VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
OCTOBER 17 , 2005

THE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA MET ON THE ABOVE DATE AT 5814 WESTCHESTER COURT. THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT: MARY JO CUSACK, MAYOR; PAMELA M. COLWELL; SCOTT K. GORDON; JOHN A. SCHAER; RENEE SHANNON; RODNEY TETTENHORST AND PAUL J. ZENISEK. ALSO PRESENT WERE GARY A. BRUCK, BUILDING/ZONING COMMISSIONER; DANIEL A. MCINTYRE, STREET COMMISSIONER; NEIL R. MORTINE, MARSHAL; DAN E. OWENS, CLERK-TREASURER AND LOIS YOAKAM NEWSLETTER EDITOR. ROBERT W. AND SUE A. RANK, JOSEPH G. AND JEAN I. MCMILLAN AND MICHAEL THOMAN WERE GUESTS OF COUNCIL. THE MAYOR CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.

MINUTES

05-46

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2005, WERE NOT READ SINCE EACH MEMBER HAD RECEIVED A COPY. ZENISEK MOVED AND TETTENHORST SECONDED A MOTION THAT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING BE APPROVED AS SUBMITTED BY THE CLERK-TREASURER. THE FOLLOWING VOTE WAS RECORDED ON THE MOTION: YEA, 6; COLWELL, GORDON, SCHAER, SHANNON, TETTENHORST AND ZENISEK: NAY, NONE. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT

05-47

SCHAER MOVED AND TETTENHORST SECONDED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PAYMENT OF BILLS AND TO ACCEPT THE FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2005, AS SUBMITTED BY THE CLERK-TREASURER. THE FOLLOWING VOTE WAS RECORDED ON THE MOTION: YEA, 6; COLWELL, GORDON, SCHAER, SHANNON, TETTENHORST AND ZENISEK: NAY, NONE. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0. SEE BOARD REFERRAL FILE NO. 05-019.

THE CLERK-TREASURER NOTED THE DRAFT OF ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE (VILLAGE) FOR 2006 AND A COPY OF “OHIO BUDGET BILL (FISCAL YEARS 2006-07): MAJOR OHIO TAX LAW CHANGES” AS PREPARED BY THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION. HE REPORTED RECEIPT OF SOME $15,000 IN ESTATE TAXES AND THE FINAL CODIFICATION REPORT. THE MAYOR AND CLERK-TREASURER WILL BE OUT OF TOWN DURING THE UPCOMING THANKSGIVING WEEK.

REPORTS OF OFFICIALS

THE MAYOR REPORTED THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED NO CONFIRMATION OF THE DON SCOTT AIRPORT COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS, PATRICIA ANDERSON IS OVER SEEING THE CLEARING AND GRUBBING OF THE RAVINE, AEP HAD NOT SUPPLIED A LIST OF RESIDENTS WHOSE TREES ARE TO BE TRIMMED, WORTHINGTON POLICE COOPERATED IN HAVING A PARKED TRUCK MOVED AND INFORMATION WAS DISTRIBUTED ON THE PROPOSED STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

THE SOLICITOR HAD NO REPORT.

THE BUILDING/ZONING COMMISSIONER REPORTED THE APPROVAL OF A FENCE PROJECT ON MELBOURNE PLACE.

THE MARSHAL REPORTED THAT THE WORTHINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A MINIMUM OF ACTIVITY DURING SEPTEMBER; 2 INCIDENTS, 0 ARRESTS, 2 REPORTS FILED AND 298 PATROL CHECKS. ONE INCIDENT INVOLVED A BURGLARY, THE OTHER AN ANIMAL COMPLAINT.

THE STREET COMMISSIONER REPORTED THAT CERTAIN CATCH BASINS, CURBS AND STREET SURFACES ARE BEING REPAIRED. ALSO, THE ELECTRICAL WORK AT THE LIFT STATION IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED.

THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR REPORTED THAT THE NEWSLETTER WOULD BE PUBLISHED IN EARLY NOVEMBER. THE VILLAGE WEBMASTER HAD NO REPORT.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

THE HALLOWEEN EVENT IN THE CIRCLE WILL BE FROM 6:00 PM UNTIL 8:00 PM ON OCTOBER 31, 2005. CAROL O’CONNOR WILL COORDINATE THE EVENT.

ZENISEK PRESENTED A REPORT, “COMPARISON OF WORTHINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SHARON TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT”. SEE BOARD REFERRAL FILE NO. 05-020. CRITERIA INCLUDED, BUT WERE NOT LIMITED TO, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, SALARIES, FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, PATROL SCHEDULES, RESPONSE TIME, FORMAL EVALUATIONS, ANIMAL CONTROL AND COST. COUNCIL COMMENDED ZENISEK FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS

THE FIVE RESIDENTS PRESENT THANKED ZENISEK FOR HIS REPORT. COMMENTS CENTERED ON RESPONSE TIME, EQUIPMENT, ANIMAL CONTROL, THE DARE PROGRAM AND COSTS. THERE WAS CONCERN OF SHARON TOWNSHIP’S RESPONSE TIME, BUT MOST EXPRESSED COMFORT WITH THE TOWNSHIP’S DEPARTMENT.

OLD BUSINESS

A RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE FOR THE REMOVAL OF ICE AND SNOW FROM THE STREETS OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE SECOND TIME.

THE RECEIPT OF FIVE COPIES OF RIVERLEA CODE OF ORDINANCES WAS DISCUSSED. THIS INCLUDED TWO CD’S, LINKAGE TO A WEB SITE AND A SAMPLE ADOPTING ORDINANCE AS WELL AS A BILL FOR SERVICES RENDERED. ACTION ON THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE WAS DEFERRED UNTIL THE NOVEMBER MEETING OF COUNCIL.

858 RESOLUTION 858, A RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE THE SO-CALLED “TAXPAYER’S BILL OF RIGHTS (TABOR) CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE THIRD TIME. TETTENHORST MOVED AND COLWELL SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 858. THE FOLLOWING VOTE WAS RECORDED ON THE MOTION: YEA, 5; COLWELL, GORDON, SHANNON, TETTENHORST AND ZENISEK: NAY, 1; SCHAER. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-1.

NEW BUSINESS

THE DRAFT OF THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE (VILLAGE) FOR 2006 WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE ORDINANCE WILL BE MODIFIED BY THE INVESTMENT AND AUDIT COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL FOR ACTION AT THE DECEMBER MEETING OF COUNCIL.

GORDON INTRODUCED AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA, OHIO TO CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF WORTHINGTON, OHIO AND THE WORTHINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES IN THE VILLAGE AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. THE ORDINANCE WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME. GORDON SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE, COMPARING SIMILAR CONTRACTS IN THE COLUMBUS AREA. RELATIVE TIME SPENT AND NUMBER OF PATROL CHECKS WERE ALSO COMPARED.

857

SCHAER INTRODUCED AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA, OHIO TO CONTRACT WITH SHARON TOWNSHIP AND THE SHARON TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES IN THE VILLAGE AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. THE ORDINANCE WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME. TETTENHORST SPOKE OF THE NEED TO REDUCE SPENDING IN AN ERA OF INCREASING COSTS AND OF HIRING A POLICE FORCE TO FIT THE VILLAGE’S NEEDS.

TETTENHORST INTRODUCED AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE LEGAL COUNCIL FOR THE VILLAGE OF RIVERLEA. THE ORDINANCE WAS READ, BY TITLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL EXPRESSED GREAT SATISFACTION WITH WORK OF STEVEN W. MERSHON AS THE VILLAGE’S SOLICITOR.

THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED AN OPEN HOUSE AT HER NEWLY RELOCATED, PRIVATE PRACTICE, OFFICE.

COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS WERE OFFERED.

NEXT MEETING AND ADJOURNMENT

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AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, TETTENHORST MOVED AND ZENISEK SECONDED A MOTION TO HOLD THE REGULAR NOVEMBER MEETING OF COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005. THE FOLLOWING VOTE WAS RECORDED ON THE MOTION: YEA, 6; COLWELL, GORDON, SCHAER, SHANNON, TETTENHORST AND ZENISEK: NAY, NONE. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.

THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED THAT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2005, AT 7:30 P.M. AT 5804 PIONEERS COURT.

05-49

THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, SHANNON MOVED AND TETTENHORST SECONDED A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. THE FOLLOWING VOTE WAS RECORDED ON THE MOTION: YEA, 6; COLWELL, GORDON, SCHAER, SHANNON, TETTENHORST AND ZENISEK: NAY, NONE. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0. THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 9:11 P.M.

MARY JO CUSACK, MAYOR

DAN E. OWENS, CLERK OF COUNCIL