Cuyahoga Falls City Council holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Council committee meetings are held on the first and third Mondays in order to allow councilmembers to publicly discuss pending legislation that will be voted on at regular meetings. The public is free to comment on pending legislation during the allowed time set aside as part of committee meetings.
Prior to committee meetings on this date, a public hearing was held to solicit public comment on A-23, an ordinance approving a Regulatory Text Amendment to Table 1131-1 Zoning Districts and Uses to add secondary schools as a limited use in R-4 Urban Density Residential and R-5 Mixed Density Residential Districts and to add a new subsection 1133.02 (b) 3 titled “Secondary Schools.” Speaking on behalf of the city, Planning Director Rob Kurtz explained that this change is needed in the general development code to allow the new high school to be built on the former Bolich Middle School property. School board President Anthony Gomez also spoke in favor of the proposed change. There was no one present who wished to speak against the legislation. The planning and zoning committee then discussed A-23 and voted to bring it out for a full vote before council when they meet April 11.
Finance Committee discussed A-32, an ordinance authorizing the refund of a landscape performance bond to Bath Road Associates LLC. Scott Fitzsimmons, who spoke on the city’s behalf, explained that this ordinance will release the funds held by the city at the beginning of the French Mill project to assure the completion of landscaping for this development. When this phase of the project is complete, the bond will be returned to the developer. It was voted to bring this for a vote before council next Monday.
Public and industrial improvements committee met next to discuss two pieces of legislation.
A-33: An ordinance amending Ordinance 40-2021 to authorize the director of public service to enter into a license agreement with AMP Transmission, LLC for the AMPT 69 kV Conversion. Project Service Director Anthony Zumba gave the highlights on this legislation. It is part of a planned upgrade of the city’s electrical system to meet future needs for increased capacity (electric cars and other future needs). This legislation will begin the process and determine the routes of new lines. The committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
A-34: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, with GPD Associates for professional engineering services for the improvements to Cochran Road, from State Road to Cavalier Trail. City Engineer Tony Demasi presented this ordinance that will allow the city to begin the engineering process of bringing Cochran up to modern standards including widening, curbs, storm sewers and sanitary sewers. Upon passage Demasi said this would allow engineering and design to start in the spring and be completed by the end of the year. From there the job would be available to go out for bid early in 2023. The committee voted to bring this out for a vote next Monday.
