Real estate purchase for parking lot, Roberts Lane update, water emergency extension discussed at city council meeting

Hillsboro City Council approved two items of legislation related to real estate on their first readings and heard an update on the Roberts Lane extension progress and city water emergency during their Thursday, Nov. 14 meeting.

A resolution authorizing the mayor to take the necessary steps to purchase a lot on North High Street for a municipal parking lot was approved by a 5-2 vote, with council members Jason Brown and Mary Stanforth dissenting. Stanforth also voted against suspension of the three-reading rule.

According to the legislation, the city wishes to purchase the .227-acre parcel for $110,000.

“This legislation will allow the city to purchase 212 North High Street for the purpose of creating a municipal parking lot,” Hillsboro safety and service director Brianne Abbott said. “This acquisition is consistent with the Imagine Hillsboro plan, specifically page 23 of the plan, and will help boost the local economy, assist downtown businesses and improve accessibility, mobility and safety.

“We are requesting the suspension of the three-reading rule and passage by emergency on this legislation to immediately acquire the property and make plans for the construction of the parking lot.”

Prior to voting, council member Kathryn Hapner — who was sworn in minutes before the meeting began — pointed out a potential conflict of interest, as the current owner of the parcel is a relative of mayor Justin Harsha (who was not in attendance Thursday).

“Because of the relationship between the current property owner and the mayor, it seems to me that somebody other than the mayor should be signing off on it,” Hapner said.

Law director Randalyn Worley said that she “negotiated the price” for the deal “with council’s permission.

“[Harsha] can sign the paperwork, as long as you guys authorize it,” Worley said. “As it goes through, he can sign the paperwork because he's not acting without council's permission, and he didn't have any say in the negotiation of the price for the purchase of the property for that reason.

“I'm the one that handled all of that, just because of that relationship, but thank you for bringing that up.”

“That’s fine,” Hapner said. “I just wanted to make sure that was clear.”

Although not discussed at Thursday’s meeting, the parcel was also previously cleaned up by the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation, or land bank, using state grant funding to demolish an existing structure on the lot.

An unrelated ordinance transferring real property to the Hillsboro Community Improvement Corporation was approved by a 7-0 vote as an emergency, following suspension of the three-reading rule.

“This legislation will transfer the real property as shown in the exhibit to the Hillsboro CIC,” Abbott said. “We are requesting suspension of the three-reading rule and passage by emergency to immediately transfer said property to the CIC for development purposes.”

Hapner asked where the property was located. Abbott showed Hapner a map, with the parcel being located “off of Elm Street,” she said.
 
In other legislation, an ordinance amending and renumbering section 110 of the codified ordinances of the City of Hillsboro pertaining to licensing requirements for electronic gaming parlors operated within the City of Hillsboro passed by a 7-0 vote, following its third reading.

As discussed at its introduction in September, the proposed ordinance includes updated definitions; license requirements; license fees, including $25 for each establishment and $7.50 for each table or device; potential license revocation or refusal by the city to issue a license; implied consent to search; age restrictions; and penalties. The legislation was suggested to combat potential “criminal activity occurring at these establishments,” former council member and community enhancement committee chair Jo Sanborn Earley said.

Council also heard a second reading of a proposed ordinance vacating an unnamed alley between 134 East Pleasant Street and 126 East Pleasant Street.

In other discussion:

• Council and residents in attendance heard an update on the Roberts Lane extension, following a question from former city council member and former safety and service director Dick Donley.

Donley said he has had residents approaching him with questions and asked administration for an update on when the new roads will be open. He also said that he has heard “a lot of complaints about the new intersection out there, the sharpness of that curve,” on state Route 73.

“At this time, it’s actually getting widened on the south side of that intersection,” public works superintendent Shawn Adkins said. “The reason the north side got painted, it was done and we wanted to get some thermal down before it got too cold.

“They didn't get it coned off the night after they got painted. We got it coned off the next day, but it's actually getting widened from that intersection clear back to the next street. There'll be a turn lane, so it won't be as sharp.”

Adkins said that the city also received “word this afternoon” that AEP transformers “came in, so within three to four weeks, we should have electric for the traffic light and our street lighting.

“It’ll be opened up as soon as we get the lighting done,” Adkins said.

Another change, according to Adkins, is that they are closing access to Pea Ridge Road from state Route 73, an intersection that is notorious for car accidents. Adkins said they will be “installing a cul de sac” and posting “no outlet” signs “at the intersection of Fairground Road.

“We had a study done, and we are actually closing Pea Ridge, so it'll be a cul de sac,” Adkins said. “There won't be any traffic there, besides the apartments, for a little while. We’ll give the apartments a cut for the new road. When the driveway gets put in for the those apartments across from Pea Ridge, there will not be anybody stopping on the top of that hill.

“We're pushing all the traffic up to the new light, so there will be a turn lane. Next week, you should be seeing dirt moving for the widening.”
    
Donley asked if “another cut on Fenner, around the curves,” was planned.

“No,” Adkins said. “There was a cut planned for Fenner at the curve. We couldn't get a right of way to go straight through where it's at now, once we started.

“We made it straight, instead of having it right on that curve. Where we had it cut, now there will be a trailhead made down there, because we are actually working on a walking path.”

As previously reported by the City of Hillsboro, a half-mile loop trail is being proposed. For more, see: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/city-hillsboro-announces-proposed-….

• For a third straight month, the city is continuing to operate under a Phase II water emergency, as announced by Brianne Abbott in her report.

As previously reported, Abbott advised at the Sept. 12 city council meeting, and again at their Oct. 17 meeting, that the city’s water reserves were at approximately an 80-day supply. As of Thursday, the supply is at 72 days, she said.

“Please continue to be mindful of your water usage,” Abbott said. “At this point, we're at 72 days of water, so hopefully the continued rain will help the supply, but we're still making up from the drought.”

Abbott originally issued the water emergency order Sept. 10. It is the second-most serious emergency classification of the three levels permitted under city code.

Abbott also gave brief updates on several ongoing projects. She said that they are meeting weekly “with the design team for the Crossroads Park project” and are seeking “requests for proposals for a construction manager for the project.” The city received $5,204,536 from the state’s Appalachian Community Grant programs to supplement already earmarked grant funding for Crossroads Park (formerly known as the green space on West Main Street). The city has also secured $100,000 in state capital funding, through a partnership with Southern State Community College, for the project.

Abbott said that contractors have been selected for two upcoming city projects, with Fillmore Construction chosen for the Ohio Department of Transportation grant-funded pedestrian safety project in the uptown district (slated for summer 2025) and KT Holden selected for Beech and Railroad Street infrastructure improvements (scheduled to start before the end of 2024).

In addition, “ODOT recently conducted site visits for the Rails to Trails project,” Abbott said. “Preliminary drawings are expected to be completed by the end of this year. This remains a 2026 project. Additionally, we've been awarded $141,975 in planning funds from the county, which significantly reduces our design costs.

“With this grant, the TAP grant through ODOT, the city is only responsible for only five percent of the overall construction cost for the project.”

The city was awarded the $1.44 million Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, in June 2023, for the construction of the Rails to Trails Community Trail in 2026. The project will create a walking and bicycling trail on the abandoned railroad bed and a sidewalk on West Main Street between the trailhead and Taylor Court.

In other updates, Abbott said that the city “issued 15 commercial and nine residential building permits” in October and “the lead service line project of North High Street has been completed,” while the Hillsboro Planning Commission recently “granted a variance for a fence” on Trenton Street.

Abbott also invited the community to attend the Christmas tree lighting Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. and the Christmas parade on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., both in uptown Hillsboro.

• Utilities committee chair Greg Maurer, who also served as president pro tem for Thursday’s meeting, announced that the city would be “rejecting all bids” for proposed citywide waste collection.

“After more research, we will make a determination [whether] to rebid,” Maurer said.
    
At their most recent meeting Oct. 10, the utilities committee heard comments from several concerned citizens, as the dozen individuals in attendance marked a significantly larger crowd than usual. See more at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/citywide-trash-proposal-debate-con….

• Hillsboro City Auditor Dawson Barreras reported that plans for the 2025 budget are “full steam ahead.

“Within the next week or so, I'd like to have each one of you in the office to go over the budget,” Barreras said, adding that it will be ready for the finance committee to begin their review soon.

• Under new business, council members discussed and agreed to change the date of their December meeting from Dec. 12 to Dec. 23. As explained by Maurer, this was a suggestion of council president Tom Eichinger, due to council holding a public hearing Nov. 18 for a proposed Tax Increment Financing district for the Fairground Road area.

“No sooner than 30 days after the public hearing, we will need to hold a special council meeting for legislation regarding the TIF district,” Maurer said “Instead of having this council meeting December 12 and a special meeting sometime after the 19th, Tom suggested we discuss having one meeting and canceling the regular meeting.”

• For communications, council received a copy of a report from Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner stressing the need for physical activity to improve health outcomes in the county.

"I encourage the Hillsboro City Council to prioritize initiatives, such as the National Fitness Campaign project, that increase access to physical fitness opportunities,” Warner wrote. “This also includes supporting the development of local parks, walking trails and community fitness programs. By investing in such initiatives, the council can foster a healthier, more active community and address the growing health disparities faced by residents of Highland County.”

“The administration is working with the health department to determine funding and partners on the potential project, and they will keep council apprised of new updates as they gather more information,” Maurer said.

• Under public requests, it was noted that council received a letter from a Hillsboro resident about an alleged code enforcement issue at a neighboring residence.

“Administration has confirmed no action will be taken on this letter because the violation no longer exists,” Maurer said.

For more from Thursday’s meeting, see: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/kathryn-hapner-sworn-hillsboro-cit…

And

https://highlandcountypress.com/news/city-hillsboro-agrees-cover-findin….

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