9/20/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Fairlawn City Council’s Sept. 17 meeting was unusual in that no new legislation was introduced.

“It’s been a long time since that’s happened,” said Council President Russ Sharnsky (at large).

However, Council did pass a few ordinances and a resolution that had been introduced at earlier meetings.

During the meeting, Council gave unanimous approval to an ordinance authorizing Mayor Bill Roth to sign the necessary deeds consolidating two adjoining city-owned lots into one located on Bicentennial Boulevard to be used for municipal purposes.

“There are two lots there that are both owned by the city, but they have separate parcel numbers,” explained Law Director Ed Riegler. “Basically, what we’re doing is consolidating that into one lot with one parcel number. There will be no change in any construction or in any of the buildings on those properties.”

According to the mayor, the lots in question are “vacant properties right next to the fire station.”

“These two lots were acquired at different times,” he said.

Council also unanimously approved an ordinance permitting Roth to sign the necessary deeds consolidating three adjoining city-owned parcels into two parcels located along Ridgewood Road to be used for municipal purposes.

“The second situation deals with three separate lots on Ridgewood Road that are owned by the city,” Riegler said. “They are narrow, but they’re very long. It’s a matter of consolidating those for the purposes for which they’re being used presently. And presently, they’re being used as the soccer fields in the back and then the community gardens in the front, with the long driveway on the eastern side and a parking lot in the back for the soccer fields. We’re taking those lots and making the soccer field, the parking lot and the driveway into one lot, and then the area with the community gardens forward to Ridgewood Road as a second lot.”

Riegler said consolidating the lots doesn’t affect the city in any way currently, but he noted the moves could prove beneficial in the future.

“The benefit would be long range that if there should ever be a need to do any kind of construction on those properties that this part — the consolidation — has been done,” he said. “But there’s nothing planned at all.”

Also during the meeting:

• Council unanimously passed a resolution acknowledging the Giant Eagle GetGo convenient store/gas station as an economic development project.

“It involves the transfer of a liquor license from one area to another, and you have to show that it’s an economic development area,” Riegler said. “Giant Eagle provided us with the fact that it’s creating between 10 and 15 jobs and a total investment of $2.2 million. The taxes it will generate include $71,000 in sales taxes, $26,000 in CAT [Commercial Activity Tax] taxes, $2,000 in Ohio unemployment taxes, $6,000 in local income taxes and $50,000 in real estate property taxes.”

• City Engineer Nick Spagnuolo said the work on Haverhill Road has been completed “except for the landscaping.”

In addition, he said, the work on Trunko Road is nearly finished.

“As we speak now, the lanes on Trunko are being striped,” he said. “But we cannot open Trunko, even though they’ll finish that tonight, until signal service comes out and recalculates the timing on the lights due to the left turn off Trunko.”

The road has been closed since July and, according to Deputy Service Ernie Staten, the “intention is to have it open by the end of the week.”

“We just want to make sure the [traffic] signal works properly,” he said. “We want to make sure the intersection is safe before we open it up.”

• Council also unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Oriana House.

“That’s a contract we have with Oriana House that we renew annually,” Riegler said. “It’s for the corrections of individuals who have been convicted of various crimes that have happened in Fairlawn. When a court sentences them to Oriana House, if they have been declared to be indigent, the city is responsible for the fees that are generated during their correction time period.”

• Zoning, Housing and Residential Building Commissioner Chris Randles said there will be a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

• Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Beisecker said there will be a Park Board meeting Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room.

The next Fairlawn City Council meeting is set for Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Fairlawn City Hall, 3487 S. Smith Road. The next Committee-of-the-Whole meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. in City Hall.

• Akron mayor addresses ‘hacking’ attack
• Parades, services planned for Memorial Day
• APS drops Digital Academy sponsorship
• County Council committee moves ADM levy forward
• Four men honored for bravery following April car crash
• Bath applying for grant to fund police officer position
• Blighted Copley property razed; six others to follow
• Sharon preparing for Memorial Day events
• Akron Planning Commission OKs plans for new grocery
• West Side News & Notes
• Village raises standards for rental properties
• Parades, services planned for Memorial Day
• Coventry school district emerging from fiscal watch
• Springfield students heading to college, preparing to serve
• County Council committee moves forward on ADM levy
• New Franklin to pave local roads
• Lakeside restroom now open
• Misty morning
• South Side News & Notes