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 council members 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 following new legislation was read and then assigned to the proper committee:
A-125: An ordinance approving a zoning map amendment for property located at the intersection of Clyde Avenue and Buchholzer Boulevard, from C-1, Commercial to R-5, Mixed Density was assigned to the planning and zoning committee to be discussed November 21.
A-126: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts with Siemens Energy for the purchase of three 833kVA regulators was assigned to the finance committee to be discussed November 21.
A-127: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the Lippman Parkway storm sewer replacement was assigned to the public and industrial improvement committee to be discussed next Monday.
A-128: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the storm sewer improvements in Preston Park. Assigned to the public and industrial improvement committee to be discussed November 21.
A-129: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, with SSOE Group, without competitive bidding, for engineering services related to upgrades at the CF1 and CF2 generators. Assigned to the public and industrial improvement committee to be discussed November 21.
A-130: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept an Environmental Protection Remediation Fund Grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in the amount of $200,000 for environmental remediation of a pond area located in the Preserve at Salt Creek Development; authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with Patriot Engineering and Environmental, Inc. to complete the work associated with the grant. This was assigned to the public affairs committee, after which council temporarily adjourned to have a committee meeting the same night as the council meeting.
The Preserve at Salt Creek is located on State Rd. near Buckeye Sporting Goods whom used to host skeet shooting on that property. City Engineer Tony Demasi gave the committee an overview, saying that in March 2021 the city was notified about a large number of waterfowls found dead around the pond at The Reserve at Salt Creek, and about dogs in the area becoming ill. The homeowners’ association had the pond tested for bacterial toxins and those tests came back negative; however, a necropsy (animal autopsy) performed on several of the deceased geese determined showed a high concentration of lead present. Tests were conducted to determine the source of the lead and eliminating the source as being carried into the pond area by drainage or animal. In May 2021 the EPA reached out to the city and water and soil samples were taken. While no indication of lead was found in the water, it was found in the soil surrounding the pond. Those results came back in September showing a threshold high enough to prompt the city and the EPA to fence the area off. Demasi noted that these areas were not included in the initial cleanup of the property in 2013 and that the original consultant in charge of the 2013 cleanup of the once-contaminated shooting range is no longer in business. The city and EPA now have a remedial action plan in place to clean up this area and passage of this legislation will allow the city to receive $200k in the form of a grant from the Ohio EPA to aid in the cleanup. Many residents from the area were in attendance, including one family who voiced their concerns over not only the removal of the contaminants but what the condition the ground will be left in when the remediation is complete. Ward 8 Councilman Frank Stams said he will work with residents to make sure their concerns are met, going on to say that when residents purchased their properties they were informed of the land’s history and assured that remediation was done and in compliance. With that not being the case, he will do everything he can for the residents to make sure this situation is handled as soon as possible. The grant from the EPA lists the completion date for the remediation as March 31, 2023. The committee agreed to bring this out for a vote before all of council and that vote passed 11-0.
Reports of Council’s Standing Committees:
Planning & Zoning:
A-115: An ordinance authorizing and approving the final subdivision plat for The Glens Townhome Development located on the west side of Front Street, north of Chestnut Boulevard. Passed 11-0.
Public & Industrial Improvements:
A-122: An ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract or contracts, without competitive bidding, with DLZ Ohio, Inc. Passed 11-0.
Finance & Appropriations:
A-117: An ordinance amending Ordinance 123-2021 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 2022. Passed 11-0.
A-118: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with Medical Mutual Services, LLC for the administration of the city’s self-insured employee medical plans for a period not to exceed two years. Passed 11-0.
A-119: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with Principal Life Insurance Company for the administration of the city’s fully-insured employee dental insurance plan, for a period not to exceed three years. Passed 11-0.
A-120: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with TrueScripts for the administration of the city’s self-insured employee prescription drug plans for a period not to exceed three years. Passed 11-0.
A-124: An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract or contracts with Medical Mutual of Ohio for the City’s group life insurance for employees and retirees for a period not to exceed three years. Passed 11-0.
A-121: An ordinance establishing annual appropriations of money for the current expenses, capital expenditures and other expenses of the City of Cuyahoga Falls for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
Discussion continued over the city’s 2023 budget with both our police chief and fire chief stating that their departments’ emphasis in will be training. The street department will be budgeting for a new full-time employee and will be able to do so by condensing several of its seasonal employees. The city garage will budget a little higher for gas and oil and the utility billing sees no foreseeable increases other that cost of living adjustments similar to other city offices.
Budget hearings will continue next Monday after regular committee meetings.
