Jeff Kaiser Appointed to Board Seat Formerly Held by Mark Brady

The Garrettsville Village Council met on August 14 with members Tom Hardesty, Sheri Johnson, John Chambers and Richard Beatty. Also present were Village Attorney William Mason, Mayor Rick Patrick, Assistant Financial Officer Tara Beatty, Sergeant Keith Whan and Clerk Emily Ahrens. Councilwoman Deb Wordell was not present.

A public hearing was held to discuss two ordinances:

ORD 2024-16: This resolution approves and adopts the permanent budget for the Village of Garrettsville for fiscal year 2025. No public comments were filed on this resolution.

ORD 2024-24: This bill proposes the adoption of Chapter 1164 of the Codified Ordinances, which establishes new zoning regulations specifically for commercial districts in the Village. The regulations are intended to standardize development practices, provide consistency across commercial areas, and address aesthetic and structural concerns.

Michael Skocdopole, owner of Garrettsville Games, raised concerns during the hearing. He noted that Garrettsville has not required such regulations in the past and questioned whether they are necessary now. He also suggested shortening the review period from 60 days to 30 days, citing the difficulty of securing contractor prices for longer periods. He also asked for clarification on the appeals process to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BOZA) if the village and the business owner cannot reach an agreement. Councilwoman Johnson explained that the process involves a request for a meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals, which is initiated by paying an application fee.

After this discussion, the public hearing was closed. The ordinance was tabled for further consideration, with amendments expected at the September meeting.

The council filled the vacancy left by the late Mark Brady. Two candidates, Alyssa Roach of Liberty Street and former councilman Jeff Kaiser, filed for the position. After an executive session to consider candidates, the council vote ended in a tie, which was broken by Mayor Rick Patrick, who voted in favor of Jeff Kaiser. Kaiser was then sworn in by Solicitor Mason; the regular meeting began with a moment of silence in memory of Mark Brady.

The minutes of the July 10 meeting were reviewed and approved without change. Financial statements were also reviewed – approximately 70 notices of delinquent taxes were filed.

In ORD 2024-16 legislation: An ordinance approving the 2025 budget was amended and adopted at the request of Tom Hardesty.

ORD 2024-24: The third reading of this resolution has been postponed until September to consider concerns raised during a public hearing held prior to the regular meeting.

RES 2024-27: A resolution was introduced to create a special revenue fund for the Shop with a Cop/Hero program. The resolution passed on second reading, with Fiscal Officer Donna Love mentioning that Hiram Village strongly recommends that Garrettsville create its own fund.

RES 2024-28: Council approved a resolution to declare a 1996 Ford F25 truck owned by the Water Department as surplus and allow it to be sold via online auction. The resolution passed on first reading, following a motion to suspend the rules.

RES 2024-29: Authorizing the Village Finance Officer to certify delinquent water, sewer, and tree trimming fees for assessment to the Portage County Auditor’s Office passed after first reading.

Adam Vanek has been promoted to deputy traffic inspector, effective retroactively to July, as current inspector Randy Crites prepares to retire.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Todd Peetz, director of Portage County Regional Planning, gave a detailed presentation of the resources available to the village as a member of the regional planning group. Peetz emphasized that the village could use zoning consulting services, which would be particularly useful in refining the newly proposed commercial district regulations. He urged the council to take full advantage of those services, joking, “Use us, we’re not a magazine subscription.”

Peetz also discussed potential grant opportunities, particularly the 60/40 Historic Properties Grant. He outlined how these grants could be used to document buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places or identified in the Ohio Historic Inventory. He highlighted a project on Ravenna’s East Main Street that includes a website with a walking tour of historic homes and detailed descriptions to help residents appreciate the community’s history. Portage County Regional Planning is offering support in designing and hosting these websites and updating the GIS data. The cost to the village would be $6,500 (if awarded through the Ohio History Connection grant). Although the council has applied for the grant, it has not committed to funding the project at this stage.

Peetz concluded by presenting previous projects completed for other communities, such as Ravenna, Brimfield and Kent, urging the council to consider similar initiatives to enhance the historic and cultural appeal of Garrettsville. The projects can be viewed online at https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/special-projects/pages/historic-structures.

Portage County Treasurer John Kennedy also attended the meeting to introduce himself and provide an update on key county programs. During his presentation, Kennedy jokingly asked the council to “not hold it against him” when discussing the upcoming property tax collection later in the year. He also informed the council that six-year property assessment notices will soon be hitting residents’ mailboxes. Kennedy noted that County Auditor Matt Kelly has advised property owners to prepare for potential increases in property values ​​of up to 30 percent.

Kennedy then turned his attention to Portage GrowLink, a loan program offering interest rates 1-3% below market through Portage Community Bank and Hometown Bank. The program offers three types of loans:

Homeowners can borrow up to $25,000 for home improvements; farmers can get loans up to $50,000; small businesses qualify for loans up to $250,000. The only requirement is that the investments made with these loans must remain in Portage County.

Kennedy also highlighted the role of the Portage County Treasurer’s Office in managing the county’s investment portfolio and discussed the work of the Portage County Land Bank, which revitalizes distressed properties by taking them over after they are sold by the sheriff and converting them into new businesses or residential buildings.

For more information on these and other county programs available through the Treasurer’s Office, residents can visit portagecounty-oh.gov/john-kennedy/pages/treasurer-programs

The meeting concluded with a panel session during which Hardesty said he had contacted ODOT about a resident’s request to have a bike crossing sign placed on South Street.

Richard Beatty raised concerns about speeding at the intersection of Center and Brosius Roads, calling for increased police surveillance.

Patrick shared that he cleared up the misunderstanding with Mayor Anne Haynam regarding the Shop with a Cop program, explaining that there were no issues and that Garrettsville was not taking that away from them. He also praised the street crew for their recent repair work on Davis and Garfield Drives.

Kaiser noticed the number of tree stumps in Park Cemetery, which prompted a discussion about getting bids to grind the stumps. Tara Beatty suggested replanting new trees where they had been cut.