The videos are now broadcast live at this URL so if you tune in at 8pm, you can watch the Council meeting live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the City of Bedford YouTube channel (big red subscribe button below the video). If you subscribe, you will get a notification when the live video starts as well as getting a link to watch it later.

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• Repealing outdated and superfluous ordinances. This is a basic clean up project for our ordinances. We have multiple ordinances that are either outdated, no longer necessary or possibly in conflict with Ohio Revised Code. The example provided was 505.11 COLORING RABBITS AND BABY POULTRY; SALE OR DISPLAY. This prohibits the sale of dyed chicks and bunnies. This is no longer a problem in the world so we really don’t need it on our books. While these ordinances do no harm, they should be cleaned up every once in awhile. This discussion will be about what steps need to be taken to do that. We will be adding a line item to the budget to start the process of having the ordinances removed as well as repealing one obviously superfluous or outdated ordinance at each meeting.  
• Budget Meeting Dates. It is that time of year again where we will be reviewing the budget. Budget review dates have been set and will be posted soon.

In the Regular Session, we will vote on:

• Beginning the energy improvements suggested by Gardiner using NOACCA grant funds. (2nd reading)
• Creating a new fund called “Northfield & Rockside West” as a capital improvement fund. This is done when there are specific projects the City would like to start saving for. The auditors in the past did not want individual funds for each project but new auditors have requested that change, so we will begin creating individual funds for future projects. (passed)
• Annual sewer rate increase. Certain fees and costs increases are given to the City of Bedford and these costs then have to be incorporated into the sewer and water rate. There will be a 4% increase in the sewer rates and no increase in the water rate. There is typically a 3% increase to both. (1st reading)
• Amending “Rate Reduction for Senior Citizens and Permanently Disabled” to line up with the sewer rate change. (1st reading)
• Apply for the CDBG (grant) for televising the City’s sewer system to look for areas to repair. (1st reading)
• Apply for the CDSG (grant) to pay for phase 2 of the Sign Initiative. (1st reading)
• Making additional appropriations. Basically approving the moving of funds around in the City budget to pay for things or to accept unexpected money, such as from grants (passed).
• Enter a contract with Ellet Sign Company to complete Phase 1 of the Sign Initiative. (passed)
• Issuing and selling bonds to cover the cost of the new pumper and ambulance trucks. (1st reading)
• Motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning Commission regarding allowing a hair salon at 12 Columbus St. This was denied by the Planning Commission and Council agreed with that. (5-1)

In the reports:

• Last week for chipper service. Call if you have branches you need chipped.
• Pat Catan’s property was sold to Jay Honda
• The sidewalk program will be starting up. Some residents who live near where the sidewalk work will be done this year will be eligible for piggybacking onto the City’s contract for the sidewalks and will be able to take advantage of the rates the City is getting for this work. You will or have received a letter from the City if you are able to piggyback on the City’s rates for new sidewalk slabs.
• Community forum for the school district to discuss how the Chanel property will be developed (sans the Chanel building). The first one is on 10/24.
• Delinquent tax letters are going out this week. Please contact the tax department if you get one. They would much rather work out a payment plan with you then send it to collections.
• New trees on the tree lawn are marked with a blue flag. If a blue flag appeared on your tree lawn, congratulations! You will be getting a new tree.
• Vote for our K-9 unit to win a new K-9 ready custom SUV. You can vote here: www.vik9s.org/suvvote
• Meet the School Board candidates 10/17 at 7pm at the High School in the NLGI room

The post October 7, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

If you had trouble with the sound while trying to watch it before, the sound has been fixed.

The videos are now broadcast live at this URL so if you tune in at 8pm, you can watch the Council meeting live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the City of Bedford YouTube channel (big red subscribe button below the video). If you subscribe, you will get a notification when the live video starts as well as getting a link to watch it later.

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• An amendment to the vacancy registration law. We actually have a vacancy registration law that is not currently being enforced due to a lack of personnel to enforce it and the ordinance needing some refinement to make it more enforceable. The hope is that we will be able to change the ordinance to correct these issues. We were approached by a company who handles maintaining vacancy lists for cities and we are looking at that possibility as well.
• Continuing the discussion from last spring on the Signs ordinances. It was a short discussion as Council wanted to review another city’s ordinance that had been vetted legally after some recent lawsuits regarding municipal sign laws. We received a copy of that right before the meeting so we will have this on next meeting’s agenda.
• The Gardiner discussion (and vote) was postponed until next meeting as there were some schedule conflicts..
• What to do about water and sewer rates. We do look at this annually. This year though, we will need to look hard at a few aspects of the water system and expected EPA requirements that will need to be funded in the future.
  

In the Regular session, we voted on:

• Purchasing a new Control Module program for the Waste Water Treatment Plant. This program helps control overflows during power-outages. The current program is no longer fully compatible with current computer systems and needs to be upgraded to keep it from failing during power outages. (passed)
• Purchasing a Hydraulic Breaker, which is used to break through concrete during water line repairs. (passed)
• Making the annual update to the “Rate Reduction for Disabled Persons and Senior Citizens” ordinance. This is simply an annual update to change the parameters for qualifying to keep in line with poverty line guidelines. Water discount income eligibility for 2020 is based off filed tax returns for 2018 (aka the ones that were due on April 15th, 2019) (passed)
• Agree to have Gardiner make energy improvements within the City (1st reading)
• A Resolution to execute a memorandum for Understanding Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners. Basically, that we agree to be part of the Tinker’s Creek Watershed. This is a free program to participate in. (passed)

In the reports:

• Lt Harding from the Fire Department went down to NC to help with hurricane damage.
• City is applying for a grant to help redo the waterlines on Broadway. If we get it, we would also be able to redo the water, electric and resurface the road.
• Automile camera project is up and running. This program allows the police to actively check on Automile properties. The cameras are pointed at the road unless dealerships gave permission to BPD to point cameras at their property. This program was funded in part by a grant and in part by donations from the Automile. It is considered a test program to see if such a system would be beneficial for the whole city.
• You may have noticed that truck parking at Meadowbrook has improved. The location had been listed on a popular trucker app called Trucker Path as a free place to park (literally someone listed it as a truck stop) and the City worked to remove that listing. The parking situation has improved dramatically since then.
• Senior Transportation Connection is up and running. Contact the Recreation Dept about how to get signed up for the new service. If you had problems booking the senior bus in the past, I encourage you to try now. The new service will be able to accommodate significantly more people than we were able to in the past.
• If you move in or out of the City, please let the City know so that we can add you or remove you from the tax rolls. If you are delinquent, please contact the tax department as they very much want to work with you to get a re-payment plan.
• Last week for the chipper will be the 1st week of October. Call service at (440) 735-6583 to schedule a pickup 

The post September 16, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

I have been told that the videos from now on will be broadcast live at this URL so if you tune in at 8pm, you can watch the Council meeting live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• An amendment to the vacancy registration law. We actually have a vacancy registration law that is not currently being enforced due to a lack of personnel to enforce it and the ordinance needing some refinement to make it more enforceable. The hope is that we will be able to change the ordinance to correct these issues.
• Continuing the discussion from last spring on the Signs ordinances. If you remember, the Signs ordinances are out of date by modern standards (e.g. the typical LED “OPEN” signs you see in most stores are technically illegal under this ordinance.) Updating this ordinance will help keep the Signs ordinance working as it should.

In the reports:

• Pooka Arts Festival is this weekend.  This year’s theme is international. Stop in this weekend and see wonderful art right here in Bedford.
• Shred Day is this coming Saturday (9/12) from 9am-12pm
• Chipper Service will continue through October. Please remember to call 440-735-6583 to get your branches on the pick-up schedule. 
• The new camera system is up and running on the Automile. As you may remember, this was a joint project between the City and the Automile members to install a wi-fi enabled camera system so that if criminal activity occurs, the City will be able to review footage to help track down the offenders more efficiently. This is a test program to see if more camera enabled areas of the City would help with reducing crime.

In the Regular Session, we voted on:

• Before we voted on anything, we swore in 3 police officers and a new Clerk of Council.
  
  As you may recall, Lorree Villers, the last Clerk of Council, resigned at the beginning of the summer. The Council has used both scheduled Council meetings and several extra meetings over the summer to locate a new Clerk of Council. Her name is Tracy Simons and she was previously a Clerk of Council at Eastlake. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies. Say hello to her if you see her.
• We voted on additional appropriations. This time of year, it will be common for Council to vote on additional appropriations as we need to adjust budgets for both unexpected incomes and expenses.
  
  There is 1 large appropriation on this particular vote that that is a nearly $800K expense for stabilizing a collapsed creek bank that is threatening a major sewer line within the City. The collapse of the creek bank could not have been predicted. The City has obtained a very low interest loan (2.1%) from an organization that was created to specifically help cities deal with emergency waterway based issues like this. (passed)
• Purchasing a new vehicle for the police department. (passed)
• Approving the contract with Independence Excavating for the emergency creek bank repair mentioned above.  (passed)
• ***Drumroll please*** We will be voting on resuming the Street Tree Program!!!!!! Everybody do a happy dance. I know that this much beloved program has been sorely missed over the past many years and the City is pleased to announce its official return. 100 trees will be planted within the City on tree lawns this fall.  (passed)
• Accepting the recommendation from Cuyahoga County Budget Commission on millage tax rates. The millage will remain the same as last year.   (passed)
• Allowing for a bridge inspection program from the State to operate within the City.  (passed)
• If you had not heard, Mr. Gee’s owners are retiring.  They are looking to sell the property and have a buyer who wants to not only buy Mr. Gee’s building but also the City-owned parking lot next to it (which the City acquired several years ago from a tax foreclosure). The City will be selling that lot to this buyer.  (passed)
• To use money from a grant to help with the demolition of Chanel High School.  (passed)
• To participate in a national event called “Welcoming Week”, which is meant to showcase various communities. In this case, the theme will be “Welcoming the World” and is meant to show that Cleveland and the surrounding cities understand the importance and contribution that immigrant communities have in the well-being of the larger community. As I am a 2nd generation American and as many Bedfordites are also immigrants or 1st and 2nd generation Americans, I am pleased to see this participation.  (passed)
• Motion to accept the recommendations of the Tax Incentive Review Council  (passed)

The post September 3, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

I have been told that the videos from now on will be broadcast live at this URL so if you tune in at 8pm, you can watch the Council meeting live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

In the work session, we discussed:

• The Clerk of Council position. We have the candidate field narrowed down and we have some very solid candidates to choose from. We should have someone selected soon.

In the Regular session, we voted on:

• Improving the waterlines around Tinkers Creek Commerce Park. While this is a costly project, the improvement of the water lines will allow current and new businesses greater flexibility in what they can do in these locations. It will also help improve fire suppression systems as well. At least one current Bedford business will be able to expand due to this improvement. (passed)
• Having a water rate study done. For all of you who thought that the water bills were too high, this study would be designed to see if you are right or not. 🙂 This study will also look at if the rates are at a level that will make sure we have enough for maintenance of the water and sewers.  There has not been an assessment of the rates since the mid-90s. (passed 6-1)
• Purchasing new computers (passed)
• Purchasing a new pumper truck for the Fire Department. The City is passing this now because it takes approximately 6-12 months to build new fire trucks and ambulances as all of them are built custom. The money for these vehicles is not due until the vehicles are complete. So, the money for these vehicles will be budgeted and borrowed for in the 2020 year. (passed)
• Purchasing a new ambulance (passed)
• Agreeing to put the signage and wayfinding plans out for bids (passed)
• Levy assessments for false alarms (levy assessment means add the fines from this to the owners tax bill) (passed)
•  Levy assessments for grass cutting (passed)
• Levy assessments for delinquent water bills (passed 6-1)
• Additional appropriations – they appropriations mostly have to do with either funding a few emergency projects or accepting money from grants and other monies coming into the City (passed)
• Allowing the City to apply for the Cuyahoga County Healthy Urban Tree Canopy grant, which if we are successful in getting would allow us to restart the Tree Program and get some new trees planted on empty tree lawns (passed)

In the reports:

• Union Street waterline replacement is underway
• Center Road was made 1 way (Northbound) in order to resurface the road.
• Sidewalk replacement program will start in the next week. You can take advantage of city pricing for sidewalk replacement if you want. Eligible residents will be sent letters with how to do this.
• City is looking for a new K-9 unit
• Tickets on sale for Pooka evening event which will be 9/13/19 at 6:30pm. This year’s theme will be Cirque Du Bedford. Tickets will be $50 per person and $90 per couple.
• Bedford Lions Night at the races will be 9/7. Speak with a Lion’s Club member to purchase tickets.

The post August 5, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

I have been told that the videos from now on will be broadcast live at this URL so if you tune in at 8pm, you can watch the Council meeting live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

Councilwoman Paula Mizsak (W4) absent.

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• Discussed the re-zoning. There were a few changes that came out of the Planning Commission meeting. One was to make new car sales locations a permitted use instead of a conditional use. Senior housing was also suggested, but ultimately senior housing was left out as all felt there was enough senior housing in the City. Also, because there were several comments on this, the new zoning would allow for low density housing (already there) but not high density housing like high rise apartments. Even then, low density housing is conditional and would have to be approved by both the Planning Commission and Council.

• A representative of Senior Connections spoke to council about their service. New bus would be available 8/1 as the contract is written currently. Moving to Senior Connections for senior transportation would also allow seniors to arrange for “off hours” trips through a program called STC Plus. Trips taken on weekends or in the evenings could be arranged for a premium price, but would allow more flexibility for seniors. Price for regular hour trips stays the same ($1), but trips will be limited to 2 two-way trips or 4 one-way trips per week per resident. If a resident needed more trips, they can be taken through STC Plus.

In the Regular Session, we voted on:

• Rezoning the Meadowbrook area. The City had a consulting firm look at best use of the area and it was determined that the areas there should be rezoned in the following ways:
  • Rezoning B-3 at Northfield & Rockside to M-U (2nd reading)
  • Rezoning B-3 at 22800 Rockside, 22737-69 Rockside & 300 Bartlett to R-4 (2nd reading)
• Replacing Chapter 1939 entitled “B-3” with Chapter 1939 entitled “M-U” (2nd reading)
• Several resolutions and ordinances pertaining to improving the lighting in the City. It appears that this is basically just approving that some of the tax dollars that are already being collected can be used for this purpose. (passed)
• Approving the 2019 Tax Budget – This is a requirement of the State of Ohio. Basically we are stating how we plan on using the tax money collected in 2019 for the 2020 fiscal year. This is the first step in starting the budget process for the 2020 year. (passed)
• Requesting that the County Auditor release funds from the tax levy to the City. This is a formality required by the State. Basically, we are asking them to give us what is ours and they will give us 75% of taxes they have collected already. (passed)
• Approving that part of the tax money collected goes towards paying for garbage collection (passed 5-1)
• Permitting some changes to the current budgets, both for additional income (mostly from grants) and expenditures.  (passed)
• Agreeing to go into a contract with PVS Technologies to provide liquid ferric chloride to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (passed)
• Council will be looking at replacing the in-house senior bus with an outside service called Senior Connections. This will go to 3 readings, so if you have comments, now is the time to share them with your Councilperson. (passed)
• Accepting the recommendation of the Planning Commission to allow for a new day care at 348 Broadway Ave. (accepted 4-2)

The post June 3, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

I have been told that the videos from now on will be broadcast live at this URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

Mayor Koci and Councilwoman Mizsak(W4) were absent. Councilman Saunders was appointed mayor pro-temp.

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• Continued to discuss the sign ordinance. We are still waiting on feedback from the Building Commissioner.

In the Regular Session, we voted on:

• Rezoning the Meadowbrook area. The City had a consulting firm look at best use of the area and it was determined that the areas there should be rezoned in the following ways:
  • Rezoning B-3 at Northfield & Rockside to M-U (While on the agenda, this has been tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it on the 21st)
  • Rezoning B-3 at 22800 Rockside, 22737-69 Rockside & 300 Bartlett to R-4
    (While on the agenda, this has been tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it on the 21st)   
• Replacing Chapter 1939 entitled “B-3” with Chapter 1939 entitled “M-U” (While on the agenda, this has been tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it on the 21st)   
• Several resolutions and ordinances pertaining to improving the lighting in the City. It appears that this is basically just approving that some of the tax dollars that are already being collected can be used for this purpose. (2nd reading)
• Approving the 2019 Tax Budget – This is a requirement of the State of Ohio. Basically we are stating how we plan on using the tax money collected in 2019 for the 2020 fiscal year. This is the first step in starting the budget process for the 2020 year. (2nd reading)
• Requesting that the County Auditor release funds from the tax levy to the City. This is a formality required by the State. Basically, we are asking them to give us what is ours and they will give us 75% of taxes they have collected already. (2nd reading – I had previously reported this as ‘passed’. I was mistaken.)
• Approving that part of the tax money collected goes towards paying for garbage collection (2nd reading – I had previously reported this as ‘passed’. I was mistaken.)
• Permitting some changes to the current budgets, both for additional income (mostly from grants) and expenditures.  (1st)
• Agreeing to go into a contract with PVS Technologies to provide liquid ferric chloride to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (1st)
• And the big one of the evening… Council will be looking at replacing the in-house senior bus with an outside service called Senior Connections. First of all, I want to clear up a rumor. The Senior Bus is NOT going away. Yes, there may be changes, but there will be a senior transportation service regardless of which direction this goes. Many of surrounding communities already use this service. The fact of the matter is that it has been literally decades since the senior transportation service was looked at and overhauled. Initial investigations have shown that using an outside service will allow Parks & Recreation to be able to service significantly more seniors for approximately the same price. (1st)

In the reports:

• RR crossing has been closed. This was previously delayed due to Rockside but as Rockside is open, the City allowed it to move forward.

• Saturday June 1st at 10AM the Bedford High School baseball fields will be re-named Robert Loeffler Baseball Complex to honor Robert Loeffler, who was a baseball coach for 32 years.

• Rib Burnoff is this weekend. Come and enjoy some ribs.

• Strawberry Festival needs volunteers. Contact Louis Novak to volunteer. novak.louise@gmail.com

The post May 20, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

I have been told that the videos from now on will be broadcast live at this URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBgBDh11jKNhKtA1NIOZZA

In the Work session, we discussed:

• How to change the fine structure for leaving trash cans and other refuse out on non-trash days. We determined that as of now, the number of repeat offenders is very low and would not overwhelm the court system.
• Continued to discuss the sign ordinance. We are still waiting on feedback from the Building Commissioner. He has reviewed sign ordinances from other cities and will be sharing those findings with us.
• We had a signage audit done last year, and now that we have some grant money, we will be looking at what recommendations from that audit we will be starting with.

In the Regular session, we voted on:

• Rezoning the Meadowbrook area. The City had a consulting firm look at best use of the area and it was determined that the areas there should be rezoned in the following ways:
  • Rezoning B-3 at Northfield & Rockside to M-U (tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it)
  • Rezoning R-3 at 22800 Rockside, 22737-69 Rockside & 300 Bartlett to R-4
    (tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it)
• Replacing Chapter 1939 entitled “B-3” with Chapter 1939 entitled “M-U” (tabled until after the Planning Commission reviews it)   
• Entering into a contract with RKS Management Company  to clean the Police Department. There was some questions last time as to why the Police Department needed a separate cleaning contract and why the City does not use the cleaning staff for City Hall for this. The reason for hiring outside is that it costs less to hire this company that it would to hire 2 part-time staff to do that job. In addition, this company provides its own cleaning supplies, where if we hired people, we would have to pay for those supplies. (passed)
• Making the Recreation Rebate Program an official part of the ordinances. While the Recreation Rebate Program, which allows Bedford residents to get a $50 rebate when they get a membership to the Bedford Heights Recreation Center, has been around for quite some time, it appears that it was never an official part of the Codified Ordinances. This will add it officially to that. (passed)
• Several resolutions and ordinances pertaining to improving the lighting in the City. It appears that this is basically just approving that some of the tax dollars that are already being collected can be used for this purpose. (1st reading)
• Approving the 2019 Tax Budget – This is a requirement of the State of Ohio. Basically we are stating how we plan on using the tax money collected in 2019 for the 2020 fiscal year. (1st reading)
• Requesting that the County Auditor release funds from the tax levy to the City. This is a formality required by the State. Basically, we are asking them to give us what is ours and they will give us 75% of taxes they have collected already. (passed)
• Approving to pay for the ordinances changes that we have made to the Codified Ordinances to be updated in both the print and online versions. This is done about every 6 months and must be done by a company that is authorized by the State to do so. (passed)
• Approving that part of the tax money collected goes towards paying for garbage collection (passed 6-1)
• Approving a contract with Barbicas Construction and the funds to pay that contract so that this company can handle the Street Improvement Project for the City in the upcoming months. (passed)
• Approving payment to GPD Group for administration and inspection of the Street Improvement Program. (passed)
• Approving a new piece of equipment for the Fire Department, specifically a new cot for the ambulance. A significant part of the cost of this will be covered by a grant.The grant is from thee Bureau of Workman’s Compensation and we can apply for it every 3 years. This piece of equipment will help to reduce the number of Workman’s Compensation filings the fire department has by eliminating a major source of injuries. (passed)
• Approving the plans for a WOW Telecommunications Utility Cabinet. This is for hook up to a fiber optic cable. WOW said that this hub would make it more likely that WOW will move into the area in the near future to be a new option for cable and internet. (approved)
• Motion to re-appoint Helen Briggs to the Planning Commission. (approved)

In the Reports:

• Sidewalk program will allow residents to piggyback on the price the City gets. If your sidewalk is not chosen to be repaired by the City and you would like to pay for your sidewalk to be done, you can have your sidewalk added to the list the City contractor will be working off of by paying the price that the City gets, which should be less than the average person can get as they are buying in bulk, so to speak.
• May 18th – Shred Day – 9am – 12pm
• Meadowbrook – Title Bureau opening soon. BMV is already open.
• St. Eugene’s is for sale. The city is working with them to find suitable buyers.
• Fire dept ISO is now 2 and was improved from 3. Having an ISO of 2 puts us in the top 4% of fire departments in Ohio. And ISO rating of 2 also means that you can get an additional break on your home insurance. Call your insurance agent to let them know that this has changed in your city and you should be able to get an additional discount.
• Civil Service is working on a police Sergeant promotion
• Meals on Wheels needs 5 more volunteers to keep up with current demand. It takes an hour a day, a few days a week.
• Southeast Library
  • They will be serving lunch this summer for children under 18.
  • Summer reading program is starting so get registered for that to win rewards. Both children and adults can register.
  • Summer camps, registration starts May 8th. Camps fill up fast. Camps are free.
  • Adult education programs this summer as well.

The post May 6, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

Councilman Don Saunders (W6) was absent.

In the Work session, we discussed:

• Continued to discuss the sign ordinance. We are still waiting on feedback from the Building Commissioner but he stated that he was reviewing the sign ordinance from a city that had been sued due to 1st amendment concerns regarding their sign ordinance and felt that some of the language in their newly revised code would help us.
• Creating an application fee for Planning & BZA applications. Bedford currently has no fee, but it was determined that it costs the City approximately $150 – $250 per application. Many surrounding communities charge a fee. Fees were proposed that would be in line with costs to the City.

In the Regular session, we voted on:

• Hiring a videography company (passed)
• Hiring an extra company to review building plans for the City. In addition to the fact that the current company is unable to keep up with the plans that we need reviewed, this company will only charge $90 per hour for a plans examiner. The current company wants $180 an hour. Plus, Bedford has taken less of a priority for current company which may be why our plans are not being reviewed quickly enough. This company would also provide microfilm, which the current company does not. (passed)
• Approve being able to levy assessments for delinquent water bills (passed)
• Updating the small cell ordinance to better comply with State law on small cell and to better regulate the size and placement of small cell devices. (passed)
• Entering into an agreement with the Village of Orange to provide jail services for them. (passed)

In the reports:

• The Council would like everyone to know that the Census will be online in 2020. They are currently looking for people to fill Census jobs. Go to 2020census.gov/jobs for more information.
• Suspended driver’s license fees will be waived until July 31, 2019. See this site for more information: https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/susp-fees-amnesty.aspx
• A New librarian is in charge of Adult Service. Stop in to meet her.
  Library Summer camp registration will be opening soon. Register ASAP as these camps fill up fast.

The post April 1, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

In the Work session, we will be discussing:

• Continuing to discuss the sign ordinance. We are still waiting on feedback from the Building Commissioner.

In the Regular session, we will be voting on:

• Hiring a videography company
• Hiring an extra company to review building plans for the City.
• Approve being able to levy assessments for delinquent water bills
• Updating the small cell ordinance to better comply with State law on small cell and to better regulate the size and placement of small cell devices.
• Entering into an agreement with the Village of Orange to provide jail services for them.

The post April 1, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

Councilmembers Spinks (W1) and Mizsak (W4) absent.

In the Work Session, we discussed:

• Continuing to discuss the sign ordinance. Not musch real discussion. We are still waiting on feedback from the Building Commissioner who has been out on vacation.
• When the summer Council meetings will be. They will be the first Monday of each summer month, so June 3rd, July 1st and August 5th.

In the Regular Session, we voted on:

• Updating the City’s credit card policy to make it compliant with recent State law changes. (passed)
• Better defining who can get compensation for overtime and how much they can accrue. (passed)
• Hiring a videography company (2nd reading)
• Hiring an extra company to review building plans for the City. (2nd reading)
• Approve being able to levy assessments for delinquent water bills (1st reading)
• Updating the small cell ordinance to better comply with State law on small cell and to better regulate the size and placement of small cell devices. (1st reading)
• Entering into an agreement with the Village of Orange to provide jail services for them. (1st reading)
• Approving Planning Commission’s recommendation to allow the renovation of the Sunoco on Turney (approved)
• Approving Planning Commission’s recommendation to allow a hair salon in the same strip mall where The Dolphin is located. (approved)

In the reports:

• The bi-annual sounding of the water line system will be starting next week. They will be moving around the city on a Toyota Tundra or an ATV to do this.
• Center Rd will be resurfaced. The City asked the County to look at other options in the City, but the County opted to do Center.
• Both rail lines will be doing upgrades to W. Grace crossing this summer.
• Trash can warnings will continue to be given out in March. Fines will start in April.
• The Bedford Easter Egg Hunt will be April 13 at 10AM. Pre-register here: https://bedfordoh.gov/event/easter-egg-hunt/
• It is tax season. File your city taxes. Deadline is April 15th.
• Sunday April 28 is the Fun Run & pancake breakfast sponsored by the Rotary Club. It is a fun event so consider running (or just be like me and show up for the pancakes.)
• School district is looking for bus drivers.

The post March 18, 2019 Bedford, OH City Council Meeting Video first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.