Just checking. Okay.
Welcome everyone.
We're going to turn down the volume a
little bit there. Welcome everyone to
the June 10th, 2025 Beexley City Council
meeting. At this time, I would like to
invite anyone who is in attendance
tonight if they have a public speaker
slip that is required and if you have
not already handed it in to please hand
it in at this time to our city attorney.
Is there anyone who has a speaker slip?
You want to bring that up? That would be
great.
Thank you so much.
Um, they should be outside. Miss V,
could you maybe provide him with an
extra speaker slip? that would be much
appreciated. Thank you. Uh and as
everyone can see, our city auditor is
not able to join us this evening. So
tonight, our city attorney will be uh
doubling their duties as city attorney
and city clerk. Um so we appreciate that
so much, Mr. Fishell. With that, would
you please call the role? And I intend
to call Mr. Mercelino first on everyone
in case he has to leave early. We should
we should be okay. But present. Thank
you, Mr. Marcelino Miss Vibleel I'm here
Mr. Silverman present Miss Sad here Mr.
Hurley Miss Lamkey here Mr. Markham,
baby. I'm present. Thank you. Please
rise and join me for the pledge of
allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the
flag of the United States of America and
to the republic for which it stands, one
nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
All right, we are at agenda item number
four, resolutions with special guests.
Mr. Fishell, would you please read this?
Certainly. So, it's a second reading of
resolution 04-25
confirming the mayor's appointments of
members to the architectural review
board, the board of zoning appeals and
planning, the recreation and parks
board, tree and public gardens
commission, the board of health, the
board of tax review, civil service
commission, the citizen review board,
the CRA housing council, the records
commission, the environmental
sustainability advisory committee, and
to declare an emergency introduced by
Mr. Hurley. Thank you. So, second
reading on the mayor's appointments. Um,
we do have a guest here who I gather is
probably a newbie to ESAC. Is that
correct, Mr. Mayor? Not well, thank you.
Uh, not not new to ESAC. Reese, though,
the the way ESAC is formed, there are
three appointees who are officer
positions. So, Reese has been active
with ESAC for quite a while. Um, but I'm
prer him here to be appointed as vice
chair. And Ree, if you'd like to step up
to the podium and I think is the mic
turned on? You might have to hit the
button to make it green. But Ree has
been working on projects such as the
reusable exchangeable cup swap uh that
has deployed to um the Chambers Music
Studio Cafe and to Kitties. Uh he's been
really active with our community events,
Waist Stream. He's been helping out with
our Instagram account uh and is also a
fantastic companion at community litter
pickup events. So, uh Ree, if you want
to talk a little bit about your
background and then if council has any
questions for you. Uh yes, thank you. Um
my name is Reese Grubal. I've been a
ESAC committee member for about a year
and a half now. Been working closely
with uh Lisa Goldsan and Elizabeth Elman
on a variety of the projects. Uh I am a
graphic designer and design researcher
by trade. So I bring uh the lens of
creativity, visualization, and human-
centered research to uh to my role at
ESAC. Um and I've enjoyed my role so
far. is some of the most rewarding work
I've done and look forward to continuing
it.
Any questions uh for Mr. Grible from
council? Miss Fible. I'm just always so
blown away by our volunteers and the
talent that we manage to I don't know
reel in and again blown away. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Gribble. I wanted to
share that ESAC has done some amazing
work over the past couple years. I guess
in part to you and your committee
members. Thank you for uh re-uping and
being interested in serving the city
once again. Much appreciated.
Any other comments from council.
Uh mayor, I know we have a proposed
amendment amended, but there are still
some other blanks to be filled in. Do
you think maybe we should just not amend
tonight and leave it for a third
reading? Yes, the proposed amended is
still under development, but it is the
latest. Um I'm still interviewing the
for the BZAP uh vacancy coming up. So,
okay. got a few more interviews to
conduct. Great. Well, thank you again,
Mr. Gripple, so much. Thank you, Reese.
Do you anticipate the final amended
version being ready at our next meeting?
Yes, it'll be it should be I think uh
this week I'm finalizing my meetings.
Yeah. Yeah. So, I do. Great. Sounds
good. Um All right. Seeing no other
questions from council, Mr. Official, do
we have any speaker slips on resolution
4-25?
We do not. All right. We are moving on
to agenda item number five, please. Um,
this is ordinance 11-25, which is
currently tabled. I make a motion to
remove ordinance 11-25 from the table.
Could I please have a second? Second.
Second by Mr. Marcelino. Mr. Official,
would you please call the role? Uh, Mr.
Marcelino, yes. Mr. Marov, yes. Miss
Sad, yes. Mr. Hurley, yes. Miss Fibel,
yes. Miss Lamkey, yes. Mr. Silverman,
here.
All right. 11-25 is removed from the
table. Um, the public hearing on this
ordinance was duly notice noted for this
evening at 6:00 p.m. Um, the publication
dates were put in the newspaper on May
2nd and May 9th of 2025.
At this time, I will go ahead and open
that public hearing. Um, is there any
further discussion from council on this
ordinance?
All right, seeing none, and oh, I'm
sorry. I'm so sorry, Mr. Question. Um,
assuming we adopt this ordinance
tonight, uh, what would be the effective
date? Well, um, 30 days that the mayor
signs the ordinance. Yeah. Yeah. And I
think we, uh, we caught a typo in the
title. Um, so it's not on an emergency
basis. So, Mr. officials write about the
30 days. Um, and since it is a public
hearing, we are taking public comments
without speaker slips. Is there anyone
in attendance during the public hearing
tonight that would like to offer public
comment on ordinance 11-25?
All right, seeing none, can I go ahead
and close the public hearing? Can. Okay.
Um, council, there are a few blanks in
this ordinance. Um, mayor, do you want
to maybe show it up on the screen so we
can all look at the same thing, please?
Yes. Okay.
Okay. Perfect. Uh, council for the
whereas where it's got the two blanks
for date of newspaper publications. As I
stated earlier, those dates are May 2nd
and May 9th, both in 2025. the next
whereas which indicates the public
hearing on the application was held on
that would be June 10th 2025. So we will
fill that in
and I think unless there is anything
further I will move to adopt ordinance
11-25. Could I please have a second?
Second. Second by Mr. Marcelino. Mr.
Official would you please call the role.
Miss Leaky. Yes. Mr. Silverman. Yes. Mr.
Marco. Yes. Mr. Marcelino. Yes, Mr.
Hurley. Yes, Miss Sad. Yes, Miss F. Yes,
11:25 passes. Thank you. And we welcome
the lion to the Beexley Dora.
Okay.
Oh, didn't even see you. Welcome to the
Beex Theodora.
All right, we are we are moving on to
agenda item number six, ordinances with
special guests. Um, that ordinance two
is currently tabled, which is resolution
2-25.
I will make a motion at this time to
remove that resolution from the table.
Could I please have a second? Second.
Second by Mr. Marcelino. Mr. Fishell,
would you please call the role? Uh, Mr.
Marcelino, yes. Miss Lankey, yes. Miss
Sod, yes. Miss Bible, yes. Mr.
Silverman. Yes. Mr. Marco. Yes. Mr. Her.
Yes. All right. Resolution 2-25 is off
the table. Um, council, I had a
suggested procedure for tonight on this
one given that all seven council members
are in attendance. Um, my thought was to
have uh a council discussion, ask the
mayor if he has any additional input,
uh, call for a motion to adopt, and uh,
hear any public comments, and then ask
council one last time after public
comments if there's anything additional
that council would like to share before
doing the roll call on the vote. Is that
acceptable to all of council?
Okay, then that's what we are going to
do.
Um, I did have one thing I wanted to
share just for for uh my perspective. As
ever, as this council knows, I am listed
as the sponsor of this resolution, but I
have been candid with all of council and
with the city that I was undecided on
how I felt about it. To be clear, this
resolution does not decide if a bus
rapid transit route, otherwise known as
BRT, will pass along East Main Street in
Beexley. That has already been decided
by the Lincoln levy that was
successfully passed in the fall of 2024.
Rather, this resolution poses two
questions. First, should there be a BRT
station in Beexley? And if so, where's
the best location for that station? By
way of background, in the fall of 2024,
the mayor asked myself and council
member Marcelino and council member Sad
to be a part of the council working
group to look at these issues.
That council working group met several
times with representatives from Kota,
link us in the city. We asked lots of
questions, asked for lots of data, lots
of information. Um, and we received
that. To be clear though, that council
working group at that time would have
preferred that East Broad Street be
considered for the first BRT route in
Beexley, but the decision to have East
Main Street be the first BRT route in
Beexley was made by others at a much
higher level outside of Beexley. So, the
proposal before you is what it is. That
council working group also assisted the
city to prepare this resolution that
we're currently talking about right now.
We wanted a resolution so that it could
be up for public consideration and
input. We wanted it publicly read,
discussed at council meetings. And we
specifically wanted a process so that
Beexley residents and owners would have
multiple opportunities to tell us what
they thought about a possible Beexley
BRT station and location. We also put
together a specific survey in the
Beexley blast that ran on multiple
occasions and we have received and heard
public comment at several prior
meetings. We've also received numerous
emails from residents and business
owners and we've also had plenty of
thoughtful conversations with our
community. I also know that Kota link us
and the city also held various workshops
with the public for additional feedback.
I want to commend council for doing a
very thorough job in their due diligence
so that I could equivocally say
unequivocally say that the process
surrounding this legislation has been a
very positive one from where I sit. In
evaluating this resolution, I looked at
data regarding coder wrership that goes
to Beexley from Beexley and through
Beexley for the existing number two bus
line that currently travels East Main
Street and has various stops in Beexley
whereby passengers hop on and they hop
off using the sidewalk.
This proposed BRT route is an additional
bus route that also pass would pass
through Beexley on East Main Street, but
its passengers would hop on and hop off
using a raised platform station in their
center of the road after using the
crosswalk to reach that station.
It's my understanding that over time
the number two bus route would be
gradually phased out by a Beexley BRT
station if one were to occur. So that
the more often the BRT bus stops, the
less often the number two bus route
would stop. And of course that could
change based on numbers and demands.
I've also considered the predictions
that the central Ohio population will
largely grow in the next decade. And
with more people, of course, that means
more cars, more traffic, more
congestion. At this time, I'd like to
hear from other council members to share
their thoughts um prior to making a
motion and then asking for uh public
comments and then asking council for
additional thoughts one last time. Is
there anyone who would like to offer
comments? Missad. for it. We have had
the privilege of discussing this
opportunity for a while. Um we, as
you've said, President Lami, in your
comments tonight, we have put it to
public comment. We've heard from KOD.
We've had multiple meetings from
residents. Um we have definitely kept
ourselves open to getting feedback and
deciding what is best for Beexley in
this decision. At this time, um I am
going to be in support of the
infrastructure tonight. I have said all
along that I wish the numbers were
already there to support um the stop in
Beexley because I believe in supporting
numbers that are there to move on for
the future, but I do believe that we are
at a time when there's grant money
that's there. Um you either invest in
that opportunity for the future and hope
that those numbers pan out or you let
something go by and you don't have that
opportunity for that development in the
future. This is not um coming from our
taxpayers dollars. This is grant funded.
Um, moving forward though, I am I am
going to continue the conversations and
making sure that we hopefully before
council get to see future plans on um
what this will look like. I hope that we
continue to um
stand by what we had talked about with
our constituents of making sure like the
development piece is very well
communicated so we know timelines um of
when that infrastructure is taking
place. and the pocket park that we
discussed for the beautifification of
that area and project. I am going to
also be asking for that we follow up on
that commitment. Thank you Miss Sad Miss
Fible.
I uh I listen to our constituents and
thank you
um
and I have you know weighed a lot of
what individuals have said. Um, I want
to thank Mr. Mercelino and um, Miss
Lamky and Miss Assad for all the hard
work that you put into this and because
I think we have a better spot than what
we might have had and we really got into
the weeds, you know, answering questions
and Megan Meyer, bless you for staying
with us and walking us through all of
this and and the mayor as well for all
of your hard work with this. I think
it's very important that we as beck
vexleites are team players with uh the
community that surrounds us. I um heard
our constituents say three three
different have three different arguments
for why perhaps this shouldn't be a
where it is or perhaps even be a stop in
Beexley. Um, one was congestion and I am
understanding that the technology
surrounding a bus and um, the stopping
and how quickly the 15 or to 30 seconds
stop I think it was 15 am I right Megan?
Something like that 19 something
something like that. I mean, it's going
to be a quick stop and cars behind that
quick stop will be going through lights
faster than the other cars. So, um it
sounds like it's going to keep our
traffic moving. Um the other concern was
the um the idea that people would choose
the parking spaces that our our small
businesses are counting on for their
customers to you park there and then
ride the bus. So park and ride. Um the
mayor and I sat down with a business
owner and had a long conversation with
her and I am promising her and all the
rest of the local businesses that I will
stay with them in this conversation and
we can preempt any concerns that we have
and I know that the mayor is dedicated
to that as well. Um the other concern
that people raised was the fact that
there are children
um in front of a church.
Um and if anyone knows my background, I
have a master's in education and
children have always been the utmost
importance in my life. I have dedicated
my life and everything I do to children.
And in fact, I've always said that I
never take off my mom hat when I'm in
this seat.
I have utter faith in our police force
that they will continue to keep the
children in that playground and all the
rest of us safe. There are already
people getting off buses to join our
community to work,
to play,
to go to school, to help build a one
beexley.
And our world is doing a whole lot of
othering.
And I cannot stomach the idea of Vexley
othering the individuals who are getting
off that bus to serve us at Harvest, to
serve us at CBS, to go to school at
Capitol.
I think that as a one Beexley and as the
Beexley that I know as true team players
that it is very essential that we
embrace this stop and
and and and count on and count on
everyone in our community being the
Beexley that I know them to be welcoming
and warm. So obviously I will be
supporting this.
Thank you Miss Fible. Mr. Hurley. Uh
thank you. Um
so I guess a couple observations on
this. Um I think it's very clear that
the vast majority of residents in
Beexley I think probably unanimously
this council wants or is supportive of
having a BRT stop in Beexley. Um, you
know, I went back through the survey
over the weekend and um, you know, I I
didn't recall seeing a comment, nor have
I heard anyone give a comment or an
email to us that says they don't want us
to have a BRT stop. So, I think I think
it's pretty clear this is what our
residents want. Yeah, there was some
dissension on the location. Um, you
know, if if I were in charge of the
process, I may have gone about it
differently, but I think that the
question before us is whether or not
this council agrees um that Pleasant
Ridge is the best location. I would also
just note um this is I mean something
that Beexley residents and non-Bexley
residents are paying for through a sales
tax increase. So we do have some skin in
the game on this and I think we should
benefit from it. I think having a BRT
stop is an absolute benefit. Um the one
I guess piece that gives me a little
pause and I just I've asked this before
but I really want this on the record
because it kind of informs my final vote
on this.
After we approve this resolution and the
planning process proceeds, gets to its
ultimate conclusion, we have that final
design, we have the cost, we we can see
at a very real level what the impact's
going to be. Will there be another
chance for this council to weigh in?
Will we have a vote on say adopting a
contract with Kota? Um or is this the
last chance we're going to have we're
going to be afforded to have a say on
this? So, it's a question for you,
question for the mayor, for Mr.
official, but I just want to understand
once the design process is done and we
know exactly what this is going to look
like, what is the role of council at
that point? I'm sure it will be updated,
but I'm asking what will our role be in
approving the final design and giving
that stamp before the ground is broken,
if any. Yeah. Mr. Official, do you have
thoughts as to whether that would be
legislative or that would be
administrative? Well, I think it's more
of a good I I think it could be across
the board. It could be that council has
absolutely no say so in it legally or it
could be a a fully vetted process or
anything in between. I think that it's
more of a question for the
administration than it is a legal
question. Mayor, do you want to maybe
speak about that? Yes, and I think we
anticipated that in the drafting of the
resolution. um you know that it is it is
true that uh right-of-way permitting is
already accommodated within the
administrative process within our code.
However, I think we felt the president
and I felt that this was something that
extends beyond what's normal uh and we
wanted to create an extraordinary
process to surround what is an
extraordinary um proposal. And because
of that, resolution 225 mentions
um
in the language I'm pulling it up just a
little bit that the section one is
approving it or authorizing that
negotiation subject to future council
approval and inclusive or reasonable
accountability measures relative to the
use and maintenance of any code
infrastructure. So, we do anticipate
we're coming back with a use agreement
um as part of that, you know, and
obviously keep you apprised as it goes
from a 60% engineering to the 100%
engineering. Yes. All right. So, based
on that, I'm comfortable moving forward
with this. I just wanted to make sure
that once everything is finalized before
we actually install this that if for
some reason there were to be a community
outcry, I want to make sure the council
has that ability. But I I appreciate
that inclusion and I that gives me
enough comfort. So thank you. Thank you,
Mr. Hurley. Um Mr. Silverman, did you
have your hand raised? I did. Thank you.
Um I also wanted to thank Council Member
Marcelino, Council President Lampy, and
Council Member Sad for all the work
bringing this. Um thank Mayor Kesler and
the code of representatives to come
talk. Um, when I was growing up, I had
to ride the bus for 3 years due to
choices I made for my driver's license.
And I remember going out to Groveport
and it taking two and a half hours. Um,
I remember going to East on the 92 and
it taking two hours. Um, we're a growing
city. We need faster transportation to
move people around. Um, the re the
Franklin County residents voted for the
BRT system through Kota. The leadership
in Kota has come and presented multiple
times the plan they have and I am
putting my faith in Kota and the board
of Kota and our community to embrace it.
I think that it is essential that we
have a bus stop in Beexley. If the rapid
transit's moving through our city, we
need to have a spot for residents to get
on for people coming into our city just
to get off. And I trust wholeheartedly
that the chief of police and council and
the mayor will ensure that our terminal
is a gem of the community. So I will be
supporting this and I appreciate the
conversations we've had. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Silverman. Uh Mr.
Marcelino. Yeah, just uh because there
are some people here that I don't
believe uh we're here and we've
discussed this in the past. Uh to to
begin with, I was a strong no on this
one. Um I didn't vote for the levy. Uh,
I have my I had my concerns in regards
to Kota and how they've managed pro
projects in the past. Um, and I just
didn't have any faith in the project
itself. I also didn't like the cost
shift that I viewed the taxing um, and
the sales tax there. Again, I put it I
think it's putting it upon people that
really uh, don't benefit from that
additional tax increase, but Franklin
County supported it and here we are. So
now it's coming through uh it's coming
through Main Street. As you heard from
Mon'nique, we didn't have an option
otherwise. And the question becomes, how
does our community look at this project?
And how is Kota going to make it uh a
success? And after many meetings with
Councilwoman Sad and President Lampy and
Kota and the city, uh we I was able to
hear from Kota and most importantly hear
from their board. Uh that gave me
confidence in the new Kota that exists.
the kota that maybe wasn't the same one
that unfortunately you had to partake in
back when you were riding the bus but uh
the developments that they've made the
uh improvements that they've made to
ensure that this project will be a
success. I then try to picture Beexley
not 5 years from now not 10 years from
now but you know when when my daughter's
in college or out of college and what
Columbus looks like Beexley looks like
etc. And I think back to about 20 years
when I moved here and I'm thinking about
this project right there. I could never
picture that type of development taking
place in Beexsley. But the long and the
short of it is that it's coming. It's
going to continue to come and that's
going to bring additional people that
need to move around from different uh
financial backings with different areas
of town that they need to get to and
candidly different reliance upon uh
motor vehicles. And so when you I take
all of that into consideration in
addition to the safety and the uh the
confidence that I have in uh Chief
Lewis's department to make sure it is a
very safe station uh for not only those
on the bus, for those at the station,
but those surrounding the station. Uh I
was able to come to the conclusion that
this is uh what is best for Beexley.
Sure, I think that everybody might have
a different opinion as to where the
station exactly should have gone and
people might want a different location,
but uh when I when I think about this,
it came down to uh residents of Beexsley
and the access that they have to get to
their homes. And it was very important
to me thinking about that almost any
other place that could have been in the
city would have limited a turn to the
street. So, if you put it on Roosevelt,
it's limiting a turn either north or
south onto Roosevelt. If you put it on
Grandon, it's going to limit uh a turn
whether you're coming east or west,
etc., etc. And so this, while I
understand it does impact a number of uh
businesses and and the church, etc. I
think in terms of residences and and and
people that need to get to their homes,
it had the least amount of impact. And
again, similar to Councilwoman Fable, uh
I have complete faith in in the rest of
council and the city to uh make sure
that the businesses are protected and to
make sure that access to those
businesses are protected uh to allow
them to grow along with our city. So, uh
again, coming in as a no, voted no, but
I sit here today and after uh years and
hours with this, I'm very confident uh
in in the project success and I look
forward to voting yes. Thank you, Mr.
Marcelino.
Mr. Markhamm, do you wish to offer any
comments at this time? Uh, I think I get
a chance to after public comments, too.
You know, I just feel like people are
saying things and uh they're saying them
very well and so I'm not really looking
forward to trying to say them and not be
saying them as well. But one thing I do
want to express that a lot of people
have said is uh, you know, my
appreciation. I think as a council
member, the one thing that we value most
is when other council members really,
you know, put in some work and and it
it's very helpful to us, you know, when
when we know that that's been done, when
we have three council members here have
spent all that time and they are able to
have these long conversations with us
and answer questions and have specific
information about it. that that that
makes that makes the job and the
decision uh much better, much more
informed. also uh a lot of appreciation
uh toward Chief Lewis for you know also
being able to answer these questions
that we have with a depth of knowledge
and experience that gives me confidence
as well in that and appreciate you know
coming out here and I know it's not
always convenient for them to come out
and stand here and and you know listen
to comments and respond to them but the
fact that they do also gives me uh
confidence in the process as
Thank Thank you, Mr. Markhamm. Mayor,
did you want to add anything before I
open it up to or before we make a motion
and have public comments? Thank you,
Madam President. I actually would like
to hold off on my comments until after
he from the public. That sounds great.
Okay. Um All right, council. I am making
a motion to
adopt resolution 2-25.
Could I please have a second? Second.
Second by Mr. Marcelino. Uh we are going
to hold off on the roll call. Um at this
time we will uh open it up for any
comments from the public. Um we don't
need actually we don't need a speaker
slip on a motion to adopt. So if you
have public comments um I want you to
keep in mind the following and then you
can take a turn and come up to the
podium. Uh, public comments are the
public's chance to share their thoughts
as to matters involving city business or
resolution and ordinance. This is not a
back and forth process, nor is it a
debate, but rather council will
respectfully listen to all of your
comments. Comments that violate our
policy, such as personal attacks or
disparaging comments, may result in the
termination of the comments. This policy
is available online and is printed on
the speaker slips just outside council
chambers. Each speaker can speak up to 5
minutes and Mr. Fishell will help me
keep time. If there are questions asked
during public comments, the council
president will do her best to write down
those questions as they are stated. And
once the public comments are concluded,
the council president will refer the
matter to the appropriate council member
or the city administration for response
as quickly as possible. If there are no
questions asked during public comment,
please know that we appreciate and thank
you for your comments.
Uh is there anyone who would like to
speak on resolution 2-25 for up to five
minutes? Uh Dan, if you want to come up
and please give us your uh legal name
and your address and please know that
you have up to five minutes. Thank you.
My name is Dan Ferlin. I live at 2550
Brideen Road here in wonderful Beexley,
Ohio. Um
as a uh architect and city planner um
I'm aware that uh our community our
greater community is the largest uh uh
city region without a rapid transit form
of of public transportation. And that's,
you know, we're in one of the original
street car suburbs of Columbus and it is
the investment that is sorely lacking at
this moment. Uh, as you have I'm sure
you've made aware that we will be
growing immensely in the next few years
and we need to uh switch our mode of
transportation within this region. I've
lived in other cities where I relied
entirely on public transportation and I
I was better for it to be honest. Um,
and I'm an infrequent rider of bus too
and I look forward to that investment
which will make it much easier to get to
my place of employment and other parts
of this city. Um, I wish we'd make
subways, but yeah, that's that's
probably off in the distance. Um, that's
all I have to say. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Sharp, for your comments.
Um, ma'am, in the back, if you wouldn't
mind coming up, please. If you would
please give us your full legal name and
your address, and please know that you
have up to five minutes to offer your
comments. Thank you. I'm Karen Selman. I
live at 2690 Sherwood, right at the
corner of Sherwood and Roosevelt. And
I'm just wondering if there's a
schematic or a design picture so that we
would know what this looks like. Okay.
Thank Thank you, Miss Zilman. Um, I'm
going to write down that question as
promised and we'll address that at the
end of public comments. Is there anyone
else in attendance that would like to
offer public comments?
Um, yes sir. go ahead and come on up
if you would us please. Your full legal
name and your address and please know
you have up to five minutes. My name is
Evan Frankie. Uh my wife and I live at
898 Chelsea Avenue in Beexley, Ohio. Um
I just want to come up quickly to say
that I strongly support approving the
BRT line through Beexley regardless of
the of the route. I think it's a proven
cost-effective way to improve public
transit, reduce congestion, as you guys
all discussed, and increase equitable
access to jobs in our city. Uh,
according to the Institute of
Transportation and Development Policy,
BRT systems can can move more people
faster than traditional buses, as you
all are aware, but I'm just making
everyone else aware. Um, and it would
show real commitment of Beexley to a
sustainable um, modern transportation
and help our growing region and our
growing city individually. Um, and if I
did have a question, it would be how can
we make Beexley even more walkable and
sustainable as we focus on other means
of transportation in addition to but
with less emphasis on cars. Uh, and I'm
excited to make happen. Thank you. Thank
you so much, sir, for for coming to our
meeting. Um, yes, Mr. Walker,
if you wouldn't mind, please giving us
your full legal name and your address,
and you have up to five minutes to
address council. Yes, my name is Walker.
I live at 2299 Commonwealth Park South.
Um, I just wanted to comment very
briefly on two things. the process which
I was grateful to be a small part of uh
and also um my support for uh move uh
for in favor of um this is it a motion
there's a pend there's a pending motion
to adopt and we're hearing your
support to adopt um so first I'm
grateful to be a Bexley resident and
also had the opportunity to serve on
Kod's boards for two terms one on behalf
of Beexley and the on behalf of
Columbus. Um, as a former board member,
I'm I was able to be a part of this
process from the board from the
beginning. Um, it was uh pretty
incredible to see all of the outreach
that happened to enable a levy to pass
in this community. Um, so I'm grateful
for that. Um I the process part I wanted
to comment on was actually getting an
opportunity to sit with um some of the
city council members um to discuss the
legitimate concerns of community members
that wanted to just frankly better
understand how an investment like this
uh benefits specially um and it was a
great discussion. Um, I think we were
all able to understand not only the
density, so many great points have been
made, so I don't need to make them, but
that part of the process of bringing the
concerns of the community, knowing we
have overwhelming support for this
investment um, not just um, based on
what Franklin County voted, but Beexley
voted with even more support uh, for
this, but beyond that, still bringing
legitimate concerns and wanting to
better understand how this benefited the
community, I think was a really great
part of the process for me. Uh so thank
you for including me. Um and then just
in my support, so much has already been
said. I echo um practically we are
getting to be more dense. Density does a
few things. If you don't invest in
infrastructure, it actually makes um a
place less accessible, less accessible
for the people who serve in the
community, who seek to be go come to the
parks, who seek to benefit from a lot of
the beauty that Beex Beexley has. Uh and
the other piece with density is it
changes communication sorry uh culture
around how we move around the city. Um
the more dense communities people all
walks of life are used to getting on
public transportation. It's not just
reserved for the people that can't
afford to drive everywhere. And that is
ultimately what's going to happen as our
city gets more and more dense. It's
going to change the culture of how we
want to move around the city. And if we
don't make investments like these, it's
going to make Beexley a lot less
accessible, lot less accessible and also
a lot more difficult for us to get
around the broader community. So, thank
you so much for the great process and
I'm hopeful that this is um something
that goes forward. Thank you so much,
Mr. Walker. Um is there anyone else that
would like to offer public comment?
All right, seeing none, um we had two
questions that come came up. Um the
first was I should say the second let me
go to that one first. Uh there was a
question about how to make Beex more
walkable more sustainable. Mayor uh
would you like to briefly address that
one before we uh move on to the second
question? Um yeah I mean I can I just
generically address it that we are as
you know recently performed a
walkability study uh with urban planner
Jeff Speck um author of the walkable
cities book. It's part of our uh main
street and commercial design guidelines
process that kicks off I think actually
tomorrow uh with our steering committee.
So um we're on the same wavelength. I
mean I think that's that's that's a
focus even though Beexley is a very
walkable city overall. I we because we
got the question a lot like why are you
asking somebody to come in and study
already walkable city. I think um we
know that uh we can do better uh than
we're doing today. We know that there
are streets where we've successfully
really v um you know revamped the
walkability uh to great effect and we
know that there are other places that
can still we can still accomplish that.
So it's it's definitely going to be
continue to be a focus of ours.
All right. Um the second question was uh
from Miss Omen. She asked if there were
schematics of um the proposed BRT
station. Um I believe that we do have
those. Would you be able, mayor, to pull
those up just so that we could show um
those watching and viewing uh what this
might look like? And I'm going to pull
up um we actually have a newer rendering
uh that I've added to the agenda. We
just got it this morning from uh CO that
kind of shows in threedimensional view
what a station might look like um there
on Main Street at Pleasant Ridge. But
then the schematic itself has been part
of the packet I think all along or at
least from very early on in the process.
Um it shows uh this is the 60% design
phase. So it's not fully engineered.
This is sort of a a site plan if you
will, but it shows where that platform
sits on an existing median uh at
Pleasant Ridge in Maine. Now I say
existing, it is true there's a meeting
there today. Uh we've covered this
extensively. it would need to be widened
a little bit. Um and so this this
schematic shows how that widening
occurs. Um that widening provides a more
safe environment for the users of the
platform. Um that platform is raised. It
uh is at the level of the entry point of
the of the bus for LinkUS. Um and it
provides a protected pedestrian
crossing.
Great. Thank you so much, mayor, for
answering that question. All right,
council. We've heard once uh one last
time from the members of our public. Um
is there any other council member who
would like to offer some final thoughts
before we take actually and the mayor's
going to speak as well before we take
our final vote. Mr. Silverman, I just I
just wanted to point out the resident
that asked about the visual of the
terminal. You can't see it in the
rendering, but there is protective
safety glass, my understanding, um, that
will shield the residents that are
waiting for the bus or the riders from
cars passing. You can't see it very well
in a rendering, but to my knowledge,
that's there's safety glass in the
terminal to protect from wind and
elements. And I think we had heard that.
Did you want to that there's a barrier
in a portion of the station? Yep.
Okay. Right. Council, I had some
additional thoughts and I I want
everyone to know that I have really dug
into this long and hard. Um, in my role
as a council member, when I consider
legislation, I routinely ask, "What is
the benefit to the residents of
Beexley?"
Ironically, when I was a new Beexley
resident, a benefit to me was that I
would take the number two bus on East
Main Street and the number 10 bus on
East Broad. Prior to moving to Beexley,
I had also been a prolific bus rider. Uh
not because of bad choices I made when I
was a little bit younger, but just
because I had no money and it was much
cheaper to take the bus than drive and
pay to park uh when I went to school or
when I went to work.
However, back then, most of the buses
that I took were fairly empty,
rarely on time, and sometimes just
didn't show up at all. But I know that
the kota of today is not the kota that I
used to experience on a regular basis. I
also know that the data regarding bus or
current bus use by Beexley residents is
consistent with what I observed then.
After much consideration,
I do not feel confident that a BRT
station located in Beexley would be well
utilized by our residents. And
therefore, I will be a no vote, but I do
expect that this piece of legislation is
going to pass. And I would love to be
wrong about what I think. Many years
ago, my best friend suffered a seizure
and as a result, she lost the ability to
drive.
She and her two kids had to take taxi
cabs, rely on the generosity of friends,
and also used the public bus
transportation because back then liber
uh lift and Uber just simply did not
exist.
I share her story with you to tell you
that everyone who rides the bus has
their own reason for doing so. They are
just like me, like a young Alex
Silverman, just like my friend, or just
like you.
For some writers, public transportation
is their only option. I ask everyone
listening tonight and everyone who's
here to not make any assumptions about
individuals who are using public
transportation.
I have also politely and firmly rejected
any past attempts by anyone to insert
partisan views all along the spectrum
into this very issue. If individuals
would drive less, there would be less
cars on the road. The environment would
be so much better off if we could do
that. When this resolution passes, and
based on what I know from my council
colleagues here tonight, I think it
will, I would encourage the city and
Kota and Linkas to keep evaluating
parking options and to keep evaluating
technology that would enhance wrership
and efficiency.
I would also encourage a possible
education opportunity to help writers,
especially our young writers, safely
enter a BRT station from the center of
the street. And in fact, the chief and I
just recently discussed that because I
wanted to make sure given that I know
it's going to be new that all of our
riders stay safe when they are entering
and exiting the BRT station. And
finally, I wanted to specifically
commend the mayor for assembling the
council working group to get a diverse
set of perspectives
even when we were not all on the same
page. I think the process has been
greatly improved and has served our
residents extremely well. Mayor, you
want to say some additional comments as
well, please? Yeah, thank you, Madam
President. Um, and thank you for those
kind words. Um, I am supportive of
enhanced public transit in central Ohio.
I'm supportive of enhanced public
transit in Beexley. I'm supportive of
enhanced public transit in every city
that I visit. As our region grows, and
we know it's growing, we know it will
continue to grow. It's going to provide
us with a new set of fresh challenges.
We're already seeing lots of signs of
those growing pains. So, as a region, we
either have the choice to move forward
or to get left behind. We've seen
cautionary tales throughout the country
of what happens to regions that fail to
invest in public transit as their
regions grow.
LinkUS was put to the vote. The voters
of central Ohio approved it. The voters
of Beexley approved it by a wide margin,
10 points higher vote than the region at
large. So, I know that our residents, we
have very hard data that our residents
are supportive of link us and of
enhanced public transit and they're
supportive of the additional transit
supported infrastructure,
uh, which is a fancy phrase for lots of
walkability enhancements, bikeability
enhancements, streetscape enhancements
that they will bring to all of our
communities in central Ohio, including
here in Beexley, where the first
projects being funded through the TSI
funds are a better interface at the main
street bridge for bike, bicyclists, and
pedestrians. It's a huge win. Uh our
comm corridors project, which will
create enhanced safety between all three
of our elementary schools as people bike
and walk to them. and also Livingston
Avenue infrastructure project which will
bring with it a shared use path on the
north side of Livingston Avenue, a nice
wide tree lawn between pedestrians and
the street medians to protect cars from
each other uh and additional
enhancements to our commercial district.
Those are all things that are being
funded through link us and we're
incredibly grateful. That's just the
first round. We've already started
talking about what the next round looks
like. So, it's a big deal.
This group, the council working group,
thoughtfully considered all the station
options as did staff previously, but
they really stress test those
assumptions and we were able to delve
deeper into some of the deeper
infrastructure implications. So, a lot
of due diligence went into it. I believe
firmly that the location that we came up
with is the best option for Beexley for
many of the reasons that were stated.
And I want to say that um nobody in this
room, perhaps second to Kelsey from Kota
in the back, has worked harder on this
than Megan Meyer. Megan put an
incredible amount of work and time and
effort and energy both professional and
emotional because of how much this means
uh to the region in general uh behind
this project. Um, and uh, we've been
rooming, we're roommates right now in
our offices for the past few weeks
because we're getting ready for for uh,
the reconstruction here at city hall.
And so I've witnessed that even more so
in all the phone calls and uh, that have
been occurring over the past few days.
So Megan's uh, deserves a literal
applause and I'm going to do it right
now. Thank you.
I want to thank our chief who was on the
phone with the safety officials over at
Chief Lewis who grew up uh taking public
transit to get to everywhere uh in life
and is a firm believer and has been such
a support uh through this. Um I want to
thank you Monique Jess Sam as part of
that council working group. Also want to
thank Kelsey. Kelsey from Kota has been
uh here at the table with us for a long
time. uh back when we were looking at
links as a sort of a generic concept in
the regional fabric uh and and far long
before it became more specific. So all
that to say I think this process has
been good. I hope that you vote yes. I
uh look forward to working um continuing
to work really hard on ensuring that we
have quality streetscape and excellent
amenities for our residents, visitors
and workers in Beexley. Thank you. Thank
you, Mayor. All right, council. Last
chance to say anything.
All right. Mr. Fischell, would you
please call the role on the motion to
adopt resolution 2-25? Mr. Silverman,
yes. Mr. Marcelino, yes. Mr. Markham,
yes. Miss Sad, yes. Miss Lamkey, no.
Miss Bible, yes. Mr. Hurley,
the motion or the order passes.
Resolution 2-25 passes. All right. Thank
you everyone.
Um, we are now to agenda item number
six, public comments regarding items not
on the agenda. Mr. Fishell, do you have
any speaker slips? Do have a speaker
slip from uh Dr. Richard Hirsch. Okay,
Mr. Hirs, I know you were or I'm sorry,
Dr. Hirs, I know you were listening when
I uh shared our public comment policy.
Um, please state your full legal name
and your address and please know that
you have up to five minutes to address
council. Thank you. My name is Richard
Hirsch. Uh, I live at 500 South Parkview
Avenue in the Alexander building here in
Beexsley. Uh,
I uh am a recent resident of Beexley and
I had the good fortune of of listening
to my baby, my younger daughter
Jennifer, who is a physician and lives
on Ryden Road several years ago when she
said to Marca and to me, "It's time to
consider moving from Akran, where I
practice diagnostic radiology and breast
imaging for almost 38 years, down to
Columbus and specifically to Beexley.
And my comment is as an 82year-old
retired doctor, wasn't I smart and
wasn't my wife smart to make this move
and make this decision to be here? And
so we're delighted to be residents of
Beexley and
taxpayers, too. So we we're happy to be
here. Um
this uh morning I was driving back from
the Beexley Senior Center
as Marcia and I do the fitness class
every Tuesday and Thursday morning and I
was reminded and one of the issues I'm
going to talk about is how many of the
safety signs,
stop signs, speed limit signs, crosswalk
signs, signs that say slow down, let our
children grow up are partially or
totally obscured by tree limbs, by
foliage. And I've made this comment in
past years. And it's taken care of, but
sometimes it's not. And I it's the
responsibility, I would assume, of the
street team, the street uh management
part of the administration to have
shears, have clipping shears, saws,
whatever it takes to remove these
obstructing signs.
uh as a diagnostic radiologist, I've
seen my share of uh the major the
results of major and minor accidents.
What's interesting is I don't read
X-rays on the people who are killed from
auto accidents, but I've seen the
injuries and this is a simple process
and I remind and I ask that this be
looked at more regularly and even if
it's not one of the city workers who
sees it, if it's someone else in the
community and even sometimes the patrol
officers driving, I know there's a stop
sign there and all of a sudden you're
upon the sign, so you don't have the
wherewithal or the sensitivity or the
attention to be prepared to stop. So,
this is a safety issue and now kids are
out of school and kids often ride right
through intersections on their bikes.
Others do, other people drive. But I
wanted to mention please keep those
limbs trimmed.
Now, the other issue is I first of all,
I'm going to start with a
congratulations
on building the 12 islands on Drexel
Avenue for slowing traffic down. What a
blessing. What a blessing.
However, uh at night there is
insufficient, this is my opinion,
insufficient
visualization of these islands driving
in either direction, north or south on
Drexal Avenue.
Um there's a small sign which you only
see if your headlights are straight on.
Some of these little islands on the
curved portions have three small
reflectors which in my opinion are
inadequate.
And what I would recommend is
considering simply some reflective paint
on both ends of these islands wrapped
around the entire front end or back end
so that the driver knows the approximate
width of the island when they're driving
through at night.
You can't see the island well enough.
Also, when one pulls out of a driveway
or one turns from a side street onto
Drexel, the headlights don't see that
sign because it's not at a straighton
90° angle. So, this is a safety issue.
I'm always aware of safety issues,
especially as I get older. Um, and I
recommend and suggest
that not just to listen to my complaints
for my suggestions, but also I recommend
something as simple as reflective paint
on both ends of all the 12 islands to
avoid future accidents. And if you take
a look during the daytime, you can see
all the tire black tire smudges on these
islands and on the bumpouts for people
who have mis misjudged, have been
careless, maybe driving too fast and
striking those curbs. Safety issue.
Lastly, I just want to say thank you to
administration. Thank you, Chief Lewis
to and thank you to all the council
members who are providing a service
and that's the word. It's a service
and it's highly it's it's a respectable
career. It's a respectable
responsibility and it's something that
we appreciate and we want to show our
always express our appreciation for this
kind of looking out for this community
and for the citizens who live here. So,
thank you very much. Thank you. Last
item said, I would love to get some
followup, particularly. I know you're
going to trim the trees. Let's get those
trimmed. Those are simple, but as far as
the decision to paint the curbs, um I'
I'd love to get some followup on that.
Great. Thank you so much, Dr. Hirs, for
your comments. Um as as promised, um
some of the uh questions that you raise
uh do appear administrative in nature.
Mayor, would you like to um to maybe
respond to Dr. Hirsh and Mr. Fishell is
his uh contact information on that
speaker slip in case the mayor would
like to follow up. Okay, great. I was
going to ask that next. Um I I can
respond a little bit extemporaneously
when it comes to the uh trimming of uh
trees around signage. Dr. Hirs, you are
absolutely right. I drive around seeing
it myself. This is the time of year when
the trees are just heavier even than
normal. So they're really demonstrating
all of their potential to block signage.
We triage, we we we we emphasize first
making sure that those critical stop
signs and lights are visible. And then
we keep trimming and trimming and
trimming. And so one of the wonderful
things about having lovely shaded walks
and living in arboritum is that that
arburedum changes every year, year to
year, and we're constantly keeping on
top of it. If any resident sees a
blockage, um they can call city hall at
559-4200.
They can, if you're feeling techsavvy,
you can go on our Beexleybase app on
your phone. Um, you can email uh the
service department. You can find
multiple ways to contact us on online
and we will we will get to that as
quickly as we can. So, um, but that is
something we look out for and I and at
this time of year in particular, it's
easy to fall a little bit behind on
that. Um, and I'm going to continue to,
you know, I'm going to get some feedback
on the concept of reflective paint for
the Drexal medians. we've recently added
the the lights and the end of those
medians and absolutely it's a uh it's
important to have those visual
indicators. So, I appreciate that and I
will get I will follow up with you on
that. Thank you. Thank you, mayor, for
for that followup. Um I would ask too
that uh since there are safety issues
when you reach back out to Dr. Hirs if
you wouldn't mind copying our safety
chair, Mr. Markham. Absolutely. Um so
that he has that information. That's
much appreciated. Thank you. U Mr.
official. Any other speaker slips for
item number six? No, there are none.
Okay.
All right. We are moving on.
Um I we are moving on to president's
report. I had just a few quick things to
share. Uh first and foremost, I want to
thank council member Hurley for his uh
uh council corner inclusion article in
the uh Beexley blast and also a thanks
to uh Megan Meyer for having that. Um
Miss Sod, you are up at the end of this
month for uh putting an article in the
Beexley BL so council can keep
communicating with our residents. A
happy belated birthday to uh council
member Fible.
Um, I also wanted to thank uh council
for showing up with me to uh be at the
Beexley Pride Walk. It was a big success
put on by uh our Girl Scouts. Even
though the weather earlier in the day
was not good, there was so much love and
happiness and sunshine when we walked.
Uh thank you to the mayor for sharing
some words uh to support our LGBTQ
um plus community. Um,
Chief Lewis, I wanted to thank you and
your officers for the tremendous amount
of support that I saw them um, show to
our Jewish uh, friends and neighbors and
residents this weekend. I joined them
and trust me when I say that I felt so
supported by the Beexley Police
Department. So, thank you so much for
for doing that. Um, and finally,
council, Junth is coming up. Um, on June
19th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Jeffrey
Mansion, we are having the annual
commemoration um of the end of slavery
in the country after the Civil War. I
hope to see you there. If you can,
please spread the word. Uh, now more
than ever, it is important to show up uh
for our community. So, with that, that's
the end of the president's report. Uh,
Mr. City attorney, over to you for your
report. No report this evening. All
right. And guess what? Since our city
auditor is not here. Oh, I have auditor.
Do you? I'm sure you do. Uh, we will
welcome Auditor McPeek back at our next
meeting. We are up to administrative
updates. Mayor, I'm going to turn it
over to you to walk us through your
updates, please. Thank you, Madam
President. You all have uh my update.
Uh, one thing I forgot to put in it that
I was going to put in it was um, just
announcing that uh, Capital has
appointed their next president, Dr.
Jared Ty, who will be joining Capitals,
the Capfam, the hashtagcapfam on August
1st. Um, I've already reached out to
congratulate Dr. Ty. We'll be meeting
and hope to continue a really productive
relationship with Capital uh, through
Dr. Ty. Dave Kaufman will be staying on
through uh, that point in time. Um, we
did have a Hold on. I'm going to not go
out of order. This weekend is Pelatonia
Pedals Pelatonia Kids' Pedal for
Pancakes moving back to its classic
location at Commonwealth Park. So, hope
that you can join us on June 14th
starting at 9:00 a.m. Um, we also have a
Junth celebration, I think that might
have already been mentioned at uh
Jeffrey on on the 19th at 6 p.m. And the
main event was rained out. Uh, so it has
been rescheduled to June 20th where
there will be a showing of wild robot
and live music from the Shazbots as well
as some super cute kids crafts and other
activities for kids of all ages. Um, I
did mention in my update that we are uh
honing in the uh design for the unified
Commonwealth Park. I provided a uh early
kind of schematic of what that might
look like. Um, we are asking for public
input at a workshop on July 16th at 6
PM. Uh, Brian Kent Jones and Ellen
Andrews will be on site as well to take
feedback. The general schematic that you
see here has uh been looked three three
different options looked at by the tree
commission and the wreck board um with
um some tenative approval. And what
you're seeing here is the concept of
this brass field finds walking path.
That's the same material that you see
around Commonwealth Pond with a center
feature with a heritage oak tree which
is what's called for in the center there
along with um a pergola sort of that
semi-ircular pergola on both sides that
would have swings built into it and some
area for shaded seating uh where parents
and visitors can look out onto the
fields when they're whoever's playing
out there in the fields and can just
kind of gather. Um, so that's the
concept um that is being discussed and
will be workshopped. I do have a draft
of a note to the community on bike and
scooter safety. The chief knows that I
have been uh we both been talking about
that a lot recently. We've seen an
influx of additional um
types of vehicles out and about in the
community driven by residents of all
ages. Uh some more safely than others.
calling attention to the most recent
change in our helmet law uh brought by
Mr. Hurley and also as we discussed
already council have discussed with
council uh I've been talking with Mr.
early about um some additional um
regulation around these types of
vehicles and that that's discussed in
this. So, I wanted your feedback on it.
Um take a look at it and let me know
your thoughts. I I hope you got to see
uh Commonwealth Parks Arboritum Walk at
the House and Garden Tour. If you
didn't, please check it out. It's really
coming into its own. It is gorgeous and
the signs are up. So now you can see
what a butterfly weed looks like, which
sounds like a weed, but it's actually a
very beautiful plant. Um, and uh did
want to share with you maybe uh yeah,
Megan Megan is going to provide this
update at the next council meeting, but
we did learn that we had several
remediation grants for brownfields
submitted as part of this current round
through Franklin County. None of them
were picked up. There were 12 submitted
in Franklin County. Only three projects
made it. Those three were legacy
projects that had been submitted many
years ago. Um, so there's a big backlog
of brownfield remediation funds. So
we're going to have to continue to
circle back and reconsider how we're
moving forward with the consortium of
property owners for the Holtzman
landfill is specifically one of those
projects being impacted by that. The
other project is the gas st former gas
station at Chelsea and Maine. So we're
working on regrouping and figuring out
how to move forward with the cleanup of
contaminated spaces. The other thing I
wanted to make sure you're aware of is
at the CIC meeting, the CIC passed in
concept a community- based call for
proposals for the former Lucky Lotto
building. Um, so as opposed to simply
leasing it, we're looking at community-
based uses. Um, the the CIC wants to
spur creative innovation in the space
and wants to see what the community has
in mind for it. So, you'll be seeing
some of those a call for ideas going
out, a call for proposals going out in
the coming weeks. uh also did provide um
some highlights of state house action
that impacts cities specifically
um over the past couple weeks um from
the Ohio Municipal League and here along
with some super cute photos. So if you
have any questions I am happy to answer
them. I think Dan is yes Dan. Uh so
three quick things. Um, first on your um
the scooter safety column. I don't know
if you've talked Paul with the schools,
but I I just anecdotally know I took my
kids to Cassingham playground and there
were a lot of kids, you know, more or
less doing like stunt riding on the turf
fields and zooming through the
playground and that's not our
jurisdiction, but that's I guess just
part of it as we have that conversation
is the schools. I think we have
discussed it with the schools and
specifically have discussed some of the
activity occurring in the turf uh fields
mostly the we've had some complaints
about
um some activity in the stadium area. Um
so um we're aware that that's some of
that's happening. I think that the type
of vehicles this this these kind of fast
ultrammobile vehicles is resulting in
some interesting behavior among our
youth. That's an example of it. Yep. Um
the other issue um
oh uh do Dr. Hirs um made me think of
this. What is the current law and
enforcement if there is a law on um like
shrubbery and bushes that overgrow onto
sidewalks? I've noticed just taking my
kids for walks, a lot of people have
like taller bushes that are Yes. more or
less obstructing the sidewalk. Yeah,
it's one of Matt Clingler's pet peeves.
Matt, would you like to answer that
question?
Uh that is a code violation and I would
ask that all residents email code
enforcementbexley.org and we will get on
top of it.
Mr. CL I I we we drove one such
violation recently just to kind of
highlight what that can do. We did. Yep.
Any other questions?
All right. Um
yes. Oh, sorry, Alex. Um I know it said
more to come. I guess I'm curious on the
Livingston
um Lucky Lotto project. Is the CIC
wanting to partner and help financially
with um the applicants or is it still
looking to find um people that are
wanting to rent the space and um own it?
I guess I'm trying to shape. Is it kind
of a incubator idea or is it more just
looking for people that are interested
in renting it and developing a business
out of that space? So I think yes.
Um I think that one of the things that
they talked about is would they be
willing to effectively subsidize that
space for the right use? And the answer
is yes. But that's part of asking for
proposals is like the proposal is not
going to stipulate the rent. It's going
to say what are you willing to offer?
and the rent will be a consideration
that's weighed against the greater
community good and some of like the
feasibility of the project the you know
the the wherewithal of the person
proposing it so there's a variety of
criteria that will be considered yep
questions all right Chief Lewis
good evening sir
we provided an update of all of the
activities for for the Beex Police
Department. Hopefully, you had an
opportunity to take a look at a lot of
the great work that the men and women of
our department have been doing. Open to
any questions.
Mr. Klinger, do you have an update?
I apologize. I did not have a chance to
give a written update. Just a couple um
highlights.
Uh the sidewalk out here uh will be shut
down starting I think next week for the
next several months. They you will see
this front facade and the brick start to
go on um this project over here. And uh
they need the sidewalk space to build
their scaffolding. Um the the the right
lane, what would that be? The north the
north lane east westbound will continue
to be closed on and off. U we've asked
them to keep it open um at least on
weekends and when they're able to um off
hours when they're done working. Uh code
enforcement is going strong. We've
written um I think a record number of
code violations, but uh more importantly
um we've got upwards of 15 to 20
follow-up inspections per day that Dave
is doing. Um so we've made that a top
priority this spring. Um, and that's
that's probably all I have for council
right now. Any questions?
Sad. Matt, that right turn lane. Can we
have that in the blast? Kind of
discussing that we're going to try and
keep it open on the weekends and you
know the right uh it's it's the it's the
not the turn, it's I'm sorry, it's the
it's the north lane westbound. So, it's
the one closest to to us over here.
Yeah, we can uh put out kind of put an
update on if we're we're calling that um
the Fitzgerald update. Oh, right. You
know. Yep. Put that in the update of
Fitzgerald. Thank you,
Mr. Hurley. Um this is not necessarily
city of Beexley issue, but I just being
a North Beckley Beexley person, I get a
lot of uh inquiries about what's going
on with the corner of Fifth and Cassidy.
Yes. There was a notice that just went
out there's going to be a pretty lengthy
Yep. street closure. I don't know what
extent we can I'm not it's not our fault
but know as much as we can push
information out and maybe give folks
tips I think that would be wellreceived
again with a big caveat that that's
Columbus totally we just discuss that in
cabinet this morning we're going to be
including that as part of our summer
infrastructure updates with lots of
caveats that it's not us but yes we will
we will be doing bold letters please
please don't complain to your member of
council I'm actually gonna include your
email address though Danny Hurley
Can we hit
any questions? Mr. Marcelino,
I believe we were going to discuss this
time just to make sure. Uh, ordinance
41-24.
That's correct. Okay. And so it seems
like Mr. Mr. Clinger may not have been
aware of that. And so I want to refresh
council's memory on this and talk to you
about the procedure as to how we look to
move forward over the next couple of
weeks. Uh you will likely uh remember as
you all memorize every ordinance that we
pass uh that we passed uh and it was
signed uh on December 10th, 2024 amended
ordinance 41-24
that had to do with the property at 2409
Plymouth Avenue uh where we permitted
the homeowner to build a fence uh per
the ordinance on the eastern side of the
property to allow uh access to a tree
that was a city-owned tree
due to uh just a miscommunication there.
Uh there was a permit that was issued
without that project returning to
council and we had the final uh thumbs
up on that one uh once the plan was
done. But the permit went out a little
bit early there. Um and work uh had
started in the form of removing the
barrier uh between the street and the
property. uh the homeowner uh began work
with a certain plan in mind or at least
an idea as to what was going to take
place and the city stepped in and said
hold on I think this was done
prematurely. Uh as such we've been in
discussion uh and communication with the
homeowner uh through the city uh Mr.
Clingler, Mayor Kesler, Mark Fishell,
um, in regards to the procedure as to
how to move forward because the
homeowner would like, uh, a, uh, an
modification to the ordinance, um, and
what was approved and at least our
consideration. After discussion uh, with
the homeowners and uh, and and the mayor
and Mr. official. Um,
it seems as though the best course of
action to try to appease uh the
homeowner's request, if you all decide
to approve it, would be to have an new
ordinance uh that I will put before you
on at our June 24th, 2025 meeting uh
with uh suspend and adopt language. And
I know that that's not typically how we
like to do things, but uh it's really uh
the I think the best for all parties in
this scenario because if we don't uh do
that, this homeowner basically goes the
entire summer without a fence around
their property. They have young
children. There's safety concerns on my
part there. So, I think the suspend and
adopt is reasonable and and and
justified in this case. uh because we
have our break coming up in July. So, it
it couldn't be heard until uh roughly uh
the end of August if we did not there's
the I would call it the plan uh so to
speak in regards to this property line
etc. Um and we will circulate uh the
plan that comes from uh the homeowner uh
as to the option. Basically, there's
going to be a cutout uh for the tree
itself so the city has complete access
to it. Uh but it expands their property
uh within their right absolutely uh to
the west um so they can maximize their
backyard uh space. But I want to make
you all aware of this as uh I'll be
introducing it next meeting with uh
suspended adopt language and I didn't
want that to catch you off guard um at
the next one. I would kick it to the
mayor if there's anything additional you
wanted to add to that. Yeah, I think
actually I'm gonna kick to Matt. Yeah,
because I think we
if we're following the ordinance, the
next step is for us to show bring the
final design to council just to see it.
And the concept there was that if
council didn't like that final design
that you would have the opportunity to
say no, no, no, don't sign that consent
hold armless agreement. But since then,
the applicant has said, hey, we don't
like the conditions imposed upon us by
the ordinance. And if Matt, you could
provide some more feedback upon what the
different options are that we've been
been shown and then also staff comments
on that, that'd be awesome.
Uh, yeah, I was just going to email you
so you could pull up the three. They are
they are attached to the agenda update.
Yep. Okay, great. And I wasn't sure if
they were. Um, so the app the homeowner
has submitted three um versions.
um a version one which he would like um
a version two which is uh his probably
second best and a version three which is
what the city that's what the original
um ordinance uh required. So you're
looking now at right here would be how
the ordinance was crafted. So, there's a
lawn. We've got probably four to five
feet of lawn. We've got shrubs. And the
dark black spot that you see is the
existing tree. Um there are a couple
there are a lot of pros to having the
city tree outside of the fence. uh he
will provide a gate there, but
inevitably when that tree dies, um it
makes it um a lot easier for city staff
to get in there, remove the tree, grind
the stump. Um and then also uh it's it's
our arborist and staff's policy that we
do not plant a tree uh back in the same
location uh that a tree was removed. So
um th this
uh diagram would allow you this this
plan would allow us to plant a tree
anywhere in the tree line there uh not
in the same location.
Um and again this is exactly how this is
how the ordinance was crafted uh with
the we call um that would be the fence
the western fence line ran east of the
existing tree the red line. Um we go to
the next one.
So, this one uh again, we don't have we
have plants closer up to the right of
way and it was brought up in the meeting
already tonight about plants growing
into the rightway and into the sidewalk.
So, that is a concern um with a with the
fence and plants closer. Now, the
smaller dots you see are very low kind
of ground cover plants. Um so, it holds
sort of the hydrangeanger and the
boxwoods and the taxes farther back off
the um the sidewalk. However, um, nature
has a way of growing and spilling out
into the right of way, which becomes a
code enforcement nightmare. This also
puts two posts. Um, you can kind of, if
you zoom in right there in the black
dot, and you see two red dots right
there, and then you see right there,
right there, and then two red dots to
the south of the tree. It puts it
approximately 3 and 1/2 ft off of the
tree. Um, now our arborists, it it's not
the healthiest for the tree. Um Grant uh
Archer has said that um he's not
terribly concerned about them because it
is a smaller um it's sort of an aluminum
the black aluminum fence that you you
see a lot of people put up. Uh but still
it would it would not be the healthiest
for the tree. Um, and again,
this option would not allow us really to
plant a tree, a new tree when that tree
dies anywhere except that exact location
um without forcing the homeowner to move
their fence later on. So, that would be
a a bit of an issue there. And if you
could go to the last one,
um, this one has um well, it's sort of
the same thing. We we think this one is
is the least of our favorite because it
puts a public tree behind um a private
fence. It makes it more difficult to
grind the stump, to remove the tree, to
plant a new tree. There is a gate on the
south end of the property, but to get a
stump grinder, which is usually mounted
to a truck through there um to do all
that work in there, uh makes it more
difficult.
Um
so you know these are the three versions
he has submitted. Um he asked that
council review these three versions and
grant um and approve one of them. Um
I I sort of laid out what we and to be
honest um
with the fence line farther back and the
plants farther back when you drive down
Dawson, it's the natural location
um of every kind of tree along that
street. It's sort of the fabric of that
road. um having the plants a little
farther back and having the tree, you
know, the trees a little uh they're set
further back all the way when you go
down that part of the north part of
Dawson there. So, um it, you know, for
all those reasons, um city staff is in
favor of of u this one right here, but
um he has presented three for council's
review. I think that's sort of to to
clarify. That's right. This one council
can
it'll be shown to council. Staff can go
ahead and approve it. The other two
would require a new ordinance which is I
think what Sam was saying.
Yep. I think they're meeting. So Mr.
Marcelino, would the applicant or the
homeowner would they be available to
come to the next council meeting? I've
advised that they should plan to attend
that meeting uh if able to. Okay. If
that's the case, I wouldn't have any
problem with the new ordinance so that
council could listen and make a informed
choice at that time.
Mr. Mr. Hurley, yes, sorry, you can I
heard you correctly, Mr. Clangler. The
homeowner would prefer version one or
version two. The homeowner Yeah, version
one is the one the homeowner prefers. If
I if I could add just a couple more
things, I forgot. Grant Archer did say
um the the the sidewalk has destroyed
the the roots enough on the west side
that if the if the if the fence did go
to the west side of the tree, it would
be negligible with how damage that
sidewalk had done. For us, it's more
when the fence and the plants get that
close to the sidewalk, it becomes, you
know, a bigger issue with code
enforcement and keeping things clear
there. Um
and then our our city um staff landscape
consultant, Walter Reigns, uh did review
um all of them. He has no issues with
the plant selections that they're going
to plant in front of the trees. He's
also an ISA certified arborist and he
suggested um the application with the
post farthest away uh from the the base
of the tree. Um, so that would be um
either
um that one or
uh version two. I I believe that's
version three, version two or version
three. Yeah,
Mr. Silverman. Sorry. I just want to I
guess clarification. The current
ordinance that we voted on did not
include a vote on the fence that they
want to put up. And that's the reason
that we would need to write a new
ordinance. The current or the ordinance
that was passed had as the first
condition that the western fence line be
located to the east of the city tree.
Um, which plan right there would meet
criteria that meets criteria. They the
property owners are asking for a
different plan to be approved, right?
The property owners okay doesn't like
that condition. So they're asking for
different condition. Thank you. Uh, one
other thing that we didn't note, you see
sewer line concrete pad is called out in
this plan. Um, I am still getting from
our sewer foreman what that exactly is
because that's a piece of city
infrastructure in the ride ofway. Um,
so it it that shows up in options one
and two as being within the fence area.
Uh,
and and you can I don't know how well we
clarified this, but this is the ride
ofway line right here.
So the city property starts here and
over. So the this is still city
property. Um and that would that area
then it is fenced in
followup. Would would Grant be available
to speak towards a position or would you
speak on behalf of the forestry
department about a position
is this? I I think Matt could summarize
what what Grant has shared. Yeah. I mean
if you if you have any questions I can
run by him or we can email him but he
I've shared everything that Grant shared
with me. I mean he I mean I guess
I'll ask more questions in the future
once I get chance to review everything.
Thank you. Sure.
Uh yes Danny sorry procedurally then so
Mr. Marcelino what version will your
ordinance contemplate? I guess what's
the starting point? We come in on the
24th where we be starting. Correct. Uh
so there are three versions there. Uh
the contemplation on our end is that you
know the city has never approved any uh
fence to the west of the tree. Uh we
have approved uh the eastern version
which is before you right up there. Uh
the version that would be put before
council would be the modified version
with the cutout for the tree. So it
remains Yeah. version two. And I was
going to ask the mayor when these are
sent out to make sure they're clearly
labeled and distinctive um just so we
can all speak um to them efficiently.
Yes, we can do that. Can I again can I
just from a more legal legal standpoint
um and maybe this has already been made
obvious by the conversation, but so the
idea is and Mr. Marcelino, correct me if
I'm wrong. The idea is that the
homeowner would approve would prefer one
of the other options. He the homeowner I
I think the the effort of the idea of a
suspended adoption is that the homeowner
would then know what council's position
is before August rolls around. And if
council's position is no, their
preferred version or versions aren't
what we are in going to approve then
they can go forward with the original
one would be should they so desire.
Correct. Yeah. Exactly. So they actually
currently have the approval um for that
version that's up there currently. Uh
this new ordinance would be to uh
consider the other option that has been
proposed. And so then but this to say
suspend an adoption. I mean it's the the
three reading requirement would be
suspended. The the ordinance may or may
not be adopted.
That's that'll be your call. Correct.
Is is there any wisdom in taking any of
council's pulse just so the property
owner has an indication because I think
or maybe I should state this another way
and I I shared this with you already Mr.
Marcelino. you know, our city arburist
is opine that this is the least
impactful of the options. Um, and so
he's most comfortable with this. He'd
only seen this this afternoon. Uh, these
three options. I think that I would not
feel comfortable without getting tree
commissions feedback because with
options one and two, you limit the
ability to plant trees uh down the road
within the area that they control. Um,
so I feel like we should get and tree
commission meets in a couple I think a
week or two. So that's possible. I just
wanted to make sure that council was
aware that
I believe that the ordinance I believe
based upon staff feedback that the
ordinance that you passed is the right
ordinance. If you look down up and down
Dawson, you can see it's very clear
where that tree line is established and
where private improvements start. And
this is much more in keeping with that
Dawson continuity than the options one
and two. I'm sympathetic to the fact
that we have a property owner who really
wants to use as much space as they
possibly can, but I also think that we
have to honor uh the fact that this is a
public public realm and and treated as
such. So I I don't also want to string
along the property owner to the point
where if council's like if there's a
negative guttural reaction right now
that they are further delayed if that
makes any sense. Sure. So I guess I have
kind of three points as I work through
this and just asking for a pulse as to
where I am on it and my view. Uh the
first is that it's kind of a question.
It was my understanding that the tree
commission was not one of the bodies
that had a say in the original
ordinance.
Yeah, I can I can speak to that. Um, in
a typical the way in a typical
application, if this did not if this was
not city rightway, then no no border
commission would need um to they would
have to go in front of no border
commission. And that's why I think maybe
I went back and listened to all the
video. I think maybe that's why the last
sentence was put in in the second
paragraph and it said come back to
council for final approval of the
landscape plan because it wouldn't have
had to gone to any board. And I was
going to mention that we have a tree and
public garden commission meeting next
week and then it maybe be nice to get
their feedback on this um ahead of the
next council meeting to bring um I'm I'm
to I'm totally fine with feedback, but I
again I don't know that the feedback is
feedback, but it doesn't require their
formal approval on this one. If we go
with uh the let's call it the hybrid
option where it's a cutout for the tree,
it doesn't require their approval
theoretically. Correct.
Correct. So, the pre-commission, the the
consent and hold harmless, the use of
the ride ofway, the construction of a
fence, those are not treaty commission
items. Um, I would imagine that the tree
commission might find that in inhibiting
future plantings might start to encroach
on their domain. So, that's a little bit
of a different question. Okay, fair
enough. And then I guess kind of my
second point is that this is a consent
and hold harmless if we have it may be
disruptive in the future. And I think
the homeowner takes this on at some risk
with the modification understanding that
very well if that tree has to come down
that it may require uh a uh
deconstruction of their fence and
reconstruction at a separate uh point of
the property and that's to be
understood. It may not be. I mean,
having administered work within
easements for many years now, I can tell
you that's great in theory, but when you
start talking to somebody who has 15
years of mature landscaping uh and
patina on their property about what
you're about to do, that theory kind of
dissolves pretty quickly. Well, while I
I hope my uh time on council is a bit
longer, I certainly don't anticipate to
be here then, but I you know, my theory
on that is tough. this is what it is and
if it's what you know is best with the
city and this falls within the plan
sometimes you move you have to live with
these situations so I think that they
have been open uh to that understanding
uh and the risk that comes along with it
um I think I had a third point but it's
probably escaped me at this point but
overall my general theory on these if
we're looking for a temperature is that
I don't mind the cutout version it it
just doesn't bother me at all we have a
unique community uh with a unique aspect
that is bolstered by the fact that we
are an arboritum. And so there are
properties that in other communities it
might be easier to build fences, might
be easier to move things, but in ours we
are so constricted that I want to give
each property owner the right to manage
their property effectively and get the
most out of the land that they purchase
uh where we are able to. And I think a
an agreement and kind of a a compromise
between these plans uh would be my
favorable uh result of this of this
outcome. But I'll the rest to take a
temperature.
Sorry, Alex. Yes. Sorry, I'm still just
Can you pull up the hybrid version just
mentioned? Uh yes.
And the the red line is the fence.
Correct.
So they would
in this the tree would still be
accessible to the city and the fence
line would actually they would actually
lose space in their yard and they're
more in favor of this the straight
fence. They have additional lawn space
here because the other one would have a
straight fence run here. So the fence
runs closer during that portion to the
to the sidewalk. Sidewalk. Yep. It's
about 300 square feet. The fence that
they um would gain with this one versus
uh the council approved one or the
council the one the council can put a
condition on. Is there is there there's
no other is all the plants
to the to my left of the tree city.
Is that all city property current? Yes.
So city property runs
line is the right of way for the city,
right? But we only have we only
currently have one tree in that location
there. That's correct. There's another
tree further north of this plan. Um the
isn't even showing on the plan. Okay. Um
for for a tiptor's sake, I I I'm I'm not
really in favor of um changing the
ordinance that was passed. Um I feel
like we kind of defined the scope and
and laid it out to them and now they're
coming back with revisions to fit their
their individual need. Um and it
concerns me if we start granting those
variances
um that kind of go against our tree plan
for the city. So on initial take, I am
not in favor, but I would like to hear
more from the property owners and others
as they talk through this. But at this
moment, I would want to hold steady to
the ordinance that we did agree upon um
and have passed.
M Lin and Mr. Markham, if you want to
take over. No, no, no. I council, mayor,
we are on the administrative updates. We
get to guide that discussion. Um, as
earlier stated, I certainly wouldn't
mind uh uh having a proposed ordinance
at our next meeting so that we would
have the opportunity to get back into
the weeds to hear from the applicant. I
would also maybe love to hear uh what
our city staff um says and if you hear
of information about the sewer pad that
I had not realized until you saw that.
Um I I do share Mr. Marcelino's concerns
about safety. Um I walk this house every
day. It's on my dog walk. Um all the
bushes are down. They do have two very
young kids. I I think that the bushes
came down in anticipation that the fence
was going up right away. I also do have
some concerns that regardless of what
council approved and how it was written,
this project was approved erroneously.
So, we've got some um some figuring out
to do and I think we would at least owe
them the opportunity to hear them out.
doesn't mean that we would agree to
suspend and it certainly doesn't mean we
would agree to adopt, but I would at
least like to give them the opportunity
to kind of share that information with
council and to hear from uh city staff
on some other options. That's just me,
Mr. Mark. So, did uh I this is just
going back against things that you've
already said, but so did they
misunderstand what we passed or did we
miscommunicate
what we were passing? Yeah. So, you guys
passed it. I gave I sent the ordinance
to them. They sent a plan in. I did not
review the plan thoroughly enough to see
that they did not have the fence in the
correct location. So, I approved the
permit with
incorrectly. I looked at the wrong line
on the plan. When I looked at it, I
looked at their bed line that carved out
the tree and and I took the that
I thought when it said western fence
line that when they carved out the tree
that the fence line was to the western
part of the tree. Right? So when I
looked at the original application, I
looked at the garden bed that went
around the tree and I thought, "Oh,
that's where their fence line really."
They had another line on the other side
that was the fence. So then when it went
up, you know, we realized it was in the
wrong location. Did they misunderstand
too? Do you think I I don't I don't
Yeah, I don't know. I don't I know
that's not illegal. You know, I just,
you know, sustained I don't think
you know my take on people that do work
without seeking approval and trying to
go through the correct process.
especially for new residents here. It
seems to me as though they did make
every effort to do this appropriately.
They didn't try to pull a fast, you
know, a fast one on us or anything. I
think this is just kind of a
misunderstanding across and now we are
tasked with making sure it's handled.
The cutout version then that we're
looking at or where we were looking at.
What What was the What was the objection
from
Grant or whoever to this version?
that the tree is going to this is
damages the tree having the fence so
close to it or I don't think it's damage
I think it's not preferable uh as it
does place additional potential
additional stress on the roots because
there's those two posts that the mayor
was mentioning it has additional posts
in the root zones so
um it also prohibit it it does not
legally prohibit but it makes future
planting difficult
Yeah. Within this. So if you if you were
to drive this I and I really recommend
you guys drive it with this eye, you'll
see that where this tree is located
marching up and down Dawson, that's
where every city tree is located. Yeah.
So, and they are unobstructed. So there
are not fences in that zone at all. Um
there's not landscaping in fact in front
of those those trees. Uh almost in
without an exception. I think maybe very
small minor portions here and there. So,
I think just you can see that cadence as
you drive it and you can better
understand that like if a future tree
gets planted, it's going to be within
that same course that you see up and
down Dawson and um would require, you
know,
some hard conversations with the
property owner or forfeiting planting
the tree. So, and I know that you guys
know the tree commission well enough to
know how that conversation would go with
them.
Mr. Hurley, just unclear
The permit that was issued, which
version does that permit authorize? The
one with the fence completely. Yes.
Version one to the east of the tree.
That was the So, correct. Council's
ordinance from last year closer to was
aligned with version three. The permit
that was issued based on the plan they
submitted was version one.
Yes. Okay. Version one's a little
different. And version Yeah. version one
was a little little different. There was
there was no carve out. It was just a
straight line. And when I when I
reviewed it, I you see you see the
curved line around the tree. That's what
that's what I thought the line was.
Thank you.
Any further discussion?
Thank you very much. I I appreciate the
conversation uh and uh look forward to
further further discussion.
Madam President. All right, I'm going to
turn this over to Mr. Official. Um,
thank you, Mayor, for a very robust
discussion on administrative updates.
Uh, Mr. Official, over to you for
consent agenda. All right. Two items on
the consent agenda. The meeting minutes
from May 27th, 2025 and resolution 03-25
to adopt the tax budget for calendar
year. Attached here to is exhibit A that
was introduced by Miss Sad. Thank you,
council. Um, since we did not have all
uh of our council members present at the
last meeting, I did speak to the one
that was not in attendance and there was
no objection to adding resolution 3-25
to the consent agenda. Um, we have one
quick explanation on resolution 3-25 as
it pertains to the exhibit only. Mayor,
do you want to pull up the corrected
exhibit and maybe just explain to
council what the change was?
the original.
I know there was one and I honestly
Monique, I'm not sure exact Sorry, Madam
President. I'm not sure exactly what was
the minor change, but there was a
it was a I believe it was a formula cell
um caught by Carrie Martin that was in
error. So, she has fixed it and it now
appears which one it is though. Um I
don't think I don't think you told me it
was just a cell formula change. All of
the numbers are the same at the bottom.
So,
yeah.
I apologize. I wasn't I was not prepared
to answer that detail.
If you if you prefer, we could we could
hold off on voting on the consent agenda
till the next one.
And I think uh Miss Martin is probably
scheduled to come to the next one or if
council's comfortable knowing that it
was a cell formula change. So, it's just
a matter of how that number is computed
and Carrie Martin uh reviewed it. If
you're comfortable with that, we can
move forward with the consent agenda.
I'm seeing some head nods.
All right. Seeing seeing no one opposed.
Um I move at this time to approve the
consent agenda. Could I please have a
second? Second. Second by Mr. Marcelino.
Uh any further discussion from council?
Any comments from the public? No speaker
slip is needed to vote on consent
agenda.
All right, seeing none, uh, Mr.
Bishell, would you please call the role
on the consent agenda? Mr. Hurley, yes.
Miss Lamkey, yes. Miss Sad, yes. Mr.
Marcelino, yes. Mr. Silverman, yes. Mr.
Markham, yes. Miss Fible, yes. Consent
agenda passes. Great. Thank you. All
right. So, we are on to the third
reading of ordinance 12-25 approving the
updated rules of the Beexley Civil
Service Commission introduced by Mr.
Hurley.
Thank you. So, we have a uh very long
anticipated rule update. I'm going to
kick it to the mayor to walk us through
any last minute things and I believe we
are ready to vote.
Thank you, Mr. Hurley. I do not have
anything last minute things to add, but
uh Mr. Fishell as our city attorney who
sat studiously in every meeting or Mr.
Offenburgg, who's our long-standing
Civil Service Commission member, if you
have anything to add. I am not aware of
anything to add and neither is Mr.
Offenberg, apparently with the shake of
his head. All right, councelor, any
further comments on ordinance 12-25.
All right, seeing none, um, can I or Mr.
Hurley, do you have a motion to adopt
ordinance 12-25? I move that we
favorably adopt ordinance 12-25.
All right. Motion to adopt by Mr.
Hurley. Is there a second? Second.
Second by Mr. Marcelino. Um, is there
any public comment? No speaker slip is
needed.
All right. Seeing none, Mr. Official,
would you please call the role? Uh, Miss
Lamy, yes. Mr. Markham, yes. Mr.
Marcelino, yes. Miss Sad, yes. Miss
Fable, yes. Mr. Hurley, yes. Miss
Silverman, Mr. Silverman, sorry,
yes.
Motion P. I mean the ordinance 1225
passes. All right. To get started on the
revisions. Thank you, Mr. Offenberg.
Please give our thanks to the Civil
Service Commission for all their work on
revising the
[Laughter]
Yman's work.
All right. On to second readings.
Ordinance 1325 appropriations. ordinance
for building the building department to
appropriate $53,500 for the increase in
required development related plumbing
inspections introduced by Ms. Sad. Thank
you, Mr. Fishell. So, basically this
ordinance is um a payment that we need
to make to Franklin County Health cost
um of the in the health Franklin County
Health the cost of the inspections is
passed on to the developer. I think we
had around 58k
Matt that we already had appropriated
for this and we need to approve the
53,500.
So we already have the money for it. We
just need to approve it to be able to
pay it. Am I correct in saying that? Um
most of it. Anything you would like to
expand upon? You would like to expand
upon that tonight? Yeah, we've received
the funds. They haven't been
appropriated yet. Right. Correct. Yes.
Yep.
All right. Um one one quick correction.
Uh we changed the title to match the
amount in the text. So it should be
53,600.
That's what's on the ordinance, but um
we're just off uh with a quick typo in
the agenda. Any further discussion from
council questions?
U Mr. Official, do we have any speaker
slips on this one? Not on this one.
Okay. How does council feel about this
for consent agenda at our next meeting?
All right. I'm seeing thumbs up. Miss
Ver, would you please put this on the
consent agenda for the next one? Thank
you so much.
All right, moving on. All right. Second
reading of ordinance 14-25 authorizing
the mayor and auditor to sign a consent
and hold harmless agreement on behalf of
the city of Beexley with the property
owner at 240 South Drexel parcel number
020-00003767
regarding improvements made upon and
within the city-owned rightway between
the sidewalk and the property line
introduced by Mr. Marcelino. Yeah, I was
just for reference. Can can you pull up
the uh images in regards to this?
And
I know I had a question um in regards to
if you just go back one for just one
moment if you don't mind. Thanks. that
the retaining wall in the red there,
whether that's skirts out into the
sidewalk cuz the drawing circles it
wide. And I was concerned about ADA
issues and access and
right there because you'll see it kind
of goes out. So, does it end at the
brick driveway or does it skirt out into
where
it ends at the brick driveway? Okay.
Yeah. Thank you.
before the sidewalk. Good question, M.
Mr. Marcelino. Mr. Silverman, did you
have a question?
It's It's stair step. Yeah, stair steps
down um down. Oh, no. Not for the
dragon. The stop the one Yeah. corner
basically in of the wall but up against
the sidewalk. Yes.
Council, any further comments,
questions? Mr. Ker, did you want to add
one more thing? Just a little bit of a
backster on this. Um we're city staff is
hoping to craft an ordinance um that
would give city um city administration
to be able to get staff approval for
these kind of small landscape walls. We
have a lot of them in Beexley. We don't
have a lot of consent harmless. They're
similar to like an irrigation line that
our water department we we give the
owner a consent hold harmless. Um they
sign the agreement and they can install
an irrigation line in the rightway. Um,
this is one that was caught when they
applied for a site development permit
and I said, "Your existing landscape
walls in the right ofway without a
consent hold armless." And they said,
"What are you talking about?" And I
said, "I'm sorry." So, they stopped the
landscape wall right there and we let
them continue with the driveway, but
that's the whole backstory to this, but
there are many conditions um that we're
trying to remedy um as they come before
us. No, I appreciate you catching that.
Um, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. One I would
actually point out one thing. It was a
great question about where that wall
stops. And I we don't have a schematic.
So I wasn't clear on that either. We do
have a spec as a reminder, Matt, that
pushes landscape walls at least a foot
away from the sidewalk so that they
they're not a trip hazard or a conflict
with strollers and that sort of thing.
So let's make sure that we we make sure
they follow that. Please, I relayed that
to them. Okay. That that would apply. So
it wouldn't should not it should not
come right up. Correct. Yeah, it should
be back off the sidewalk. Perfect. Thank
you. Great. Any other comments,
questions from council? Mr. Official,
are we Do we have any speaker slips for
ordinance 14-25? We do not. Okay. Um
council, how do we feel about this one
going on the consent agenda?
Thumbs up or I'm seeing some some thumbs
up. Okay. Uh, Miss Vodder, if we can put
ordinance. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, that
was kind of a delayed interjection
there. I really would like to make sure
because we want to follow up on to make
sure that that wall stops an adequate
distance for so I apologize until we get
confirmation of that if we could. Right.
We will leave this one off or if you see
it and then you don't have an objection
to the consent agenda, please let me
know. I will. Thank you. Or or if you
receive it before the next meeting, that
would satisfy my concern. Okay. Okay.
We'll let you know. Sounds good. All
right, Mr. Fishell, back to you. All
right. Second reading of ordinance 15-25
to amend the codified ordinances to
permit accessory dwelling units under
specified conditions and to enact new
sections 1266.24,
1290.01, and 1290.02 of the codified
ordinances introduced by Mr. Marcelino.
I will say that this is a significant
ordinance with a lot of things to
consider. And while I'm strongly
obviously in favor of it, uh, based upon
my prior comments, I wanted to tell you
that my plan after speaking with council
is to allow the third reading to take
place right after our break. This will
give everybody ample amounts of time to
review all aspects of it before coming
to a conclusion. Again, this is uh a an
ordinance to try to promote inclusivity.
a safe place for our aging population to
um to live uh with potential family
members. Um to allow our younger uh
community members, potentially a place
to uh live uh with family or friends uh
while they uh make important steps in
their life uh as to where they want to
go or where they want to live. Um and
overall uh make Beexley a bit more
accessible to the general public. Uh,
one, you know, just kind of anecdotal
concern that I've had in in thinking
about this is, uh, the threats to
Beexley in regards to, uh, property
taxes that may be coming down the path
from future, uh, candidates, uh, at the
state house and such. And if we don't
have property tax in Beexley and uh, we
might take a significant hit, this might
help ease that hit if we have additional
sources of income to tax. um at that
time. These are some of the things that
are swirling around my mind as I push
this forward. But mainly a sense of
inclusivity and safe uh places for uh
family members to reside uh during
certain stages of their life. Um and
just uh welcoming others to our
community that wish to be here. Um so
those are kind of my rationale for it.
That's the timeline that I want to
propose to you and then I would welcome
any questions or uh comments at this
time. Uh I'm sorry, Mr. Hurley had his
hand up first. Go ahead. Quick question.
Um, in our folder, we have a proposed
amended version of this ordinance. Can
you tell us what
this and the ordinance as it stands out?
And I think that was something that came
through potentially to was that the one
from today that wasn't necessarily meant
to go in the folder, but yeah, my
apologies. Good job. This has been a
continued and I in my I've been I've
been talking about a lot of trees and a
lot of KOD and a lot of stuff obviously.
So I will be candid with packed agenda
it being a second reading share some
grace I will make sure that that is
highlighted um by the next meeting the
differences um for your review to go
into that break and it might be
different as well correct as we talk
through it. Can I share something
procedural before we continue this
conversation further? We need to provide
30 days notice to a zoning hearing. So,
we should probably find out as you guys
are talking if you want to do that on
the 12th of August or the 26th of
August. And we'll also have to hear from
Bzap. And that next meeting isn't until
after your next meeting anyway. It's a
June 26 meeting. I'm fine with the 26th,
by the way, if that's that provides me.
August. Okay. Yes. Great.
Thank you for for reminding us. I had a
note here that this needs a public
hearing date. So, thank you for bringing
that up. Um, any any further thoughts
from council? Um, Missad
um, Mr. Marcelino, I was wondering um,
under general standards, size and
configuration if we can add just for our
wealth and knowledge get reintroduced to
um, what that is. So the maximum square
footage allowed for an accessory
structure in the applicable zoning
district. I know we have that and it it
just goes well with when we're looking
at making these changes just to remind
us all to refer to that. We could have
that
is it like a workshop piece attachment
course worksheet. Okay. And then I
really appreciate the timeline that was
given tonight. I think that there is a
lot here in this ordinance that it could
potentially change the fabric of the
community and we've had that discussion.
Uh that's no no new news to you. Um the
way this currently stands, if we were to
vote on this today, and I've shared this
with you as well, I would be a no. So I
need to spend time on it um as well to
continue to have discussion and continue
to learn um so we can make this the best
it can be for Bexley. Um I think another
concern that I had in here that I just
want to have considered is the ADU shall
contain no more than one bedroom.
um just trying to understand how many
people could be renting that ADU and if
you were to flip that and you had the
residency
that's required um
you know h how is that flipped as far as
occupants. So the occupant piece in this
whole ordinance I'm concerned about as
well. So, wanted to kind of look at
that. And then uh um Matt, with you here
tonight, and I've shared this with Sam,
I would really like to look into the
penalty piece that it's not regulated by
complaining um residents, but that it
would actually be under us and code
enforcement so that we're not relying on
a resident to complain about it before
we hear about it, but that there would
be a little we'd dive a little bit more
into the penalties and procedures and
applicants um as far as the registration
requirement.
So, there's a little more um to that.
So, we're actually overseeing it and
it's we're not just waiting on our
residents to complain and then they're
regulating it, but that we are. Thank
you, Miss Sad. Uh Mr. Silverman, thank
you. Um, I had time to read over this
and speak to some residents and
colleagues and uh, I'm generally in
favor of accessible housing and
increasing the means to access Beexley
and live here. Um, to echo a little bit
of Councilman Councilwoman Stad's about
occupancy rates, I as well feel strongly
that we should define it inside the
ordinance. I know we have similar
wording in a short-term rentals with um
a max of two adults per bedroom. So if
it's a onebedroom
um we would kind of define that limit.
Uh I guess children would then be
questioned, you know, what's the level
of of children would we need to define
that? did some research in the Ohio
revised code and I know there is some
wording around how many people can live
in certain square footage that would we
be able to enforce uh if it's violated.
So, you know, the the worry of the
safety of having too many people in a in
a small space um we do have some
protections there, but I I still feel
strongly that we should have um the the
occupancy rate defined in the ordinance.
Uh, and that would that would make me
feel more comfortable towards voting for
this as currently written. Um, uh, the
other question I have is for the mayor.
Uh,
if we had increased rentals of these ADU
units, how would it affect city
services, the post office? I know we we
spoke briefly of that, but how would how
would mail be handled as we generate
more mailing addresses to the city,
trash pickups, etc. just outlining how
that that is handled um for our next
meeting when we discuss this would be
great.
Thank you, Mr. Silverman. Miss Fable,
I know that when I first started on
council, ADUs were a
bad news. I mean, people did not it
seemed as though, you know, that people
were not interested in doing this at all
that there were there were if I remember
correctly. So I don't I would like to
know I don't have the institutional
knowledge as to as to why other councils
were adamant that you know that they did
not want these in Beexley. So I I am
curious about the history. I could I
could be wrong, but I feel like I
remember that being the case. And maybe
I need to have a conversation with some
of our uh resident former council
members to see what what they had to
say. I just want to understand it
better. I am absolutely in in favor of
making some version of this ordinance
work because I do want Beexsley to be as
accessible as possible for all kinds of
individuals that want to be in our
community. But I also want to know the
wise as to
why some of the ordinance that we've had
in the past only allowing
you know certain things happening in
garages for example to make sure that
people weren't living there and etc. So
I just I want to understand that a
little better. So, if there's anybody I
don't know, mayor, if I'm if I'm if I'm
incorrect in in in saying that, but I
like I I feel like, you know, I've been
on council, not to sound like Mr.
Masser, I mean, I'm the oldest council
member here.
Um, but I don't I don't have that
institutional knowledge. And I, for
whatever reason, I feel like it was just
something that was very frowned upon.
Well, I can give you the history as I
know it and I know that history belongs
to the person telling it to you. So, Mr.
Master, for example, will always give us
his own perspective. Um, when I uh when
we created the clarification of the two
of three components for the accessory
structures for to to not have a living
space, it was because BZAP had been
turning down any plumbing. It was a
condition there could be no plumbing
because they interpreted plumbing and an
accessory structure as leading to a
dwelling unit and that would be multiple
dwelling units within a single family
dwelling unit which is you know improper
and there was a former administrator
Dorothy Pritchard who was incredibly
intense about not having well see she's
her reputation precedes her but not
having those. So to my knowledge, the
questions actually never been asked of
council. And in fact, the term accessory
dwelling unit is kind of a more modern
term. It's really kind of been
percolating in the past 5 to 10 years.
We had a workshop, if you'll recall,
with the school district and our board
and commission members three or four
years ago to talk about this. It's been
discussed at land use strategy, which is
Mr. Marcelino brings it out of the land
use strategy discussions uh without
putting words in your mouth. And I think
one of the things that was talked about
at land strategy was well okay if this
were to be a beexley solution what sort
of reasonable restrictions would be put
on it that wouldn't put new pressure on
the school district that was the number
one concern um and would provide for
responsible administration of this. So
some of those conditions like the owner
occupant needs to be on site is one of
them one bedroom it effectively limits
it to two individuals but you can
further codify that. So, um, those sorts
of things are designed to be put into
it. And I think, um, you know, it's it's
a great conversation to have is how can
we responsibly do this and make it, uh,
true to the character of the community,
but still provide some more flexible
housing options. Or maybe not. But to
answer your question, maybe it's just
not the right idea. But to answer your
question about council, I don't know of
it ever actually coming before council
on a on a vote. It's just there's a
legacy of zoning administration. Got it.
Yep. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Fible.
Um, mayor, remind me when when we used
to talk about, you know, if someone
could live above the garage, you could
only have like two of the three things.
It was plumbing, electrical, and what's
the what's the third? A living a
bedroom. A bedroom. So, sorry, it's not
it was kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
You could have two of the three
components. And that's a that's a more
recent change. That was like about 10 or
15 years ago. Okay. We did that because
anyone who wanted like a janitor sink in
their garage was getting told no. It was
unreasonably restrictive to people's
enjoyment of their property. Um so
council clarified that and then BAP
started to approve at the time it was
actually BCA started to approve um these
as they came as they came through. Okay.
And of course we do have this is a
condition that's really common in some
of our historic properties. Um, and
people ask me, "Well, how can you rent a
space above a garage today that exists
and we know of them?" And my answer is,
"Well, the first person to complain
about it to us, we will start to have to
enforce that against a property. We've
literally never received a complaint
about it before." Um, and I don't have
affirmative knowledge as an
administrator of an exact lease
situation occurring. So, thank you. My
point is that that condition exists
today. Thank you for for answering what
the what the two of the three was. Um, a
couple weeks ago, council, I had a
chance to sit down with the mayor and
and we went through my my list of
questions for all of the first readings.
But, uh, I'm going to keep an open mind
on this one, some of the additional
things that we talked about, uh, which
is if if council is inclined to pass
some version of this or amend it. Um
there was a suggestion that maybe we cap
the number of approved applicants to
start and we slowly release the valve or
um you know rather than just assuming um
everything is is is going to get
approved. I had a question on whether we
should put in a requirement that there
be some sort of family connection
between
occupants of the main residence and
occupants of the accessory dwelling. So,
if I'm living in my she-shed in the back
of my property, do I need to be related
to whoever is uh living in my own home?
So, that was an additional concern. We
also talked about the um uh what kind of
additional burden it would be on city
services. Um, so I look forward to the
discussion. Um, and Mr. Marcelino, I
very much like your your timeline so
that we can all absorb this. So those
are my comments. Uh, Miss Sad, can I I
wanted to ask an additional question off
of your conversation with the mayor. Are
we able as council to get um the
locations of the current existing
properties? And I don't have them. I
don't have them. I I mean, we know of I
can think of some in my head, but we
don't track that. We don't know that.
Yeah, I'm just interested in lot size.
Um, that's kind of what I was getting
back to with the ADUs and um and
whatnot. But yeah, incidentally, they
they those were more commonly among like
our our you know our three zoning
district. So the the western portion of
the city.
Thank you, Miss Sad. Um any other
further comments, questions from
council? Um I think we will leave this
one off the consent agenda, but Mr.
official. Do you have any speaker slips
on ordinance 15-25? We do have a couple
speaker slips. Um Evan Frank.
Okay. Um M. Is that just the one? No, we
also have Spencer Cahoun. Okay. So,
we've got two. Uh who would like to
speak first?
Okay.
Mr. Frank, I know that you were here
earlier and you heard kind of my uh my
sharing our public comment policy with
us if you wouldn't mind reminding us of
your full legal name, your address, and
please know that you have up to 5
minutes to address council. Awesome. My
name is Evan Frankie. I live at 898
Chelsea Avenue here in Beexley. Um what
an exciting night. I mean, talking about
transit and housing in the same night,
um they're so interconnected. So, I'm
glad that we're having these important
conversations. I'm glad that we're
moving forward with solutions to very
real and pressing issues of housing and
transportation tonight. And I'm here
today to express my strong support for
this proposed legislation to allow
accessory dwelling units or ADUs uh in
our community. We are in the middle of a
housing crisis. No one is unaware of
this. Rents and home prices continue to
rise faster than wages. And too many
people, especially young people, young
adults, seniors, working families are
being priced out of neighborhoods,
especially back to sleep. Um, legalizing
and supporting ADUs is one of the
smartest, most efficient ways we can
address this with minimal impacts on the
community or character of our
neighborhoods. ADUs offer a flexible,
cost-effective way to increase the
housing supply without changing the
character. I'll reiterate that once
more.
The Urban Institute reports that they
help keep families together by allowing
multigenerational living and can provide
homeowners with rental income to stay in
their homes as prices rise. The ARP has
also voiced strong support, noting that
ADUs can help aging residents live
independently while remaining close to
loved ones. And in cities like Portland,
Oregon, and Los Angeles, they've seen
real success with ADU reforms. Um, so
some questions about how do we do it
right? Um here are a few suggestions
based on the research I've done. Um
removing owner occupancy and minimum lot
size requirements. These rules um
discourage investment and limit the
potential of ADUs. Requiring connection
to the owner to live there is extremely
limiting and is absolutely not inclusive
of the rest of the members of society.
Two, allow ADUs by right in single
family zones. Streamlined permitting
process makes the process easier and
more predictable for homeowners. Number
three, pre-approved design templates. Uh
we've seen success from this in cities
like Portland um where the city um will
go ahead and save homeowners money on
architecture and speed up the process by
having some pre-approved designs
available um that if you pick this and
you decide to do this and you're allowed
and everything fits, then you know you
get an easier route than most. Number
four, promote equity. So, ensure ADU
opportunities are accessible across all
neighborhoods, not just the wealthiest
or most leniently zoned. Uh, number
five, I urge the council to look at
eliminating parking requirements,
especially covered parking for ADUs.
They add an unnecessary cost and limit
feasibility. Many ADU residents don't
need dedicated parking, and removing
those rules allows for more flexible and
affordable designs.
Um, we also will be able to ease parking
requirements with the addition of our
BRT stop that we just approved tonight.
Congratulations. It's very exciting. Um,
so that will serve our community and
those living with it. So allowing the
first floor access instead of requiring
units above garages also improves
accessibility for seniors and people
with mobility challenges, making our
housing more inclusive and practical.
Adus are not a silver bullet, but they
are a vital tool in our housing toolkit.
Uh, and by passing this legislation and
making some adjustments, um, I think
we'll be giving residents a lot more
housing choices, a lot more financial
stability, and a much more inclusive and
resilient community. So, thank you for
your time, and I urge you to vote yes if
and when, you know, this effort comes to
the table. Thank you so much, Mr.
Frankie. Um, Mr. Cahoun, you are up
next. Um, I know you were here earlier
when I shared some highlights of our
public speaker policy. Uh, please give
us your full legal name and your address
and please know that you have up to five
minutes to address council. Thank you.
Uh, my name is Spencer Cahoun and my
legal address is 800 South Cassingham
here in Beexley.
So, I would like to mirror the comments
of the previous speaker, but uh, in
deference to everyone's time, I will
focus on other areas. One, I'm very
supportive of this legislation. And I
think this is a great step forward in
developing more housing in the Beexley
community that retains the character of
the community that we love. Nobody wants
to tear down our 100-year-old homes to
build more apartment housing. This
leaves that visual character the same
while simultaneously allowing people to
bring in aging parents, something that
we have done in my family. I have a
multigenerational household. Uh allowing
others to bring in children who are
young professionals
uh or grandchildren. I certainly have
heard interest from many community
members about having those kind of
opportunities.
There are a few ways I think we can make
this ordinance a little stronger than it
is to be a little bit more targeted to
our Beexley community. One, the
definition section in section one, uh,
area B.
Right now, it just says that a ADU is a
self-contained residential dwelling unit
subordinate to the primary property.
Notes that it can be attached or
detached. While that is accurate, it is
not as precise as it could be. The
definition that Fanny May uses for that
is that it has to include a living
space, a sleeping space, cooking and
bathrooms independent of the primary
residence, and a separate entrance. That
just makes it much clearer for uh many
things that would be in between that
might leave one guessing whether it's an
ADU or not. My mother-in-law lives in an
attached unit on our home. Her unit has
a bedroom. It has a bathroom. It has a
separate entrance, but it has no cooking
area. It shares a kitchen with the rest
of the house. And the area that you go
into is through the house itself through
a shared mudroom that opens into the
primary house and her unit as well. That
would normally not be considered an ADU.
However, under this definition, it may
be unclear whether construction like
that would be an ADU in the future. So,
I think that can be tightened up just a
little bit. Uh, in section E sub 2,
where there's ongoing compliance, it
notes that if there's a change in
occupancy status or ownership of the
property, that needs to be communicated
to the city within 30 days. Where
occupancy status is used there, it's
unclear whether that's referring to the
resident of the ADU or the occupant of
the primary home. Where occupancy is
used in the previous section, it is
talking about the resident of the ADU.
If we are putting a restriction where if
the resident of the ADU turns over, it
has to be communicated to the city
within 30 days, that is much more
restrictive than any other rental um in
the city of Beexley currently. That's
much more restrictive than our
short-term housing policy for people who
are putting their housing up on Airbnb
or VBO. So, it's strange that if we
would be using this as a tool to expand
housing in the community that we would
be creating a greater level of
restriction. If this occupancy status is
intended to be the occupancy status of
the owner in the primary property, then
I think changing that language to owner
occupancy would clarify that moving
forward.
And finally, parking. Parking was
mentioned by the last speaker, but I'll
touch on it as well.
uh this currently requires one
additional parking spot off streetet to
be required to uh construct an ADU.
While I understand where that comes
from, many cities, including cities in
Ohio, have chosen not to take that
particular approach. Um Westerville, for
example, Mount Vernon, Cincinnati, all
cities that do ADUs that don't have that
extra parking requirement. And I
apologize, I may be wrong about
Westerville, but I believe Westerville
also doesn't have that parking
requirement.
Right now, most residents have access to
three on street parking permits per
housing unit. I think it would be
realistic for our community to make sure
that there is either on street parking
or available off- streetet permits for
that unit to make sure that either one
or the other is available. Uh and if we
wanted to have additional concern about
just the additional vehicles that would
be coming into the community, you could
even restrict that further and say that
there would need to be say at least two
additional uh on street parking permits
available for that home for the
construction of an ADU. So just some
possible other options to make that a
little bit more feasible, but still take
into account the concerns of the
community in those areas. But in
general, I think this is a great
legislation. I think it's long overdue.
been seeing communities in Ohio and
around the country taking this on. We
know there's a housing crisis in Ohio. I
know when my family moved, uh, we had to
fight to purchase one of the very few
Beexley homes that was large enough to
support a multigenerational family. And
I would love to see other people not
have to pay a premium for that, but be
able to engage in that in their own
terms within city restrictions. So,
thank you everyone for your work and I'm
excited to see where this goes. Thank
you, Mr. Cahoun, for your comments.
Um,
No additional speaker slips on this
ordinance. All right. Uh let me look at
my notes here. All right. We're going to
keep this one off of the consent agenda.
So let's let's move on to the next one.
All right. We are on to ordinance
16-25
to authorize the mayor to enter into a
lease with the city of Columbus for
premises located at the southeast corner
of Alen Creek Drive and Main Street,
also known as Pump House Park. uh as the
Pumpar House Park site and to declare an
emergency introduced by Ms. Fible. Thank
you, Mr. Fishell. Um I know from
listening to the last meeting as I was
not there and it was introduced without
me, I um know that you were you all went
through this fairly fairly thoroughly.
Um, but because I know that there is a
request for a suspension and hopefully
an adoption of this, I'll I'll just go
through it really really quickly. Um,
you all know that the history of this is
that Robert um Norwood in 1940 started
running a u amusement park on on a site
that's right across the street from from
Kroger at the corner of Alam Creek and
Main Street. um he uh ran that um until
1957ish.
And what you might not know is that it
also has a huge um
uh water tank. Um it collectes collects
rain water. Um it's 15 feet deep and it
can hold about 250 million gallons of
water. So that's underground. Um, and in
2006, the recck department decided that
this might be a good space to do some
programming. And so the recck department
um with financial aid from ODNR, ODOT,
um the White Hub Beexley Rotary, very
proud of that as a Rotarian and um the
city of Beexley put some cleanup into it
and it became a really beautiful, in my
opinion, underutilized piece of, you
know, a beautiful park. Part of the
reason I think that it's underutilized
is because as Miss Sad said in the in
the last meeting, it's it's kind of hard
to get your kids safely to that spot and
parking. So, the recck department now is
working on trying to get an agreement
with the church that's just to the south
of that to see, you know, to have some
some parking so we can safely get our
kiddos there. And they would really like
to move um our football program at least
practices to that site. So, I think that
would be a great way to utilize space.
Um, so we rent that every year for a
dollar from Columbus. And this is simply
renewing that lease, which is officially
up. So, I was hoping though that the
mayor might be able to tell us why um a
suspension would be important for this
evening. Mayor, would you like to
address that? Yes. Thank you. Thank you,
Miss Fable Slampy. Excellent synopsis.
I'd learned some new things just now
about the dates for Norwood. Um or and
that it was Robert Norwood. Didn't know
that. Um
so actually Columbus has already
approved the lease. We received their
signature on the document. So they're
ready to go. Um a suspension and
adoption would allow us just to go ahead
and execute the lease and get going. Um
you mentioned the the path. We've been
working with the church for many years
on that concept, but didn't want to get
too far down the path.
ended uh until we knew that we had that
that right via a newly executed lease so
that we could in good faith kind of
pursue. There's another arm of Columbus
we need to work with to get the path uh
to cross um the existing greenways
trail. So, um we started those
conversations would love to get going in
earnest. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, that
was a great explanation and great
overview. Um council, is there any
further discussion? Mr. Silverman.
I just wanted to add on to Councilwoman
Fable's comments about programming at
Pump House Park. My son participates in
the youth football league and they had
struggled. They had been practicing at
school fields and damaging the grass at
schools and we all know the the need for
ability for field space. And I went and
visited the church um to talk to the
pastor or the youth pastor at the time
who also runs some resource programming
on the second floor of the space and
walked Pump House Park, was really
impressed by the shelter. I I'll be
honest, I never actually walked the
physical space. Um and I'd lived on the
east side my entire life. I drove past
it and I think it would be wonderful to
see uh wreck utilizing it. Um sports
leagues utilizing it, the shelter house,
the benches around um the parking lot
situation at the at the church. I think
it's going to be a benefit for the whole
east side community. It's going to be a
great opportunity to highlight a
transition point between Columbus and
Beexley. One of the pillars of one
Beexley is to really showcase that and
I'm very much in favor of the future for
Pump House Park to include the $1 lease
um from the utility department. Thank
you, Mr. Silverman. Um is council
comfortable suspending and possibly
adopting this evening?
All right, seeing that, uh Miss Fible,
do you have a motion to suspend the
three reading requirement for ordinance
16-25?
Indeed I do. Is there a second? Second.
Second by Mr. Marcelino. Uh Mr. Fischer,
will you call the role on the motion to
suspend? Miss Lamy? Yes. Mr. Hurley?
Yes. Mr. Markham? Yes. Missad? Yes. Miss
Fable? Yes. Mr. Marcelino? Yes. Mr.
Selen? Yes. Thank you. Miss Fibel, do
you have a motion to adopt ordinance
16-25? Yes. Please. Is there a second?
Second. Second by Mr. Marcelino. Are
there any comments from the public?
All right, seeing none, Mr. Fischell,
would you please call the role? Mr.
Silverman, yes. Mr. Markham, yes. Miss
Sad, yes. Miss Lamkey, yes. Mr.
Marcelino, yes. Miss Fible, yes. Mr.
Hurley, yes. The ordinance passes.
Thank you.
Okay. Okay, moving on to a second
reading of ordinance 17-25 to establish
the speed limit on Drexal Avenue between
Main Street and Broad Street at 25 miles
per hour introduced by Mr. Markham.
Thank you, Mr. Official. So, we had our
first reading uh the last meeting. We
talked about how uh we are now seeing uh
slower speeds on the on Drexal Avenue
thanks to the uh the changes that have
been made there. Uh this would allow us
to officially set the speed limit lower
at 25 mph. Uh we earlier had an
unscheduled enthusiastic endorsement by
our new resident uh doctor and also some
suggestions it sounds like for this as
well. So I would open this up for any
comments or discussions. Uh, Miss Fible,
the reason I left 363 South Drexel was
because I was going to be having
children old enough to drive, old enough
to
have to back out of a driveway because
we didn't have room to turn around and
go forward um, out of our driveway. And
I was worried because of the speed. And
I am so happy with the medians that are
there. And while I do think the good
doctor has some really great ideas, I
think restricting I I I always said I
couldn't understand the whole time I was
trying to raise very little people on
that street. I couldn't understand why
it was 35. And I I am thrilled to see
that this is on our agenda tonight.
Thank you, Miss Fable. Um any other
comments, questions from council?
Uh I too will also add that um you know
if council passes this, which I hope it
will, um that will leave Broad Street as
the only remaining street in Beexley
that is um 35 miles an hour. Everything
else will be 25 miles an hour. Um, I
agree with uh, Miss Fible that I think
that there were some good points raised
earlier about some maybe potential
things to improve on some of the islands
or mediums and I know uh, the mayor's
dedicated to looking into whether that's
feasible or uh, makes sense, but um, I
would be in support of this as well.
Anyone else have comments or questions?
Uh, Mr. Official, we have any speaker
slips on this one? Not on this one.
Okay. How does council feel about this
one for the consent agenda?
Anyone opposed?
You're opposed. Okay. We will leave it
on the third reading. But if you change
your mind, you let me know, Mr. Hurley.
Okay.
All right. I actually support, as much
as I support this, I support that with
uh Mr. Hurley because um again, we
worked so hard and long on this. We need
to make sure the public is aware this is
happening and a third reading allows for
that. So, thank you Mr. Hurley for she
speaking up like
All right, Mr. Fishell, we are down to
two of our last second readings. Second
reading of ordinance 18-25 to amend the
bed and breakfast variance at 519 South
Drexel Avenue in the city of Beexley
introduced by Mr. Marcelino to initiate
uh for the historical uh view of this
ordinance. I'm going to kick it to the
mayor and then he can kick it back to me
and we'll go from there. Yes. So we
presented this um high level at the last
meeting. Um the bed and breakfast
variance is a is a use variance. council
exclusively has the ability to provide
for use variances in our code.
Initially, uh it was a a use variance
provided to the owners Mike and Leslie
Mounts who wanted to buy the per
purchase property at um 519 South
Draxville and turn it into a bed and
breakfast. Council at the time granted
that use variance with conditions. Um
then when Capitol University entered
into contract on the property, they
proposed amendments to the use variance.
So that has has since been amended by
council. Um and the initial use fair
variance required uh owner occupant to
live on the property. The amendment for
capital allowed for staff of capital to
qualify for that consideration.
Capital has since placed the property up
for sale. We've had the um we've had a a
variety of calls from potential buyers
interested in purchasing the property um
asking if it's possible to change uh the
variance further to allow for different
models that they have. Um, I want to
make it really clear, um, because I
think sometimes there's confusion when
ordinances are presented to council in
an affirmative fashion, you know,
approving something that whenever we
get, um, approached for really any
variance, um, spec especially use
variance, we don't in any way, shape, or
form represent that there's approval on
that proposal. Um, we help the applicant
navigate the process. We try to uh
communicate as effectively as we can
some of the issues that we've heard in
the past and they have the ability based
upon their contingent contract on the
property to ask the question, can we
change that this use variance? And so
that's what's happening here. We have a
a property uh or sorry, an applicant
who's in contract on this property
proposing a change of the use variance
um to allow uh an owner who lives in
Beexley to operate the property um uh
subject to some conditions. Um, council
obviously needs to consider that
carefully and um, weigh the testimony of
um, property owners in the area and the
considerations
uh, that follow. And oh, sorry, one more
thing. The applicant is not here today.
The applicant will be at the next
council meeting which is also the
published hearing uh, for this
ordinance. Right. Thank you. Mr.
Marcelina, did you have anything else to
add to Yeah, I guess just to uh,
reiterate here and I guess it's uh, my
take on it. Uh, as we saw earlier
tonight, introducing an ordinance
doesn't necessarily mean you support an
ordinance. Sometimes it just has to uh
come before council for a decision and
that's why it's before you. Um, on this
one, I'll just tell you I am not uh
going to be a yes on this. It's going to
be really hard to get me off of that.
Uh, in regards to that opinion, um, it
just to me this changes to me the fabric
of our community to a significant
extent. I can I'm concerned in regards
to uh the slippery slope argument and I
typically don't like to rely upon that
but I do think that uh it opens us up to
a whole wave of uh of new applications
and I think it will be tough to discern
some of them from this project uh if
they do come before us and I don't know
that I'm ready to take that step at this
point. So while it is introduced at this
point I'm a no and I anticipate to stay
there but I would leave the rest for
discussion between the rest of council.
Great. Thank you so much, Mr. Marcelino.
Mr. Hurley, you had your hand up. Um,
yeah, this is maybe more of a I guess
setting the stage for the next hearing.
Um,
two things I want to understand and I
don't know, mayor, since our last
meeting, you may have some clarity on
this or Mr. Marcelino. First, is it the
intention of the prospective owner to
use Airbnb or Verbbo as like as the
actual booking platform?
Do you know? That's a question to ask
them. Yep. Uh, and then secondly, do
they intend on doing any kind of food
service? It's a question to ask them. I
think that I would I would really
encourage council that you're you're
going to have a hearing that is a quasi
judicial hearing for variance. There is
a there are variance criteria similar to
what Visap considers that Mark will walk
you through, I'm sure, to consider when
you when you hear that. And I think um I
am I am not going to represent what the
applicant may or may not do. They need
to they need to talk to you about that.
Okay, I'll withhold the rest of my
questions for Mr. Silverman. Thank you.
Um,
so
my understanding and conversations with
staff and previous council members that
we had very vigorous debate on
short-term rentals. Um, and we have a
very defined, clear scope on what we're
willing to allow as as a community. And
I feel that this current ordinance would
go against the principles of that and
would carve out a special qualification
for one business or parcel. Um, and so
for me personally, unless we're willing
to explore
changing our short-term rentals to allow
for non
owners to be in the principal residence,
I believe section B is the owner of a
short-term rental must maintain the
dwelling as his or her or their
principal residency clearly defined. And
if we are not willing to do that for all
short-term rentals, I do not think that
we should do that for this one. Um, so
right now with that requirement removed
from this ordinance, I will be voting
no. And I don't see myself moving unless
we unless we acknowledge that we would
allow that for all short-term rentals at
Beexley. Uh, I do not believe that we
can give a favoritism to one location
over others. Um, so just wanted to give
you my position and view of this current
ordinance. Thank you, Mr. Silverman. I'd
like to remind members of the public um
that there will be an opportunity to
offer public comments as long as a
speaker slip is submitted given that
this is a second reading, but I'm going
to ask that you please not um uh
uh make some audible gas when council is
speaking please respectfully. Um any
other comments, questions from council
on this one? Missad I just want to
reiterate what I said from the first
meeting. Um, this does change the fabric
of our community. Um, this has been a
successful, to my knowledge, Airbnb,
uh, or not Airbnb, excuse me, bed and
breakfast that, um, the city has
definitely benefited from. I, um, love
that there's residents who are looking
to, uh, reinvest in this property. But
again, right now, as it's written, would
change the fabric of our community. um
something that we have discussed
multiple times with um the use of
Airbnbs and VBOs's and what that means
to our current um residents and and
their properties. So I as well and I
said this in the first meeting right now
as it stands this would be not something
I'd be voting yes for. Um I would love
to see someone that may be listening
tonight that would like to see it remain
as a bed and breakfast. Thank you, Miss
Sad. Um, I had a a few things that I was
just going to share. I I like I said, I
met with the mayor um to discuss some
first readings and the things that I was
interested in particularly were what
would be the burden on the city to
enforce the daily site visits from the
owner or u a person who's in Beexley
who's not living on site. I also had
some questions about uh uh enforcement
and what would be the consequences if
perhaps someone violated um the terms of
the use variance. Um and then to follow
up with Mr. Silverman said, I had
questions about how this would interplay
this be the short-term um regulation
ordinance that council passed years ago.
So I had questions about that um as
well. Um, council, anything further on
this one before I ask Mr. Official if
there's any speaker slips?
Uh, Mr. Official? Yes. Uh, Thomas Foody
has submitted a speak speaker slip.
Okay. Um, Mr. Foody, I don't know, sir,
if you were here earlier when I uh laid
out our public comment policy. Um, but
if you could please share your full
legal name and your address. And please
know that you have up to five minutes to
share your thoughts and comments with
council. Nearly that long. Thomas J.
Foody live at the corner of Drexel and
Sherwood almost across the street from
this proposed property change. Um I
filled out a speakerhip uh I mean a list
because I was the only neighbor here in
the building when I got here. Uh now
I've been fortified by multiple
uh backups here and as the as a I've
been on that corner for over 50 years.
So that makes me pretty old. So I I'd
like to yield my time so to speak to uh
some of my younger
uh who are who are more eloquent than
me. Mr. foodie unless they submit it as
a speaker slip um they would not be
allowed to speak at the second reading
but at the third reading there is no
speaker slip that is required so I would
certainly invite them to offer public
comments at the at the public um so they
can't make any comments um there has to
be there has to be a speaker slip which
I see now someone has handed to Miss B
if you just give us a second um let's
see if that speaker slip uh meets Mr.
Officials approval. Jennifer Hoffman.
Okay. All right. I think we're good. Mr.
Mr. Goody, thank you so much. We just
later at the end if if there is time.
We do have another public comment
opportunity. Um that is agenda item
number 16. So yes, you're invited to
come back. Thank you.
Jennifer Hoffman. Jennifer Hopman. Um I
probably mispronounced that name. I'm so
sorry. Ma'am, if you'd like to come on
up.
And I'm not sure uh ma'am if you were
here when I uh gave an overview of the
public com policy to council. If you
please would share your full legal name
and your address and please know that
you have up to five minutes to address
your comments to council. Thank you.
Um hi, I'm Jennifer Hoffman. Um and I
own um the building next door uh to the
bed and breakfast 513 South Drexel. I
live reside at 2618 Brighton.
Um so I found out I knew that the
property was for sale and I was involved
when it was um uh originally approved as
a bed and breakfast, but I understood
the ordinance was that the owner had to
live on site. So, I kind of got wind
that it was in going in contract. So, I
tried to track down how were they going
to use it because I had heard there was
talk of making it condos or whatever.
And then I I quickly found out that
potentially there's an ordinance to
change the original ordinance and the
owner does not have to live on the
property. So, what does that really do
to Beexley?
Um, and just some thoughts because we I
want the um council to think about this
as you are kind of determining the
future of that building and potentially
as everyone has quote said potentially
changing the fabric of our city. I say
the character of the city or the
character of the street. Um, I don't
think it's the best use for that
property. I liked it as a bed and
breakfast. It has controls with an owner
living there. Um, basically it would be
an Airbnb and we all know that there is
issues with uh Airbnbs.
Um, there's noise, there's disturbances.
I own rentals. I'm in them frequently,
but stopping by once a day does not
control what's going on inside. So, um I
believe that um it will impact property
values and I also think it starts a
precedence for the city for future
Airbnbs.
In California, the real estate um
community has now enacted that realators
are required to disclose if a house next
door is an Airbnb because it is
definitely reducing the property values.
So, um I really ask that the city
council members think about what you're
setting as a precedence potentially for
this city. And um I ask what value does
it offer to the community and the
residents.
That's all. Thank you so much, ma'am,
for your comments.
Um council, sounds like we Oh, we do.
I'm so sorry. I didn't realize we had
another one. Okay. Dan Shamansky. All
right. Um, Mr. Shamansky, I don't know
if you were here earlier when I gave it.
Okay. Well, then I'm not going to repeat
it. Sam Shamansky, 2590 Maryland Avenue,
Beexley, Ohio. Also 525 South Drexel,
Beexsley, Ohio. Uh, also 265 South Park
View, Beexley, Ohio. Also 845 Pleasant
Ridge, Beexley, Ohio. I only say that
because I'm invested in our community as
I know you are. I was um pleased to hear
the sentiment of the council members
that have spoken against this ordinance.
It's bad news for the city. It's bad
news for the community. And I'm a little
surprised, frankly, that I've never
received notice of this hearing. I
realize that our ordinance says 14 days
beforehand. It's woefully inadequate for
us to prepare um to address the issues
set forth in the ordinance. I frankly
didn't understand why this wasn't vetted
through our our our zoning people who
are I think uniquely qualified to
understand these issues. But I'm not
conversant enough uh with our procedural
structure. I would just urge members of
council to do as I I I believe they
already have and take a very critical
look at this. Um I'm not anti-progress.
I usually defer to the mayor on these
issues because I think he's got a good
feel for what's going on as I think most
of you do. I can't imagine a world in
which this makes sense for anybody. Um,
you know, Jeff Meyer isn't going to
suffer. He doesn't if he doesn't get to
turn this into a hotel. Um, but I think
the only people that will suffer um are
those that are directly adjacent to it.
So, I've spoken to just about every
owner that's in the area, Charles
Hillman, uh Ronnie, and and and and
everybody else that's appeared here. And
I think you'll be hardressed to find one
single um property owner in the
neighborhood uh that'll be in favor of
this ordinance. And I'd ask you to so
consider please um during the third
reading. Again, I'm also concerned that
I've never received notice. I realize
there's a 14-day requirement, but I sure
don't have it. and assuming that it was
mailed out today and not to cast
dispersions on the Beexley post office,
but I may not see it for a week, which
is not adequate time to prepare. Um, so
I think that's a real shortcoming here
and I'd ask you to so consider either
extending um the the date for the third
reading uh to allow those opposed to
prepare properly or if that's not going
to be an issue based on the temperature
of council, I'd ask you to go forward
and deny this uh at the third reading.
Thank you, Mr. Mansky. Thank you. Very
much appreciated. Um, mayor, I'm going
to ask if you and your office could
follow up to see what dates um any
required notices or were maybe sent out
to make sure that they comply with with
our rules. You can follow up right now
if you want. Okay. So, be great. We did
mail out today and correct. Yes. And to
be clear, the person the hearing date
wasn't set until our pre-consil meeting
on Friday. So, it was sent in compliance
with the code. Thank you for checking on
that. Much appreciated. Uh, Mr.
Official, did we have any other speaker
slips on this one? No additional speaker
slips. Madam President, can I make one
quick clarifying comment if that's okay?
And I think I said this, but maybe it
wasn't clear enough. When when we bring
these forward, we are being responsive
to an applicant who is asking to bring
the question to council. This is simply
because we're talking about it doesn't
mean that we're endorsing it or that we
encouraged it. It's it's a we're
providing the forum per law that the
they are allowed to pursue. So noted. Um
and just so everyone is aware um at the
next one it's going to be a third
reading. No speaker slips are required
in case you'd like to come back and
offer comment at that time. Sorry. So
two other two other points again they
any any applicant has the right to
request a use variance. So to the
mayor's point, city council cannot say
nope, we don't we aren't in favor of
that without going through the process.
Number one. Number two, I would
encourage that, you know, I would
encourage anybody who has wants to speak
on this for or against
that or I would remind people that city
council is required to take into
consideration what you hear at the
hearing, which is going to be at our
next council meeting, apply to the
criteria that again, I'll send out an
email and remind you of all of that.
We've been through before. Um so again
that so for those folks who are
listening or um you know who are in the
who have standing in other words the
ones who are provided notice they have
the right to appear here uh two weeks
from tonight and provide whatever
comments testimony evidence they desire.
Um uh but that's what city council has
to consider. Thank you. if you could
send that reminder email just so that we
we we kind of remember that that would
be much appreciated. Um all right, we'll
leave this on for our third reading. And
wow, one more second reading.
Yes, that's right. One more. One more.
We're almost there. We're almost there.
Second reading of ordinance 19-25 to
authorize the mayor to enter into a
5-year employment contract with Chief
Gary D. Lewis introduced Junior
introduced by Jess Sad.
Well, I think we're all excited to have
this in front of us tonight. Um, I can't
believe we've come up upon this
ordinance already. It seems like we just
were having uh, yeah, a lot of extra
meetings in July to get this done for
our community. Um, mayor, I'll let you
elaborate on what we're going to be
discussing. Well, we're going to be
discussing authorizing a five-year
employment contract with Chief Lewis. Um
the
the attachment to that contract is
something that we will be discussing in
executive session later on. Correct. Uh
which is why it's not currently attached
to the agenda and look forward to do
that. And that's what I wanted you to
elaborate on that we will be discussing
that in executive session. Um the actual
contract. So when you didn't see that
yet, it is yet to come. Sounds good. Um
any further comments, questions from
council,
uh Mr. Official, any speaker lips? All
right, we will let that one go to our
next reading. Let's continue. All right,
first reading of ordinance 20-25 to
appropriate $5,411,860
from the OPWC project fund to record
2025 expenses related to the South
Casingham Road, Montrose Avenue, and
South Remington Road comprehensive
improvements project introduced by Ms.
Zad. So, this is an ordinance that is um
our waterline replacement, our asphalt
resurfacing, and road and sidewalk
safety improvements are a part of all of
this. So, it it is um part of an ongoing
project that we've been doing across the
community and it's a reinvestment into
our residents and our community.
Mayor, did you have anything you wanted
to add to this one? Uh yes. So, this is
an OPWC grant loan program. It's a 75%
uh zero interest loan, 25% grant. Um but
the actual it's a paper appropriation.
The reason I say that is we have to book
the income and the expense, but it's
actually going it's going through OPWC's
actual fund. So this is it's nonetheless
we have to appropriate those funds. um
we don't actually pay anything towards
it from our our coffers until the
project has been finalized and then uh
the total amount is certified. The 25%
is forgiven as a grant. 75% of it is uh
cataloged as that loan and it starts to
hit our books probably in two or three
years. Um so this is just a necessary
step along the way with this particular
OPW OPWC project. Thank you so much. Um
any comments, questions from council?
Uh Mr. official. Do we have any speaker
slips on this one? We do not. All right.
Um, tabled ordinances, there are none
anymore because we have already
addressed those. Um, at this time we are
on agenda item uh number 16, public
comments for which a speaker slip is
required. Uh, Mr. Official, did we have
or actually if there's anyone in
attendance who would like to turn in a
speaker slip for this agenda item,
they'd be happy to accept that right
now.
All right. Have none. Seeing none. Okay.
Um, let's move on to committee reports
before our executive session. Uh, Mr.
Markham for safety. No report. All
right. Mr. Silverman for service and
environmental.
Uh, I have no report, but are are you
raising your hand, ma'am?
Here. The ladies here help me with bus
pass because I'm homeless and I don't
have no food. got suffered cancer and
diabetes, but because my daughter died,
I was moving with my daughter and I lost
my ID and I got to get in the shelter. I
was trying to see if I had any more bus
passes. Ma'am, I'm so sorry I cannot
quite hear you. Um, if you would be
willing just to give this council just a
few minutes, we'd be happy to take a
quick break and then I'd be happy to to
come and help you. Okay. Thank you so
much. Uh we'll be we'll be right out in
just a just a moment. Please. Um
Miss Sad Finance. Yes. Pedal for
Pancakes. Um the mayor was addressing
that. It's going to be Saturday, July
14th. 8 a.m. is registration. You can
register on site if you didn't
pre-register for the event. It's $30,
$36 a writer. This includes a t-shirt, a
medal, a raffle ticket, and um a pancake
breakfast. And we'll have uh the pancake
flipper guy back. So, the kids are all
really excited. Um, I know there's a lot
of people here volunteering. Thank you
for that in advance. This has been an
ongoing um great event for our young
people to get involved in an amazing uh
pelleta that raises so much for cancer
and now is branching into the the
childhood cancer realm. So, really proud
of this event and I hope everybody can
be out and the weather's lovely on
Saturday. End of report. Thank you, Mr.
Hurley. Strategic and health. No day.
All right, Miss Fible for recreation and
parks. Yeah. Um, just real quick, I
would love for people to take a look at
some of the fabulous programming that is
putting on um as far as nature
programming, too. We talked a lot about
trees today. And um on June 14th,
they're going to have a trees, birds,
and bees fight. Sounds like fun. Then I
think even more exciting is June 21st
they're having a woodland night.
It's right across the street from my
house. They'll be pointing out the owls
that I hear every night. They're really
amazing.
Um, speaking of I found it very
interesting on my way to
drop off Xbox to the
Fix It.
But I saw on the front of
they are the
capital of
I also looked up the fact that there is
no
tree
always think in this Bible.
Wow, Mr. Marcus.
[Laughter]
Thank you so much, Miss Fable. Damian
Rice policy like why would I do that?
Thank you. All right, Mr. Marcelino, we
saved the very best for last for zoning
and development. You sure did. And it
has nothing to do with zoning or
development, but it does have to do with
the Junth Fest is taking place on June
19th from 7:00 to 8:30 at the Jeffrey
Mansion Carriage House. Awesome uh
program there. Uh you may recognize a
familiar face in Jen Robinson, many
others that have worked so hard to put
that on. So, please uh join if you are
able. Um, and thanks everybody for their
hard work tonight. That's all. Thank you
so much, Mr. I'll be showing up at Junth
if I can hold the new baby.
That's right. Tomorrow's a big day.
All right. Thank you so much. Um,
as you know, our next agenda item is to
go into executive session. For the
benefit of folks who are here, I will
share with you that um uh once council
goes into executive session, the only
thing that we're going to do after is
that I will come in, we will come out of
executive session and then we're going
to move to adjourn immediately and then
the meeting will be over and we will be
back here in two weeks for our next
council meeting. Um with that um I move
to enter into executive session to
consider the appointment employment
discipline or dismissal discipline
promotion demotion or compensation of a
public employee or official or the
investigation of charges or complaints
against a public employee official lency
or regulated individual unless the
employee official lency or regulated
individual request a public hearing by
division G1 of section 121.22
of the Ohio Revised Code. Could I please
have a second? Second. Second by Mr.
Marcelino. Mr. Official, would you
please call the role to go into
executive session?
Yes. You'll learn.
I was seeing if she was paying
attention. She said yes. Mr. Marco.
Yeah. I said yes. Miss Li. Yes. Miss.
Yes. Mr. Hurley. Yes. All right. All
right. Thank you. We will go into
executive session and we will be back
when we are done.
All right. Uh, thank you so much. I
will, uh, at this time move to come out
of executive session. Could I please
have a second? Second. A second by Mr.
Marcelino. Mr. Official, would you call
the role? Oh, voice vote. All in favor
say I. I. I. No one opposed. All right.
Um, at this time, council, I will move
to adjourn. Our next meeting is June
24th. Could I please have a second?
Second.