JEDD plan goes to new committee
Thursday, October 5, 2006
By SEAN CASEY
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Tempers flared at Pickerington City Hall Tuesday night, as Mayor David Shaver approved the transfer of a controversial development agreement from one city council committee to another, a move that puts the pact on the fast track to appear before the full council.
At the conclusion of what was otherwise a swift and congenial meeting, Councilman Jeff Fix, requested removing a proposal to form a Joint Economic Development District with Violet Township from the finance committee, in which it has been held up in debate. Fix, who negotiated the agreement on behalf of the city, asked to reassign it to service committee, in which it reportedly has the support of two of three members.
Fix accused Finance Committee Chairman Brian Wisniewski of maneuvering to keep the proposal in limbo by scheduling a special meeting to vote on it, but later stating he could not appear because of a previously scheduled family obligation.
Wisniewski then agreed to hold a special work session on the matter, Fix said, but committee votes can not take place during work sessions. As a result, the earliest the proposal could come up for vote in the finance committee is on Oct. 19, when Councilman Keith Smith, who supports the collaborative agreement, will be out of town.
Fix, who believes cooperation with the township is the best way to attract and benefit from commercial development, said if the committee were to vote at that meeting with Smith absent, the proposal would be killed, presumably in a 1-2 vote. If a vote does not occur at that meeting, approval would be pushed back at least another month, he said.
''You've held this back from the council and I think that is wrong,'' Fix said of Wisniewski's actions.
''This is a dog-and-pony show,'' responded Wisniewski, who has said he believes Pickerington would make too many concessions in the agreement. ''You can't have it your way so now you're shopping it around.''
After a compromise proposed by the mayor that would bring the agreement before the entire council for review while it awaited approval in the finance committee received no response, Shaver consented to Fix's request and transferred the bill to the service committee, which meets Oct. 12.
City Law Director Phil Hartmann said he has reviewed Pickerington's charter extensively on this matter and stated there is no clear guidance on the assignment of a bill to a committee, but traditionally the mayor has the authority to make such a transfer.
The charter only states that an ordinance must receive approval from a committee prior going up for vote before the entire council, Hartmann said.
Fix said this agreement, in which the two entities would split costs and revenues of development in JEDD areas, is necessary because routes to annexing the most attract commercial properties in the area would be very difficult and expensive otherwise.
Wisniewski said the city would surrender too much, including half of its income tax within JEDD areas and the right to annex land into the city for as many as 30 years.
Thursday, October 5, 2006
By SEAN CASEY
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Tempers flared at Pickerington City Hall Tuesday night, as Mayor David Shaver approved the transfer of a controversial development agreement from one city council committee to another, a move that puts the pact on the fast track to appear before the full council.
At the conclusion of what was otherwise a swift and congenial meeting, Councilman Jeff Fix, requested removing a proposal to form a Joint Economic Development District with Violet Township from the finance committee, in which it has been held up in debate. Fix, who negotiated the agreement on behalf of the city, asked to reassign it to service committee, in which it reportedly has the support of two of three members.
Fix accused Finance Committee Chairman Brian Wisniewski of maneuvering to keep the proposal in limbo by scheduling a special meeting to vote on it, but later stating he could not appear because of a previously scheduled family obligation.
Wisniewski then agreed to hold a special work session on the matter, Fix said, but committee votes can not take place during work sessions. As a result, the earliest the proposal could come up for vote in the finance committee is on Oct. 19, when Councilman Keith Smith, who supports the collaborative agreement, will be out of town.
Fix, who believes cooperation with the township is the best way to attract and benefit from commercial development, said if the committee were to vote at that meeting with Smith absent, the proposal would be killed, presumably in a 1-2 vote. If a vote does not occur at that meeting, approval would be pushed back at least another month, he said.
''You've held this back from the council and I think that is wrong,'' Fix said of Wisniewski's actions.
''This is a dog-and-pony show,'' responded Wisniewski, who has said he believes Pickerington would make too many concessions in the agreement. ''You can't have it your way so now you're shopping it around.''
After a compromise proposed by the mayor that would bring the agreement before the entire council for review while it awaited approval in the finance committee received no response, Shaver consented to Fix's request and transferred the bill to the service committee, which meets Oct. 12.
City Law Director Phil Hartmann said he has reviewed Pickerington's charter extensively on this matter and stated there is no clear guidance on the assignment of a bill to a committee, but traditionally the mayor has the authority to make such a transfer.
The charter only states that an ordinance must receive approval from a committee prior going up for vote before the entire council, Hartmann said.
Fix said this agreement, in which the two entities would split costs and revenues of development in JEDD areas, is necessary because routes to annexing the most attract commercial properties in the area would be very difficult and expensive otherwise.
Wisniewski said the city would surrender too much, including half of its income tax within JEDD areas and the right to annex land into the city for as many as 30 years.
