(Photo by Gwen Sour) From left, Kristopher Justice, legal representative for Peoples Bank, alongside Jillian Clark Stull, senior vice president and associate counsel for Peoples Bank, share their concerns regarding parking space requirements for businesses in downtown Marietta.

Marietta City Council convened a special meeting Tuesday, and unanimously approved three measures, citing deadlines and public safety needs.

Council suspended readings and adopted:

– Resolution 84 (24-25): Authorizes the city to enter a pass-through grant agreement with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to assist with trail maintenance at Gunlock Park. The third reading was suspended before adoption.

– Ordinance 253 (24-25): Authorizes a design-and-bidding services contract for the Interstate 77 sanitary sewer line project in an amount not to exceed $60,000. Council suspended the second and third readings and adopted the ordinance.

– Ordinance 254 (24-25): Authorizes a contract for slip repair on Maple Street in an amount not to exceed $71,264 and declares an emergency. The second and third readings were suspended before adoption.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Councilman Mike Scales discusses a $450,000 check the city received from a $100 million settlement regarding PFAS or polyfluoroalkyl substances, which is a group of man-made chemicals that resist heat, water and grease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“The grant is due so immediately that I have to take it back to Paul to be signed for tomorrow morning,” said Councilman Bill Gossett of the Gunlock Park item.

During miscellaneous business, Councilman Mike Scales reported the city has received about $450,000 from a statewide settlement related to PFAS contamination, with additional, smaller distributions expected in subsequent years. Scales noted funds are restricted primarily to water-related uses and could be leveraged as local match for future grants. He also briefed colleagues on state marijuana tax negotiations, saying the Ohio House’s plan to dedicate a portion of revenue to municipalities could change in the Senate, so cities should not expect near-term distributions.

Council members and administrators thanked each other for moving quickly on the Maple Street repairs and on the Gunlock Park item. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Armory.

The Planning, Zoning, Annexation and Housing Committee advanced legislation to renew a CDBG subrecipient agreement tied to on-demand public transit payments. The committee then took more testimony on a proposal to eliminate downtown (C-4) parking minimums, with most of the discussion focused on employer parking.

People’s Bank attorney Christopher Justice said the bank supports C-4 redevelopment but opposes drafts that would treat large employers differently.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Councilman Bret Allphin discusses the potential updates to downtown parking in Marietta during Tuesday evening’s Planning, Zoning, Annexation and Housing committee meeting at the Armory.

“Our concern is just the different treatment,” Justice said. “If the City Council feels there should be parking requirements for employers, then that should apply to all employers. And if the City Council says we’re fine with eliminating parking requirements within the C-4 district for employers, we’re fine with that too.”

Justice warned that an editing change could unintentionally shrink allowable off-site parking from 800 feet to 200 feet if sections are repealed without replacement.

“That’s almost impossible in the C-4 district,” he said, adding that a tighter limit would “put us at a major disadvantage if we want to grow.”

Marietta Main Street Executive Director Jen Tinkler said Main Street would support code changes to help fill storefronts.

“If we want to bring in a new business, we’re supportive of whatever needs to be done … that means changing the parking regulations,” Tinkler said.

Scales urged pairing code reforms with modern enforcement.

“There should be a way to update the parking enforcement system,” he said, citing license-plate scanning and paid long-stay options.

Committee Chairman Bret Allphin said the intent is to remove barriers that incentivize demolition for surface lots.

“Either we magically come up with the money to produce parking, or we begin to address the discretionary rules around parking requirements,” he said. “My hope is to bring this off the table and make it some way that we can work out … and vote on it.”