Meeting Observed: Kent City Council

Date of Meeting: 6/16/2021

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

After an executive session, the following committee appointments were approved:

• 2021-053: Karen Beck, Portage Area Regional Transit Authority, Amrhein abstain, rest approve
• 2021-54: Appointments to Salary Review Committee: Kathie Slater, Benjamin Tipton and Thomas Pascarella unanimously approved; Jeff Roeger and Warner Mendelhall as alternates, unanimously approved.

Community Development

• 2021-055: Acceptance of donation from the Portage Foundation (not to exceed $13.995.00) to use funds to "advanced display for new signage for the historic south end neighborhood," unanimous approval.
• 2021-056: Originally proposed that the DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area -- where alcoholic beverages could be sold by licensed liquor established for outdoor consumption) be extended until 11 p.m. on June 26 (the date of the Kent Heritage Festival). Ferrara moved the Dora to be extended to 11 p.m. 7 days a week, not just June 26. After much discussion (all in support of the amendment), the council approved the amended version.

Land Use Committee:

• 2021-057: New chapters of planning and zoning code in part 11, etc. Unanimously approved
• 2021-058: Amends the City Zoning District (107 Lake Street) to be rezoned from industrial to 1146 C-D, commercial Downtown (North Water Brewing Co.) DeLeone abstains, council approves.

Streets, Sidewalks and Utilities Committee:

• 2021-059: City to submit 2 funding applications, unanimous approval.
• 2021-060: City to submit 2 funding applications, unanimous approval.

Finance Committee:

• 2021-061: To allow water tape in for skilled nursing facility located at SR 42 and Melow, outside city of Kent, Unanimously approved.
• 2021-062: Allows city manager or his designee to allow the Budget and Finance Department to create a new general ledger fund for the American Rescue Plan Act funding (e.g. Local Fiscal Recovery Fund #138), unanimous passed.
• 2021-063: Accepts donation of $100 to plant a tree for the Kent Parks, unanimously passed.

New Business:

• Roger Sidoti expressed concern about the continuing issues associated with the Architectural Review Board. After much discussion, The City Council approved a work session with the ARB in the next 2 to 3 months on a "common understanding" of what the ARB's role should be, unanimously approved.

With that, the last zoom meeting of the City Council was concluded. The next meeting on July 7 will be at the Fire Station at 7 pm. It is unclear if the City Council will continue to stream meetings.

Which members of the board/council were present: Jerry Fiala (Mayor), Michael DeLeone, Gwen Rosenberg, Roger Sidoti, Garret Ferrara, James Amrhein, Robin Tuner, John Kuhar, Heidi Shaffer Bish. Tracy Wallach was absent.

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://www.kentohio.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06162021-873

Observer: Kathleen Endres