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January 6, 2005
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January 6, 2005 |
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Council
business— Village Council agreed Monday to organize three community forums focusing on issues of growth and economic development. The forums would provide information and education about Village zoning rules, the Village Comprehensive Plan and results of the economic surveys being distributed by the Village. In addition, several Council members said that they did not think Council should spearhead a community visioning process, preferring that a private organization lead such an effort. Last month, Council agreed to organize community forums on growth-related issues, after Doug Miller, the broker/owner of HRI Commercial Realty in Beavercreek who owns a half interest in the Fogg farm, withdrew his request to have the 39-acre property annexed into the village. Miller said that this delay would give Yellow Springers time to work with him on possible development plans for the property. At Council’s meeting on Jan. 3, Council president Tony Arnett suggested that Council hold three community forums by the end of February. Council did not vote on Arnett’s suggestion. Based on what Arnett and other Council members said, this is what the forums could look like: • The first forum would provide a historical overview of the Village planning efforts, including a review of the creation of the Comprehensive Plan, the 1990 neighborhood forums and past assessments of the local economy. • The second meeting would focus on topics related to development and other land-use issues, including Village zoning regulations, annexation processes and open space preservation. • The third forum would center on a review of the results of the community surveys Council has created gauging the community’s support for potential changes to the Village budget and services. Council has said it will use the surveys, which included random phone interviews and a questionnaire being sent to all Yellow Springs households, to write a five-year financial plan that includes strategies to increase the Village’s revenue, reduce expenses and address the Village’s capital improvement needs. Arnett said that each forum could include presentations and discussions on each meeting’s theme. He also suggested that the forums be facilitated. Council did not spend much time discussing details of Arnett’s suggestion or the forums themselves. Arnett proposed that a member of Council, a Village Planning Commission representative, Village Manager Rob Hillard and Village Planner Phil Hawkey create a plan organizing the forums. Council said it would discuss the plan at its next meeting, on Tuesday, Jan. 18. While Council members were supportive of organizing the forums, several people on Council made it clear that they did not think Council should lead a broader community visioning effort. Council member Jocelyn Hardman said that a smaller group of individuals could do a better job of organizing a visioning process than a bureaucratic governmental body. She said that citizens ought to select a process, pick a facilitator, find funding and invite people to participate. That’s what happened last spring, when the Yellow Springs Men’s Group organized a by-invitation-only economic forum. Krista Magaw, the executive director of the Tecumseh Land Trust, presented Council with a proposal to organize a weekend seminar of “smart growth” followed by a visioning process to define common community values to guide development over the next 5 to 20 years. Magaw will present her proposal at a public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., in the Senior Center Great Room. Council member Mary J. Alexander said that a nonprofit organization is better suited to organize a visioning effort, and she urged the community to “have some faith” in Council’s plans for Yellow Springs. “You voted us into office,” she said, adding that villagers should “let us do our job.” Villager Judith Hempfling responded by saying that while Council members represent the community, the public wants to participate in its local government. She said that some community members are not against Council but rather are participating in the democratic process. In other Council business: • Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance reclassifying the police pension fund as a “special revenue fund.” An emergency ordinance is approved in one reading instead of two. Arnett said that the ordinance represents “a bit of paperwork” that the state auditor’s office asked the Village to take care of. • Council unanimously passed a resolution approving the purchase of a police cruiser for $16,784. The car is included in the 2005 budget, and is under the amount set aside for the purchase. • Council unanimously approved a series of resolutions paying dues to various organizations that the Village belongs to: $1,730 for the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission; $680 for the Ohio Municipal League and $50 for the league’s legal advocacy fund; $451 for the Dayton Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team; and $451 for the Greene County Emergency Management Agency. • Council unanimously passed a motion extending the terms of John Struewing to the Planning Commission and Ted Donnell to the Board of Zoning Appeals, until they or their successors are chosen. Both men’s terms have expired. • Villager Tom Vondruska complained that some people did not clear their sidewalks after last week’s snowstorm, making it difficult for him to travel around town. Arnett commended the Village road crew for their work clearing streets during and after the storm.
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