ASHLAND — Mayor Matt Miller leaned forward in his chair Tuesday evening. His face lit up. He began gesturing more with his hands.
It’s clear he and other community leaders are excited about the still developing Targeted Action Plan, a three-prong approach to short-term community development.
While conceding the need exists for long-term strategic planning, Miller said the TAP is not about far-off goals.
“This is about providing us real projects we can accomplish within five to 10 years, max. We know folks are ready to help us accomplish the projects,” Miller said during a City Council meeting.
“We have to make sure we have all the ducks lined up, all the drawings in place and all the plans in place to make them come to fruition,” Miller said.
Miller said a 10-member steering committee comprised of local political, educational, business and economic development leaders worked with OHM Advisors, a professional planning firm to develop the TAP.
He said the group worked through a series of exercises designed to identify the three most important projects — the Pump House District, the downtown City Center/South Street area and the U.S. 250/Main Street corridor.
In terms of the Pump House District, Miller said they will work on cleaning up the area and then transforming it. “What comes next in that area? Is it just a central park … a green space? Or does it become a new development?” Miller said.
With regard to the second goal, Miller said, “How can we further enhance the downtown aesthetically, so it’s not only a more walkable downtown, but a more enjoyable and entertaining downtown?”
Miller also said the committee recognizes that most people access Ashland off of I-71 on U.S. 250. He said there is nothing in that area at this point that is distinctive that would make people want to come deeper into the downtown area. He said the goal would be to improve the area from I-71 to Ohio 42 and then into the downtown.
The mayor said the group is in the process of forming more intense study committees to look at all three areas and community input would be sought.
Ashland County Community Foundation CEO Jim Cutright, whose organization has helped fund the work with OHM thus far, said OHM has worked with many communities in Ohio and Michigan.
“(For example) they worked with Wooster, Medina and Mount Vernon, communities that have developed features we admire,” Cutright said Tuesday.
Miller said the TAP is exciting.
“We know if we come up with a good blueprint, which is the intention, we have the opportunity to finally get some of these projects done. That’s largely due to the involvement of the Ashland County Community Foundation and their partners and donors.
“This is the City of Ashland plan. This is not a consultant’s plan for this community. This is not a consultant coming in and telling us what we should do in our community.
“(OHM) is guiding us along in the process and will help us figure out creative methods we can can use and how we can fund these ideas. We are the ones coming up with the plan … the people of Ashland. (OHM) will help us polish it get us ready to move forward.
“So off we go. You will be hearing more about the Targeted Action Plan for the City of Ashland,” Miller said.
WATER RATE INCREASES: Proposed water rate increases were discussed during the council meeting with an eye toward raising funds for capital improvement projects, including painting and repairing a two-million water tank, improving water lines in the I-71/U.S. 250 area and upgrading water meters in the city.
Finance Director Larry Paxton and Bob Smallwood with GRW, an engineering consulting group, went over a “conceptual” plan that would raise current water rates over the next few years, while decreasing sewer rates at the same time.
There has not been a water rate increase in Ashland since 2009, according to Paxton. Miller said the proposal would increase the water rate for a family of four in Ashland about $1.52 per month in the first year of the increase.
“This is critical to the growth of Ashland,” Paxton said.
The proposal will be loaded to the city’s website (https://www.ashland-ohio.com/). Since there is no council meeting in August, local lawmakers will take up the issue beginning in September.
“Nothing has been decided,” Miller said. “We welcome public input.”
Councilman Steve Workman said the proposal is timed well and gradually implemented.
“You’re not going to go into the red and then ask for a (sizeable) increase,” Workman said.
BROOKSIDE GOLF COURSE: Council heard a positive update on the public golf course, which is in its 47th year of operation.
Revenues are up 12.4 percent year over year, a figure which jumps to 31 percent when sponsorships are factored in. Expenses are up 4.9 percent, some of which are one-time expenditures this year. The number of rounds played is up 8 percent, the number of outings will be up 74 percent by the end of the season and the number of season passes purchased is up 25 percent, despite a rate increase.
Course officials said Brookside is in great shape and is being well maintained.
“Things are going very well at Brookside Golf Course,” Miller said.
