12/1/2020 Council Meeting Recap
First week as an official member of Council! I had the honor of being sworn-in by Mayor Shubert on Tuesday before the Council Meeting. The video can be viewed here if you missed it.
Before I start, quick housekeeping note: I am working on transitioning my website over from campaign to City Council, so please be patient with me as the rest of the site is under construction.
Just this week alone, I’ve talked to many residents who want a weekly recap, so I’m going to give it my best shot.
A few other Council members also do this, but I’ve decided to do mine a little differently based on the resident feedback I’ve gotten. The #1 request was for shorter, more concise, and fact-based summaries.
Opinions are very important, but opinions veiled as facts are damaging.
Therefore, whenever possible, I will likely copy and paste directly from the agenda, approved minutes if they are available, and documents staff has linked in the agenda to provide you with the facts. THEN, I’ll give you “my take.” This definite separation of fact from opinion is necessary and important to communicating with residents.
Additionally, I might not address every single agenda item in my summary, but that does not mean it is not important or that residents should not inquire about it. It may just simply mean that the item is something I have addressed in another post, is something that is on Council’s agenda frequently or annually (example: the purchase of road salt), or is something no update needs to be given on at the time (example: Item D. 20-152 on the Legislative Agenda - this is the Library levy that most people are familiar with by this point).
So, here goes!
Appointments:
BZBA: Kerri Keller
Planning Commission: Melissa Jones, Erik Vaughan
Volunteer Fire Fighters’ Dependents Fund Board: Councilmen Foster and Sutton
My take: We had SO many qualified applicants for both the BZBA and the Planning Commission. I know this was my first round of interviews as a Council member, but I was blown away by everyone! So, if you were someone who was not selected, I understand that you may be disappointed but I truly hope you are not discouraged from applying again.
Public comment:
This week we had several public comments, the topics were: The possible implementation of a code of conduct for City Council, the Santa mailbox located downtown across from Hudson’s Restaurant, and pedestrian/biker safety and the need for more infrastructure to support that (bike lanes).
Note: At the last Council meeting, we also heard from a resident on this same topic, and Council has received several emails from other residents on this topic as well as on speeding, crosswalks, and other types of infrastructure that supports pedestrians and bikers.
My take: I 100% agree that bike lanes are incredibly important to the safety of bikers, and I believe we should take a closer look at some of the areas of town that have high numbers of bikers and pedestrians to ensure safety. I followed up with City Staff on the topic of biker and pedestrian safety, and it is something that is on their radar and they are working on. Currently, they are studying to determine which safety improvements should be done in the near future.
Consent Agenda:
The only item I want to make a note of on the Consent agenda is the following, and this is copied and pasted directly from the agenda.
Item E. 20-158 A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 20-37 TO REFLECT 2021 FLEET VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT PRICING ADJUSTMENTS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: Resolution No. 20-37 was passed on August 18, 2020, authorizing the replacement purchase of three (3) fleet vehicles. Shortly following approval of the legislation, it was communicated to fleet managers that the vehicle manufacturers had stopped taking orders for 2020 models. Manufacturers have now begun taking orders for 2021 vehicles and have adjusted pricing accordingly. Staff wishes to proceed with the replacement purchase of the three existing vehicles as detailed in the 2020 fleet capital replacement plan. The Public Works Department has obtained the 2021 adjusted pricing for the purchase of the three (3) replacement vehicles. They include two (2) Freightliner Cab and Chassis vehicles and one (1) Ford F550 and all associated equipment.
My take: It may be obvious, but this is basically approval of a price increase. I don’t feel the need to elaborate further on this topic.
Legislative Agenda:
Item A 20-142 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING IN CONCEPT THE CITY OF HUDSON FIVE-YEAR PLAN 2021-2025.
My take: The key words above are “in concept.” We are not locked into this 5-year plan, it can be changed as the world around us changes. This 5 year plan was developed before I was on Council, but overall I had no issues with it, and am happy with the direction it takes Hudson.
Item C. 20-145 AN ORDINANCE PLACING A MORATORIUM ON THE OPERATION OF ANY SHORT TERM RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE RENTALS IN THE CITY OF HUDSON; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: This Ordinance establishes a 180-day temporary moratorium prohibiting the operation of short term (less than 30 days) residential real estate rentals (“STRs”) within the City of Hudson. The period of the moratorium will permit the City to conduct community outreach, study, formulate, and draft regulations with respect to STRs.
My take: I was disappointed to see a recent newspaper article state, “Hudson City Council without discussion tabled an ordinance that would have put a six-month moratorium on short-term rentals.” At the last Council workshop, I personally felt that Council made it clear they wanted to consider all options before passing the moratorium. City staff worked hard to put together legislation for us to discuss, and the vote to table Item C. 20-145 is simply a result of Council wanting to do their due diligence and vote only after we have all the information we need to best serve our constituents. Anything less would be unfair to the residents we are trying to help. I feel that this sentence in the Hub article was not a realistic representation of where Council stands on the issue or the hard work we are putting into finding the right solution.
Item E. 20-153 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 410.01, SCHEDULE I, “EXISTING POSTED SPEED LIMITS,” OF THE TRAFFIC CODE TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT FROM 45 MILES PER HOUR TO 35 MILES PER HOUR ON TEREX ROAD BETWEEN SR 91 AND BARLOW ROAD, EAST; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: After a recent traffic study was performed on the intersection of Barlow Road/Terex Road/Hudson Industrial Parkway, it is recommended that the speed limit be lowered from 45 mph to 35 mph.
My take: This was passed with the emergency measure by a vote of 7-0, with the initial vote to suspend the rules passing 6-1. I will ALWAYS vote to pass items that impact public safety with an emergency measure (which, to recap, simply means the legislation can take effect immediately) if it is requested by staff. I know some are disappointed in this decision, believing that the reduction of the speed limit may cause them an inconvenience, but safety is more important than convenience.
Item F. 20-160 AN ORDINANCE ENACTING A NEW CHAPTER 876, “SHORT-TERM RENTAL OPERATIONS,” OF THE BUSINESS REGULATION CODE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: A permit program has been drafted for the regulation of short-term rentals within the City of Hudson.
My take: This is the legislation city staff has proposed for the short-term rental issue. I have reviewed it and, overall, am happy with this. I want to discuss with my peers on Council and the residents more, but this seems like the more logical solution over the moratorium that was discussed above. I look forward to us beating this up at our next workshop.
That’s it for the agenda, but I wanted to talk about one last thing while I still (hopefully) have your attention. Today, I got a call from the “Government Affairs Director for Spectrum Cable for Northeast, Ohio” which, is otherwise known as a lobbyist. He wanted to talk to me about Velocity Broadband (VBB). Let me say this loud, for everyone in the back to hear, if you are a lobbyist, do NOT call me! I have no interest in talking to you. I form my opinions using knowledge, data, facts, and the feedback and opinions of my constituents. There is no place for lobbyists or their “opinions” in my decision making.
Have questions? Want to share with me your thoughts on any of the agenda items or issues listed above? As always, I would love to have a conversation! Email me directly at nkowalski@hudson.oh.us.
