City Council - Regular Meeting

It is 7 o'clock and I'm going to call this meeting to order. Uh welcome. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, council members, city officials. Uh welcome to the February 9, 2026 regular city council meeting. We are meeting at 26th South Pain Street, Chilikathy, Ohio. And I would ask the clerk to call the role. Thank you. President Shoemaker Bennett present. Payne here. McCquort here. Barnes here. McKver here. Dement here. Preston here. Done here. Creed here.

Uh would Mr. McCquart please lead us in the pledge of allegiance? Algian 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. The uh minutes from the January 29, 2026 meeting have been distributed. Are there any additions, deletions, or corrections? Hearing none. Is there a motion to approve the minutes? Motion by Miss Dunn, second by um Mr. Deit. And the clerk will call the role.

Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCquort, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dun, yes. Creed, yes. Minutes are approved. We'll now move to the reports of committees. Uh, development committee, Mr. Dement. Thank you, President Shoemaker. Development has nothing on tonight's agenda and nothing to report. Thank you. Thank you. Engineering Committee is done. Uh, President Shoemaker, I have nothing on the agenda and nothing to report. Thank you. Thank you. Finance and Technology Committee, Mr. Creed.

Thank you, President Shoemaker. We have two items on the agenda tonight. First is uh item number one. It's an ordinance appropriating $24,48 to cover flood insurance for the wastewater treatment plant. At the appropriate time, I'll make a motion to wave the three rule so we can get that paid. And then item number four is an ordinance appropriating $2,89,9242 for the purpose of handling of brought forward purchase orders from 2025 and other brought forward amounts and um at the appropriate time. I'll make a motion to wade the three rule on that as well. And we did have a committee meeting just before this on item 260005. This is appropriation for emergency purchase of salt. Uh the committee agreed with that. It's for a total amount of $35,000 and that is sent forward to the law director's office for uh to be placed on our agenda next month or next meeting. That concludes my report.

Thank you, Human Resources Committee. Miss Payne, thank you, President Shoemaker. I do not have any additional or any new information to report on this evening. Thank you. Thank you, Parks and Recck Committee. Uh Mr. Barnes, thank you, President Shoemaker. I have nothing on the agenda and nothing new to report. Thanks. Thank you. Safety Service Committee, Miss Preston.

Thank you, President Shoemaker. Uh, Safety Services has one item on the agenda this evening. It's item number two. It's a first reading of an ordinance accepting appropriating $41,497 from the Ohio Attorney General's Office as reimbursement for police continuing professional training completed in 25 and declaring an emergency. And at the appropriate time, I will request to wave the three read rule. Thank you. That'll be all.

Thank you. I I was glad to hear if we were going to wave um so we could pay bills quickly. If we can get money, that's that's a good thing. So, I appreciate that. We'll move on to utilities committee, Mr. McKver. Thank you, President Shoemaker. Uh utilities has nothing on the agenda for tonight and nothing to report. Thank you, city services committee, Mr. McCquart. Thank you, President Shoemaker. I have one item on the agenda tonight. Uh first reading of a resolution authorizing the disposal of municipal property that is not needed for public use or is obsolete or unfit the use for which it was acquired in accordance with Ohio Revised Code section 722.15 by way of auction. Also, uh we had a choke the transportation advisory board meeting on Thursday. Um Mark Matthews and Amy Arnold are doing an awesome job. Um they're looking into uh possibly getting a second trolley for the city. Uh they're also talking about doing some updates to bus stops, adding some benches, and actually at the library stop want to put a bigger shelter in with a bigger bench there. And everything at Trans Transit's going real well. Thank you.

Thank you, Community Affairs Committee. Miss Bennett. Thank you, President Shoemaker. We have nothing on the agenda, nothing to report. We will now move to reports of officials. Mayor Feny,

thank you, President Shoemaker. Uh, quite a few things to report on tonight, so I will try to move quickly. Um, first thing I want to do is thank a lot of people for um their efforts and their patience related to snow removal. Uh we got a big snow and our I think our city team did a great job uh of handling it. Um it's been a long time since we got that much snow in a short amount of time. Uh actually I think two snow events since the last council meeting. Um, so I just want to thank the service department uh and uh beyond the service department because for those that don't know, um, the way the process works is, uh, the police department who, uh, works 24/7, uh, when the snow begins to fall often times in the middle of the night, the the police department uh, point of contact will reach out to the service department and say, "Hey, starting to come down. We're going to need you to come out and start working on uh, hills." often times if it's in the day or we have a a lead notice on it, we're able to get out and get saw down early, but uh if it's the type of thing where it's not happening during daylight hours or um not in the middle of the night, uh we need a call from the police department. So, folks are sent out in the middle of the night and we've got routines and routes, hit the hills first, uh major arterials, um and go from there. But especially when there's that much snow, uh we only have so many CDL drivers in the service department. Um, and from there we have to call in help from other departments, utilities department, sometimes transit department. It's an all hands- on deck situation. Um, and uh, like years in the past, um, we really had a great response from our staff. Uh, and I just want to thank them for for that effort and the good work they do. Um, I know it can be really frustrating. Cars get blocked in. um uh side side roads sometimes either don't get cleared or get packed down

before they get cleared. Um so I will say that in in every snow event um we have a afteraction meetings and conversations about what we can do better uh the next time and you know often times that means just working through uh what we would do 3 years from now when the next snow like this happens. um you know this year just little things thinking about snow in advance. Some of you might remember uh a literal mountain of snow in the annex uh which would last until April or May. Last year uh couldn't go there. So there there are just levels of detail like where are we hauling away piles of snow? How do we manage side streets? Uh that sort of thing. And it's it's an evergoing work in progress. One of the things that will probably be coming to council um sooner rather than later is a request uh for GPS on our snow plows. Uh if you look around the state, um Matt Bruning in particular, uh he he'll post um uh images of where all the snow plows are across the state. Uh obviously we don't uh need that on a statewide basis, but what it does for us uh or what it can do for us is really enable us to know where trucks have hit, where they haven't, frequency, that sort of thing. Because um despite our planning and our routes, uh that we've created, uh we are not infallible and uh we miss every once in a while or we can see that, you know, certain road has been hit once or twice and others uh more than that. And so, uh, being able to track GPS on those snow plows and other city vehicles is something that's probably going to be coming, uh, to city council soon. And so, as much as I want to thank, uh, the service department and those employees, I want to thank the public, uh, for their patience. I think, um, myself as a parent, uh, that patience was wearing thin after the city schools were all county schools were home for about a week and we were we were snow and iced

in. Uh so there's a lot of patience uh spread thin potentially across the city, but just lots of thank yous there. Um a quick uh welcome and reintroduction. Uh last week we had um the promotion in essence of our chief building official uh who is now our utility director. Uh some of you will recall over time we have uh talked for a really a long time about the the development of a public works department. Um in my assessment I think many agree with me um we have an opportunity to coordinate the efforts of the engineering department uh with the utilities department. In other words, the department that is in charge of um uh paving the streets and street repairs uh is really disconnected or has been historically disconnected from the utilities department who opens roads and does waterline repairs and that sort of thing. And so, um, Chief Building Official Brandon, who uh has been with us, uh, now for, um, uh, a year or so, um, has, uh, a construction, private construction background, has that chief building official, uh, background, management experience, uh, and we really have an opportunity now to really unify uh, utilities, um, building department, engineering, uh, into a cohesive unit. So, um I think I sent um an email to council and the directors, but uh we will we will sort of transition into that. It's not a ripoff the band-aid overnight type of thing because it's the first time we're trying something like this. Uh but we're really optimistic uh that this will be a a really valuable addition uh to the city and um really instill some coordination and uh coordination between um many city departments. So, welcome Brandon into his new new role. He will

continue to be the chief building official um which also has a significant level of inspections and that sort of thing on his plate uh until we modify the the um staffing in in the building department to make up for this uh new role. Uh but just want to make that announcement here today. Uh, also an announcement which many of you may have seen press releases for or um news for is uh last week's announcement that we are the recipient of $1.5 million uh in congressionally directed spending uh from Marylu Patent Park. Um this is an application that we submitted to uh our congressional de delegation. Uh that means um Senator Marino uh Congressman Taylor and Senator Hustead. Um and uh uh largely with their support and Senator Houston in particular uh that uh appropriation was authorized into law last week and we now have $1.5 million of congressionally directed spending uh to make some really significant upgrades to Marylu Patent Park. that is a city-owned facility that is leased to the Sciota Valley Youth League for um I haven't seen lease lately, but it's probably like a dollar for 99 years. Uh and um as we navigate those um congressionally directed spending requests, um we put in several last year, we've put in several over the years. As a reminder, some of the ones we've been successful on have been related to um Marietta lift station, um the uh water feature that'll go into the park. Um and so uh they are an interesting application process. The application process itself and the application itself is not particularly specific. Um but there's a lot of advocacy and

conversation and working with the congressional offices uh the teams there to figure out what is really um you know going to be supported by our representatives. And so kudos to the planning and development uh department for putting forward another successful application. Um transitional housing is another one that we put forward that was also 1.5 million. Uh and so that project um we will start to work on that one as well. That'll largely be for um things like parking, roadway, drainage. If you've been over there in the last several years, the um I would say the southwest quadrant uh of that park has has new parking, uh new storm water management, and some roadway improvements. Uh, and this will be a large improvement basically to the rest of the area. Um, but we're going to work through uh what that looks like and what those improvements are. Uh, but it's just an exciting thing to come through for the city. So many people in this community uh have been impacted by that uh park over the years. Uh, and before long, we're going to have uh an additional 1.5 million in infrastructure and a finished water wastewater treatment plant that won't stink. So, uh, really going to be an upgraded corner of town here before long. Uh on that note, uh last fall we had lots of conversations around uh the plume at um the former wherever site how met uh and the city's involvement in that. Uh we haven't talked about it much in council recently, but we've spent a lot of time on the back end communicating with, as you might imagine, a lot of moving parts. uh the Ohio EPA, um the new owners of um the paper mill, uh and working through uh what the future of that site looks like and monitoring of it. One of the main

requests that came out of those conversations last year was a request for uh basically a public information session uh that the community and city council was asking that we ask the Ohio EPA to host. I put in that request um officially and over time uh the response that I've received is that they receive a lot of requests for uh public information sessions. Um, and so they didn't deny our request for public information session, but what they said, and um, specifics here will follow for everybody to to jot down, is that uh, because they received so many requests for public information sessions, they base the necessity of those public information sessions on how many inquiries they get from the public. And so they said uh essentially uh that this might not be the right time for a public information session, but uh they asked me to convey to council and to the public that if the public has specific questions about that site, about areas around that site, which could be could include uh Marylu Patent Park, uh that those questions be directed to the Ohio EPA. I have an email address and a phone number which I will also um send to city council and we can post publicly. Um but the email address is for Bryant Somerville. B R Y A N T O M E R V I L E I'll say this again at EPA.gov. Bryant B r y a n t dot s o m e r v i l l e at epa.gov 614 6442782.

Um I didn't I I was I will I will admit that I was frustrated by the response. Um but I don't think it's a um I don't think it's a rejection of our request. Uh I think it's a process that they have and that that we need to follow. So I would encourage the public I would encourage members of city council to direct specific uh questions and requests to those uh either that email address uh or that phone number with your specific questions, general concerns, whatever it might be. So we can get down the EPA down here to answer some of these specific questions. I can relay information that I get. Um, but hearing answers from uh I think specific sources uh especially when it's scientific stuff and I'm trying to rephrase what I've been told by somebody who's um doing technical work uh can be very valuable for the community. So again, it's Bryant Somerville at EPA.gov and the number is 614-6442782. Um, and then just kind of uh a couple notes of of interesting news or I I think next week we're going to get delivery in the fire department of a new uh medic truck that we ordered in 2022. The lag time on that vehicle uh is almost 4 years. Um so and we also have a fire truck coming soon which was ordered in late 2024. So in terms of strategic planning and asset management, obviously postco um there were some supply line supply chain issues uh but both a new medic and a firetruck uh coming along the way um which uh are uh especially in in the case of the medic uh long overdue. I'll stop there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. Auditor Spaggle.

Um, first of all, I just want to announce Lauren Baker. Sing back here is now the deputy auditor in the auditor's office. So, if anybody ever has any questions, you can always contact Lauren. Um, she usually comes to council every week, so I know that you guys are familiar with her. Um, and then I have two items on the agenda. One, appropriating $24,000 to cover cost of wastewater treatment plant flood insurance. That is insurance that's required during the um, construction project down there. And then item number four is appropriating 2 million 2.8 million to cover um continuing brought forward purchase orders. So those are projects that were started in 2024 and um not in 2024 and 2025 and not invoiced um yet. So that is to cover costs of those projects. And then I just want to announce a um finance meeting on the 23rd to go over last year's financial statements at 6:30 for council. And that concludes my report.

Thank you, law director.

Thank you. We've been very busy with this legislation. I brought with me uh Kim Large the uh she is the office manager for the law director's office and uh regarding the emergency assault legislation uh we've already I believe we've already got that drafted ready for you. We was coming. So, uh we are working really hard upstairs and to uh tail on what, uh our mayor was talking about, not plume related, but the DuPont lawsuit related that still involves our water issues. Um we are in the middle of that that testing and getting their results and um we are waiting to get our questions answered on uh how we can proactively take care of our citizens with regard to those results and we'll be letting you know what we find as soon as we find it out. Thank you. I have nothing else.

Thank you. U now we'll move to audience participation. Any person wishing to address council must first provide his or her name and address. Comments shall be limited to 5 minutes and I'll give you a warning when there is one minute remaining. Uh green light uh Michael Kade 380 Meadow Lane. Um, I'm not here really to complain. I'm just here to discuss something. And uh um last year health-wise, it was a pretty rough year for me. I've got a defibrill wire runs around my chest, my chest bone. And when my heart quits beating, it shocks me. It gets my heart beating again. Happened twice back in June. both times ended up with a brain concussion from the fall. Ended up with a hip fracture. The fall actually back in those that time because of the pain of hitting the concrete um shot my heart back feet. I ended up Memorial Day in a hospital in Cabell County, Kentucky. I was at a parade in Ironton, Ohio. I stood up out of the seat. I collap first time it ever happened. Didn't know anything was wrong. I felt good. Um, no problem whatsoever. 10 or 11 days later, I was on my brother's grass over in Pleasant Valley. Uh, and I got done. I was sitting on a concrete or sitting on a patio. Got up to leave, passed out. Ended up with a brain concussion and cracked hip. ended up out here to Adena

for three days. They did X-rays, sent me to OSU, do another X-ray, an MRI up there, and they did a brain uh test or X-ray, but didn't find anything. And I thought my wife could have told him that without an X-ray. Uh, but I said all that to say this where I live on Meadow Lane over the years they and it's about the snowplow over the years they forget my lane, Meadow Lane. They forgot it this past time. They forgot the second time. Uh, and I've called and I and and all three of my neighbors on my street. We got a big street. A lot of people live on it. I got there's three people live three families live on my street. Anyway, they did plow our neighborhood, but they didn't plow my nether time. So, Wednesday of Bigall, I was in bed Wednesday about 10:30. I woke up a little after midnight. My left leg was vibrating. That's what woke me up. My heart wasn't beating the way it should be. I could feel that. But I knew when I went to bed, there was a FedEx truck on one end of our street. On the other end of our street was two cars. So, so I knew I couldn't get out. Also, I knew if I called the paramedic, they could have got to me, but they would have had to walk 100 yards probably to get to. I just went ahead and laid there for a few minutes. Finally, I quit. The problem quit, stopped, and I thought maybe I was going to get shot, but I didn't. I didn't go that far. I said all that to say this. They have not plowed our street many times and they have plowed our neighborhood that they keep forgetting my street. Now I have called the city

street department and complained and I actually told them last Thursday that Thursday morning was it last Thursday morning about my situation with my heart. I called him again. I called him three times. They kept telling me you're on the list. My neighbors called the same thing. Well, they you're on the list. But anyway, um when I told them about my heart situation at the street department, they were out that day and they plowed the street three times. The street's about this wide. They plowed it three times. They brought an in loader down the street to to scoop up all the ice because cars have been run and make it solid. Anyway, that's why I'm here to discuss it. I know our mayor talked about and I agree with him 100%. Uh I worked in Michigan for a railroad for 30 years and I drove a dump truck with a plow on it hundreds of miles. So I I understand how how it is and you got to do the hills first. I get it. You do the main streets first. I get it. What my complaint is this. In all the other neighborhoods, how much time do they spend in one neighborhood before they go to the next one? Why can't they go through and make one one run through every street first and then go back and remove more? The other thing is is that they keep forgetting my street. You know, I don't know if I'm on the GPS or not. Apparently not. So anyway, I just thought I'd bring that to your attention. And um my wife would get really mad if I were to die because the street hadn't been plowed. He would really be up. I wouldn't be too upset, but she would be. And my mom would be very hurt, too. She's still alive. She's 90 years old, doing great, healthy, great, good shape. Lives by herself, takes care of all of her stuff

by herself. Don't take any medication. But she would be upset if that would happen to me. So anyway, uh I would like to give my scream out every time it snows, just like everybody else. Thank you very much. Thanks for the information and uh I'm sure the mayor is taking notes and um uh also we hope you're hope you're feeling well. So my name is AJ Tainer. I live at 81 North Creek Street, apartment 2B. And I agree that we've that we've been doing a decent job with the snow plows on on our streets. But my but my concern is our sidewalk just outside this building right now. You know, it would be nearly impossible for a for somebody with a wheelchair or crutches or canes to get be able to get inside to just attend I apologize. I'm forgetting how to English today. It would be nearly impossible for them to be able to get inside to attend this meeting. I don't know how many of you all have ever used wheelchairs or tried to push a friend in a wheelchair or canes or crutches or any or any kind of mobility aid, but I'm sure you all you all are at least somewhat aware of how difficult it is to do in in winter especially. But all over downtown, we see sections of sidewalks that are still covered in snow. Just look at Water Street. Water Street, the section between, you know, paint towards Christy's is still that sidewalk is still completely covered in snow to the point that I have to walk on in the street through the parking spaces in order to get to work because there's no way I'm going to get through that through that. And my legs and knees, thank thankfully, knock on wood, they'll work perfectly fine. Knock through that. But then we have situations like in the parking lot on the corner of Water Street and Malberry where the United

Way, Dirty South Therapeutics, Integrated Services, not integrated, Insight TMS are all located that have giant piles of snow in the corn and press into the one corner that people have to use when the only handicap accessible spot is there or there's a bunch of snow stacked all against the curb. So, there's plenty of space to park to park and there is a little bit of space for you to be able to walk in, but how but there's no way to get from the street parking onto the sidewalk. It's hard enough as someone who can walk. Well, imagine trying to navigate that in a wheelchair crutches. I understand it's a lot of work trying to figure trying to manage snow, especially with the amount and the speed that we've gotten it, but there has to be a better way than leaving curb cutouts filled, not not getting making sure the sidewalks are cleared, leaving ice everywhere, making it harder harder to get places, especially when it when it starts to interfere with people who who want to attend things like city council meetings. It's hard enough getting getting to these as as someone who is young and fit. Imagine if I imagined how hard it must be if for someone that's not. Thank you.

Thank you. If there is no further audience participation, we'll move on to old business. Is there any old business come before council hearing? None. We'll move on to petitions and correspondence.

Thank you, President Shoemaker. I have received an email from the new sheets that's going in on Bridge Street inviting everyone to their grand opening and their soft opening on Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th. All right. I think those festivities go on all day also. I shouldn't comment, but I will. I I wouldn't open I wouldn't open a business on Friday the 13th, but I'll skip past we'll skip past that and move on to another topic. Um, if there nothing else, we'll move on to new business. Is there any new business to come before council? The only thing I want to mention is it is uh annual the annual Black History Month program will take place on Thursday, February 19th at OU's Bennett Hall. Uh the social gathering will be at 6:30 and the program will begin at 7 and um it's um it's always a well attended and well worthwhile uh meeting when they have this on an annual basis. Next, we'll move on to reading of ordinances and resolutions. Thank you, President Shoemaker. This evening we have four items on our agenda. Item number one is the first reading of an ordinance appropriating $24,048 to cover costs for wastewater treatment plant flood insurance and declaring an emergency.

Mr. Creed, President Shoemaker, I'd like to make a motion to wave the three read rule, please. Seconded by Miss Payne. Um, and the clerk will call the role relative to the waiver of the three read rule. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCquart, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dun, yes. Creed, yes. The three read rule is waved. The clerk will call the role relative to the ordinance. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCort, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement. Yes. Preston. Yes. Done. Yes. Creed.

Yes. Ordinance is adopted. Next. Ordinance. Item number two is the first reading of an ordinance accepting and appropriating $41,497 from the Ohio Attorney General's Office as reimbursement for police continuing professional training completed in 2025 and declaring an emergency. President shoemaker. M. President like to make a motion at this time to wave the three- read rule on this item. Second by Miss Bennett. Clerk will call the role relative to the waiver of the three- read rule. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCquart, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dun, yes. Creed,

yes. The three read rule is waved. The clerk will call the rule relative to the uh ordinance. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCquart, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Done, yes. Creed, yes.

Ordinance is adopted. Next resolution. Item number three is the first reading of a resolution authorizing the disposal of municipal property that is not needed for public use or is obsolete or unfit for the use for which it was acquired in accordance with Ohio Revised Code section 721.15 by way of auction. The resolution will move to the next agenda. Next ordinance

item number four is the first reading of an ordinance appropriating 2,899,9909242 for the purpose of continuing the handling of brought forward purchase orders from the year 2025 and other brought forward amounts to be put on the books of the city of Chilikathy, Ohio for the year ending December 31, 2026 and declaring an emergency. Mr. Trade President Shoemaker, I'd like to make a motion to wave the three- read rule, please. Second by Mr. McCquir. Clerk will call the role relative to the waiver of the three- read rule. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCort, yes. Barnes,

yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dun, yes. Creed. Yes. The three read rule is waved. The clerk will call the role relative to the ordinance. Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCort, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dunn, yes. Creed, yes. Ordinance is adopted. If there's nothing else to come before councel, I would accept a motion to adjurnn by Miss Payne, seconded by Miss Dunn, and the clerk will call the role.

Bennett, yes. Payne, yes. McCquart, yes. Barnes, yes. McKver, yes. Dement, yes. Preston, yes. Dun, yes. Creed, yes. We are adjourned. Thank you all.