CITY OF PICKERINGTON

SAFETY COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003

7:30 P.M.

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

1. ROLL CALL. Mr. Fox called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. with Mr. Sabatino, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Fox present. No members were absent. Others present were: Councilman Wright, Lynda Yartin, Chief Mike Taylor, Steve Carr, Frank Wiseman, Bob Mapes, Sandy Whittington, Joyce Cleary, Steve Malone, and others.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF March 3, 2003, Regular Meeting. Mr. Sabatino moved to approve; Mr. Fox seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Sabatino voting "Yea." Motion passed, 3-0.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:

Mr. Fox stated it was necessary to elect a Vice Chairman for this Committee, a Council Representative to the Parks and Recreation Board, and a member to the Nuisance Abatement Board. Mrs. Riggs moved to appoint herself as the Parks and Recreation Representative; Mr. Sabatino seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Fox, Mr. Sabatino, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0. Mr. Sabatino moved to appoint himself as the member of the Nuisance Abatement Board; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Sabatino, and Mr. Fox voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0. Mrs. Riggs moved to appoint Mr. Sabatino as Vice Chairman of Safety Committee, and herself as Secretary; Mr. Fox seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Fox, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.

Mr. Fox stated two members of the Tree Commission were present so he would address Item 4.D.(1)a. at this time, the review and request for motion to approve draft ordinance to enact standards for the preservation of trees and wooded areas. Mr. Malone stated the Tree Commission has been working on this ordinance for a considerable amount of time and they hoped this could be forwarded to Council so they can have something on the books that will specifically require future developers to consider not just what they have done after the fact, but beforehand, to preserve trees in the area. He stated he felt this provided good guidance to developers and he was optimistic this would be very positive. Mr. Wiseman stated there is one area in the draft ordinance that would set a fee for trees that needed to be replaced. He stated after speaking with Mr. Malone they felt it would be appropriate to put in the phrase, “Pay a fee equal to the replacement cost” rather than a dollar figure. He stated that would cover the cost of whatever tree that would be taken out and it would also cover any inflation costs. Mr. Wiseman clarified this ordinance will require developers to save trees whenever possible or replace them in the same area or somewhere else in the city so we have no loss of trees. Mr. Sabatino clarified this would not impact any development that is in progress, although the city has worked with developers to mitigate any tree reduction. Mrs. Riggs clarified this will affect any new subdivision that would be put in. Mr. Fox stated this would also enhance the legislation we have on the books for street trees in subdivisions. Mr. Sabatino asked if subdivisions that have already been platted would be affected by this and Mr. Carr stated he understood that any plats that have been approved would not fall under this ordinance, but any plat approved after the effective date of this ordinance would be subject to it. Mr. Wiseman stated we have been working to preserve as many trees as possible in the platting process. Mr. Sabatino moved to forward to Council with the corrections as noted by this Committee; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Mr. Wright stated there is conflicting language in 1266.01(c) where it states this would not apply to sites which have approved final development plans, final plats, etc., and then 1266.04(a) references tree replacement during the course of development of single lots or a subdivision. Mr. Wiseman stated he agreed with Mr. Wright and 1266.04 could be more generic where 1266.01 is more specific as to what should be followed. Mr. Wright stated he would also recommend while it is in committee they should let the law director know what direction they wanted to take, did they want to tie it to things that already have a final plat if possible, or specifically exclude final platted properties. Mr. Fox stated it would be his view that once something has gone through the process and the final plat has been approved, he did not see how you could change the rules on them. Mr. Malone stated he would agree with Mr. Fox about the final platting, but he saw a big difference between final platting or final development plan, versus a certificate of zoning. He stated in the certificate of zoning process he felt it would be very difficult to go back in and address this, whereas during final plat they can still do that. Mr. Wiseman stated he would get a clarification from the law director on the conflicting language. Mr. Sabatino stated his motion would include the language clarification and Mrs. Riggs stated her second would also include that. Mr. Fox stated his recommendation would be to go ahead and forward this to Council with the revisions recommended by this committee. Mr. Sabatino stated he concurred with that and the ordinance that came to council for a first reading would include the corrections. Mrs. Riggs stated if further corrections were necessary it could be amended at council prior to a final reading. Roll call was taken on the motion to forward to Council with the recommended corrections with Mr. Sabatino, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Fox voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.

4. DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

A. Parks and Recreation.

(1) Reports

a. Parks and Recreation Board Council Representative Report (Mr. Fox). Mr. Fox stated the Parks Board had discussed the location of the Skate Park and that was later on the agenda.

(2) Gazebo Park Landscaping Project - Update. Mr. Carr stated the second phase of that project should be completed as soon as they are able to cut the sod and plant the annuals. He stated that will occur this spring.

(3) Review and discussion regarding the Parks Master Plan. (TABLE, 7-01-02)

Mr. Carr stated staff has been meeting and the committee had received a proposed timeline on this project. Mr. Carr stated they hoped to have a completed plan to present to council by February of 2004.

(4) Skate Park Project

a. Review and request for motion to authorize acceptance of bid for purchase of equipment. Mr. Carr stated he was still evaluating proposals and he was not ready to make a recommendation as yet. He asked this be continued on the agenda, and Mr. Fox stated this item would be continued. Mr. Carr stated staff had provided a recommendation for the location of the skate park to the committee this evening. Mr. Carr stated the recommendation was for the lower level of Sycamore Park, north of Covered Bridge Lane, and west of the soccer field. He stated this is a central location with good access, parking, a drinking fountain and restrooms. Mr. Carr further stated the site has adequate space for the concrete pad and fencing, it does not interfere with existing park facilities, there are mature trees between the site and any homes, and police cars will have easy access to the site. Mrs. Riggs questioned if there were fewer problems at skate parks in cities that have located their skate park near their police station, and Mr. Carr stated those cities have had problems even though it is close to the police station. Mr. Carr further stated we had considered a location near the new police facility, however, there were some difficulties with that location. He stated one issue was that the city was negotiating with a potential commercial prospect for that location that would bring in tax revenue into the city, and also there were concerns about that site being on the edge of our city, very close to the Columbus city limits, and not centrally located for the majority of our residents. Mr. Carr stated he is also investigating the possibility of surveillance cameras being installed at our skate park. Mr. Fox clarified the nearest house to this location is on the corner of Covered Bridge Lane and Lockville Road. Mr. Fox also clarified the soccer field is approximately 75 to 90 feet from the skate park, however, that field is currently used only as a practice field by the soccer association. Mr. Carr stated some ideas for buffering are also being considered. Mr. Fox stated this is a project we have been working on for several years and there is a great deal of interest from kids for this project. Mr. Fox stated we had experimented at one time with locating a skate park on an unused basketball court in the upper level of Sycamore Park and that hadn’t work very well. He stated being in the lower level, being a facility specifically designed for the skaters, and with buffering, he felt this location was much better. Mrs. Riggs moved to approve the lower level of Sycamore Park for the location of the skate park; Mr. Sabatino seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mrs. Riggs, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Sabatino voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.

(5) Handicap Garden

a. Review and request for motion to approve draft resolution authorizing application for NatureWorks Grant. Mr. Carr stated the committee had received a draft resolution authorizing the application for a NatureWorks grant or a Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. He stated it is his understanding there is a good possibility there will be no money available for Fairfield County in the NatureWorks program, but there will be funds available in the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. He stated both grants are administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Carr stated both grants have an application deadline of July 1, 2003, and he is working to develop a project to submit for a grant. Mr. Fox clarified the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant is a 50-50 match, and the NatureWorks is a 75-25 match. Mr. Carr stated typically, however, there are more monies in the Federal Land and Water Conservation program. He stated we will be competing with communities state wide for the Federal Land and Water Conservation so he felt we should choose our project carefully. Mr. Fox stated he felt our handicapped garden would be a very good project. Mr. Carr stated this project would provide raised flower beds for handicapped individuals to work in and a handicapped fishing dock is also proposed. Mr. Carr stated we have been working with Handicapped Gardens for Humanity and we only have the conceptual design at this point. Mr. Sabatino moved to approve the draft Resolution authorizing application for the grant; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Fox, Mr. Sabatino, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.

B. COMMUNITY OUTREACH:

(1) Violet Festival Board Report. Ms. Whittington stated Mr. Jack Bowman has been appointed to the Board to replace a board member who resigned. She stated they will also have a 5K run this year and the Miss Violet Festival pageant has been moved back to the festival and will be held Saturday afternoon.

(2) Olde Pickerington Village Business Association Report. Ms. Whittington stated at their last meeting the Association discussed changes to be made to their June 6^th Cruise In. She stated they were changing that because the Parade of Homes opened that day, and the Cruise In would now be on June 13^th, and they were moving it to Church Street, which would keep Columbus Street open. Mr. Wright asked the hours of the Cruise In and Ms Whittington stated she did not know. Mr. Wright stated Church Street is a heavily residential street and most of those residences do not have off street parking, and he asked if that had been considered by the Association. Ms Whittington stated she did not know how that would be handled, but she thought a request was going to be sent to the Chief of Police. Chief Taylor stated he had received a request to close Columbus Street, which he denied because of the Parade of Homes. Chief Taylor stated he did not think Church Street was a good idea. Mr. Wright stated he did not know how you could close off Church Street and questioned if the Cruise In could be held in Victory Park. Mr. Carr stated in the past when the car shows have been held in the park they have actually been in the junior high field, and you will have baseball going on during that time, so he did not know how much room would be available. Mr. Carr stated you could not have a very large car show in Victory Park, and Mr. Wright stated he didn’t think you could have a very big one on Church Street either. Mr. Wright further questioned if they were anticipating using the Chocolate Works for parking. He stated however, even if the cars from the show were not parked along the street, people attending the show would be and the residents still would not be able to get in and out of their homes. Chief Taylor stated he would recommend the car show be held on a different weekend. Mr. Wiseman stated further they will eventually run into the streetscape project going on. Mr. Fox asked if Ms Whittington and Chief Taylor could relay these concerns to the Association.

(3) Fourth of July

a. Review and request for motion to authorize City of Pickerington float in this year’s Red, White, and Bicentennial parade. Mr. Carr stated the City of Columbus will begin their activities on July 3^rd, and they have invited central Ohio communities to participate. He stated they would like communities to have floats in their parade on the evening of July 3^rd, and in exchange they will donate $1,500 to the Fourth of July committee for our Fourth of July celebration. Mr. Sabatino moved to authorize entering the City of Pickerington float in the Red, White, and Bicentennial parade in Columbus; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Fox, and Mrs. Riggs voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.

C. Building Operations: No Report. Mrs. Yartin stated a statistical report on the web site had been distributed to the committee this evening.

D. Streets:

(1) Tree Commission.

a. Review and request for motion to approve draft ordinance to enact standards for the preservation of trees and wooded areas. Mr. Fox stated this has been dealt with earlier in the meeting.

E. Code Enforcement:

(1) Nuisance Abatement Board. Mr. Sabatino stated as he just assumed this duty this evening he had no report. Mrs. Riggs stated she was curious if signage would fall under this board and Mr. Wiseman stated that would be a Code Enforcement issue. Mrs. Riggs stated it seems signs have been popping up such as advertising web sites, etc. Mr. Wiseman stated there is an ordinance that signage is not allowed in the right-of-way, and he would bring this to Mr. Lewis’ attention. Mr. Sabatino stated he has an on-going concern regarding the aluminum sign frame on a building on Columbus Street and questioned if something had been done on that. Mr. Mapes stated the city has tried to work with the owner on that, but he has been less than cooperative. Mr. Mapes stated that building has been empty long enough that it has lost it grandfather status, and that would also be handled through code enforcement. Mr. Mapes stated the next step would be to serve the owner with a certified letter stating he had a specific amount of time to remove the sign and if he did not then we would file action in Municipal Court. Mr. Mapes stated the Nuisance Abatement Board deals with issues that threaten the health and safety of the community such as buildings that are falling down, etc. Mr. Sabatino stated he felt the condition of that building could be construed to be a safety issue. Mr. Wiseman stated he would bring this to Mr. Lewis’ attention also. Mr. Wright stated he has a concern with some of the new subdivisions, especially the Maronda subdivision along Diley Road. He stated their trash flies all over and especially into the yard of the elderly gentleman across the road. Mr. Mapes stated he knew that location, the gentleman’s address was 200 Diley Road, and he agreed there was a problem. Mr. Wright stated the developers are supposed to have containers and keep that picked up so it does not fly all over. Mr. Wright stated we have an Adopt A Road program where we have many organizations, businesses, and individual families keeping things picked up and looking nice, and then you have something like this where they leave their garbage for everyone else to take care of. Mr. Mapes stated the building inspectors have the ability to enforce the pick up and Mr. Wiseman stated he will mention this to Mr. Lewis as well. Mr. Fox stated he would like to have this issue on the next Safety Committee agenda to see what has been done.

(2) Weather Alert Monitors – Update. Mr. Fox stated Chief Taylor had provided a memo to the Committee regarding the Storm Ready Certification that had been discussed at a prior meeting. Chief Taylor stated he had researched this issue and as the members could see there are several requirements that you need before you can be certified. Mr. Wiseman stated he felt we were not in a position to pursue being a part of this program at this time. Chief Taylor stated the requirements were quite extensive such as having an Emergency Management Director on staff, locally owned and operated weather radar, etc. Mr. Wright stated he agreed with Chief Taylor that this program was not feasible for the city at this time. Mr. Fox stated he would like to leave this on the agenda because we were still dealing with the issue of tornado sirens.

4. POLICE:

A. Chief’s Report. Chief Taylor stated his report had been distributed and he would point out to the committee that they are researching a grant that will defer the costs of bullet proof vests. He stated there was a possibility we would receive a total of $2,362 from this grant.

B. Police Facility – Update. Chief Taylor stated the inside of the building is about complete, and the landscaping and parking lot need to be completed. He stated he hoped to have all of this completed prior to the open house during Police Memorial Week and that is mid-May.

5. CHAIRMAN.

A. Update on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation. Mr. Mapes stated he was distributing a draft ordinance for the committee to review. He stated we have zoning ordinances right now that are in place and are sufficient to deal with where these types of businesses can and cannot be located. He stated you cannot legislate these businesses out altogether, in theory you need to have a place they are allowed. Mr. Mapes stated this would be so we have regulations ensuring that it is a safe place to be, it limits the hours, requires background checks on all the employees, etc. He stated it is very, very detailed. He stated he does need something from this committee on what they feel would be appropriate as the fee for doing the background checks and that sort of thing. He stated we need to make sure that it is sufficient to cover our expenses, and it is a useful tool to have in place. Mr. Mapes stated this does not deal with the massage issue and he found only two local communities who did address that. He stated the enforcement falls to the police department, and he did not know if we wanted to put that on our officers right now. Mr. Wright stated he would rather be as proactive as we could so it was all in place before there is a problem. Mr. Mapes stated you then have two ways of doing this, you make the massage licensing fee minimal because all we want to do is have them licensed and not impact the livelihood of people out there, or make the fee high and feel that legitimate people will be able to pay it and the others won’t. Mr. Fox stated he thought a massage parlor was different than massage therapy, and Mr. Mapes stated they fall into the same category. Mrs. Riggs stated she agreed with Mr. Wright that we should address the entire issue now if we can. Mr. Mapes stated he had provided the draft legislation to the committee and it is a very lengthy document. He stated he would recommend the committee review this legislation and at the next meeting we might have something ready to forward to council. Mr. Sabatino clarified there would be separate fees for the licensing of the business and the fee charged to perform the background checks on employees. Mrs. Riggs stated she would like to have a cost analysis done to see what the actual costs would be for the city to perform the background checks, inspections, etc., and then this committee would be more prepared to determine what the amount should be for these fees. Mr. Mapes stated the only area that qualifies for these types of businesses under our present zoning is Winderly Place, and these types of facilities usually want to locate right off an interstate. Mr. Fox stated this would be continued on the agenda for next month.

B. Update on Historic Register Legislation. Mr. Fox stated a draft ordinance had been provided and he was not going to ask for any action this month, he wanted everyone to have time to review the document and see if they had any further recommendations. Mr. Fox stated what he wanted was to be able to protect older structures in the city when development occurs, specifically notable structures. Mr. Fox stated we do have standards and procedures for the protection of these structures in the old downtown area and this would allow those standards to be used throughout the city. Mr. Mapes states this would tie in with the standards in the old downtown and there are something like ten reasons that the structure could be notable, such as significant architecture, built by a noted architect, etc. He stated this just takes the existing criteria and makes it apply to any structure in the city. Mr. Mapes stated if someone wants to tear down a building they must come in and get a demolition permit, and this would allow us to look at the structure and the criteria listed to see if it would be considered a notable structure. He stated this was just another measure to try and protect notable structures. Mr. Sabatino clarified if there is an historic value to a structure, the city does have the right to step in and limit what someone can do with their property. He further clarified this dealt with demolishing and structurally changing property that is notable. Mr. Fox stated he would like to continue this on the agenda for next month so everyone could review it and see if they had any further recommendations.

6. OTHER BUSINESS. Mrs. Riggs stated at Council an individual had addressed the safety issue of the traffic on East Street at Heritage Elementary and she would like to see if there is anything that can be done. Chief Taylor stated East Street does get congested when there are certain functions at the school because of the on street parking, people dropping kids off, etc. Chief Taylor stated he thought the congestion only lasted for short periods, and during most of the time there was not a major problem. Mr. Sabatino stated the individual had also suggested the school pave an area to provide additional parking for their employees and visitors. Mr. Wiseman stated the individual had also suggested one way traffic on that street, and that may have some merit. Chief Taylor stated he and Mr. Wiseman would review the impact of having East Street be one way going north. Mr. Wiseman stated you would still have two way traffic on Church Street and you would have another east/west corridor to match S.R. 256, but from that point on there is no reason to have southbound traffic on East Street. Mr. Wright and Mrs. Riggs both stated they thought would be a good solution. Chief Taylor stated after the review, he would bring a recommendation to the next Safety Committee.

7. ADJOURNMENT. There being nothing further, Mr. Sabatino moved to adjourn; Mrs. Riggs seconded the motion. Mr. Sabatino, Mrs. Riggs, and Mr. Fox voted “Aye.” Motion carried, 3-0. The Safety Committee meeting adjourned at 9:20 P.M., April 7, 2003.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

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Lynda D. Yartin, Municipal Clerk