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.
The Planning and Zoning committee meeting was interrupted for approximately 20 minutes due to the Natatorium fire alarm going off as the result of an issue that started around the saunas in the building. Upon being able to return to council chambers, however, business had to wait as the fire department was not allowing anyone else to enter the building. Rather than risk a violation of public meetings law. Council President Russ Balthis waited until the fire department opened the front entrance of the building before resuming the committee meeting.
Planning and Zoning:
A-14: An ordinance accepting the recommendation of the planning commission for the construction of a 10-unit townhome building, known as The Residences at Fountain Point, for Testa Enterprises, Inc., and located at 2335 Second Street. This was presented by Planning Director Rob Kurtz and Joel Testa. The proposed 10-unit townhouse building would be built facing Front Street and Levenston Lane and would share parking with the current Testa Building on Second Street. The project received planning commission approval and after hearing input from nearby residents the developer agreed to extra screening of the trash dumpster. Testa assured council that by placing the dumpster behind the project’s sign wall and screening it on both sides with brick, the area would not be visible to Front Street or Oakwood Drive. The committee voted to bring this out for a vote before full council next Monday.
A-15: An ordinance accepting the recommendation of the planning commission for the construction of two self-service storage buildings for Komi GK, LLC, located at 3422 State Road. The planning commission passed this expansion of an existing self-serve storage facility in the 3400 block of State Road. Two Buildings– one 14,000 square feet and the other 6,600 square feet– will be constructed to the rear of the existing buildings and will be completed by the fall of 2024. The committee voted to bring this out for a vote before full council next Monday.
Finance Committee:
A-1: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with ScanWorks LLC, for documentation preparation and imaging services for historical and current city records. Law Director Janet Ciotola told the committee that this is a continuation of the project started last year to scan paper documents currently in storage from the finance department, community development, human resources, and engineering. A local business was the lowest and best bidder and the legislation is capped at $125k. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-2: An ordinance authorizing the mayor, as director of public safety, to enter into a contract or contracts for the purchase of Annual Requirements for certain services, materials, supplies, and equipment for use by the fire department during 2024. Fire Chief Martin told the committee that this ordinance would not only bring on Fallsway Equipment to do inspections and maintenance of the vehicles for the fire department, but it would keep on the current vendor, Atlantic, to purchase tools and supplies as they have done in the past. This legislation was capped at $125k. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-3: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts for the purchase of Annual Requirements for certain services, materials, supplies, and equipment for use by the electrical division during 2024. Electric Superintendent Rod Troxell presented the committee with a list of vendors his department would be purchasing from over the year and cited the price of transformers and copper wire being the reason the number was up from the previous year. The ordinance is capped at $2 million. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-4: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for city-wide tree removal, trimming, and stump grinding. According to Building and Grounds Superintendent John Ball, this legislation would continue a two-year contract with Pro Tree for tree work within the city. The ordinance has a cap of $322k but Finance Director Bryan Hoffman said that number could come in lower depending on need. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-5: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the purchase of Annual Requirements of certain services, materials, and supplies for use by the garage division during 2024. Superintendent of Motor Vehicles John Campbell presented this ordinance to the committee, explaining this will allow his department to purchase fuel, tires and various parts as needed for the city’s fleet. The legislation is capped at $1.5 million. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-6: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the purchase of Annual Requirements of certain materials and supplies for use by the street division during 2024. Street Commissioner Charles Novak answered questions from the committee on this legislation and reported that with the lack of bad weather last winter the city had a record setting surplus of salt in reserves for this year. The ordinance that covers the cost of both salt and asphalt will be capped at $525k. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council next Monday.
A-7: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the purchase of Annual Requirements of certain materials and supplies for use by the Sanitation Division during 2024. Novak stated $229k will be used to replace the various residential yard carts and $15k will be used for trash dumpsters used at various city properties. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council on Monday.
A-8: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the purchase of the city’s requirements of certain services, materials, and supplies for use by the water and sewer divisions during 2024. Water Superintendent Russ Kring shared the supplies needed to keep his department going through 2024, including chemicals to treat the city’s drinking water and equipment to get it to the residents. This legislation will be capped at $1.9 million. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-9: An ordinance authorizing the mayor, as director of public safety, or the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, according to law, for the purchase or lease of various vehicles and related equipment for use by the city. Superintendent of Motor Vehicles John Campbell went over the handout he presented to the committee and council (seen here, and online) that shows vehicles that will be purchased from various accounts and the departments using them. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-10: An ordinance levying special assessments for the repair or replacement of sidewalks and drive approaches in the sidewalk and drive approach repair and replacement district for the year 2023. City Engineer Tony Demasi explained to the committee that this is the total for last year’s sidewalk repair program and those properties who chose to have the repairs made by the city will have the $18/ft. sidewalk and $8/sq. ft. driveway approach fees attached to their property tax bill. He told council that as long as it is done to city specifications and passes inspection property owners are free to repair their own sidewalks; however, many find that the city has a better rate and choose to go that direction. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-11: A resolution creating for the year 2024 a sidewalk and drive approach repair or replacement district containing such streets, alleys, or public roadways within the corporate limits of the City of Cuyahoga Falls, declaring the necessity of repairing or replacing the sidewalks and drive approaches abutting on such streets, alleys or public roadways within said corporate limits and providing the method for levying special assessments. Demasi stated his office completed their inventory and rating and the list of sidewalks in the 2024 repair district has been established. Price increases this year will bring sidewalk repair up to $22/ft. to property owners. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council next week.
A-12: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the replacement or adjustment of concrete sidewalks, drive approaches, and curbs at various locations in the City of Cuyahoga Falls. Demasi lastly went over the third part of the sidewalk legislation that allows his office to take their list out to bid, for which they plan on opening bids February 28. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
A-13: An ordinance authorizing the director of finance to issue a reimbursement to Princeton Crossroads Investment, LLC for costs associated with the construction of a clubhouse for the Princeton Place Development, increasing appropriations thereof. Development Director Rob Kurtz presented this to the committee along with Daniel Karam, the developer of the Princeton Crossroad LLC development. To summarize, when a developer creates a subdivision, our code stipulates that the planning commission requires the developer to set aside 10% of the area of development for public use. This is covered in the city’s general development code under 1124.05. Many of the city’s neighborhood parks and playgrounds were constructed on land acquired using this method. The developer may also choose to pay a fee in lieu of setting aside land, as was the case for Princeton Crossings. In this project the developer paid a fee of $600 per unit. As part of the development The LLC constructed a clubhouse structure available to serve the residents of Princeton Crossings and its use falls under the guidelines of “In Lieu of Dedication” on our code at the cost of $549k. This legislation is requesting reimbursement of the developers per-unit fee totaling $90k so that may be applied to the cost of the clubhouse. The finance committee voted to bring this out for a vote before the full council Monday January 22.
