Washington County Commissioners work to establish CRA in Waterford Township
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MARIETTA - On Thursday, Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to establish a Community Reinvestment Area in Waterford Township and opened discussion with residents questioning commissioners on future meeting with ODNR Chief of Ohio Gas and Resources Eric Vandel.
Commissioners approved a resolution to establish a CRA in Waterford Township, Commissioner Charlie Shilling stated this is a step in the process that has to be approved by the Ohio Department of Development. Upon approval, commissioners will be able to sign and enter any type of development, PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreements, or industrial developments within Waterford Township.
This resolution implements sections 3735 through 3735.70 of the Ohio Revised Code, establishing and declaring the boundaries of a community reinvestment area in Washington County, and authorizing and approving other matters.
The resolution also establishes a housing authority in Waterford Township, a board and a housing officer. The housing officer is established by the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority, and following the approval the Port Authority President and CEO, Jesse Roush, will serve as housing officer. The housing authority will allow individuals to apply to receive a 50% abatement on taxes for new builds over the course of ten years within Waterford Township stated Shilling.
"A reinvestment area established for communities is simply looking at incentives to build development, to build workforce, but also to enhance housing,” Shilling said. “It's important for us to establish a CRA (community reinvestment area) and to look for reinvestment in that area."
During public discussion, George Barziger, member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water, spoke out on the private meeting scheduled for Friday with ODNR Chief of Ohio Gas and Resources Eric Vandel and Commissioner Greg Nohe.
"I think this meeting is in violation of the Open Meetings Act," said Barziger. "… If information is gathered for the purpose of informing a decision about a commission or business, then it’s a public meeting, and that information needs to be shared".
According to the Ohio Attorney General website, Ohio's Open Meetings Act "requires public bodies to take official action and conduct all deliberations of official business in open meetings that the public may attend and observe. Public bodies must provide advance notice of meetings that state when and where a meeting will take place and, in the case of special meetings, the specific topic(s) that the public body will discuss". The Ohio Attorney General website also defines a meeting as "as any prearranged gathering of a public body by a majority of its members to discuss public business."
"It also states that there is nothing inordinary about information gathering,” Shilling said. “When it comes to a board sitting down with someone and wanting to learn more about a subject".
"I'm going to be meeting with Mr.Vandel as I stated last week, and gaining information from that meeting that I will use to inform the other commissioners and try to make decisions based on that," said Nohe.
In other business, Commissioners approved letters of support for submitting applications for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District's (MWCD) Watershed grants for the Marietta Country Club and the Village of Matamoras, to support flood mitigation and drainage mitigation. With Marietta Country Club applying for the Partners in Watershed grant program and Matamoras applying for the Connecting Communities grant program. Commissioners have also spoken to the Village of Beverly on applying for the same grant program.
Commissioners approved the transfer request for funds totaling $1,500 for Family and Children First salaries to travel and train. Additionally, they approved two then&nows for West Virginia elevator and a capital project at the courthouse in regards to the elevators, and a travel request for CSEA to a domestic violence symposium in Columbus, and the monthly report on the Brownfield grant.
Commissioners approved the termination of the floodplain MOU with soil and water that will return permit and planning for flood mitigation to the building department, and the engineers office request to apply for Ohio Public Works Commission funds for road construction costs.