4/27 Workshop & 5/4 Meeting Thoughts
This week I’d like to cover a few items of note from last week’s Council workshop as well as this week’s Council meeting.
I try my hardest to write up a recap every week, but life happens sometimes. Last week was very busy with work followed by a small family vacation to a cabin with my husband and daughter. It was wonderful to relax, unwind, and unplug. So much to be grateful for!
Concern was once again expressed about Prairie State Energy Campus (a coal-fired electrical power station and coal mine) and the future of the facility. Prairie State is currently responsible for about 41% of Hudson Public Power’s energy portfolio. They have had a number of issues as of late, and many in the community as well as several members on Council want city staff and city leadership to plan ahead and have a Plan B in the event things really go south. This is an issue I have been aware of for some time now, dating back to my service on Hudson’s Environmental Awareness Committee, and have been discussing with staff and watching closely since being elected this past November.
One topic we discussed was the idea of a “Founder’s Day Parade” to be held on Labor Day. This was born out of widespread disappointment at the cancellation of the Memorial Day Parade. Because the Memorial Day parade is put on by the American Legion, volunteers are able to be utilized and the city’s costs are low. If the city hosts a parade, most or all of the cost falls on the city, resulting in a much more expensive parade (around $25k!). Another issue is that many of the downtown merchants are closed on Labor Day, and holding it on a Saturday could impact the Farmer’s Market. We discussed the possibility that an outside group could sponsor it so that the cost (taxpayer money) is reduced. The goal is to find an outside organization to sponsor and coordinate the event with volunteers, which could significantly cut the City’s cost. I want to hear from all of you – if we cannot find an outside organization to put on the parade, do you want Council to authorize an expenditure of +/- $25k to put on this parade?
The big topic of the night was a list of suggested amendments to the Land Development Code (LDC).
My take: Overall, most of the changes were pretty straightforward and needed. Council asked staff to pull the following items to be researched and to be subsequently discussed and considered separately: Drive-throughs, Architectural and Historic Board of Review Administrative Approvals, Deck Skirting, Setbacks from Wetlands, Darrowville Vision, Sign Code. Most of these I will refrain from commenting on at this juncture. City staff plans to bring additional information to Council for our consideration, and I want to have all of the facts before coming to conclusions. But, I do have some initial thoughts.
Overall thoughts: When I brought forward the legislation to temporarily cap third-party food delivery commissions to help our local businesses get through this pandemic, I was criticized because many considered that government overreach. Tell me, how is strictly regulating deck skirting NOT government overreach? Some of these items seemed based in personal preference and nothing more. If city staff can identify a section of the LDC that is consistently an issue and a burden for both residents and city staff, we should listen. If that is the case, I have a hard time believing the regulation is benefitting Hudson in a meaningful way.
Drive-throughs: The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that going back to “normal” will not look like it did before. As a result of the pandemic, requests for Hudson to allow drive-throughs have increased. I can understand the arguments against having them, but I do want to learn more about the reasons for having them. I couldn’t totally gauge where all of my colleagues on Council stand on this issue. My initial thoughts are that drive-throughs should absolutely NOT be allowed in the historic areas of Hudson, but outside of the historic areas, I could come around to the idea with the following stipulations: the drive-through is not directly visible from the street; the drive-through does not cause an increase in traffic OR traffic mitigating measures can be applied to the area in the instance it does; the times drive-throughs are permitted to operate are restricted so that nearby neighborhoods would not be disturbed at night; signage to protect pedestrians and cyclists are installed within a reasonable distance from the drive-through; the architecture and look of the drive-through has to fit in with the current building and nearby architecture. This is a controversial issue, and before I formulate an opinion, I want to hear from you! Shoot me an email, message, text, leave me a voicemail, get in touch!
That’s it on the LDC for now, because like I said, I think I need to gather more information and hear more from all of you before I can formulate final opinions on several of these topics.
Discussion Items
B. 21-0036 Letter from American Fireworks Regarding a Land Development
Code Text Amendment
Brief Description: The City has received a letter from Mr. Roberto Sorgi of American Fireworks asking whether the City would consider amending the Land Development Code.
My take: A brief overview of the topic was given by City Manager Jane Howington and staff. American Fireworks has been part of our community for nearly a century, and was operating at this location before the “non-conforming use” was assigned to them. American Fireworks gives back so much to our community, and for that I am grateful. Supporting our local businesses has always been a priority for me, which is why I came to the meeting prepared to read the following motion into the record: “I move to request the City’s Planning Commission to study whether the City should initiate an amendment to the LDC consistent with the letter received from American Fireworks.”
After I read this into the record, Councilman Hal DeSaussure made extremely salient points against the City of Hudson being the party to initiate an LDC text amendment change. He discussed the process that is currently in place for someone who seeks such a change, and pointed out that in this instance, the business seeking the change should be the applicant. He also pointed out that the residents who live in the neighborhood behind American Fireworks have expectations, and part of those expectations are that all parties involved in this manner should be given the appropriate consideration for their point of view. An additional concern that the optics of the City initiating this might not be ideal, especially in regard to residents feeling heard. Other Council members also echoed some of Hal’s comments, and, I changed my mind. It became apparent to me that the best way (strictly my opinion) for us to move forward is for American Fireworks to apply and go through the normal process as any other business would. So, I voted “no” on the motion I made, resulting in the motion to send the letter directly to Planning Commission failing 4 to 3.
I have had a lot of people comment that I appeared to be a “swing vote” on this one. True! And that should not come as a surprise. I walk into every meeting ready to set aside any preconceived opinions if it becomes apparent from resident testimony, staff briefings, or the comments of my fellow council members that whatever is before us does not serve the best interests of Hudson in any way.
Open Forum Hosted by Council Member Nicole Kowalski
On May 20, 2021 from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM I will be hosting a virtual at-large forum. There is no set agenda, residents will determine the topics to be discussed. City Manager Jane Howington will be in attendance to assist me in answering resident questions. To register, click here and fill out the form. I hope you can make it!
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Have questions? Want to share your thoughts with me 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.
