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The spotlight was shining on 605 Pearl St. for part of Thursday night's Marietta City Council meeting, and that wasn't a good thing.
Resident C.J. Smith, of 210 Market St., addressed council about the Pearl Street property that neighbors call "the compound" and the problems with code enforcement that it has presented over a fairly lengthy period of time.
She distributed photographs of the property and read a prepared statement that said the compound "presents issues of safety, stench, sight, law enforcement, criminal activities, and health issues from fecal matter and other chemicals."
Property owner John Parsons was first directed to clean up the property and given a 120-day deadline to do so several years ago, Fourth Ward Councilman Geoff Schenkel told council in remarks after Smith's statement. He said it made him angry that the city had failed to follow its own rules, and he thought Smith was being "more than patient" in trying to work with the city to come up with a lasting solution.
The condition of the property affects "residents, families, businesses, ball games, people coming into our community from Fort Harmar Drive, senior citizens, persons with physical limitation," said Smith. Past clean-up attempts have not lasted, and it has become "a vicious cycle that does not end."
Smith's plan is two-fold. First, force the cleanup. Second, devise ways to keep it cleaned up.
"Force the clean-up of debris, vehicles, trash, everything in line of sight of the Flanders Field, daycare center, and the new dog grooming business." Give a deadline date to Parsons to have it cleaned up. "If he ignores the letter, the city cleans it up and bills him. If he doesn't pay the bill, then the city can take a lien on the property." Then, fence it in and enforce no trespassing.
"The compound disgraces our community," Smith said.
In other issues before council, one resolution and a number of ordinances were presented for readings:
¯ Resolution 82 – The resolution authorizes and directs the Director of Public Safety and Service to apply to the Ohio Department of Transportation for a grant under the 2023 Safe Routes to School Program, for monies in the Safe Routes to School project. Total cost is estimated at $500,000. If the grant is approved, the city would contract with ODOT as needed for engineering, environmental, construction and construction administration services.The city would pay for any construction overrun costs above the amount of the grant.
There was no specific information offered Thursday night on what infrastructure concerns would be addressed with the grant. The resolution was simply the first step in seeking the grant and seeing if it is approved, before generating a detailed plan.
Council procedural rules were suspended for the second and third readings of the ordinance and it was then approved as an emergency measure by unanimous vote.
Council also suspended the second and third readings of the following newly introduced legislation, then adopted the measures on an emergency basis by unanimous vote.
¯ Ordinance 222 – Authorizes the city to enter contracts with Sourcewell of Staples, Minn., for a Jetter Truck, which is used to clean out areas such as catch basins, storm sewers and manholes; and Hi-Vac Corp. of Marietta, which manufactures the systems that outfit the truck. Total cost for the truck and equipment, which will be used by the Wastewater Department, is not to exceed $179,870. It will be obtained through the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, Office of State Purchasing, under the auspices of Ohio's Cooperative Purchasing Act.
Councilman Bret Allphin noted during Thursday's council meeting that the current truck is a 1996 model.
¯ Ordinance 224 = American Rescue Plan Act funds not to exceed $315,000 were approved for continued Marietta Main Street revitalization of the downtown area through events and programs, along with initiatives involving the care of businesses, buildings and infrastructure. The organization outlined its ARPA request and plans at a recent Finance Committee meeting.
¯ Ordinances 228 and 229 – A Marietta Police Department Upgrade Project, using ARPA funds not to exceed $199,670.49, was approved in Ordinance 228, followed by an ordinance authorizing contracts with four companies providing equipment. Police Chief Katherine Warden outlined the department's needs for Finance Committee members Monday night.
The four companies and the equipment they will provide are:
¯ Miller Communications of Parkersburg, MARCS Radio system and licensing fee to maintain the system, not to exceed $152,163.82.
¯ AlphaLink Digital Storage of Newark, digital body cam storage, not to exceed $5,000.
¯ Cellebrite/Carahsoft of Reston, Va., extraction and analysis of cellular phone data involved in crimes of human trafficking, sexual abuse and drug trafficking.
¯ Big Hometown Motorsports of Marietta, a side-by-side all-terrain off-road vehicle for access to non-roadway areas, not to exceed $25,344.17.
¯ Ordinances 194, 195, 211- Ordinances 194 and 195 create seasonal labor positions in two departments in conjunction with various Washington County Job and Family Services employment programs. Councilwoman Cassidi Shoaf noted that the pay is to be reimbursed through JFS, so there will be no cost to the city. The ordinances create three positions at the Marietta Harbor and four positions in the Public Works Department. A similar JFS program, authorized in Ordinance 211, will run longer than the summer season and will put three positions in the Police Department.
¯ Ordinance 221 – The Director of Public Safety and Service is directed to advertise for bids and enter into a contract or contracts for the mowing, trimming and policing of certain properties owned by or under the control of the city.
¯ Ordinance 225 – The Director of Public Safety and Service is directed to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with the Washington County Commissioners, where the city agrees to help the county commission with project management of the planning and design of the "Connecting Residents on Safer Streets (CROSS) Marietta Project.
Allphin said he was happy to see the MOU between the city and county, as it indicated good things that can come from working together.