Minutes-10/03/2007

Tiffin City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission October 17, 2007 A special meeting oof the Tiffin City Council and the Tiffin Planning and Zoning Commission was brought to order by Mayor Glenn R. Potter, 6: 30 p.m., Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at the Tiffin Fire Station. Council present: Ruth Demuth, Mark Petersen, Karin Dils, Jim Bartels and John Wright. Absent: None. Planning and Zoning Commission present: Stephanie Surine and Shawna Colvin. Absent: Jim Schmidt, Melvin Reeve and Steve Berner. Brian Detert was present to explain about the Knox Box needed for the new high school building. Detert and Fire Chief Randy Morgan have reviewed several ordinances and, have one to recommend to the council for the next council meeting. A Knox Box will be on the Fire Truck and be radioed to the Sheriff Dept when needed for opening a building. These boxes will be used on any commercial, industrial, school and any residential of three units or greater. The wet wells area throwing alarms for high water due to infiltration of water from today' s rain. Discussion on sidewalks. Colvin asked who was complaining about the recently approved sidewalk plan that it was reviewed again by council during September. Portwood a developer is requesting change, and changes were being visited to pacify developers. One reason for proposed changes was to save homeowners money, Colvin noted that up to now there had not been any homeowner present to complain. Colvin thought the five foot sidewalk at least on one side of each block was pleasant for the community, especially with obesity of citizens. Colvin noted that there were locations where four foot sidewalks had been installed, when the locations had been platted for six foot. Engineer Hart thought it was the review of the Building Inspector to review the installations. Portwood noted that the sidewalks were under discussion when he had attended a school meeting with the Mayor, seeking information on the correct size for Deer View. Portwood thought these issues were growing pains for the city. Colvin asked how could Mayor give approval to Portwood to install four foot sidewalk in Deer View without prior authorization from City Council. Colvin asked who could change a platted document and how these errors could be repaired. Portwood said that only two people opposed the four foot sidewalks for the' city. Colvin noted that no one at all had opposed the, sidewalk plan until Portwood had come before the' city. Dils noted that the sidewalk plan had been reviewed by PZ and council and approved in January of this year. Petersen said he wouldn' t want to buy a lot with a six foot sidewalk because he wouldn' t want to scoop it in the winter. Colvin said some people don' t want to scoop any size sidewalk. Question about repair and nonexistence of sidewalks in the older section of the city. Demuth noted that tax money generated by the possible motel-hotel tax could be used to promote tourism by the installation of sidewalks. Colvin said she never walked in the older section of the city because of lack of sidewalk in some locations, and poor condition of other sidewalks. Colvin asked if these needs would be addressed by the city. 1 5