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Marietta City Council narrowly voted to authorize an injunction against the sale of the Woman's Home to Oriana House Inc. Thursday.
Resolution 56 was introduced and read before a crowd of seven parents/grandparents with children attending St. Mary Catholic School, plus an additional eight members of the audience for an unusually full regular business meeting of council Thursday.
Councilman Mike Scales moved Thursday to read the resolution first, though it appeared as the final agenda item in new business after Council Clerk Nancy Johnson read a letter from the Diocese of Steubenville asking the council not to support the location of Oriana House's intended residential treatment facility at 812 Third St.
Oriana House Inc. is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit which provides addiction treatment services, community corrections programs and behavioral health services in Ohio. The nonprofit currently operates a halfway house and correctional center in Reno and intends to install an intensive residential treatment facility at the Third Street location.
Oriana House Executive Vice President Bernie Rochford said Thursday after hearing of council's vote that the nonprofit would be reviewing the matter with its legal counsel.
"I truly hope we can get on with the work of providing these much-needed services in the community."
Oriana House has previously been issued a certificate by the Marietta City Engineering Department indicating that its intended use of the former Woman's Home, a retirement home in place for more than 100 years as a nonprofit providing accommodations for aged women of Washington County, was similar.
But the certificate for zoning use was not the final step in the city's process of allowing residential treatment within a primarily residential zone of the city.
The nonprofit also has obtained a use and occupancy certificate from the Southeast Ohio Building Department, which operates out of the Washington County Courthouse.
But council's action Thursday formally advised Oriana that it is missing specific steps before installing residents in the facility.
"I appreciate the law director in drafting this resolution; it sounds like Oriana House did not follow the rules," said Councilwoman Cindy Oxender. "We're making sure consistent rules are followed."
But before council could take a vote on the injunction, certain procedures brought parents and other interested parties to their feet.
And those interested parties utilized a recess in council to lobby.
Johanna Baker, a parent of four St. Mary students, was among the parents speaking during the recess with Councilman Mike McCauley--who had voted to not suspend the rules and dispense with the second and third readings of Resolution 56, and force two special council meetings to preliminarily be scheduled for further discussion on the action.
Baker appealed to McCauley as a former schoolteacher to take into consideration the feelings of three of her children which she placed before him.
"I want them to feel safe when they go to school," she told him.
Ultimately council returned to consider the resolution and voted a second time, this time unanimously to suspend both readings and authorized the injunctive action.
See the weekend edition of The Marietta Times for the next steps for the city, a look at the definitions of residential treatment, opioid treatment, methadone treatment, and what Oriana House plans to provide in the Third Street location.
Exclusive interviews with staffers, legislators and those in treatment and recovery from addiction will be included in the weekend Times package.
Other business:
Council also considered 10 ordinances and four other resolutions Thursday.
Council also authorized the following:
¯ Resurfacing and drainage improvements on the Ohio 676 project planned for this summer to be extended to Edgewood Drive on Harmar Hill.
¯ An Ohio Department of Transportation-administered project to improve the intersection of Ohio 7 and County House Lane. Work will include lighting, signal controller updates and new pavement markings.
¯ A rental fee schedule for the Armory Community Room and Armory Gymnasium.
¯ The lease of Room 9 in the Armory to the Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
¯ Standard transfers and appropriations of funds.
¯ The acceptance of two swing benches from Maureen Beaver and Fred Bruce.
Council also heard the first readings of:
¯ An ordinance to authorize a historical marker to be placed in city right-of-way in front of Peoples Bank Theatre.
¯ An ordinance to allow Marietta Main Street to continue using the third floor of the Armory for storage of event decorations and clean-up equipment.
¯ Parking lot conditions and monthly rental fees.
¯ An agreement with the Washington County Board of Commissioners to keep prisoners committed to the Washington County Jail for violation of municipal ordinance offenses.
¯ Authorization for a joint application through Washington-Morgan Community Action for a renewal of the CHIP program funding for another two years.