In a significant session, Shelby City Council tackled key issues ofzoningand budget adjustments, influencing the city's developmental trajectory.
The meeting commenced with the introduction of Ordinance No. 21-2024, which was to amend Shelby's codified ordinances by setting a minimum lot width.
Joe Gies, city of Shelby project coordinator, remarked on the ordinance's alignment with practices in other cities.
"This would be new to Shelby," he said Sept. 16. "It's done in a lot of other cities, but basically for residential. So if you have a double, normally like a lot of our doubles are owned by one person, they may live in half of it. Rent out the other or rent out both sides."
"What this would do is give the ability to have two owners of the same building and so forth. So the different stipulations would be on there that to have their own separate electric, their separate water, all separate sewer, gas line and all of that," Gies said.
And then there is an easement for each one of those owners on either side of that main wall.
"So that maintenance can be done on that," Gies explained.
"And then with commercial, if you had a strip mall, they could potentially split off each one of those stores in a strip mall."
Officials spoke with Shelby economic development manager Jessica Gribben for her expertise.
"She thought this would be wonderful or another tool in the toolbox for economic development to help out with anything they could do on that," Gies said
The council proceeded with a first reading, sponsored by Councilmembers Derrick Roberts and Charles Roub.
For residential, a double is one building with two residences for occupancy by two families living independently of each other.
Subsequently, the council addressed fiscal needs through Ordinance No. 22-2024, which adjusts the city's annual appropriations.
Allocation of funds for various city budgeting includes a $20,000 transfer for capital improvements, $50,000 for Seltzer Park rehabilitation, and $15,000 for utility payments.
City of Shelby Finance Director Brian Crum provided a detailed insight into the financial adjustments, emphasizing the impact of revenue increases.
"These are additions to line items in appropriations," Crum said.
"Most of them are because the funds have received a little more revenue than initially hoped, particularly the 230 Fund -- that's the park funds. We've gotten a lot of donations for (new) playground equipment at Seltzer Park."
"And so because we've had so many donations, we can do a little more out there," Crum said, detailing the allocation of funds for various city projects.
Also addressed was the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) fund.
"We've received a lot of money in the settlements, so I wanted to increase the line items to give our D.A.R.E officers some more use of those funds this year," Crum said.
He provided other issues, too.
"As hopefully, the income taxes come in a little higher, it gives is a tad bit more money in the general fund," Crum said. "...The (police) chief needs to equip these three new cruisers that we have.
This ordinance, facilitating immediate enhancements in city facilities, was passed under emergency rules.
The council also adopted Resolution No. 43-2024.
"This is essentially just the final step in our tax revenue budget for next year. We've been going back and forth with the county," Crum said. "We submit what we want to do and then they send it back to us and we approve that. Here we are...We do this every year to make sure we're on the same page."
Another highlight was the adoption of Resolution No. 44-2024, which accepted the donation of real property from the estate of James L. Swanger.
The property, at 17 Mohican St., was officially transferred to the city through the Richland County Probate Court. The council extended posthumous gratitude to Swanger for his contribution.
Further enhancing the city's infrastructure, Resolution No. 45-2024 was passed, authorizing the mayor to apply for funding for Shelby Avenue and the State Street Consolidated Drive Drainage Project through the Ohio Public Works Commission.
"This is our annual Ohio Public Works Commission," Gies said. "We're looking for a 50% grant, $453,500 total," Gies said. "So our grant ask would be $226,750," he said in detailing the resolution's provisions to improve the city infrastructure.
After the meeting, Shelby Mayor Steve Schag discussed the future use of the newly acquired property from Swanger's estate.
"It's vacant land at Mohican and Whitney," he said. "Eventually, one of these days we're going to have a bike trail coming through somewhere and maybe incorporate it (donated land) into something into the city property and park property combination.
"Maybe setting up some bike racks there, and somebody can just stop with their bike racks in place and then walk downtown and shop and then come back, get the bike and continue on the bike trail," he said. "So it is, I guess a future-minded move that we may someday need that for biking or walking.
"It would be a very simple use of that property there," Schag added.
