ONTARIO — Mayor Kris Knapp said implementing the city’s comprehensive plan is one of his main goals for 2025.
The city’s 2025 permanent budget appropriates approximately $200,000 for the economic development fund. City Council also discussed next steps for the Ontario Community Improvement Corporation at its meeting Wednesday.
The economic development committee authorized the city law director to file articles of incorporation for the city’s Community Improvement Corporation.
The executive board will include the mayor, service-safety director and economic development committee chair.
Economic development chair Josh Bradley listed four individuals who expressed interest in leading a CIC board. Councilman Dave Rehfeldt suggested creating a list of seven individuals and having council members vote on the top four to join the board.
Council will discuss members for an executive board at a future council meeting.
Jessica Gribben, economic development liaison for the Richland Area Chamber and Richland Community Development Group also attended Wednesday’s meeting.
She said the preliminary executive board usually votes to appoint the other members of the board. City or elected officials will make up 40% of the CIC board.
The Shelby CIC board also includes business owners, the police chief and educators.
“The city will decide how they want these initial four appointed, and the board will take it from there,” Gribben said. “It can be any number of people — the city will have 40% of the executive membership, so if they want to grow, they would appoint more elected officials with that.”
Ontario residents will have opportunities to comment on proposed Ferguson, Stumbo roads rezone for housing development
Council President Eddie Gallo also reiterated his comments from last week’s planning commission meeting about residents having four opportunities to comment on a proposed rezone for a housing development project brought to planning commission.
He said a public hearing will be announced at a later date and council will consider three readings at meetings allowing public commentary. Three residents discussed housing at Wednesday’s meeting.
Gallo also said he reached out to the Ohio Ethics Commission to help suggest whether anyone on council should abstain from voting on the proposed rezone at Ferguson and Stumbo roads.
That move came in response to a question from resident Cody Ziegler on Wednesday regarding whether any council member would “make fairly decent profits from this sale of this property.”
“The Ethics Commission will make a recommendation whether anyone on council should or should not participate in that vote if it comes before us,” Gallo said.
The earliest city council rezone request is April 16. If planning commission members want to discuss the request further before making a recommendation to council, it could be a later meeting.
The next planning commission meeting including discussion on the proposal is scheduled for April 9 at 4 p.m.
