE STATE OF OHIO MANDATES THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO BE ABLE AS A MEANS OF CHECKS AND BALANCES, THE ABILITY TO CIRCULATE A PETITION TO CHANGE THE ACTIONS OF THEIR LEADERS.

THE STATE HAS USED A 10% VOTING NUMBER FROM THE LAST ELECTION NEEDING TO BE COLLECTED WITH A 30 DAY TIMEFRAME.

BUT AGAIN, HUBER HEIGHTS THOUGHT TO BE PRUDENT TO MUFFLE THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY, MAKING IT A VERY DIFFICULT TASK.

EVEN MORE DIFFICULT BY REQUIRING SIGNATURES OF 15% OF THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED VOTING NUMBERS WITHIN 30 DAYS.

REFERENDUMS ARE NOT DECIDED.

DO NOT DECIDE THE, THE SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUM PETITION ONLY THEN ALLOWS THE ISSUE TO BE PUT ON THE BALLOT FINALLY, AND ULTIMATELY ALLOWING THE CITIZEN TO DECIDE WITH THEIR VOTE TONIGHT.

CHANGE YOUR 15% BACK TO 10% IN LINE WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS.

LET YOUR CITIZENS HAVE A VOICE.

DON'T LOOK FOR WAYS TO PUT A MUZZLE ON THEM.

REMEMBER, YOU ARE UPFRONT AND FOREMOST A CITIZEN OF HUBER HEIGHTS.

AGAIN, TREAT YOUR CITIZENS LIKE YOU WOULD WANNA BE TREATED.

LAST YEAR AND ALMOST IDENTICAL ANNEXATION REQUEST WAS PRESENTED TO HUBER HEIGHTS.

THIS ANNEXATION REQUEST HAD GONE THROUGH ALL THE NORMAL LEGAL STEPS, OCTOBER-ISH 2023, COMING TO THE VERY END, THE VOTE OF THE ELECTED HUBER HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL.

BUT IN MY OPINION, THAT'S WHEN YOUR MAYOR, WHO IS OBVIOUSLY FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT AND AT ANY COST, TOOK CAST STRAW.

A POLL DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE SAW AND CANCELED THE VOTE.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO FIX THE VOTE? HAVE NO VOTE AT ALL.

THE ELECTED OFFICIALS REPRESENTING THEIR COMMUNITIES HAD THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATED THAT NIGHT.

IT WAS INTERESTING.

AFTER THE MAYOR TABLED THE VOTE, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OBJECTION, PROTEST OR GRIEVANCES FILED BY THE DEVELOPER OR LANDOWNERS.

IT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS TO ME.

HOW ABOUT YOU AND TALK ABOUT SUSPICIOUS WITHIN THE YEAR OR SO, THE GLJ HOLDING COMPANY HAS PURCHASED THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MIAMI COUNTY PROPERTY INCLUDED IN THE ANNEXATION REQUEST WITHOUT SUPPOSEDLY ANY ASSURANCES OR AGREEMENTS FROM THE HUBER HEIGHTS COUNCIL.

THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE VERY GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE TO ME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? BUT COME JANUARY, 2024, A NEW ANNEXATION REQUEST.

BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED? COULD IT BE THAT THE THREE OF THE HUBER HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE OPPOSED TO THE ANNEXATION ARE NOW RETIRED? AND THREE NEW MEMBERS, THE MAYOR HOPES TO ENLIST INTO HIS WAY OF THINKING ARE IN OFFICE.

I'M NOT AGAINST ANNEX STATIONS THAT ALLOW ALL AFFECTED A VOICE AND THE ABILITY TO BE INVOLVED.

PLEASE VOTE NO.

AS ALWAYS, I LEAVE YOU WITH A GOLDEN RULE DUE UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I NEED TO ADDRESS SOMETHING HERE REAL QUICK.

SO FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE 15% ISSUE ON REFERENDUMS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN OUR CHARTER.

IT'S NEVER BEEN 10%.

THAT IS NOTHING THAT THE CITY HAS CHANGED ANYTIME RECENTLY.

SO THAT INFORMATION IS NOT CORRECT.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A 15% REFERENDUM BASED ON OUR CHARTER.

UH, ANOTHER ISSUE TONIGHT, ACTUALLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HEARD ANYBODY SAY SO.

THANK YOU, MR. MOER.

YOU'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE LANDOWNERS YOU BROUGHT UP.

THE LANDOWNERS DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE, UH, PUSH OFF OF THAT LAST TIME.

BUT WHAT I HAVE HEARD MANY TIMES FROM THIS DICE, PEOPLE FROM THE PODIUM KEEP SAYING THAT YOU'RE TAKING OUR LAND.

UH, WHO, WHO OWNS WHO, WHO IS THE OWNER OF THAT LAND? I BELIEVE IT WAS SOME FARMERS FIRST WHO DECIDED TO SELL THEIR LAND.

IT WAS NEVER BETHEL TOWNSHIP'S LAND.

IT WAS NEVER MIAMI COUNTY'S LAND.

IT WAS THE PROPERTY OWNER'S LAND.

AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MADE THE DECISION TO ACTUALLY SELL THEIR PROPERTY.

SO TONIGHT IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ANYBODY ACTUALLY MENTION AND TALK ABOUT THE LANDOWNERS.

UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF US TRYING TO SILENCE PEOPLE'S VOTE.

WHAT TIME DID THE MEETINGS TAKE PLACE FOR THE BETHEL TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES? WHAT TIME ARE THOSE MEETINGS AND WHAT DAY? SEVEN O'CLOCK.

SO WHAT AM I SEEING ADVERTISED AS LIKE NINE, 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON TUESDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS? UH, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ANYMORE.

SEVEN O'CLOCK OKAY.

SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN ATTEND.

OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.

LAST TIME I SAW ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE WAS POSTED, THERE WAS SOME MEETING THAT WAS LIKE NINE O'CLOCK ON A TUESDAY MORNING.

SO MANY TIMES, I THINK THE REASON THAT THIS WAS CHANGED, EXCUSE ME TO THE END, IS I THINK ALL OF US HAVE SET UP HERE MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES AND WE'VE,

[02:10:01]

UH, ENTERTAINED ALL THE COMMENTS FROM ALL THE CITIZENS WHO'VE, WHO'VE COME TO SPEAK.

NOW, CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM BETHEL TOWNSHIP WHO ARE, WHO ARE FRUSTRATED BY THE, BY THE, THE THOUGHT OF, OF AN ANNEXATION.

UM, YOU MIGHT FEEL THAT YOU'RE BEING TARGETED OR HAVING THESE THINGS MOVED.

BUT MANY, MANY TIMES WE'VE SAT HERE AND LISTENED TO DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMENTS WHERE THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE MEETING, ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION.

SO HAVING COMMENTS THIS EVENING, UM, RIGHT BEFORE THE CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS AND COMMENTS, I THINK IS A GOOD THING.

'CAUSE THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, LIKE WHAT I'M DOING NOW, TO ACTUALLY HAVE DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WHO'VE ACTUALLY MADE SOME COMMENTS, WHO'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO MAKE THE COMMENTS.

SO THAT IS THE REASON THAT THOSE, UH, UH, THOSE COMMENTS WERE MOVED, UH, TO THE END.

NOW, CLEARLY, UH, AS EARLIER, IF THERE IS ANY ITEM THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT ON A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM, NONE OF THAT HAS CHANGED.

UH, YOU REGISTER, YOU FILL OUT THE FORM.

WHEN THAT AGENDA ITEM COMES UP ON THE AGENDA, UH, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE ANYBODY COME TO THE PODIUM AND SPEAK WHEN ANNEXATION IS ON THE AGENDA, THEN YOU ARE MORE THAN HAPPY.

YOU'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO COME.

AND I EXPECT TO SEE YOU HERE.

UH, WHEN THAT TIME COMES, WHEN THAT VOTE, UH, IS, IS TIME TO BE TAKEN.

AND THAT IS ON THE AGENDA.

YOU CAN MORE THAN HAPPY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE END.

YOU CAN SPEAK WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP, UH, ON THE AGENDA.

SO WE MADE THOSE CHANGES TO MOVE THE GENERAL COMMENTS TO THE END SO THEY COULD BE CLOSER WHEN COUNCIL MAKES THEIR COMMENTS.

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CITIZENS WHO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AND NOT FORGET ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO SAY IN THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

AND WE'RE WAITING TILL THE END OF THE MEETING.

SO THAT'S THE REASON.

THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT.

DO WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON? YEAH, WE HAVE ONE MORE.

UH, DONNA IS YOUR LAST NAME HUGHES? I, I HAD TROUBLE READING THAT.

MY RIGHT.

IS GOING SECOND HUGHES? YES.

ONE CORRECTION MAYOR, I HAVE SAID THAT I LUMPED THE FARM FARM OWNERS AND I WANT THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS THEY CAN GET.

I DON'T WANT IT IN HUBER HEIGHTS.

I DON'T WANT HUBER HEIGHTS FIVE HOUSES TO AN ACRE, AND THEY GIVE TWO ACRES, WHATEVER.

I AGREE WITH MOST OF THEM.

BUT THE, I'M GOING TO TALK NOW IS ABOUT THE ACCIDENTS ON 2 0 1 AND CARRIAGE TRACE.

ARE THOSE ACCIDENTS ON THE SOUTHBOUND PEOPLE, UH, GOING IN OR THE RIGHT LEFT HAND IN AND OUT OF, UH, CARRIAGE TRACE? SO I, I BELIEVE THERE'S ACCIDENTS GOING BOTH DIRECTIONS, CORRECT? SO, YEAH, I'M SORRY.

WHAT I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE'S ACCIDENTS GOING BOTH DIRECTIONS.

FROM THE ENCROACHMENT OF TRAFFIC THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE.

WHICH, WHICH WAY HAS THE MOST ACCIDENTS? I I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT BECAUSE I AGREE.

HAVING A SOUTHBOUND ON RAMP CONTINUING TO THE SECOND LANE THAT YOU HAVE IN THE CITY.

THAT WAY THERE BE NO MERGING BECAUSE THE SOUTHBOUND ONTO 2 0 1 IS A LAUNCHING PAD.

I TRAVEL THAT ROAD.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU PEOPLE TRAVEL 2 0 1 AND CARRIED CARRIAGE TRAILS.

UH, I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU STILL HAVE THE RIGHT HAND LANE.

RIGHT HAND LANE.

'CAUSE ALL YOU NEED IS THE PROTECTION OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TURN LEFT EITHER INTO OR OUTTA YOUR, THAT SECTION.

THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A LIGHT FOR THE SCHOOL BUSES.

'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE A ROUNDABOUT, ASK THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TROY, ASK THOSE PEOPLE WHO USE THE, I THINK ANOTHER STREET NEAR THE, UH, TROY CHRISTIAN CENTER.

THOSE ROUNDABOUTS ARE NOT ACCOMMODATING TO TURN AROUND THE BUS.

SO TURNABOUT WOULD BE, YOU CAN GET A LIGHT UP RIGHT AWAY.

YOU CAN ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE LAUNCHING PAD PEOPLE BY HAVING THEIR OWN LANE GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHERE IT IS.

THE SECOND LANE IS ALREADY THERE.

I I'M HOPING THAT THEIR PERSON WILL COME BACK WITH THE LIGHT.

'CAUSE THAT WILL STOP TRAFFIC.

BUT IT WILL STILL MOVE FOR THOSE WHO WANNA DO THE RIGHT HAND END AND RIGHT HAND OUT.

UM, I AGREE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE TALKED TODAY, THE PEOPLE CARRIAGE TRACE TRAILS IS DESTROYING BETHEL TOWNSHIP, NOT THE PEOPLE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ROAD.

I REMEMBER WHEN SALEM AVENUE WAS FIRST DONE.

I HAVE THAT WRONG.

I I USED TO TRAVEL 2 0 2 FROM TON TO DOWNTOWN DAYTON TO ST.

JOHN, UH, ST.

JOE'S.

I COULD DO THAT IN 15 MINUTES.

I CAN'T GET TO THE INTERSTATE IN 15 MINUTES.

I'M ALSO ASKING NOT TO EXPAND HERE AGAIN.

I WANT THE FARM ORDERS TO HAVE THE MONEY.

YES, IT'S THEIR LAND, BUT IT'S LYING IN BETHEL TOWNSHIP.

WE AS PEOPLE BELIEVE IN BETHEL TOWNSHIP, WE HAVE FAMILIES WHO LIVE THERE FOR YEARS.

YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO HAVE SO MUCH PRIDE IN HUBER HEIGHTS, WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHAT YOUR FOREFATHERS HAVE DONE IN KEEPING YOU SAFE FROM ENCROACHMENT OF DAYTON.

KEEP US SAFE

[02:15:02]

WE CAN'T BUILD ANY MORE BUILDINGS.

AND IF YOU DO ANNEX THIS, YOU DO THE THEN DEMAND THAT THE BUILDER NEEDS TO HAVE TO SET ASIDE 10 YEARS WORTH OF COST OF CLASSROOMS OF TEACHERS IN ADVANCE SO WE CAN HAVE SOME WAY OF BUILDING AND ADDING TO OUR SCHOOLS.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 20, 1900 KIDS.

OKAY? 13 HOMES.

PLUS YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT ANOTHER 2,600 KIDS.

WE DON'T HAVE THE INSTRUCTURE THE STRUCTURE OF BUSINESSES THAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC HEARING YOU SPEAK ABOUT YOUR CITY.

I HAD PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS A NEIGHBOR.

MY FAMILY WORKED IN HUBER HEIGHTS.

YOU PROVIDED JOBS FOR MY FAMILY.

YOU PROVIDE GROCERIES AT KROGER'S FOR ME.

BUT I'M ALSO SAYING THE LIGHT CONTINUES LEFT HAND, THE RIGHT HAND LANES, AND I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO ANNEX.

COULD I JUST BRIEFLY ADDRESS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENTS AT CT AND 2 0 1? AND BY SIGNIFICANT, I MEAN THE MOST SEVERE ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN, UH, PEOPLE TURNING, UH, OFF OF BRENT LEFT INTO CT HEADING NORTHBOUND, TURNING INTO CT.

UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGN, UH, A NUMBER, AS RICK MENTIONED, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACCIDENT SCENARIOS.

UH, SOME OF 'EM PRETTY GOOFY, BUT THE, THE SERIOUS ONES, THE, THE SIGNIFICANT ONES HAVE BEEN, UH, T-BONE ACCIDENTS WHERE PEOPLE TURN LEFT GOING INTO CARRIAGE TRAILS AND HAVE BEEN T-BONED THERE.

AND THAT'S WHY THE LIGHT GOING NORTH AND SOUTHBOUND WILL HELP HELP AT LEAST PEOPLE COMING OUT OF CARRIAGE TRAILS, UHHUH, .

SO THEY WON'T, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BUSES.

NOW, THE, THE, THE MOST TRAFFIC THAT I SEE IS RIGHT AROUND THE SCHOOL BUS TIME ABOUT, UH, UH, WORK TIME.

WE'RE GETTING OFF TIME.

SO THE LIGHT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL DURING THOSE TIMES.

I AVOID YOUR STREETS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE TO LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE .

ME NEITHER.

OFFICIAL REPORTS AND COMMENTS? YES.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.

NUMBER 14, A 13, I'M SORRY.

YEP, I CROSSED THAT OFF.

SO, CITY

[13. City Official Reports And Comments]

MARK? YES.

UH, RICK, WE HAD A TOWN HALL AND TALKED ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF KERRY TRAILS BOULEVARD AND BRENT PIKE.

ABOUT WHEN WAS THAT? SO A LITTLE UNDER A MONTH AGO.

JANUARY.

IT WAS IN JANUARY.

AND, AND WE HAD, UH, SEVERAL FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE.

AND I THINK THAT NIGHT THE ROUNDABOUT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED.

SO IN YOUR PREPARATION MOVING FORWARD, LET'S SAY THE LIGHT ENDS UP BEING THE FASTEST PROVISION AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEADED THAT DIRECTION, WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA WALK AND CHEW BUBBLEGUM.

SO YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A ROUNDABOUT, CORRECT? YES.

WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS HIRE A FIRM TO DO TITLE SEARCH.

ON ALL THE NECESSARY LAND.

CORRECT.

AND SOME OF THE LAND THAT I UNDERSTAND IS GONNA BE, UH, NECESSARY IS THE METRO PARKS.

SO ARM LENGTH TRANSACTIONS WHERE THERE'S BEEN SALE AND PURCHASE, UH, COULD START OR HELP US IN OUR RESEARCH.

TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THAT ROUNDABOUT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT COST.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND THERE IS A FAMILY, I THINK THEIR NAME IS SEILER.

AND WOULD THAT BE THE FAMILY THAT MAYBE METRO PARKS AND COMPANY BOUGHT THE LAND? YES.

IT'S, YEP.

SO YOU COULD RUN A TITLE SEARCH AND FIND OUT WHAT THAT TRANSACTION COST WAS, AND THAT MIGHT HELP US MOVING FORWARD IF THERE'S ANY NECESSARY TAKING OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? CORRECT.

SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED LAND ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL.

BY EITHER NEXT WORK SESSION OR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IDENTIFY THOSE OWNERS AND THEN FIND OUT WHAT THE LAST TRANSACTION PRICE WAS.

CORRECT.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOUR STAFF COULD HIRE A TITLE COMPANY AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, UH, TRY TO BRING BACK AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU COULD FIND? UH, I BELIEVE SO.

I WILL, I WILL CHECK IN WITH THEM AND SEE HOW MUCH I CAN BRING BACK TO COUNCIL

[02:20:01]

AND, AND MAYOR, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU, YOU FEEL MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA IN SOME RESEARCH THAT WE COULD DO AS IT RELATES TO CHEWING GUM AND WALK AT THE SAME TIME? YEAH, I THINK, UM, I MEAN THE RECOMMENDATION IS, IS A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

AND THE, UM, THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED AGAIN ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WAS, WAS A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THE ROUNDABOUT IS GONNA BE MORE LENGTHY, UH, OF A TIMEFRAME AND, AND GONNA BE MORE COST PROHIBITIVE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT WORTH LOOKING AT AND DETERMINE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

UM, EVEN FOR A FUTURE, YOU KNOW, FOR A FUTURE PART OF THE PROJECT.

UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HEARD, WHAT I HEARD NANCY SAY IS, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN BASED ON WHAT THE, THE TRAFFIC REPORT THAT WE GOT, THE TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WAS, UH, DONE LAST THE WORK SESSION, UM, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THEM BEING AGREEABLE TO, UH, WORKING WITH STAFF TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF SOME OF OUR MOST HIGH INCIDENT AREAS WERE AND THEN FINDING IF THERE'S ANY, UH, I WANNA CALL IT QUICK FIX, BUT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE, YOU KNOW, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

SO I THINK AS LONG AS, AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD YOU SAY TONIGHT, AS LONG AS YOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, IN THE LINE OF MOVING AS, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO GET THE TRAFFIC LIGHT GOING, AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON IN, IN, IN LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT THOSE OTHER OPTIONS, UH, COULD AND WOULD BE AS LONG AS WE'RE ALL FOCUSED ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED FIVE YEARS AGO FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

AND, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE ON THE DAIS THAT DIDN'T AGREE THAT MAYBE THE, UH, ROUNDABOUT IS THE ULTIMATE DECISION WE MIGHT MAKE.

SO THE INFORMATION I'VE ASKED YOU TO OBTAIN WOULD BE IN AN EFFORT FOR THAT, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T DO THE ROUNDABOUT FOR FIVE YEARS.

RIGHT.

AGREE.

SO IT'S NOT WASTING STAFF'S TIME.

MM.

WE WOULD FIND OUT THE MOST RECENT PURCHASES, WHAT IT WAS PURCHASED FOR.

AND WHEN YOU GIVE US, UM, YOUR IDEAS, THEY COULD BE ALL INCLUSIVE WHERE MM-HMM.

, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE LAND ACQUISITION COST WOULD BE AS WELL, RIGHT? I BELIEVE SO, YES.

THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

YEP.

IN, IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER ELSE STAFF IS GOING TO DO.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PROBABLY FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT'S GONNA BE THE FASTEST SAFEST AND, AND TO MOVE ON THAT FIRST, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT RIGHT AWAY.

ABSOLUTELY.

ANY OBJECTIONS TO COUNSEL? ANY BY COUNSEL FOR THAT INFORMATION? FROM THE, FROM THE CITY STAFF? ANITA? THANKS EVERYONE.

I HAVE KIND OF BACKING ON THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PLAN FROM, WAS IT 2003? WE LEARNED ABOUT IT THE, UM, AT THE, UM, FORUM THAT THEY HAD, THAT THERE WAS A PLAN DONE FOR THAT RIGHT THERE AROUND 2003 THAT DID HAVE A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AND SOME WALKING PATH AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT NEEDED TO BE DUSTED OFF OF RUSS'S SHELF.

CAN WE GET THAT DUSTED OFF AND JUST KIND OF REVISIT THAT? I, I REMEMBER JAN BROUGHT JAN VARGO ISS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP THAT THERE WAS A PLAN WAY BACK WHEN.

I, I'M NOT AWARE OF IT, BUT I CAN HAVE STEPH LOOK INTO IT.

YEAH, I MEAN THAT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD ENCOMPASS AND USE.

AND THEN MY OTHER COMMENT IS I'M GLAD, UH, EX COUNCILWOMAN BLANKENSHIP STILL HERE, WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING ON APRIL 15TH.

I KNOW IT'S TAX DAY, SO LIGHT FILERS MIGHT NOT BE INTERESTED, BUT AT THE LIBRARY WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING TWO SESSIONS TO, UM, CITIZENS ON HOW TO LOCK YOUR CREDIT SO THAT IF THERE IS CYBER TAX AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND ONE'S FROM ONE TO THREE, AND WE REALLY ARE, I'M REALLY WANTING TO HELP, ESPECIALLY SENIOR CITIZENS THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO DO THAT TO PROTECT THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND EVERYTHING.

SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE PASS IT ALONG TO THE SENIOR CENTER.

UM, IT ALSO WILL BE HELD THAT NIGHT AT SIX TO EIGHT.

AND RICK, ARE WE GETTING FLYERS ON THAT? YES.

I HAVE A FLYER TO APPROVE IN MY EMAIL.

AND THEN YOU HAVE ASKED, UH, FOR IT TO GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO WE'LL GET THAT OUT THIS WEEK.

YEAH, IF I CAN GET SOME COPIES, I'LL GET 'EM TO THE SENIOR CENTER.

BUT I REALLY LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE.

WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM AT THE LIBRARY SO IT HOLDS ABOUT 80 PEOPLE.

AND, UM, IF THERE'S, HOW SHOULD I PUT THIS? IF THERE'S, UM, COMPUTERS, LAPTOPS THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE NEED ASSISTANCE AND WALKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I KNOW I'M WILLING TO HELP SOMEBODY TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND STUFF, BUT I JUST THINK THAT IS SOMETHING AFTER THE CYBER ATTACK THAT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITIZENS.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

WE ALSO APPRECIATE GETTING OUR NEW BUILDING.

WE ARE SO HAPPY.

EVERYONE AT THE SENIOR CENTER APPLAUD YOU.

WE ARE SO HAPPY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I DEFER YOU'RE WORTH ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL? YES.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BIGGER SPACE.

I WILL NOT HAVE TO LIFT UP AND PUT UP TABLES AND CHAIRS EVERY TUESDAY.

GREAT.

SORRY,

[02:25:01]

SNEE? YES.

UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL, BUT I'VE BEEN GETTING, UH, INQUIRIES ABOUT, UM, THE BEAUTIFUL BUSES THAT GO THROUGH THE CITY THAT HA HAVE WRAPS ON 'EM FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, FROM CENTERVILLE, KETTERING, DAYTON, ALL THOSE.

AND, UM, I ASKED THE RTA REP LAST WEEK WHEN OURS WAS COMING IN BECAUSE I KNEW ONE WAS IN THE WORKS AND EVIDENTLY THEY ARE, UH, PAINTING THE BUS RIGHT NOW AND THEN THEY WILL INSTALL THE WRAP AND, AND THEY ESTIMATED IT WOULD BE, UH, PROBABLY THE END OF MARCH OR THE BEGINNING OF APRIL WHEN WE FINALLY GET IT.

AND THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THAT ROLLING AROUND HERE.

AND I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT JUST LIKE THE LIBRARY, WE WERE THE LAST IN THE CHAIN, SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIG MEDIA BLITZ, UH, THAT, UM, HERE WITH THE BUS, WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, TO ANNOUNCE THE, THE, UH, COMPLETION OF THAT PROJECT THAT THEY HAD.

SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT.

SO WE'RE DOING ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL?

[14. Executive Session]

ITEM NUMBER 14, A TONY ITEM 14 A, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH COOLIDGE WALL COMPANY LPA FOR LEGAL SERVICES AS CITY ATTORNEY LAW DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS, OHIO AT THE FIRST TREAT.

OKAY, SO THERE IS A NEED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS EVENING.

UH, TONY, IF YOU WOULD, UH, THE, UH, MOTION TO GO AND DO EXECUTIVE SESSION WOULD BE TO CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT OF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL UNDER PERSONNEL MATTERS.

IS THERE A MOTION? KEEP I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

MOTION TO EXECUTIVE SESSION CARRIES EIGHT TO ZERO.

UH, AS SOON AS WE'RE FINISHED WE'LL COME BACK OUT AND LET EVERYONE KNOW.

UH, WHAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN, IF ANY.

SO SHOW IT'S NOW 8 42 AND WE ARE MOVING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.