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Charter amendments text changes approved



Proposed amendments set for Nov. 5 ballot in Green

GREEN — Green City Council agreed Sept. 24 to amend the proposed charter amendments that were previously approved for the Nov. 5 General Election ballot.
The 13 proposed amendments, many of which pertain to the elected law director position, were recommended by the city’s Charter Review Commission for the ballot.
The issues addressed by the proposed charter amendments include: the mayor’s authority to appoint, confirm and remove directors and employees; Council vacancies; language adjustments in the sections of the charter pertaining to terms of service and residency requirements for the mayor and Council members; ballot language for charter amendments and initiatives; income tax; and several provisions pertaining to the election, qualifications and removal of the city law director.
During the committee meetings preceding the Council meeting, Councilman Rocco Yeargin (Ward 3), Charter Amendment Implementation Committee chairperson, said the Summit County Board of Elections (BOE) recommended the text of the proposed amendments be reformatted before they could be placed on the ballot. Yeargin added the BOE stated the amended legislation for the proposed charter amendments had to be adopted by Council and submitted to the BOE by Sept. 25.
During discussion on the matter at the committee meeting, Councilman Stephen Dyer (at large) expressed his concerns over the legal costs accrued by the city throughout the charter review process.
Yeargin said the Charter Review Commission had no precedents to turn to during the lengthy review process, and details of the current review process will be recorded and preserved for guidance during the next charter review, which will occur in 2026.
In other meeting action, Council heard first readings for the following:
• resolutions to enter into depository agreements with Key Bank and PNC Bank;
• a resolution to accept the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission, authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the Summit County Fiscal Office;
• a resolution requiring the Summit County fiscal officer to advance funds to the City of Green;
• a resolution authorizing the confirmation of the appointment of Dr. Alexsandra Mamonis as the City of Green representative to serve on the Summit County Combined General Health District Board of Health for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023;
• a resolution accepting the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval of Heron Watch subdivision subplat No. 5; and
• an ordinance to amend the codified ordinances to enact a new section regarding municipal income tax.
Council took time on a second reading of a resolution awarding a contract to Sentry Fence Inc. for the Greensburg Park fence improvement project. This decision followed committee meeting discussion on the feasibility of including outfield fencing for field No. 4 due to its proximity to the NEXUS natural gas pipeline.
During his report to Council, Mayor Gerard Neugebauer announced Green will be participating in the Akron Community Foundation’s annual On the Table event, which features groups of residents gathering for a meal and meaningful discussion on current topics affecting the general community. Neugebauer said Green will be hosting three gatherings on Oct. 3: a gathering to discuss diversity, equity and social inclusion at 9 a.m. at the Central Park Community Hall; a gathering to discuss drugs and addiction at 8 a.m. at the Central Park Community Hall; and a gathering to discuss aging seniors at 11:30 a.m. at the Lodge at Brier Creek. [For more on these gatherings, see related News & Notes item on Page 3.]
Neugebauer added registration is requested for attending the gatherings, and residents should call his office at 330-896-6602 for registration or additional information.
Neugebauer also encouraged Green residents to help with the Blessings in a Backpack community program. He explained Green has been a leading community in this national program, which seeks to alleviate the problem of hunger in school children by providing them with backpacks of easy-to-eat foods to take home on Fridays for sustenance over the weekend, when they may not be getting enough to eat. He added about 180 schoolchildren in Green were helped by this program last year.
The next Council meeting is set for Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. for committee meetings and followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Central Administration Building, 1755 Town Park Blvd.