Hillsboro City Council OKs emergency legislation for road reconstruction, sanitary sewer engineering

Hillsboro City Council approved legislation allowing the city to take steps toward reconstruction of a busy intersection and an initial phase to address inflow and infiltration issues during their Thursday, Feb. 12 meeting.

All seven pieces of legislation on the agenda were approved Thursday.

A resolution authorizing the safety and service director to advertise, solicit bids and enter into contract with the lowest and best bidder for the reconstruction of state Route 73 and Fenner Avenue was passed as an emergency by a 6-0 vote, after suspension of the three-reading rule.

In December, the project was placed in two different council committees, as the street and safety committee met first, on Jan. 21, to review the plans.

“The proposal will include adding left-turn lanes while keeping through lanes as well,” committee chair Adam Wilkin said. “A traffic study has concluded that this proposal will be nearly as effective as having a round-about while not requiring as large of a footprint, decreasing the amount of land acquisition required, and thereby keeping the costs lower for our city.”
 
Wilkin said the street and safety committee members voted 3-0 to recommend sending the project on to the finance committee, who met Feb. 2 to further review the proposal.

“Mr. [Shawn] Adkins [safety and service director] described what was to be done at the site,” finance committee chair Gary Lewis said. “He also explained that even though the city qualified for a 50-percent grant from ODOT, because of their requirements the city could accomplish the reconstruction less expensively if it were done in-house and self-funded by the city. Additionally, grant funds for the project would not be available until 2029. 

“Traffic congestion at this intersection is well known. Further, traffic has increased in this area due to changes in flow patterns from prior road development. Additionally, the number of delivery vehicles will increase dramatically when Amazon opens the new distribution center. This intersection was identified as the top intersection in the city for traffic accidents prior to development and increased traffic flow and the number of accidents will now increase if nothing is done to improve the problem.”

Regarding the new Amazon facility, Adkins added that “when Amazon approached the city, they were talking 150 to 200 employees. 

“When we asked them about their sewer taps — that's what we base our rate on — they said 326 employees,” Adkins said. “That's going to increase that intersection’s flow a lot more than what we anticipated.”

According to Lewis, the finance committee unanimously recommended passage of the legislation by an emergency “to improve the intersection as soon as possible.”

A resolution authorizing the mayor to apply for, accept and enter into a cooperative agreement for design of the 2026 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project between the City of Hillsboro and the Ohio Water Development Authority was also passed as an emergency, following suspension of the three-reading rule.

Committee chair Mary Stanforth reported on the Feb. 9 utilities committee meeting to review the city’s I&I (inflow and infiltration) study. 

“Shawn [Adkins] explained that the study was conducted to determine the worst areas in the city concerning infiltration and inflow of the collection system,” Stanforth said. “Flow monitors identified several troubled areas. One example was given that 800,000 gallons went out and 1.5 million gallons were taken in. The city has an outstanding violation from the EPA concerning this problem. 

“Mr. [Gary] Silcott [engineer] would apply to the OWDA for a loan to begin the design process. The city will work with Highland County Commissioners and the Health Department in hopes of having a better chance of receiving the loan.”

Adkins also clarified some of the numbers reported.

“On our phase one project, on the one section we had during a non-rain event, we had 100,000 gallons going through this sewer system,” he said. “During a rain event, we had 1.5 million gallons of water running through this section. 

“We have previously have had an NOV since 2019, which is a notice of violation for overflows. We need to spend the money on our infrastructure versus our plant. I just want to emphasize that to the council.”

The resolution is “to get the design engineering completed” to address the I&I issues, according to Adkins. 

“To elaborate a little more, our plant is designed for 1.5 million gallons a day,” Adkins said. “Right now, that's what our average is. EPA can come in anytime they want and say, if you're over three-fourths of the design, they're going to require you to add on to your plant. We only ship out 800,000 gallons a day on average on water, so we actually, in theory, should take in less, because some of our water goes out for irrigation.

“There are several grant opportunities —  $4 million-plus grant opportunities — coming up that I need to meet the deadlines for, but I need the design done, so that's what this [legislation] is for.”

Adkins continued that this project will be the “first phase, but we’re going to go after another phase shortly.

“The engineering is around $230,000,” Adkins said. “This is going into a low interest loan. If we are actually granted this $4 million grant — the cost estimate right now is $4.6 million. There's two $4 million grants we’re going after, so hopefully we can get a little bit more. We're going to roll over that low-interest loan into the grant so it doesn't cost us anything.”

Lewis, who at the time was city auditor, said that the city was “put under the gun, pretty much, by the EPA” for their previous wastewater treatment plant upgrades, which Adkins said “did not fix any of the problems” with overflows.

“It costs us about $23 million to do that at that time,” Lewis said. “To do that same thing, which they can very well do, you're probably talking in excess of $50 million [now]. 

“We were responsible for $14 million of that, and that was doable at the time. Those who lived here knows what happened to the rates at that time as well. They took a significant increase, and it would take a similarly significant increase to do something like that.”

Also passed as an emergency was an unrelated resolution approving a “then and now” certification by the City Auditor, pursuant to R.C. 5705.41(D)(1), for the payment of $10,804.16.

“These invoices are for the Beech Street construction project, for engineering,” city auditor Dawson Barreras said. “This engineering cost exceeded the PO [purchase order] that we originally had open for the project, so we would need to expand this PO to be able to cover the last bit of expenses for this project.”

Also approved was an ordinance making supplemental appropriations in the amount of $204,345.85.

“This ordinance is for Senate Bill 56 of the Ohio State Legislature, which labels us as a host community, which means we receive a portion of the taxes assessed and associated with the sale of cannabis products here within the city limits,” Barreras said. “Last year we received, which we just got in January, about a total of $204,000, which we will receipt into our parks fund. This appropriation will allow us to spend that money.”

Stanforth asked how it was determined that the parks department would receive the money, and Barreras said, “The mayor decided that last year.” 

Mayor Justin Harsha added that “many of the other municipalities” across the state are dedicating the funds toward their parks departments as well.

An ordinance making supplemental appropriations in the amount of $2,914.68 was approved by a 6-0 vote.

“This is where a vehicle hit one of our police cruisers, and their insurance sent us a check,” Barreras said. “This will allow us to take that money and appropriate it back into the police's budget.”

In separate motions, two ordinances to change the zoning classification of certain parcels and modify the zoning map were approved by a 6-0 vote on their third readings.

One ordinance is for two parcels on Wellston Street that are currently zoned business C despite being among residential B properties. The affected parcels, 25-54-001-027.00 and 25-54-001-028.00, will now be zoned residential B.

The other ordinance involves the Maple Run subdivision, which currently is partially zoned residential A and partially zoned business C, despite everything being residential.  The affected parcels are 25-14-200-005.00, 25-14-200-006.00, 25-14-200-007.00, 25- 14-200-008.00, 25-14-200-009.00, 25-14-200-018.00, 25-14-200-019.00, 25-14-200-017.00, 25-14-200- 016.00, 25-14-200-015.00, 25-14-200-014.00, 25-14-200-013.00, 25-14-200-012.00, 25-14-200-011.00 and 25-14-200-010.00, all of which will now be zoned residential A.

In other discussion:

• Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha and Safety and Service Director Shawn Adkins discussed a proposal to add 54 uptown parking spots in their respective reports. 

“The Parker Hotel lot is where we were planning on doing some more additional parking,” Harsha said. “After looking at the design and trying to maximize spaces, it was determined that if we can close the alley down there, we can still maintain a thoroughfare, but get parking going both directions and get twice as much parking. It looks like we can have 33 parking places within that lot, if the alley is closed.”

Harsha said that the Hillsboro Community Improvement Corporation is also taking steps toward purchasing two lots adjoining the alley “to maximize the parking down there, which will give us a total of 54 spots.

“We should move to close on those two properties very soon,” Harsha said. “Once that's happened, the CIC will be looking at transferring those back to the city of Hillsboro and moving forward with this parking layout.

“We're excited to get this done, and I think that will help out greatly in the downtown, adding those 54 spots.”

Harsha added that the proposed alley closure will first be taken to the Hillsboro Planning Commission for their review, then any recommendations from that commission will come before council for possible approval.

“To elaborate, on the closure, we are not losing anything,” Adkins said. “We are just relocating the drive-through, if necessary, for the alley. We keep all of the utility easements in the same location. We don't have to give up half of the alley to the adjacent property.”

(See the attached proposed site plan map for more details.)

Harsha also announced plans for a new Tax Incentive Review Council, with city council members approving Harsha’s appointments of Adkins and Barreras to serve as the city’s representatives. According to the mayor, the council will also include three members appointed by Highland County commissioners, two members appointed by Liberty Township trustees and one representative each from Hillsboro City Schools and the Great Oaks Joint Vocational Schools districts, with the “county auditor or the auditor’s designee” serving as chairperson.

“The purpose of the council is to review and evaluate tax incentive agreements entered into under the law and to ensure compliance with the annual reporting and review requirements set forth in the statute,” Harsha said. 

In his report, Adkins said that ongoing city construction projects, including the grant-funded Crossroads Park renovation and the Rails to Trails project, were largely delayed in January due to the snow and ice, but contractors should be “back shortly” if weather permits.

For the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Clear Creek Bridge repair project on U.S. 62 North, Adkins said they have “a final punch list left.

“They've got a few things clean up and some other things they have to do after the weather breaks, and that will be complete,” Adkins said.

For commercial development updates, Adkins said that Amazon will “take over the building” in March for their new facility off of state Route 73, while bonds for the Marriott Hotel have yet to be sold. Stanforth asked if there was “a deadline for when those have to be purchased.”

“We actually have a promissory note for the 31st of March,” Adkins said. “At that time, we will make a decision what direction we’re going.”

Adkins reported that the city issued 14 building permits, seven of which were commercial and seven residential, in the month of January, while the Hillsboro Planning Commission took no official action last month.

The safety and service director concluded his report by recognizing the Patriot Public House for their generosity during the winter storms.

“I would like to thank the Patriot Public House for feeding the workers during the snowstorm,” Adkins said. “They came out and fed both crews. One was after midnight that they fed, so I’d really like to give them a shoutout.”

• Community enhancement committee chair Cody Mathews reported on a 90-minute meeting conducted Jan. 16 to discuss several topics, including a possible community pool and adding the city to the Ohio Holiday Lights Trail.

Mathews said that those in attendance were “very supportive of a city-owned and operated pool,” as the former Hillsboro Swim Organization pool is now closed.

“The committee would like to proceed with crafting a survey for the community to provide input,” Mathews said. We'll be doing that at the next committee meeting. We plan on offering that online. We also plan on maybe taking that door to door, just to get input from a variety of people in town.”

To set up light displays for the next holiday season, Mathews said that they are looking into the Highland County Fairgrounds and Crossroads Park (when construction is done) as possible locations. According to the State of Ohio, there were 79 stops on the Ohio Holiday Lights Trail in 2025, including Chillicothe, Owensville, Portsmouth, Beaver and Milford. 

“The goal would be to get on the Ohio lighted trail as a tourist stop,” Mathews said. “We're trying to increase foot traffic here in Hillsboro. 

“The committee did discuss the need to ask council to appropriate more funding for the purchase of commercial-grade LED lights. As we go through the process at our next committee meeting, in pricing commercial-grade LED lights, we will be determining an amount that we would come to council and probably have to also throw over to the finance committee for approval.”

Council member Logan Kelly asked if this would involve charging for cars to drive through the light displays, “so the city would make money off of it.”

“Yeah,” Mathews said. “That’s kind of what we talked about.”

Adkins added that the fairgrounds would have “a perfect setup,” but that in talking with the fair board, they “need to know the cost [for the lights] and what it would cost for the electric to know what to charge per carload.”

• Hillsboro Festival of the Bells Committee President Tom Zile announced several changes for this year’s festival, including a return to the uptown district. For more, read the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/festival-bells-return-uptown-hills….

• The city received a notice from the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control regarding a proposed liquor license transfer from the previous owner to the current owner of Big Ernie’s Pizza. Council had no objections.

• At the start of the meeting, council voted 6-0 to excuse the absence of council member Heith Brown.

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