Meeting Observed: Kent City Council Regular Meeting

Date of Meeting: 1/17/2024

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

Regular Council Meeting
After the usual formalities (e.g. roll call, pledge of allegiance and approval of minutes), two public comments:

• John Kennedy, new Portage County Treasurer, reminded everyone that the real estate tax deadline is Feb. 26 and March 1 for mobile home property taxes. He then talked about the various activities of the new treasurer, including negotiating the best interest rates with banks and serving on boards (e.g. board of revision, budget commission, data processing board, Portage County Land Bank and Portage County Community Action Council)
• Kaiden McGowen (sp?) – a sophomore at Kent State University and an adult with autism – called on the council to raise money for organizations to help autism and special needs and pass laws to help autism and special needs populations.
• Many written comments from city committees, boards, and commissions.
• One from a member of the public, Kayla Adolph, encouraging the city council to apply for grants to electrify its fleet of vehicles, and one from the farmers' market about the proposed cannabis moratorium.

Committee of the Whole:
Authorize the following changes to the council’s pending list (see Jan 3 meeting for fuller discussion:
Remove:

• Sustainability Commission 10 action items to fend off global warming;
• Unattended vehicle idling in city;
• Design Guidelines reorganization;
• Planning Commission Timelines;
• New Administration Building Dedication;
• Downtown Ice Rink;
• Review Neighbor Complaint;
• Parameters of Low Frequency Noices;
• Racism, hatred and diversity in Kent
• City Flag Redesign;
• Changes in Firewords Law
• Vape Shops and Marijuana Dispensaries;
• 24-hour Parking Regulations;
• Safety Town

Keep:

• Franklin Township sidewalk/snow upkeep;
• Roadwork needed on Portage Street
• Land O’Lakes Noise Issue
• Noise Ordinance
• Fur Regulations and Sales in Kent

Sustainability Commission Candidate: (interview took place at last council meeting)

• 2024-002 A RESOLUTION APPOINTING JULIE GRANT TO THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (Unauthorized) – approved unanimously.

Community Development:
A discussion on this matter took place at the Jan. 3, meeting, see minutes

• 2024-003: AN ORDINANCE DECLARING A MORATORIUM ON ADULT USE CANNABIS OPERATORS, TESTING LABORATORIES AND INDIVIDUALS REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED BY THE OHIO REVISED CODE IN THE CITY OF KENT, OHIO, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUTHORIZED) – approved unanimously.

Streets, Sidewalks and Utilities:
(For streets designated to be closed as well as additional details, see report on Jan. 3 meeting)

• 2024-004: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO APPROVE A NEW SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION FROM MAIN STREET KENT AND THE KENT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO BE HELD ONAPRIL 7 AND APRIL 8, 2024 AND THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE KENT DOWNTOWN STREETS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUTHORIZED) –approved unanimously
• 2024-005: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 316 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF KENT TITLED “SPECIAL EVENTS-PARADES, FESTIVALS, CARNIVALS, PUBLIC ASSEMBLES, ETC.” AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUTHORIZED)—approved unanimously

Finance Committee: (for discussion of these matters, see report from Jan. 3, meeting).

• 2024-006: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF KENT HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR THE FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $50,000 AND TO ACCEPT THE GRANT IF AWARDED WITH CORRESPONDING APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AND DECLARING EMERGENCY. (AUTHORIZED)—unanimously approved.
• 2024-007: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF KENT HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR THE OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 AND TO ACCEPT THE GRANT IF AWARDED WITH CORRESPONDING APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUTHORIZED). –unanimously approved.
• 2024-008: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE THE EXTENDED TOBACCO USE GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $117,000 FOR THE CITY OF KENT HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUTHORIZED) – unanimously approved.
• 2024-009: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE THE EXTENDEDOHIO EPA GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000 FOR THE CITY OF KENT HELATH DEPARMENT AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY (AUHTORIZED) –unanimously approved.
• 2024-010: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL AND JOINT EQUIPMENT GRANT AND TO ACCEPT THE GRANT IF AWARDED, WITH CORRESPONDING APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AND DELCARING AN EMERGENCY (UNAUTHORIZED)—unanimously approved.

New Business:

• Rosenberg makes two motions, both seconded. Both were approved unanimously.
• Make and fly city flags on all city buildings and post-digital flags on the website – sent to administration to report on it.
• Ask Main Street Kent and the Chamber of Commerce and Community Development to elicit business feedback on road closing and report back to the Council.

Council member's comments:

• Shafer Bish applauds both speakers and invites people of different abilities to be involved and proud of Kennedy’s approach to fiscal responsibility. Her question: where do county and city overlap?
• Robin Turner: The furnace went out last weekend (Jan. 13-14). He used a space heater, overloaded circuits, and went to a motel. With reduced heat centers to one in Portage County, where do people go?
• Sidoti: encouraged social service agencies to come together for an emergency plan.
• Clapper got a message from a renter whose radiator was broken, and the property owner sent someone over to repair it. Because the city has many renters (esp. students), we need to be mindful.
• Rosenberg encouraged all council members to send those individuals to the committee development office or health department.

Which members of the board/council were present: Jack Amrhein, president pro tem and ward 2; Melissa Celko, ward 1; Robin G. Turner, ward 3;  Chris Hook, Ward 4; Heidi Shaffer Bish, ward 5; Jeff Clapper, Ward 6; Michael, DeLeone, At Large; Gwen Rosenberg, At Large and Roger Sidoti, At Large

Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes

Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes

Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes

https://kentoh.portal.civicclerk.com/

Observer: Kathleen Endres