Hillsboro resident suggests council redraw city wards
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
A Hillsboro resident says the city needs to look into redistricting the city wards so that they are in line with the most recent population figures as reported by the 2010 U.S. Census.
Kelley Walker said that he had provided hard copies of his proposal to the clerk of council, including census block maps and summary data files, which he said he thought would be "useful to the council in completing its duties in redistricting the wards of the city so they will be substantially equal in population on the basis of the most recent census."
The city of Hillsboro is divided into four wards. Each ward elects one member to council, and there are three at-large seats which are voted on by the entire city, as well as a president of council.
"The last time (the ward lines) were voted upon by the people would have been in 1999 when it was affirmed by a 59 percent to 41-percent vote," Walker said. "I would encourage the council to look at this data and determine the manner in which the wards can best be re-drawn to represent all Hillsboro residents in an equitable manner."
Hillsboro council member Dave Shoemaker, who was acting president during Monday's meeting in the absence of president Lee Koogler, thanked Walker for his suggestions. The clerk of council stated that she had received the information that Walker referred to and that it was available at her office in the city building.
Shoemaker placed the matter in the zoning and annexation committee for further review. Council member Rod Daniels is the chair of that committee, but he is currently serving overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve. On Monday council voted to excuse Koogler's absence due to illness, but did not address Daniels' absence. Because Daniels is not available, Shoemaker appointed council member Brian Waller to temporarily chair that committee, and Shoemaker said that he would also sit in on the committee. Council member Mary Brown Turner is also on the committee.
Turner told council, in an unrelated matter, that "the natives are becoming restless in Ward (three)" during her her report on the community enhancement committee, regarding when a house on Trenton Street "is going to be demolished."
Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said that the structure in question will not be demolished because grant funding they thought would be available is administrated out of Fayette County. Zink said that city grant writer Peg Beekman was initially told that the funds could go toward razing the house.
"Now they've backtracked and said, 'We don't have it,'" Zink said. "Right now, it's not going to be torn down."
"Uh oh," Turner said. "I don't know what we can do, sir."
Zink joked, "You got a bulldozer?"
Turner said, "That, or you can take a chance with everybody taking a board off one at a time or something. It's a mess."
Zink said he agreed the property was a mess but, "If the money's not there you can't do it."
"You don't want us to set fires? Do they?" Turner asked.
Several members of council exclaimed that setting fires was not acceptable.
"We'll pass on that," Zink said.
In other business:
• Former Hillsboro City Council member John Dodds addressed council and regarding several areas of concern for him, including the shelter house at Liberty Park, the basketball courts at the city park on Railroad Street, and the condition of street lights in the uptown area, and the parking situation in uptown. Dodds said that shelter had been donated from the Hillsboro Lions Club to the city in 1983 and there had been moderate upkeep over the years, but was now in need of some repairs. Shoemaker put that matter and the city park issue into the property maintenance and safety committee for review.
Dodds said that it did not appear that the 2-hour limit on parking was being enforced in the uptown area, and that was something the city should address. Shoemaker said that he would forward the matter to Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt, along with the street light issue. Dodds said that when the Lions Club was putting up Christmas wreaths over the weekend he noticed a light post in the 100 block of North High Street "loose" at the base and there was the potential for it to "fall into the street and damage and vehicle, or fall on the sidewalk and damage someone."
Zink told Dodds that the parking situation could not be remedied until staffing numbers were increased at the Hillsboro Police Department, and that the department was currently "five officers short."
• Zink reported that the finalization of plans was currently underway for a veterans tribute Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Hillsboro High School.
• The mayor gave the report of Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt, who was late to the meeting because he had to examine a downed tree limb. Zink said Holt had been contacted by a citizen requesting a stop sign at the corner of North Elm Street and Fair Street. It was put into the street and safety committee for further review.
• According to the SSD report, council members had received a document concerning the Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant, Economic Development Revolving Loan Administration Agreement. The city needs to pass legislation authorizing the agreement before the end of the year, which Zink said was a formality that has to be addressed every few years. Shoemaker asked Hillsboro Law Director Fred Beery to draft the legislation.
• In the report of the utilities committee, chairperson Shoemaker said the committee recommend council approve a change order in the contract of the construction at the city's wastewater treatment plant, in the amount of $140,986. Shoemaker said that it was a "modification" and would come from "money within the contract. We're not giving them any extra money, we're just modifying. Everything that they have asked for is within the realm of the contract, and it is actually a betterment than what we were actually looking at ... It's within the contingency contract already building into the contract. Council passed the recommendation 6-0.
• Council also followed the recommendation of the utilities committee, voting to waive the three-reading rule and pass a resolution 6-0 to establish a waterline loop on Woodland drive.
• Council voted 6-0 to increase appropriations in the life squad improvement fund in the amount of $1,600 for "the purpose of covering the costs of upgrading monitors and modems that are compatible with improved technology provided by Highland District Hospital.
• Council voted 6-0 to increase appropriations in the drug law enforcement fund in the amount of $3,500.
• Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis asked that council consider a resolution adopting a plan regarding "deferred compensation. The city has actually had this plan in place for the employees who voluntarily enroll, and that has been in place for some time," Lewis said. "The company that manages this plan, ING, contacted us a couple weeks ago and requested we provide them with a resolution to satisfy some compliance issues." Lewis said it was "housekeeping" legislation and did not need to be passed immediately. Shoemaker put it into the finance committee for further review.
A Hillsboro resident says the city needs to look into redistricting the city wards so that they are in line with the most recent population figures as reported by the 2010 U.S. Census.
Kelley Walker said that he had provided hard copies of his proposal to the clerk of council, including census block maps and summary data files, which he said he thought would be "useful to the council in completing its duties in redistricting the wards of the city so they will be substantially equal in population on the basis of the most recent census."
The city of Hillsboro is divided into four wards. Each ward elects one member to council, and there are three at-large seats which are voted on by the entire city, as well as a president of council.
"The last time (the ward lines) were voted upon by the people would have been in 1999 when it was affirmed by a 59-percent to 41-percent vote," Walker said. "I would encourage the council to look at this data and determine the manner in which the wards can best be re-drawn to represent all Hillsboro residents in an equitable manner."
Hillsboro council member Dave Shoemaker, who was acting president during Monday's meeting in the absence of president Lee Koogler, thanked Walker for his suggestions. The clerk of council stated that she had received the information that Walker referred to and that it was available at her office in the city building.
Shoemaker placed the matter in the zoning and annexation committee for further review. Council member Rod Daniels is the chair of that committee, but he is currently serving overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve. On Monday, council voted to excuse Koogler's absence due to illness but did not address Daniels' absence. Because Daniels is not available, Shoemaker appointed council member Brian Waller to temporarily chair that committee, and Shoemaker said that he would also sit in on the committee. Council member Mary Brown Turner is also on the committee.
Turner told council, in an unrelated matter, that "the natives are becoming restless in Ward (three)" during her report on the community enhancement committee, regarding when a house on Trenton Street "is going to be demolished."
Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said that the structure in question will not be demolished because grant funding they thought would be available is administrated out of Fayette County. Zink said that city grant writer Peg Beekman was initially told that the funds could go toward razing the house.
"Now they've backtracked and said, 'We don't have it,'" Zink said. "Right now, it's not going to be torn down."
"Uh oh," Turner said. "I don't know what we can do, sir."
Zink joked, "You got a bulldozer?"
Turner said, "That, or you can take a chance with everybody taking a board off one at a time or something. It's a mess."
Zink said he agreed the property was a mess but, "If the money's not there you can't do it."
"You don't want us to set fires? Do they?" Turner asked.
Several members of council exclaimed that setting fires was not acceptable.
"We'll pass on that," Zink said.
In other business:
• Former Hillsboro City Council member John Dodds addressed council and regarding several areas of concern for him, including the shelter house at Liberty Park, the basketball courts at the city park on Railroad Street, the condition of street lights in the uptown area and the parking situation in uptown. Dodds said that shelter had been donated from the Hillsboro Lions Club to the city in 1983, and there had been moderate upkeep over the years, but was now in need of some repairs. Shoemaker put that matter and the city park issue into the property maintenance and safety committee for review.
Dodds said that it did not appear that the 2-hour limit on parking was being enforced in the uptown area, and that was something the city should address. Shoemaker said that he would forward the matter to Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt, along with the street light issue. Dodds said that when the Lions Club was putting up Christmas wreaths over the weekend he noticed a light post in the 100 block of North High Street "loose" at the base and there was the potential for it to "fall into the street and damage a vehicle or fall on the sidewalk and damage someone."
Zink told Dodds that the parking situation could not be remedied until staffing numbers were increased at the Hillsboro Police Department, and that the department was currently "five officers short."
• Zink reported that the finalization of plans was currently under way for a veterans tribute Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Hillsboro High School.
• The mayor gave the report of Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt, who was late to the meeting because he had to examine a downed tree limb. Zink said Holt had been contacted by a citizen requesting a stop sign at the corner of North Elm Street and Fair Street. It was put into the street and safety committee for further review.
• According to the SSD report, council members had received a document concerning the Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant, Economic Development Revolving Loan Administration Agreement. The city needs to pass legislation authorizing the agreement before the end of the year, which Zink said was a formality that has to be addressed every few years. Shoemaker asked Hillsboro Law Director Fred Beery to draft the legislation.
• In the report of the utilities committee, chairperson Shoemaker said the committee recommend council approve a change order in the contract of the construction at the city's wastewater treatment plant, in the amount of $140,986. Shoemaker said that it was a "modification" and would come from "money within the contract. We're not giving them any extra money, we're just modifying. Everything that they have asked for is within the realm of the contract, and it is actually a betterment than what we were actually looking at ... It's within the contingency contract already building into the contract." Council passed the recommendation 6-0.
• Council also followed the recommendation of the utilities committee, voting to waive the three-reading rule and pass a resolution 6-0 to establish a waterline loop on Woodland Drive.
• Council voted 6-0 to increase appropriations in the life squad improvement fund in the amount of $1,600 for "the purpose of covering the costs of upgrading monitors and modems that are compatible with improved technology provided by Highland District Hospital.
• Council voted 6-0 to increase appropriations in the drug law enforcement fund in the amount of $3,500.
• Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis asked that council consider a resolution adopting a plan regarding "deferred compensation. The city has actually had this plan in place for the employees who voluntarily enroll, and that has been in place for some time," Lewis said. "The company that manages this plan, ING, contacted us a couple weeks ago and requested we provide them with a resolution to satisfy some compliance issues." Lewis said it was "housekeeping" legislation and did not need to be passed immediately. Shoemaker put it into the finance committee for further review.
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