Cuyahoga Falls City council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month and council committee meetings are held on the first and third Monday to publicly discuss pending legislation that will be voted on by council as a whole during its regular scheduled meetings. The public is free to comment on pending legislation during the allowed time on the night of committee meetings.
The planning and zoning committee had one piece of legislation to discuss the meeting.
B-80: This ordinance would accept the planning commission’s recommendation to allow The Overhead Door Company to build a new facility at 4266 Wyoga Lake Road, north of Steels Corners Rd. Planning Director Rob Kurtz spoke on the file and stated that this would be a one million dollar investment for the company, currently located on Newberry Street. They would continue to have 18 employees and the new facility would allow them to better serve their customers. The parcel being built upon is currently occupied by a vacant single family home. Councilwoman Spinner brought the ordinance out for a vote and the committee voted to bring it out for a vote by all of city council at its next meeting on Monday, October 11.
The public and industrial improvements committee also had one piece of legislation to discuss.
B-81: Matthew Geul from the water department made the presentation for this measure to the committee. The proposed ordinance will allow the city to purchase a trailer-mounted valve maintenance system from Bain Enterprises, which Geul stated would work with the unit the water department currently has that is about ten years old. The life cycle of these units is around 20 years so the current one still has some life. By having two of these units it will ensure that the water department can keep in compliance with EPA regulations. Finance Director Bryan Hoffman said the unit was budgeted at $6,000 in the 2021 budget and the new unit will be $6,900. Hoffman stated that funds will be re-allocated to make up this difference. The committee voted to bring this out for a vote before a full council at the next meeting as well.
The public affairs committee discussed two pieces of legislation.
B-82: Assistant Fire Chief Jack Breese presented to the committee that there are a few cots in the fire department’s possession that are no longer compatible with our newer squads. The supplier from which the city purchases many of its paramedic supplies is interested in purchasing these cots on a supplier credit basis. Breese said the passage of this ordinance would allow the fire department to trade in some obsolete equipment that is no longer being used for supplies to keep the stock in our paramedic squads up to proper levels. If passed, the contract would be with Source Products Inc.
B-83: This ordinance allows the finance director to enter into a contract with Wichert Insurance. Hoffman distributed a handout showing a comparison from previous years and used it to show that even though this is a no-bid contract with Wichert, they have kept their pricing inline and are very well-versed in what our city needs in the from our insurance. He also explained that there was an increase this year, however, the re-valuation of all city properties and the addition of the new police training facility were responsible for the increase.
Both measures were voted out of committee and will be voted on by city council as a whole.
For the Community Development Committee, there were four items to be discussed, all somewhat related to one another, dealing with Community Reinvestment areas.
B-84: As Community Development Director Diana Colavecchio stated, every year the city meets with the Tax Incentive Review and the Community Reinvestment Area Housing Council to discuss current exemptions in our city. Colavecchio described the councils as being made up of leaders from the city, the county, local business people, and school officials. The group looks at individual files the city asks to review, terminate, or continue the exemptions. B-84 asks city council to accept the recommendations of this board. The committee voted to bring this measure out for a vote before council as a whole next week.
B-85: This ordinance would allow the director of Community Development to extended the Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption with TRIAD on Front Street to extend the length of the tax exemption until 2025. The measure was voted on to bring before council as a whole.
B-86: Colavecchio explained that this ordinance is needed to terminate a Community Reinvestment Area agreement between the city and the LLC that owns Ohio Brewing Company. Over the term of the agreement there were not enough improvements done to the building to increase their property taxes; therefore, there was no increased taxes to abate. The committee also voted in favor on this measure and will bring it to a vote in council.
B-87: Similar to B-86, this is needed to terminate the agreement with the LLC that owns TRM Manufacturing on Munroe Falls Avenue. Once again, Colavecchio said there was no increased value in the building to abate; therefore, it was agreed upon by all parties involved to terminate the agreement.
All ordinances discussed at this meeting will be brought out for a vote of council as a whole on Monday, October 11.
