MANSFIELD — Building and codes is now a subdivision of the engineering department.
Mansfield City Council approved this measure at its meeting Tuesday night. David Remy, director of human resources, said this change was about enhancing efficiency.
“Bob (Bianchi, engineer) and J.R. (Rice, building and codes manager) work almost daily back and forth with certain issues or problems that come up,” Remy pointed out. “We have the ability by doing this to hire an individual who will afford us the ability to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for building and plan review purposes.
“Right now we can only furnish some of those services, and we have to outsource them or with a service agreement have them provided to us, especially in the plan review section.”
He said they already have someone in mind to hire, noting the individual is a professional engineer with an expertise in building and codes and plan reviews. He said this person would become the city’s deputy engineer.
Bianchi said the individual would be filling what will be a vacant position.
Mayor Tim Theaker added the individual would help provide a “faster, better, more complete service to our citizens.”
“Today when we have plan drawings, commercial building inspections, we have to go and subcontract those to the county,” Theaker said. “The big problem when we do that is we are at their mercy to do it whenever they can, and there have been times when it has taken two, three, four weeks to get a plan reviewed.”
The aforementioned measure that council approved was one section of legislation brought before council Tuesday night. Council tabled the second and third sections of the legislation.
The second section would allow for the hiring of a programming coordinator in the parks and recreation department. This position could be full or part-time.
Mark Abrams, parks department manager, said the concept of this position is to help provide “alternate recreation,” which could translate into creating walking programs for the elderly or concert series. Fourth Ward Councilman Butch Jefferson questioned the necessity of this position.
“We’re not even getting the grass cut in the summer,” Jefferson said. “I would personally like my parks cleaned up a little better than they are before we hire a program coordinator to set up recreational programs.”
The third section of the legislation would subdivide the utility collections division into two sections–an office section and a field section–and it would authorize the hiring of a foreman, according to Remy.
Jefferson expressed concern that Sixth Ward Councilwoman Garnetta Pender, chairperson of the employee relations committee, mentioned she didn’t have notice of this legislation.
“We have so much legislation being brought before us without going to a committee meeting,” Jefferson said.
Remy said it was his mistake.
“I should’ve contacted her,” he said. “I did not do that.”
Jefferson said he’d prefer discussing legislation in a committee meeting.
“(That’s) when we can ask real pointed questions and find out what’s going on here,” he said. “I’m feeling like a lot of these things are being ran by us and we’re just supposed to take your word and I’m not liking it.”
Council approved the motion to table sections two and three in an 8-0 vote.
The backyard chickens ordinance was another topic of discussion at the meeting. Council heard from one person who’s in opposition of the ordinance and five supporters.
Bill Baker, a member of Citizens for Mansfield Backyard Chickens, illustrated what a chicken coop would look like according to the stipulations laid out in the ordinance. He said that it’s double the size of what’s required by the state for six chickens.
“I just wanted to provide a visual for you that shows it’s not some huge operation,” he told council. “We’re proceeding slowly. We’re taking all of the recommendations. If we’re able to move forward, we want to do this right.”
Council also approved
-The demolition of 16 Blanche St.
-The appropriation of $7,000 to pay for a lead risk assessment required by the Ohio Department of Education at Ocie Hill.
-An enterprise zone agreement with Newman Technology, Inc. for certain tax incentives for expanding its facility at 100 Cairns Rd.
