Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

We're ready. I know. Are you ready? Yes. [laughter] It is 7 o'clock on Thursday, February 5th, and I am calling the regular meeting of the East Point Planning Commission to order. And would the secretary please call the role? Mrs. Hall Rayford here. Miss Naylor here,

Miss Yolinsky here, and vice chair guest here. Um going in before we do the um approval of the agenda, I would just like to correct the date for the minutes approval of the minutes because those minutes should be for December 4th, not March. So those would be approval of the minutes for December 4th, 2025. So uh next then would somebody like to make an a motion to approve tonight's agenda? Motion to approve the agenda for this evening. Okay. And Okay. A motion was made.

Baylor and seconded by Ms. Alraford. Please call the role. I have a comment. Oh, I'm sorry. Um I would like to amend the agenda by um I don't know if we can table the election of the officers, but since we don't have a quorum, if we could move that till next month. Yes, we we can do it. Um, we actually have a quorum and we definitely can table it to this. So, we're not a full commission. I would prefer a full commission. No, I agree. And when we had gotten to that, I was going to ask for it to be tabled so we can just adjust it now. Okay, ladies. Sorry.

No, that's good. So, please call the role for the approval of the agenda. Kimley, I'm sorry. Did you make that motion? Yes. Yes. Thank you. And Hall Rayford. Seconded. Miss Naylor. Yes. Mrs. Hall Rayford? Yes. Miss Yulinsky? Yes. Vice Chair Sassic? Yes.

At this time, we will go into the first hearing of the public. Everybody, if you wish to speak, we'll get three minutes. Please, we do ask that you speak to anything that is not on the agenda to be a public hearing tonight. So if anybody would like to be heard, please step up, identify who you are, and we will give you three minutes. Is there anybody? Okay. Okay. Is that um Okay. Um, Jennifer Nicholas. Um, I see that you have on the agenda tonight you are discussing a parking waiver request for 20991 Beaconsfield.

Pacific. It it is. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. For which for the um parking waiver under unfinished business? Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. I mean, there wasn't much information. Did you write your name? Is it Did you write your name down as well, please?

Oh, I can. Yep. Um, yeah, there wasn't anything in the agenda about it. I know we had talked about it before, I think, back in November. Um, the town houses at Veronica and Beaconsfield. Um, I still every time I drive by there, I go by there once or twice a week. I do not see how there will be enough on street parking. Um those are nine residences and if I remember correctly they are three bedroomedroom threeb town houses. So the likelihood that each home would have only one vehicle even with that with allotting nine parking spaces on the street um would be a tight fit. I think you would have to use both sides of Veronica or be parking on Beaconsfield. Um and again with the size of the homes three bedroomedroom three bathroom I feel like some of those units are going to two, possibly three vehicles. And then you also have to take in account things like delivery drivers, Amazon, um you know, people coming to visit, um where there would be parking for that. And especially seeing it this winter with the snow on the roads and trying to envision all of the residents there parallel parking on the street and getting pulling in and out every time that they want to leave their home to go to work or go to the store or go anywhere. It just doesn't seem feasible. um [snorts] you know, if there was some way that they could put a driveway in there or a parking lot or something that would give give residents room to park, but I just I I just have a hard time seeing it and I

think that it would be unsafe. Uh I know the fire marshall had had concerns about it as well. So, um again, um I know you're going to be discussing it tonight and there wasn't really anything in the packet. You have 30 seconds left. Okay, I'm I'm good. Just I'll listen to when you address it, but I just wanted to bring up those concerns now. Thank

All right. Thank you. Is there anybody else that wishes to be heard? Is there anybody else that wishes to be heard? Seeing none, the first hearing of the public is closed and we will now move on to Um, approval of the minutes from the December 4th, 2025 regular planning commission meeting. Is there a motion? Motion to approve. A motion to approve the minutes as presented. So move.

Okay. So there was motion by Miss Yulinski, seconded by Al Rayford. Secretary, please call the role. Said it. I said it wrong. Oh, okay. Miss Naylor, yes. Mrs. Hall Rafford, yes. Um, Miss Yinsky, abstain. I was not here. Okay. And yes, Vice Chair Sassic.

Yes. Okay. Okay. The next agenda item is a public hearing to receive um comments regarding the zoning change from an MU1 to an light industrial one for I'm sorry the address was 15200 East 10 mile road. Is there anybody that would like to be heard for the first I'm sorry. Can I get a motion to open the first public hearing on this item?

A motion to open the first hearing of the public. Okay. Support. All right. Motion was made by Ms. Naylor and supported by Ms. Hall Rayford. Please call the role. Miss Naylor. Yes, Mrs. Hall Rafford. Yes, Miss Julinsky. Yes, Vice Chair Sassic. Yes. And now, would anybody like to speak to it? If so, you're going to get three minutes and please come up, sign your name and I will let you know when you have 30 seconds left.

Okay. Thank you. My name is Charles Roach. I'm the owner of Harvard Homes. I'm a business owner in this city and have been for quite some time now. And um [clears throat] the reason I'm requesting the change is because um I'm invested in this city. I like the whole model of it's a family town. U I'm a contractor. I do new construction. I do rehabs and I want to service this community in particular. That's why I have my office here and I want the people to know me, be able to reach out to me, have conversations because this is the community that I've chosen to service with not only just rehab work. U I've worked at some of the churches here. I built the home on Lexington. I don't know if you know about it. And I have nine more slated to be built in this city. And I just want to be a part of the bigger vision. And what I need to help me is changing this ordinance so that I can properly house the things I need to help control my cost for servicing this community.

Okay. Do you have any other comments that you'd like to offer?

Um yeah, I'm I'm here to help service the city. Um I've spoken with Mr. Meyers and others to see what it is that the city needs because um I can dream I do a lot of things, but I'm focused on quality. I'm not trying to shoot prices up because I don't think that's the way. I just I like a family town and I think it can be addressed with u there's certain products I don't even use on homes because most people aren't educated. You go in their house, people scam them for money and things of that nature. I want you to be able to pull up to the office, say, "Is Mr. Roach in?" I'm like, "Yeah, come on in my office, sit down. Let's talk. Let's have a conversation." or you call me out and it could be something I I don't even go to all service calls. I can how handy are you? I talk to you over the phone because it's not about just getting a dollar. I want to be a part of a community. I really want to help and I know sometimes people have their opinion. They're like, "Oh, like the speculations when I was building that house. I'm heavy into that thing, but I want to make beautiful homes for families here." I've scoured the world. I've been to other countries trying to find more quality, affordable things so we can build quality homes because they're getting away from that. And I'm cut from that older cloth. I'm only 51, but I believe craftsmanship. You shouldn't remodel a house. And it's

And you have 30 seconds left. To be remodeled in a couple of years because of the quality of the materials and workmanship. So I'm trying to be local. you can come in, see, talk, discuss, and I educate you so you understand it to the fullest point possible. All right. Thank you.

Is there anybody else that wishes to be heard in regarding um this discussion? Jennifer Nicholas, I just had a quick question because you're talking about reszoning it to Light Industrial and I know that section of 10 mile from um Hayes all the way to Flax is scheduled for a full reconstruction I think in 2027. I don't know if that affects um you know the plan for that area as far as what type of zoning we would want uh in that area now and in the future. I don't think we've seen any design plans from AEW as far as the reconstruction for 10 mile there and I don't know if that factors into it or not but I'll be interested when um Mr. Herbiel goes over this project to hear about that. Thanks.

Thank you. Is there anybody else that would like to speak to this topic? Is there anybody else that would like to speak to this topic? Seeing none, I will close the first public hearing. And at this time, I'm sorry you guys, under new business, uh, we will consider the motion to re with a recommendation to city council regarding the resoning for the property at 15200 East 10 Mile Road. Do any of the commissioners have any comments that they'd like to make? I had uh I needed some clarification regarding you said you need space for storage.

Um the way the lot is it's like a L shape. I have a couple of my dumpsters which I clean out the house debris and I have a shipping container housing heavy equipment and it's all on the back parcel of the um of the lot. Okay. I'm I'm trying to visualize it was a doctor's office. So, it's like a L shape. It sits right on the corner. So, um it's a daycare on this side. I have that whole driveway and then it's a Lshape going out to the main to the street there. Okay. I I get that. But I'm I'm thinking the equipment size Um, is that going to be sufficient with using the area that you're talking?

Yes, it's more than sufficient right now. [clears throat]

Does anybody else have anything they'd like to add? Um my question would be um because [clears throat] we don't know what you're saying would be stored. We're doing a resoning for um the items that he's saying how it's going to be laid out. saw the chart, but over time, um, you know, my crush would be is that probably not the best location. Um, when we talk about a mixeduse neighborhood, sorry,

opportunity uh to help move into the master plan where we have a different um approach on our corridors like a 10 mile and reszone it to light industrial. um it just opens the door for who's coming next and do we want that to be a light industrial you know or keep it where it's mixed use

so that it is in alignment with where we're moving toward um [clears throat] so my question would be is this maybe not the best location is the way to get another location so that you can have all your accommodations without a reasonzoning requirement. This is my second location from my previous one on Kelly where my office was and it couldn't accommodate this. And um this it works really good and it's not going to be like overbearing. It's it has [snorts] what it's going to have right now and it's just helped me monitor and um maintain a good quality service and keep my price down by being able to house the equipment there. And I have looked for light industrial here. Um, I haven't seen anything as of yet, but uh, I'm I'm trying to be in a community. I'm trying to be around. I'm trying to work. I'm trying to build and help turn things around. When we

I'm sorry.

Go ahead. Yes. Go ahead. When we are looking at the mixed use one, which all of that specific area is designated right now, that fits in with our master plan and again we're upgrading the master plan. But the concern becomes we're taking one small piece of property which was a medical office and so the residents in that area really didn't have to worry about an interference of noise or anything else because it was patient parking. This property butts right up to residents on both sides the street. And I'm looking at your your drawings for your plans for your storage. dumpsters and I just I don't see where it fits in and it's really hard to justify changing one small parcel to a white industrial which has a entirely different connotation and doesn't fit in with the master plan um in regards to this area of the city. So, I I'm just having a really difficult time understanding why this is a good fit, especially because as those dumpsters are going to be picked up and moved in and out, it's going to create a whole different noise level for residents that are used to a quiet medical office.

It um it's quiet there now. It's no noise. I have my dumpsters there as three. And I don't I don't make any noise. There's no heavy equipment. It's just that's my office. my location where I can be found, where I operate out of. So, it's not like no noise is being made. Um, I parked there. Actually, uh, even if I was going the next submit to try and put a privacy fence up because the community has chosen to fill those dumpsters with things that the trash can actually pick up. I don't know why that is, but uh, I just been dealing with it. Mr. Myers.

I have a question for you because if he's already got three dumpsters that he's storing there, that doesn't fit in with the zoning for that particular how how are we getting around that? We aren't. And if you give me a pause, I'll let you um let our administrative zoning planner to explain his point of view and our staff's position on the case and then you can ask further questions from that.

Okay. So, Mr. Chair, um this matter arose when the applicant applied for a business license to operate the his office at this location. um that I I think at that time there was transparency about the intention to do or to have outdoor storage there. Um that business license was denied for zoning compliance because the outdoor storage is not permitted

in the mixeduse district. Um the applicant would as you've heard would like to maintain that the outdoor storage there. Um, so that is the reason for the petition for the resoning. I just wanted to clarify too that if the resoning was successful, if the commission recommends the city council and city council agrees um that outdoor storage and and the plan as it is proposed is subject to special land use approval. So the next step would be a site plan and special land use approval. part of the performance or the development standards for outdoor storage is that it's screened with a masonry wall which um the storage currently is not. So um the ordinance is designed to protect or to provide some separation or some um uh there are tools to mitigate the adjacencies to industrial uses. Um, this land was developed as a commercial use. It does not have those. Um, as you mentioned, it was doctor's office parking, but I just wanted to clarify that the what is being considered now is changing the reszoning or changing the zoning of the parcel from MU1 to light industrial. Um, [clears throat] permitting the containers and the screening would have to come back. Um so this is just the first step. Um as you saw in the in the report that we wrote, there are several criteria that the planning commission has to consider that the ordinance lays out. Um and I think you touched on a couple of them already, but um the the first one is consistency with the plans. is the

master

is is the would this resoning be consistent with the current master plan? You are allowed to consider if development conditions have changed since the master plan was written. The master plan is not that old. It's only 5 years old and um I would say the zoning ordinance is uh was and the zoning map were revised to align [clears throat] with that master plan. So they are in they are right now in pretty close um alignment in the way that they should be but um the applicant might have some reasoning why the development development conditions are different. Um the second one is consistency with the ordinance and that goes the the basic purpose of the ordinance is protect and to allow for uses to coexist in a way that um one doesn't um inappropriately impact or impair the adjacent uses. um those might be there are devices as I said to mitigate the potential impacts but also the um those devices are designated on industrial land. Industrial land was zoned that way purposely. um this land was zoned aspirationally to convert to a mixeduse commercial corridor um that fundamentally is focused or is is incentivizing pedestrian oriented development. And I think that's the big conflict is the impact of the storage use not the office uh using the business the former medical office as a business office is um completely in line with the intention of the zoning ordinance. that the the rub is the storage of the material outside and that's why the applicant the applicant's petitioning it to eventually be allowed to do that. Um

so that's two compatibility with the street system. Um whether or not the street system is safely accommodated. I think that one is fairly neutral. The the area and the street system was developed as a as a commercial corridor. um this particular use as it's proposed I do not believe would have a large impact on the street system. Um I think the something to consider though is that you are reszoning it forever or until someone else petitions to reszone it or the city chooses to do so and the other uses that would be permitted to be there in the future might have an impact on the street system. Um similarly with sufficient public utilities and services um whether the the capacity of the public services would be uh negatively impacted again for this operation perhaps not but for all all future potential uses. Um I think then there might be a u a argument that that there could be a negative impact. Um since this is a petition to amend the map, um there are additional criteria about compatibility with built form, compatibility with uh the current uses that are there, compatibility with the zoning district, um whether or not a map amendment is appropriate and a uh whether or not this would amount to a spot zoning. The spot zoning is essentially treating um a piece of land that is similar to its to the land in the vicinity differently for a reason other than the public good. Um I I'd written in in the review the particulars of that. Um but I I think that that is the biggest hurdle to overcome here is that as you can see from the zoning map right now the There is not a similarly

configured parcel that is zoned light industrial and I think that is owing to the fact that the zoning map is recently updated in alignment with the intention of the current master plan. Um yes so I I just wanted to mention the context about the approval uh remind you that those are the criteria that we should talk be talking about in making a decision. And with that I'm happy to answer any additional questions. Thank you. Um, myself personally, I do view this as a case of spot zoning and the spot zoning for that particular piece of property would be a true exception that does not fit in with the rest of the the zoning around it. And I would have a very difficult time wanting to put this forward for city council to approve the zoning change. So that myself personally, I would have to vote to maintain the MU1 and not approve or recommend changing it to an LU1. Um, how does everybody else feel? [clears throat]

Uh, Mr. Sure. My um my comments would be similar because once changed we're going to do it on the map then you know we're not sure you know the level of occupancy of time but now it is now resone for other purposes and even though you're saying we will have to do the site plan and the special land use for the containers and then the screening walls etc. That's just for him to operate there. But if that business should move now, you have um a light industrial in a community that's for mixed use and there's just no, you know, control of that. I think it's just not in line with what that 10m zoning has been uh remapped for. Yeah. And I think we might it might be a better deal to try and find another location versus resoning. Um I would be in agreement with that being um you know not a recommendation we make to the city council.

Thank you. Anybody else? I'm going to have to concur with what has already been said. I don't know if she can hear me. Is your mic on? Yeah, it is. But I'm about to move my move closer to the mic, won't you? I do concur with what has been said and considering the fact that we're still working on a master plan, I don't know if we want to look at redesigning or rethinking everything that we've already done. So, um, yeah, I concur with that.

I think we should take a vote. I I have no comments. Mr. Chair. Yes.

If I may, I just wanted to go back to your question that was directed to me on a very short note. It's simple. The reason we're here tonight on the question is because his business uh licensing was not permitted by us with this storage facilities on the ex side in this mixed use. So, the option he had was to bring it to you for a request for spot zoning. And that's why we're here because it did not meet the mixeduse requirements uh by this by the building department. And it I think we're all in agreement that by approving this to LU1, we're really we're really jeopardizing the long range pan plans of an area that consistently has been an MU1. And um I did see that we have a suggested motion to deny the the reszoning to an LU1. Um is the commission in agreement that that's an appropriate way to go is to just deny the uh LU1 proposal. [clears throat]

I'm looking at this. It's read a motion. I was hoping somebody with better eyes than [laughter] um Okay. Okay. It was to deny the Yeah. Yeah. It was to deny proposed. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's four. Okay. Are there any other comments? Hearing none. Would somebody like to make a motion?

Okay. I'll read it. I move to recommend the denial of the reszoning from M1 MU1 neighborhood mixuse to the L1 Light Industrial District for the property at 15200 East 10M Road parcel ID number 021429106002 to the city council based on the following findings. The uses permitted in the light industrial district are not compatible with the local commercial and neighborhood mixeduse category in the East Point future land use map and thus the request is not compatible with the city's master plan. The request would amount to spot zoning.

Is there a second? Support. Okay. Support. The motion was made and supported. Would the secretary please call the role? Miss Naylor? Yes. Mrs. Hall Rayford? Yes. Miss Yulinsky? Yes. Vice Chair Sassic? Yes. [snorts]

Moving on to election of officers. Um the um agenda was amended and we are going to postpone this to the March 5th meeting. Um, would you guys be able to be here at 6:45 on March 5th so that we could do the election of officers and then go into um because as you noticed down further, there's also going to be a joint city council planning commission meeting that night. So, we can elect officers in 15 minutes. Oh, easily. Yeah. [laughter]

And then we'll be ready to go into the joint uh city council and planning me meeting and uh then into our actual planning meeting after that. So does that mean we're not having a regular planning meeting next week? I mean next month. Next month. It's going to be the joint is going to be a joint meeting, not a regular No, there's it's going to be backtoback. So we're going to start with a joint meeting with city council

if I've got this correct. And then we're going to have a regular planning meeting immediately following it. I believe it's one way or the other. That is correct. There's only, as far as I know at this moment, there's only one small uh agenda on the table for one business um case that will it doesn't seem to have any hiccups in it for you to review, but you'll get that ahead of time. The other major part since we don't have a full staff or major a populated staff to do elections, it was asked and requested by yourselves to res uh transfer that, but we'll need to get it done by next month. uh to get inside the legal timelines that we need um for our state registrations.

And I asked that question um Mr. Chair because I was thinking trying to move it earlier and then someone can't make it because I know that could be me trying to get from work. [laughter] But if if we're going to have our regular meeting afterwards, we just leave it for a regular meeting afterwards. That'd be fine. We we could do that too. Yeah. Maintain our regular schedule. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. So, we're agreeable to the March 5th at least being postponing the joint city council planning commission meeting followed by a regular planning commission meeting at which time one of the first agenda items can be election of officers and then into the uh the agenda for the rest of that evening if that works be the first order.

Okay. Can I get a motion for that please? So moved. Uh, are we go ahead to rule the election of officers? Were you gonna go ahead? I thought we did that in the We did. We got to do it formally. We didn't put it on the record and formally in Okay. So, I move that the postpone the election of officers to our meet March 5th planning meeting. Is there support? Support. Okay. Motion was made and supported. Please call the role. Miss Naylor, yes. Miss Yulinsky, yes. Mrs. Hall Rayford, yes.

Vice Chair Sassic, yes. [snorts] And then um revise consideration of a motion to um I'm having a hard time reading tonight. I'm sorry everybody. City Council. Oh. To transition city. Oh, a motion to transmit. Yeah, transmit. Okay. The annual planning report. Oh, that's right. Okay. So, everybody uh I'm sure had an opportunity to look at the planning report for what was accomplished last year

and we do need to transmit that to city council. So, uh, is there any discussion in regards to this? I only had one thing on the December 4th notes. Uh, let me see what page that was on. There was a blank box and I was just curious. Let me see on p on the third page. Yeah,

on the November 6, no, I'm sorry. December 4th has three things. There were site plan review, text amendments, and another site plan, but there was no comment made on the 24700 grassroot site plan. What was the decision or whatever? It was left blank and then all the other boxes had content. Can somebody address that? Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, that site plan was approved. Uh, we went back and forth in trying to incorporate how council action was incorporated into this. Uh that's an error that we'll fix before we transmit it if you're otherwise comfortable with it. But that um that site plan was approved.

Right. That was the conditionally. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. Can I get a motion then to um transmit the annual report to city council? Motion to transmit draft annual report to city council. Motion to draft transmit to city council for 2025 annual planning report. Is there support? Support. Motion was made and seconded. Please call the role. Miss Julinsky. Yes. Mrs. Hall Rayford. Yes. Miss Naylor. Yes. Vice Chair Sassic.

Yes. And now the consideration of the scheduling of the joint meeting. And so we are in agreement, but you would prefer to leave it at 7 o'clock and just All right. Any other discussion on that? Would somebody like to make a motion? [snorts] Motion to schedule a joint meeting with city council on March 5th, 2026 for the purpose of the master plan update discussion. And that'll be at 7 o'clock. At 7 p.m. our regular schedule time. All right. Is there support? Support. Motion was made and seconded. Please call the role. Miss Naylor? Yes. Mrs. Hall Rafford?

Yes. Miss Yolinsky? Yes. Vice Chair Sassic? Yes. Okay. Under unfinished business, the property at Beaconsfield and Toeer.

Yes, Mr. Chair. Um, that is on the agenda because in December, um, the commission postponed discussion of that request to the January meeting. Um it's our understanding that the applicant is revising their plans um significantly which is why they have not they did not come back to January. They reached out this week about having another meeting in preparation to come for coming to you again. It's our also our understanding although they have not resubmitted that they are revising the plans to provide parking um off the street in on garages in the units. Um that would remove the the need for a waiver and it would sort of change the approval process to a site plan approval. Um it's only on on the agenda because it was sort of orphaned when the January meeting was canceled. So we wanted to say that out loud in case anyone came to comment on it and just to give an update of where um

where it is in the process. We still anticipate that they are going to come back, but again, it is our current understanding that they're going to come back with a significantly revised proposal. Can we just table it? Well, yeah. I don't have the real discussing is continuing to table is is appropriate, but I'm just wondering is it appropriate to table it to March or even the April?

Um, my my recommendation, if I can, Mr. chair is wait until they give us a submitt because we worked really hard with them off the side explaining the difficulties of what they're asking us to do and so we've been challenging them and encouraging them and giving them some suggestions to how to design to eliminate the need for a parking waiver. And so now, as of this week, we heard an email that they've really taken some rooting to that issue. And at this point, I would suggest we just wait and see what they do to bring back to the table. And it might not require the count the the commission to spend any time on a waiver that may not be needed.

Should we just remove instead of be appropriate to just say we're going to set this aside until we hear that they're ready to come forward with something? I would that would be a recommendation at Mr. Attorney is that correct? Yeah. Typically when um a agenda item is going to be tabled it has to be t tabled to a date certain. In this case it would just simply the commission isn't taking any action at this time with city administration to add this to a future agenda. Okay. Thank you.

So can I get a motion for that? So, a motion is being recommended to remove this item under unfinished business because no actions have been taken at this time and we will do put it back on the gin at a later date as necessary. As necessary. Support. [laughter] Well, you said okay, so I'm assuming that was support. Secretary, please call a role. She's writing the Sorry, I didn't hear support. [laughter] Support was motion. Miss Naylor was the motion.

All righty. I'm sorry. Um, Miss Naylor, yes. Mrs. Hall Rafford, yes. Miss Yulinsky, yes. Vice Chair Sassic, yes.

Building department report. Mr. Chair, there's a lot of fun things going on, but you know, John Meyers, we're always wanting to grow into a better department and division. Um, so we're working in the next two months to give a very detailed clarification to our deputy to take over commercial building structures for us as an overseer. Uh, that'll be the first time in this city in many, many years. uh that we can divide uh the land use issues uh and their cleanup issues into two divisions of certified people. So that's going to work out with Mr. Carlton and myself. Uh we're working hard to put a a strategy and category of of each thing that needs to be done. Um, one of the things that we're doing inside the commercial businesses, uh, has never been done in our business building, uh, BSNA is the state already has in chapter three of its of its commercial code book, building code, a section called use and occupancy. And there are all the different types of buildings with different types. Example, assemblies have five different categories of assemblies. When you define those assemblies correctly and then you build according to and inspect according to them, it makes our zoning definitions much cleaner and more efficient when we go forward into the future. Same thing, it goes everything from institutions versus education. They seem to be the same, but they aren't. And so what we have done and discovered is in our BSNA building department system, we have never registered a business based on state code use. And now we're going backwards in helping establish all of our records to identify not only what zone it's in, but occupancy use according to the state codes. And that'll give the building department, that'll give the planning commission, that'll give development

planning of the future of the city a long strong teeth of exactly what's in the buildings and how they're registered. It'll also assist the building department at saying when we're going to a CFO uh inspections, what kind of inspections based on what kind of building it is and how it should be used, it's done correctly. And so that's a big step in the forward motion that we have never had in the city as far as any records that I can find as long as I've gone back through the system. So that's a fun hard tedious job, but that's where we're going in those buildings. Yep. We're still having some delightful fun with uh Winter Sausage. Uh we're having some delightful push back and some encouragement at the same time with uh uh uh Prime Storage. they need to get their plans together this spring uh or they'll begin to see our results of of uh retaliation to misuse of their land. And so we'll get a chance to address some of those types of business issues. Um the other thing that's exciting that we're moving forward to is we've told you two months ago, three months ago, we reszone the whole city into five districts. And starting in March, we will be now breaking each of those five districts with one inspector co code officer and reynold inside each one of those. We're now going to break it down into six sections. And each section will be a month of deep cleaning. So they'll their process will be to go through and really find out the blight, the issues that are in the neighborhood, to find them, describe them, historical ones and current ones. So that within six months and we get to the end of our preparation for a master plan, we'll really have a historical recordkeeping of what needs to be done to make a strategical plan going forward in the next five years. So that's an exciting strategical hard work. Don't get me wrong, my staff may

not be liking me a whole lot right now. Uh but we're excited about rebuilding that system and giving them a chance to take a look for the first time in 10 years at a deep cleaning in all the districts and all the neighborhoods. Number three, we are partnering very very strong. We have the next four months scheduled um to walk with the neighborhood blockwatch program with the police and the fire department where we're going to begin to share a project where the people that will become official members or of the blockwatch will begin to be able to participate with our code and with our police and with our administration office to do some statistical evaluations. So that's getting started. We're looking at writing the details as we speak and hopefully that'll launch in in the month of March and April. Uh the the fourth category that is interesting that might be valuable to you to know. Um for the first time in the history, uh you notice the annoyance of an old man over here. We've gone all digital in our system. Uh that's because Ohio State's been there for you. I'm just kidding. It's because um it's more efficient. There you go. You got it. And um so the reality is what we've done is we've partnered again with the police department and their great support for what we're doing. And we are now for the first time a week and a half ago. We have now two officers in my in our building department that has the authority by the state registered to operate the the software called lean. Lean is the tool that allows us to find a resident property that has no permits, no applications, no fees, but they have blighted property that we can't enforce because it requires us to go to court two items, [clears throat] a driver's license and a birth date. And so now with this lean in the inside approved by our city and approved by the state and licensed by our officers in that

certification, we'll now be able to help find some of these long-term violators of of of blight and health conditions of their properties and be able to bring them to a place to consider correcting their property for the health and well-being of the entire city. Number three, on that same subject, as of this morning, and it'll start officially tomorrow, will go live for the first time in this city, all the tickets will no longer have a three our tickets won't have to stop three places before they get to the court because we have now been approved, finalized, paperwork, software, and the the the testing has been done. Tomorrow we go live and we write all of our tickets with with Clemus and we all do it digitally. So when we write a ticket now it goes straight to the court and the court handles it without any interruptions in between. So there are some new changes, new growth, new processes that allow us to be a growing more successful 21st century building department that helps grow the city. I hope that's not too boring of information. It's a lot of information, but it's it's like, wow,

that just might be what this city needs to start turning itself back around because I remember the cleaner, nicer days and where businesses and residents took pride in their property. And you know, I've talked to you a few times about concerns I have. I would be negating the the reality that the city's attorneys have worked really hard to give us some open room. We've had some limited structures and they've things we've never been allowed to do and the city attorney has agreed that these are some serious issues and they would open the door for us to do some ticketing where we've never ticketed before because we already had leg uh financial penalties on places. It's time that some people need a little stronger handshake to get things correct and the the city has allowed us to write tickets differently and write tickets to people that we've never been permitted to write in the past. So, it's been a wonderful growing cycle to give uh the planning hope that we have a program that we can continue to grow, strengthen, build, and see some long-term um game plan. Anybody have any questions for Mr. Myers? Mr. would you like to add anything?

Uh, no. I have nothing further. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Al, not at this time. Mr. Chair, is this uh our time for commissioner comments? Oh, I'm sorry. [laughter] Oh, yeah. You're right. I I apologize for that. That's quite all right. Most the second hearing of the public. Yeah. The second hearing of the public is now open. [snorts] If you would like to speak to anything, you will have three minutes.

Hello. Gary Myin, East Point resident, live on Hayes Avenue. Um to Mr. Myers there blight uh two years ago had a new I don't electrical pole I don't think they're called telephone poles an electrical pole they did everything um next door and behind next door a lot of vines are growing they're up in the wires mostly the cable not the electrical uh they're heading my way my way is the one with the new pole Um, I did take pictures. I can't find them right at the moment. Um, something could be done with that to before they get to that pole and then they start climbing to the electrical, then they start climbing into my garage. And, um, so, um, that's something I would like to get addressed if I can. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anybody else that wishes to be heard? Is there anybody else that wishes to be heard? Seeing none, the second hearing of the public is closed. And now we will go into commissioner's comments. And now I'll come back. [laughter] Thank you, M. Thank you, Councilwoman Pashadick.

I'd also like to echo the same sentiments, but I'd uh looking forward to the joint meeting in March with everyone. So, thank you, Mrs. Naylor. Uh, no real comments. Greetings in the new year. Um, I look forward to seeing how the blight procedures uh improve upon the city. I guess I'm in a good part. I don't have a lot of blight in my I'm like, what are they talking about? So, um, get it under control so it doesn't migrate to other communities. Um, other than that, I don't have anything else. Thank you very much, Miss Yulinski.

Um, thank you, Vice Chair. I don't really have anything except a couple um thoughts. One is uh to wish Mr. Harvey Curley a happy birthday tomorrow

if you see him. And the second one is to just recognize a great person that our community lost which was Diane Pollison Sager um who owned Clover's Collision. Diane and I were friends for over 20 years and um that one kind of hurt um to start off the new year and um the community is really going to miss her and just wanted to take a moment to recognize her and all of her antics, her her helpfulness, her everything. She was everywhere. Absolutely.

Oh yeah. That's all chair. Thank you, Miss Hallford. I'm going to pass. I don't know if anybody would be able to hear me anyway.

Well, I would like to thank everybody, especially being excited to see where as well as city.

Um, a little easier for everybody. And again, I enjoy working with everybody up here and I'm really looking forward to what we can accomplish in 2026. So, thank you very much. And at this time, would somebody like to make a motion for us to adjourn? Move to adjourn. Is there And there was a motion made and seconded. Please call the role. Mrs. Hall Rafford, yes. Miss Naylor, yes. Miss Julinsky, yes. Vice Chair Sassic, yes. And we are adjourned at 7:55.