Donley sworn in to Hillsboro City Council
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
Dick Donley was sworn in as member of Hillsboro City Council by Council President Lee Koogler during the August council meeting.
Donley, a former city council member who had filed to run for council in the November election, was appointed by the Republican Central Committee to replace at-large councilman Dave Shoemaker after his recent resignation.
Koogler began the council meeting noting the various changes to council. Ward 3 councilwoman Mary Brown Turner also resigned within the past month, and Koogler announced that longtime clerk of council Beverly Brown is no longer serving in that position.
"I certainly appreciate Beverly's service," Koogler said. "Due to some other administrative changes within the city, I felt that a change was needed at this point in time."
Debbie Sansone, executive administrative assistant in the mayor's office, is serving as interim clerk of council until Koogler can present a new clerk for council, as Koogler said he wants to wait until after Turner's position is filled to consider a permanent replacement.
At the close of the meeting, Koogler also addressed the need to appoint a new president pro tem, as Shoemaker had formerly held the position. Donley nominated Pete Pence to serve in the position. The nomination passed by a 5-0 vote, with Pence abstaining.
• • •
Hillsboro Fire and Rescue Interim Chief Jeff Martin was presented with a distinguished service award by Mayor Drew Hastings.
Hastings thanked Martin for stepping in as chief during "a time of upheaval."
"You could have easily just walked away and said 'I don't need this,'" Hastings said. "You kept it apolitical, you kept your typical sense of humor that I found that you have, and you stepped up to it when you didn't have to do it at all.
"Thank you very much. You really stepped up at a time where we really needed you, and you really made a big difference. It was a huge help to us."
Martin served with the Hillsboro Fire Department from 1988 to 2013. Hastings presented the award "in recognition and appreciation of 25 years of service."
Martin received a standing ovation from the city administration, council members and citizens in attendance.
• • •
Peg Beekman, administrator for the city's Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), addressed council regarding an issue with the programs she oversees.
According to the Ohio Development Services Agency, CHIP "provides grants to eligible communities interested in undertaking housing-related activities, including necessary infrastructure improvements. The grants are awarded competitively and encourage a flexible, community-wide approach to the improvement and provision of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons and help develop local administrative capacity."
Beekman said that she also oversees the Moving Ohio Forward Demolition Program for the county. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office's website states that the program "helps stabilize and improve communities by removing blighted and abandoned homes with funds from the national mortgage settlement."
Beekman said that with the Moving Ohio Forward Grant, the mayor's office has contacted her office to inform her of structures they would like to see demolished. Beekman said that her responsibilities include sending a letter to the property owner, arranging an inspection and putting out bids with the county for contractors to demolish the property, among other tasks.
"We have a property on Walnut Street that the contractor is behind on because of all the rain and his other jobs," Beekman said. "It has sat there for probably a couple months in that condition. The owner ended up taking siding and windows out of it, so it sat there looking pretty bad."
Beekman said that last week, she was informed by the city administration "on Tuesday, the day before checks were being run, that they would not be run."
Beekman said that she had to call all of her contractors hired for rehabilitation projects to stop working since she could not pay them.
"They are hurting, needless to say," Beekman said. "They work for local people, and they are local people, and they do a good job. When the work is done, they expect to be paid."
Beekman said that all of the projects have "shut down," and that the CHIP program is near the end of its fiscal year.
"This has put our program in jeopardy of not being able to accomplish our goals and get things closed out," Beekman said.
Beekman said that she has been in touch with her program's representative at the state level.
"Her response is this could be detrimental to the city of Hillsboro's future grants that they apply for," Beekman said. "I've worked with the state a long time. They want grants to move smoothly, they want them to be done correctly, they don't want any hassles with them. Right now, the city is hoping to get word that they have a new grant. I don't know if this will affect it or not."
Beekman said that she did not expect council to take action, but that she wanted them to know because they are elected "to take care of things and protect the people."
Beekman said that she and Hillsboro safety and service director Todd Wilkin plan to meet Thursday, and that she hopes to "get this ironed out."
"Mr. Wilkin says that I have caused a safety and hazard issue for the citizens of Hillsboro, but he is also creating a safety issue," Beekman said. "There are projects that are partially finished, so it could be hazardous to them walking around town.
"I don't understand why something going on in one program has to affect another program."
Beekman shared packets of documentation and information for council to read. Koogler told Beekman that council would review the packets she distributed after the meeting. Wilkin said that he had "no comment" until after his meeting with Beekman on Thursday.
• • •
Paul Garringer, a resident on East Main Street, asked council members if they were considering the issue he presented at the July meeting, regarding a request by Thompson Funeral Homes to change the zoning for three lots on East Main St. Koogler told him that his concern would be considered during the next zoning and annexation committee meeting.
• • •
Mayor Hastings reported to council:
• The mayor's office "has been actively involved in monitoring contracts and city expenditures to ensure that city and/or citizens' funds are being spent in the most cost-effective manner possible."[[In-content Ad]]
• City administration is working to develop a free trash collection program for all city residents.
• The city's intern, Kathryn Copas, has finished conducting a survey of uptown business owners and employees regarding changes they would like to see in uptown Hillsboro. The results of the survey will be "available to council and the public soon."
• The mayor said that he and Wilkin are "actively looking at changing the focus within our police department to get a much more visible handle on drug activity."
• In his report of the July 30 planning commission meeting, Hastings told council that Hillsboro resident Larry Miller asked for permission to subdivide a property he owns on state Route 73. The planning commission voted to approve this request. Hastings said that the planning commission also discussed an issue with an alley on state Route 73.
• • •
In his safety and service director's report, Wilkin informed council:
• The city has "spent a significant amount of time in the past month patching potholes on the state highways in preparation for the new striping that has gone down, and that was performed last week." Wilkin said that the city met with the Ohio Department of Transportation last week to discuss grants the city can apply for that could go toward striping, paving and/or the creation of bike trails. Wilkin said that they would "be aggressively going after these grants" as they become available in January 2014 to continue further striping projects in the city. ODOT would be responsible for 80 percent of the costs, while the city would be responsible for the other 20 percent, Wilkin said.
• Wilkin said that "the demolition of the old bus barn has commenced" and that the city has met with an engineer to discuss demolishing the old water treatment plant.
• Wilkin thanked the workers of the city's summer youth program, Tabitha Stanley, Seth Metcalfe and Jenna Lovely.
"They did work very hard, and they had a good devotion toward their job and a good work ethic," Wilkin said.
• Wilkin updated council on Steve Stapleton's request at the July meeting regarding Highland Avenue. Stapleton had told council that he feels the alley poses a threat to the neighborhood due to nonstop traffic and drivers going through the alley at high speeds, and that he also suspected drug activity in the alley.
Wilkin said that he recommends the alley be vacated and will present this information at the next planning commission meeting.
• Adding to Hastings' announcement that the city is trying to heavily monitor drug activity, Wilkin told council that the administration "has held business with local businesses, landlords and a church to discuss their involvement into the cleaning up of the drugs and the drug activity" in Hillsboro.
"We have let them know the importance of going at this as a team," Wilkin said. "We need everybody's involvement so we can have a very positive impact within our city."
• • •
The following reports were given during council's committee reports:
• Pence told council that the finance committee met Aug. 1 to discuss the city's lodging tax and that they will continue the discussion at their next meeting.
• Bonnie Parr updated council on three recent property maintenance and restoration committee meetings.
The committee met July 27 to discuss Chapter 165 of the Hillsboro Code of Ordinances, which will "provide for registration of vacant commercial buildings and to declare an emergency." Wilkin said he would meet with City Law Director Fred Beery, then the committee could meet to finish again to finish the ordinance.
The committee met Aug. 6 to further discuss the ordinance and agreed to take it to the public.
Prior to Monday's council meeting, the committee presented the ordinance to the public for questions and answers. Parr said that Wilkin summarized and explained the ordinance, and the administration and committee entertained questions from several residents.
Parr said that the committee hopes to present the ordinance to the public one more time before attempting to pass the ordinance as an emergency at the September meeting.
• Koogler announced that he has appointed Donley as chair of the utilities committee, formerly chaired by Shoemaker, and that Parr will serve as acting chair of the community enhancement committee, formerly chaired by Turner, until a permanent chair is found.
• Rod Daniels told council that the zoning and annexation committee meeting will be held later this week or early next week, contingent on Beery's availability.
• • •
Council approved the following resolutions recommended by the auditor, which did not require a three-reading rule. All resolutions passed by a 6-0 vote.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the State Highway Fund from $19,000 to $42,000 to coverer the cost of painting, a new controller, engineering costs with the CDBG grant and new catch basins.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the Municipal Motor Vehicle License fund from $12,000 to $25,000 to cover the costs of material used in the patching of potholes.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the Water Improvement Fund by $3,250 to cover the costs of a computer software purchase for the Water Office.
• A resolution to increase transfers from the general fund to the Fire Pension Fund. The resolution made the increase from General Fund to Fire Pension in the amount of $43,000.
• A corresponding resolution that increased appropriations in the Fire Pension Fund by $43,000.
• • •
In other action, council:
• Approved and adopted an ordinance to establish a policy for disposition of human remains (the "indigent burial ordinance") during its final reading by a 6-0 vote.
• Approved and adopted an ordinance to amend Chapter 153 of the Hillsboro Code of Ordinances to Improve Applicability to Modern Signage and Declare an Emergency by a 5-1 vote (with Donley voting no) during its second reading. Parr stated that she "would like it passed if possible" and motioned to suspend the three-reading rule, which was approved, 5-1 (with Donley dissenting).
• Approved the auditor's year-to-date fund report and the year-to-date bank report.
Donley, a former city council member who had filed to run for council in the November election, was appointed by the Republican Central Committee to replace at-large councilman Dave Shoemaker after his recent resignation.
Koogler began the council meeting noting the various changes to council. Ward 3 councilwoman Mary Brown Turner also resigned within the past month, and Koogler announced that longtime clerk of council Beverly Brown is no longer serving in that position.
"I certainly appreciate Beverly's service," Koogler said. "Due to some other administrative changes within the city, I felt that a change was needed at this point in time."
Debbie Sansone, executive administrative assistant in the mayor's office, is serving as interim clerk of council until Koogler can present a new clerk for council, as Koogler said he wants to wait until after Turner's position is filled to consider a permanent replacement.
At the close of the meeting, Koogler also addressed the need to appoint a new president pro tem, as Shoemaker had formerly held the position. Donley nominated Pete Pence to serve in the position. The nomination passed by a 5-0 vote, with Pence abstaining.
• • •
Hillsboro Fire and Rescue Interim Chief Jeff Martin was presented with a distinguished service award by Mayor Drew Hastings.
Hastings thanked Martin for stepping in as chief during "a time of upheaval."
"You could have easily just walked away and said 'I don't need this,'" Hastings said. "You kept it apolitical, you kept your typical sense of humor that I found that you have, and you stepped up to it when you didn't have to do it at all.
"Thank you very much. You really stepped up at a time where we really needed you, and you really made a big difference. It was a huge help to us."
Martin served with the Hillsboro Fire Department from 1988 to 2013. Hastings presented the award "in recognition and appreciation of 25 years of service."
Martin received a standing ovation from the city administration, council members and citizens in attendance.
• • •
Peg Beekman, administrator for the city's Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), addressed council regarding an issue with the programs she oversees.
According to the Ohio Development Services Agency, CHIP "provides grants to eligible communities interested in undertaking housing-related activities, including necessary infrastructure improvements. The grants are awarded competitively and encourage a flexible, community-wide approach to the improvement and provision of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons and help develop local administrative capacity."
Beekman said that she also oversees the Moving Ohio Forward Demolition Program for the county. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office's website states that the program "helps stabilize and improve communities by removing blighted and abandoned homes with funds from the national mortgage settlement."
Beekman said that with the Moving Ohio Forward Grant, the mayor's office has contacted her office to inform her of structures they would like to see demolished. Beekman said that her responsibilities include sending a letter to the property owner, arranging an inspection and putting out bids with the county for contractors to demolish the property, among other tasks.
"We have a property on Walnut Street that the contractor is behind on because of all the rain and his other jobs," Beekman said. "It has sat there for probably a couple months in that condition. The owner ended up taking siding and windows out of it, so it sat there looking pretty bad."
Beekman said that last week, she was informed by the city administration "on Tuesday, the day before checks were being run, that they would not be run."
Beekman said that she had to call all of her contractors hired for rehabilitation projects to stop working since she could not pay them.
"They are hurting, needless to say," Beekman said. "They work for local people, and they are local people, and they do a good job. When the work is done, they expect to be paid."
Beekman said that all of the projects have "shut down," and that the CHIP program is near the end of its fiscal year.
"This has put our program in jeopardy of not being able to accomplish our goals and get things closed out," Beekman said.
Beekman said that she has been in touch with her program's representative at the state level.
"Her response is this could be detrimental to the city of Hillsboro's future grants that they apply for," Beekman said. "I've worked with the state a long time. They want grants to move smoothly, they want them to be done correctly, they don't want any hassles with them. Right now, the city is hoping to get word that they have a new grant. I don't know if this will affect it or not."
Beekman said that she did not expect council to take action, but that she wanted them to know because they are elected "to take care of things and protect the people."
Beekman said that she and Hillsboro safety and service director Todd Wilkin plan to meet Thursday, and that she hopes to "get this ironed out."
"Mr. Wilkin says that I have caused a safety and hazard issue for the citizens of Hillsboro, but he is also creating a safety issue," Beekman said. "There are projects that are partially finished, so it could be hazardous to them walking around town.
"I don't understand why something going on in one program has to affect another program."
Beekman shared packets of documentation and information for council to read. Koogler told Beekman that council would review the packets she distributed after the meeting. Wilkin said that he had "no comment" until after his meeting with Beekman on Thursday.
• • •
Paul Garringer, a resident on East Main Street, asked council members if they were considering the issue he presented at the July meeting, regarding a request by Thompson Funeral Homes to change the zoning for three lots on East Main St. Koogler told him that his concern would be considered during the next zoning and annexation committee meeting.
• • •
Mayor Hastings reported to council:
• The mayor's office "has been actively involved in monitoring contracts and city expenditures to ensure that city and/or citizens' funds are being spent in the most cost-effective manner possible."[[In-content Ad]]
• City administration is working to develop a free trash collection program for all city residents.
• The city's intern, Kathryn Copas, has finished conducting a survey of uptown business owners and employees regarding changes they would like to see in uptown Hillsboro. The results of the survey will be "available to council and the public soon."
• The mayor said that he and Wilkin are "actively looking at changing the focus within our police department to get a much more visible handle on drug activity."
• In his report of the July 30 planning commission meeting, Hastings told council that Hillsboro resident Larry Miller asked for permission to subdivide a property he owns on state Route 73. The planning commission voted to approve this request. Hastings said that the planning commission also discussed an issue with an alley on state Route 73.
• • •
In his safety and service director's report, Wilkin informed council:
• The city has "spent a significant amount of time in the past month patching potholes on the state highways in preparation for the new striping that has gone down, and that was performed last week." Wilkin said that the city met with the Ohio Department of Transportation last week to discuss grants the city can apply for that could go toward striping, paving and/or the creation of bike trails. Wilkin said that they would "be aggressively going after these grants" as they become available in January 2014 to continue further striping projects in the city. ODOT would be responsible for 80 percent of the costs, while the city would be responsible for the other 20 percent, Wilkin said.
• Wilkin said that "the demolition of the old bus barn has commenced" and that the city has met with an engineer to discuss demolishing the old water treatment plant.
• Wilkin thanked the workers of the city's summer youth program, Tabitha Stanley, Seth Metcalfe and Jenna Lovely.
"They did work very hard, and they had a good devotion toward their job and a good work ethic," Wilkin said.
• Wilkin updated council on Steve Stapleton's request at the July meeting regarding Highland Avenue. Stapleton had told council that he feels the alley poses a threat to the neighborhood due to nonstop traffic and drivers going through the alley at high speeds, and that he also suspected drug activity in the alley.
Wilkin said that he recommends the alley be vacated and will present this information at the next planning commission meeting.
• Adding to Hastings' announcement that the city is trying to heavily monitor drug activity, Wilkin told council that the administration "has held business with local businesses, landlords and a church to discuss their involvement into the cleaning up of the drugs and the drug activity" in Hillsboro.
"We have let them know the importance of going at this as a team," Wilkin said. "We need everybody's involvement so we can have a very positive impact within our city."
• • •
The following reports were given during council's committee reports:
• Pence told council that the finance committee met Aug. 1 to discuss the city's lodging tax and that they will continue the discussion at their next meeting.
• Bonnie Parr updated council on three recent property maintenance and restoration committee meetings.
The committee met July 27 to discuss Chapter 165 of the Hillsboro Code of Ordinances, which will "provide for registration of vacant commercial buildings and to declare an emergency." Wilkin said he would meet with City Law Director Fred Beery, then the committee could meet to finish again to finish the ordinance.
The committee met Aug. 6 to further discuss the ordinance and agreed to take it to the public.
Prior to Monday's council meeting, the committee presented the ordinance to the public for questions and answers. Parr said that Wilkin summarized and explained the ordinance, and the administration and committee entertained questions from several residents.
Parr said that the committee hopes to present the ordinance to the public one more time before attempting to pass the ordinance as an emergency at the September meeting.
• Koogler announced that he has appointed Donley as chair of the utilities committee, formerly chaired by Shoemaker, and that Parr will serve as acting chair of the community enhancement committee, formerly chaired by Turner, until a permanent chair is found.
• Rod Daniels told council that the zoning and annexation committee meeting will be held later this week or early next week, contingent on Beery's availability.
• • •
Council approved the following resolutions recommended by the auditor, which did not require a three-reading rule. All resolutions passed by a 6-0 vote.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the State Highway Fund from $19,000 to $42,000 to coverer the cost of painting, a new controller, engineering costs with the CDBG grant and new catch basins.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the Municipal Motor Vehicle License fund from $12,000 to $25,000 to cover the costs of material used in the patching of potholes.
• A resolution to increase appropriations in the Water Improvement Fund by $3,250 to cover the costs of a computer software purchase for the Water Office.
• A resolution to increase transfers from the general fund to the Fire Pension Fund. The resolution made the increase from General Fund to Fire Pension in the amount of $43,000.
• A corresponding resolution that increased appropriations in the Fire Pension Fund by $43,000.
• • •
In other action, council:
• Approved and adopted an ordinance to establish a policy for disposition of human remains (the "indigent burial ordinance") during its final reading by a 6-0 vote.
• Approved and adopted an ordinance to amend Chapter 153 of the Hillsboro Code of Ordinances to Improve Applicability to Modern Signage and Declare an Emergency by a 5-1 vote (with Donley voting no) during its second reading. Parr stated that she "would like it passed if possible" and motioned to suspend the three-reading rule, which was approved, 5-1 (with Donley dissenting).
• Approved the auditor's year-to-date fund report and the year-to-date bank report.