City Council - Regular Meeting

here. Here please join me in 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.

Well, good evening and welcome everyone to the February 17th meeting of the Ashlin City Council. To our viewers at home, thank you for joining us. Members of our audience, members of council, Mayor Miller, Attorney Bush, thank you for being here and welcome all. First item on the agenda this evening will be the uh minutes approval of the minutes from the February 3rd meeting. If there are no additions, deletions, or corrections to those minutes, I'll ask for a motion to approve as submitted. Move to approve. Second. Thank you. Lawson, I Workman. I Kyle. I Miller I Woodward I

minutes will stand approved. [clears throat] First ordinance this evening will be an ordinance establishing a capital improvement capital projects fund entitled land development improvement fund 450 for the express purpose of acquiring and developing real property and declaring an emergency. Move for non- reading in full. Second. Thank you. Lawson I Workman. Hi. Kyle. Hi. Miller. I Woodward

I. This particular measure comes to us from the city finance director. And as we look to 2026 and all that we will probably be involved with when it comes to land development and so on, the finance director would like us to establish a specific line item where we can track the money that we set aside for whether that be land purchase or the development of land that we own or purchase in the future. Uh last year at the end of the calendar year, the state legislature enacted some legislation that made approximately a hundred million dollars available for communities. Many of those communities we meet the requirements to access that money for activities that would lead to the development of housing. And so while we don't have anything final here or any particular project at the moment to point to, he believes that this is the first step is setting up a fund so that we can easily track that money when we go after a project or decide to move forward with some piece of infrastructure installation that might relate to a property we own. So I doubt this will be used for this, but it wouldn't be any different than probably what we do at the industrial park

where we run water lines and sewer lines at times and so on. We actually have a line item for that activity. So, all right, makes sense. Any discussion hearing? None. Is there a motion to approve on the first reading? So, moved. Second. Thank you. Burkeman. I. Kyle. I. Miller. I. Woodward. I. Awesome. I. I'll move to suspend the rules for three separate readings, three separate days. Second. Thank you. Kyle, I. Miller. I. Woodward. I Lawson. I Workman. I motion to approve the ordinance. So moved. Second. Thank you. Miller. I Woodward. I Lawson. I Workman. I Kyle. I.

Ordinance 9-26. [clears throat] Next, we have an ordinance authorizing the mayor of the city of Ashlin, Ohio to enter into a contract with the International Association of Firefighters Local 1386 AFL-Cio and declaring an emergency. Move for non-reading in full. Second, thank you. Workman. Hi, Kyle. I Miller. I Woodward. I Lawson. Hi.

Every three years, we negotiate a contract with our union employees at the city fire department as well as at the city police department. The contract term of three years actually began last year. But as we got into negotiations, we made the decision that we would settle for a salary increase of 7% that included a wage adjustment and a 4% increase for 2025. And we would wait till the end of 2025 to determine what we did in the remaining two years of the three-year contract period. And at recent meetings, obviously, the council took action. For those of you who might be joining us tonight for the first time, the council took action to adopt the union agreement with the police department. It included a 4% raise in 2026 and a 5% raise in 2027. And uh tonight we bring for to you a negotiated agreement with our fire department for the same terms, 4% in 2026, 5% in 2027. So we're very pleased with that. There is one other change in this particular contract and that is our firefighters were previously receiving a readiness bonus. A readiness bonus in the amount of $3,925 and we were paying it in a lump sum. The union has requested that we spread that out over their hourly wage and uh we felt that that was fair. That's what we do at the police department and so we have included language to do that as well. So, this is the number that we were shooting for and all of our unions now, including our non-UN employees here in the city, will be receiving in 2026 a 4% wage increase.

Any discussion? We're not eliminating the readiness bonus. We're just spreading it out. Exactly. They'd rather it be paid divided out over their hourly pay rather than paid as a lump sum. and that would impact their pensions and overtime and other items. All right, if there's [clears throat] no further discussion, I'll ask for a motion to approve on the first reading. So move. Second. Thank you. Kyle, I Miller I. Woodward I. Lawson. I Workman. I I'll move again to suspend the rules for three separate readings, three separate days. Second. Thank you. Miller. I. Woodward. I. Lawson. Hi. Workman. I. Kyle. I. Motion to approve the ordinance. So moved. Is there a second? Second.

Thank you. Woodward. I. Lawson. Hi. Workman. Hi. Kyle. I. Miller. I. Ordinance 10-26. All right. We have no resolutions this evening. No public hearing items. [clears throat] No old business or new business unless council has something to bring forward. [clears throat and cough] Hearing none. We'll go right to council comments. Mr. Lawson. Well, obviously the weather's getting nice, so we're [clears throat] seeing kids out, so just uh be aware. Kids out playing, maybe close to the streets or things like that. Uh just watch out.

I drove by the pump house this evening and all the lights are on. It was amazing to see some activity in there. It is. It It's came to life. So, it's great to see that project moving forward. So, and all the activity where the apartments are being built. Yes. Wow, there's a lot to keep track of there, isn't it?

I was privileged this afternoon to be at the swearing in ceremony for two officers being promoted to sergeant and one officer being promoted to lieutenant. Um we we have arguably one of the best fire police departments around and uh you know safety is paramount when people are looking places to live and uh we have a great police department. We have a great uh fire department as well. And uh we just want to show shout out to all the officers for the excellent job they do. And we have one of our um

promotions officers right here. So congratulations. Good job to all. Thank you. Iceland was recently in the news for that high-speed accident at 240 or 250 and 42. Uh and I thought though that was a great example of how police, fire, sheriff, state, everybody worked in harmony together uh for the maximum efficiency and effectiveness and I just want to praise him for doing that. I did not mean to exclude the sheriff's department because they also [clears throat] do an excellent job here too.

Mr. They go. No, just um uh well, [clears throat] I I was had the opportunity to be downtown today also and all the activity out on Fourth Street is pretty impressive. They're actually setting walls uh for the apartments when I was uh hanging out down there. And then also, I just wanted to let the clerk and the president know that I will be out of town for work um at our next council meeting. So, I will be absent. Okay. Appreciate that. With that, uh, Mayor, I'll tell you that, um, I received a few calls regarding snow removal. Yes. And [clears throat] word is out that there is an ordinance

on sidewalks. On sidewalks. Yes. And uh, so anyway, we can probably anticipate a few more of those if it continues to snow. Well, and we are expecting up to three inches here this weekend. Yes.

So, even though it might feel tropical today, the street department is anticipating two to three inches by this [clears throat] weekend. And quite honestly, the factor that we're probably most concerned about, we're not worried about, but we're concerned about is our salt supply because it's becoming more and more of a challenge to get the amount of salt we need to get through storms like the last one we had. You have to remember in the last several winters, we've had very mild winters with low precipitation. And so there were times where we actually didn't have enough room to store all of the salt that we had already ordered or purchased and paid for. In fact, I believe at one point we might have even had an issue where one of our piles was sitting outside uncovered and that was an EPA violation. So we had to quickly get it all under shelter. But if you know we only have one salt dome. Well, this year that's not a problem. And in fact uh we as a city we actually provide salt uh assistance for the university and uh hospital university hospitals. They buy salt from us because they need so little compared to what we buy and they do pay what we pay. So it's a wash. They don't make money on them but we also don't cost it doesn't cost us money. But this year we've actually had to involve the county engineer in helping us meet our salt supply need. and uh we in the past have also worked with him vice versa but this year he has been gracious to work with us to make sure that we have enough to get through and it wasn't that we necessarily didn't have enough ordered it was the delivery delivery wasn't coming as quickly as what we had expected and when we were using such high volumes during the deep snows and so on it was becoming an issue but we'll hope we have enough to get through the rest of this winter

sidewalks yes we definitely got a lot of calls about sidewalks and especially on the commercial routes and I definitely understand that in residential neighborhoods there are citizens who don't have the physical capa capabilities to get out and shovel every time it snows. But on these major routes like Claremont Avenue and Main Street through all the business districts and so on, I would certainly ask that our business owners would take the appropriate measures to have their sidewalks cleared because over and over again you were seeing people walk out into the traffic because they couldn't walk through the thick piles of snow that covered the sidewalks. So that is definitely something that we want to ask our businesses, certainly our businesses and our medical institutions and all of the above to try to clear your sidewalks in front of your places of business because

many people get to your business. Sure.

Via the sidewalks. So that is um one other item. And then one of the other things we're getting lots of questions about is March 14th is our St. Patrick's Day celebration. I realize St. Patrick's Day is March 17th, but we're holding our event on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. That way, families can make it. And uh it'll be a day off for many people. The gathering downtown will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Foundation Plaza, and everyone wear your green and come out and we'll march down Main Street to Corner Park where we will dye the Town Creek for March 14th. And then of course on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, we'll also turn it green as well. So I would love to have the kilt brigade back. So anyone who's willing to participate in that, we would love to have you. That's kind of become the hallmark of the event, the leaders of the parade. And if anyone is interested in participating in that, but you don't know how to get a matching quilt, you just call the mayor's office because we know exactly where you can get that quilt. And they're very affordable. So

if if you could arrange a 50 degree day, oh, wouldn't it be wonderful? That would be nice if we had that a couple of years ago, remember it was even warmer than 50° and sunny. That was perfect. Now last year, if you recall, we had to cancel because it was torrential downpours. And and the year before that it was chilly. Chilly. And they wear kilts, not quilts. Yes. Exactly. Exactly. [laughter] Yes. But we knew what you meant. Yes. Did I say quilts? You did. If it gets any colder, I'll be wearing All right. [laughter] the screen. Jason, I think that's all. All right. Very thought there was one more item, but I can't think of what it was now. So, [clears throat]

well, with that, uh, we'll move right to comments and questions from our audience. If anyone has something they'd like to address council on, you're more than welcome to step up to the podium and please state your name, the ward you live in for our minutes. And I'm Tom McN. I'm in Jason Kyo's fine ward. Um, I was out this afternoon and saw this saw the hot box and I got to thinking this is this is pothole season. The thing that's changed with the hot box is that now when you see a pothole, it doesn't last very long that you're aggressively out repairing them and you're getting a good fix on them. And I just want to point that out. It's kind of it's a lot different than it used to be.

Yes, we're trying to refrain from just dumping the gravel in them like we might have in the past. And now there are times where that's necessary and that's the quickest step to remedy the problem, but we are trying to put down the cold patch or hot. Yes. Whenever possible. Now, we're saying that and I know there are people that are probably driving down the street right now and they just hit a low spot where there's been a water line repair. One that comes to mind and one that I ask Jason and the department to take care of is at the corner of Morgan and Park out by Ferfield. There was a water line break. We had to enter the pavement and the even the new hot mix that they put in has sunk as of Saturday and Sunday night had sunk very deep. But I haven't been by today, but I assume that they've been able to take care of that one. That's in a very hightraic area and it was very deep. But thank you very much for pointing that out.

All right. Anyone else? And incidentally, let me just say this weather has been terrible for our new asphalt.

I don't know how many of you actually pay attention. It's not that we have so many new potholes, but the cracks in our new pavement, if you haven't noticed, it's incredible. And it's some of the pavement that isn't even five years old and it's got divides in it. And I've been talking with the city engineer about how we're going to remedy that. And I guess we'll have to wait till the weather breaks. But that's I'm normally a positive person, but that's pretty discouraging because a lot of that pavement is new and yet it's substantial the cracks that you're seeing in it. So must be the very very cold temperatures and just perfect weather conditions for those types of upheavalss. Yes.

Good evening, sir. Oh, hi. Um, I'm I'm a student at the college, so I'm not technically a resident, but I um I guess I'm in the district of wherever AU is, which I don't know what it is. Um, I [clears throat] wanted I wanted to talk about um there's there's a particular pothole. It's on the corner of um College Avenue and Grand Street, like just as you were turning on to Grand Street. Okay.

And um a few months ago, I hit it like right like ex I hit it exactly and I got a flat tire from that. And um it's it I've driven past it like multiple times since then and and like nothing's been done to fix it at all. Like it's I think it's actually gotten worse. Like I just drove past it today and I think it's gotten worse honestly since then. So I guess I I just wanted to bring that to your attention. No, I'm glad you did because we don't catch all of them and if we know about it, we send the crew right out. So I'm sorry you had to get a flat tire though to discover it.

Absolutely. Yeah. Thank you. Anyone else have anything at all? Okay. With that, uh, hearing none. Is there a motion to adjourn? So moved. Second. Thank you. I I I I. We are adjourned. Thank you all for coming.