muddy in the
water. All right, I'd like to call the
uh May 7th Canal Winchester Charter View
Commission meeting to order. Roll call,
please. Miss Famous. Mr. Connor, here.
Mr. Hust here. Mr. Ker here. Mr. Lan,
here. Mr. Mcraer here. Mr. Milikin here.
Mr. Scanland here. Mr. Steelman here.
Mr. Bile here. Mr. Young here. Thank
you. Need a motion to excuse Miss Bumis.
Smooth. Second. Motion made by Mr.
Connor. Second by Mr. Land. Roll call.
Mr. Connor. Yes. Mr. Land. Yes. Mr.
Mcreer. Yes. Mr. Melikin. Yes. Mr.
Scanland. Yes. Mr. Steelmith. Yes. Mr.
Bile. Yes. Mr. Young. Yes. Mr. H. Yes.
Mr. Carson. Yes.
All right. Uh, approval of minutes. Um,
April 16, 2025 charter review M minutes.
Do we have any issues with those?
Hearing none. Need a motion to approve.
So move.
Second.
Motion made by Mr. Vile, second by Mr.
McBrer. Roll call. Mr. Vile. Yes. Mr.
McFreer. Yes. Mr. Milligan. Yes. Mr.
Scanland. Yes. Mr. Mr. Steelmith. Yes.
Mr. Young. Yes. Mr. Connor. Yes. Mr.
Hust. Yes. Mr. Ker. Yes. Mr. Land. Yes.
Uh, public comments. Um, sorry I didn't
get a check in with you guys. I was from
behind. Do you guys have anything for us
this evening? I don't think so. Neither
of us were here last week. Okay.
Good. Just didn't want to blow by. So,
um, thank you, by the way. and relay the
message to the other two that for all
you've done. It's been much
[Music]
appreciated.
Um all right. So items for discussion
this
evening review final redline charter. Um
did we want to do presentation? Is that
how we I remembered you wanted to walk
us through it or So that's what So we
can go line by line looking at the
changes and then after and then as long
as there's no controversy about any of
them. Um at the end we have a couple
options. If there's any disagreement
that you want to voice on the record, we
can make an individual motion so that
there's a roll call vote and you can
show that. Or if everyone's in agreement
on the changes, which it seems like it's
been that way, we can go through all of
them, confirm that, wait till the end,
and just make one big motion to accept
the red line changes. So, I like that.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay, let's do that.
Sorry, I got the
uh got these pulled up on my phone.
[Music]
Joe, I gave you the clicker over there
if you want to just press the arrow.
Oh, that's cool. Okay, so starting in
the table of contents, there were a
couple changes, but that was just for um
changing the names of some things. So
adding the salary of the mayor category,
amending it to salary of city council
members in article three.
Um and then renumbering a couple things
whenever we got rid of the intentionally
omitted sections.
So assuming that's what that was. Yeah.
So assuming there's no disagreement
there, we can move on.
Is this not happen? Sorry if this is jumping a little bit quicker
than I had assumed. So,
article 1.01, we changed the name and
the boundary
um which was just to update it to get
rid of the village of Canal Mestrs that
has just been there for a while. Do you
Is there a way to get the red line? Hang
on one second. I think it's just
not showing the Thank you.
Where we at? Is this
because it should be under here?
Matt, you just did that for me and I
can't remember how to do it. Well, I
think it I think it has to do with this
computer. Let me see what I can do real
fast.
Um because you see how it doesn't give
me and but do all of you have the red
line in front of you too? Okay. So if
you want follow I can just keep
scrolling through and we'll follow that
way.
These are some of these ones are pretty.
So hold on let's try this. Maybe. Yeah.
There we go. All right. Great. So uh
there were no go away then.
I don't know what's happening on this
computer today. I apologize for that's
fine. I don't where to go.
One
more time.
Okay, I'm not touching anything.
Yeah. Okay. Word is on here. We are
there. It's part of the problem. All
right. So, we are now at article two.
There were no changes. So that was
great. Um, article three will start
with getting rid of so we just basically
changed to start getting rid of
subsection A and then 1 2 3 because
there is no subsection B. So it just
didn't make a lot of sense to have it.
So it'll just start with that text and
then these subsections will be letters.
Um, next in the in subsection what is
now subsection D, it is just
simplifying what this uh language is. I
think it basically says the same thing.
Um, we had agreed on. Um, so again just
making it easier to read, less words
involved. Um, article
3.02 just clarifying language by getting
rid of the word next.
Um, article
3.03 just changed the title to
clarify certain
things. Um, article
3.04. Again, this was just a change to
clarify that for the clerk of council
and the day-to-day duties here when
there's not meetings or anything, um,
that the officers of council can
delegate supervision to the to the mayor
or the designate. Um, again, nothing too
controversial here.
Um, article
3.05. This was a suggestion from y'all
regarding modernizing the notice
procedures, which again just makes sense
given that we're in 2025
now. Um, 3.07. So, this was the first
big change that you guys have made um in
terms of determining the salary of city
council members. it's tying it to the
Overs
standard. Um, which again is an
objective metric that is set by the
state of Ohio. Um, and it's just
clarifying for council instead of them
having to vote on their salary every
time, which again could be self-
serving. And two is also uncomfortable.
If they're a good politician, they
probably won't vote to raise their
salary. And two, it puts it in the hands
of the voters if this were to make it to
the
ballot. Is there
So nothing on the ballot will have a
monetary number at all, right? No, this
would not. So the only thing will be
when we get to the mayor's salary, if
council approves that, it would show the
60 to 85 range, but in terms of the oper
minimum, it wouldn't show a monetary
number, but that's available online if
people wanted to look it up. I know.
Okay. Um there's nothing further there.
We'll move to council
vacancies, which that was just changing
it from 30 to 60 days to give council
more time. Um, and clarifying the
qualified under section 3.02b is just uh
making it easier to read and refer back
to qualifications for member of
council. Um, moving on to article
4.04. This was just this was all one
paragraph at first. The language isn't
actually changed. It's just breaking up
to make it easier to read.
Um
4.05 we got rid of the journal because
it was unclear what the journal was for
anybody here or I think for employees.
So again nothing too
controversial. Uh 4.07 was there were a
couple interesting changes. This was
just adding categories for what can be
um legislation that takes effect
immediately. And the purpose for it was
that some of these have to take effect
immediately and under the current
process it's labeled as emergency
legislation. Um which it's just if
everything looks like an emergency then
it's just tougher to get through. So
just clarifying that this is stuff that
can get through right away. Makes more
sense for go back when we we talked
about in
uh category to add to this is
resolutions. Um resolutions are not law
type of thing. So, um if that's
something they they also they're just
required one reading. Um for example,
the other night at council we did a
resolution to uh recognize police week
next week and that type of thing. Um
those are the ones that we were are kind
of going through. Um and they have a one
the previous charter had three readings.
Is that correct, Amanda? And so we took
it from three readings now to one
reading required and but it still has a
30-day I think it's always been one.
It's a long time here, but it still has
the 30-day requirement. Yeah, but it
still has a 30-day effected period and
some of these things while you know the
resolution for the police week, we're
still going forward even though it
officially doesn't take effect, but we
could amend that on the fly too if
that's of interest to you guys.
Yeah. Okay. Subsection 11 resolutions
number 11.
Did Did we discuss these in our
meetings? Yes. All of these. We can go
back through them and discuss like No,
that's all right. Because they broke
down what was how many times an
emergency was used and that the numbers
on it. I remember that. I just
That's a lot of Yeah.
Don't necessarily remember a couple of
those, but that's okay. You want to we
can talk to him if you want. Yeah. Say
which which ones do you not remember Mr.
Carson?
The grant or loan applications off from
another government. So that is when we
are putting um applications in for like
Ohio public works commission funds, Ohio
water development funds um you know a
federal grant um application. This is
not us going to a bank. This is us
putting something in for from another
government. So,
a lot of times there's a short period of
time to do that, right? Yeah.
Application deadlines.
Good to keep going. Yeah. Okay.
Um, we will now move on all the way down
to 4.13.
So again, this is just a modernizing
thing, posting things on the official
website instead of having to put it in a
newspaper. Um, particularly since I
think the dispatch is the only one that
might qualify for canal at this point.
Okay, there might be a daily reporter,
but yeah.
Um, article five is just changing the
title of it because the city
administrator section was already within
it. So, just if someone's looking for
stuff about city administrator, it's
easier to find that way. Um, article
5.03 though, this was another big change
that you guys have made after a lot of
deliberation in terms of figuring out
what to do with a permanent vacancy and
temporary vacancies in the office of the
mayor. Um, I know we had talked through
this thoroughly, but if there are any
changes that you guys wanted to discuss
or talk through, we're happy to do so.
Just clarifying and I think we did but
we managed to figure out the veto with
this language. Correct. Yes. Yeah, it
should be in there.
A4 A4. Yeah, the
which I will scroll. Yeah. Okay. Just
want to make sure.
Um any questions about that before we
move
on. Okay. We are now on to article 5.05.
05 which is
mayor's veto power. So again, this is
just clarifying um certain legislation
that wasn't subject to the veto power.
Anyway,
um if you refer back to 4.06 and
4.07A, I think that is talking
about the legislation that goes into
effect immediately, too. So, just
clarifying that it's not really
functional for a mayor to have to veto
something the day it's or at the council
meeting that is passed at or anything
like that.
Um, we'll go on to
5.06. City administrator, it's a pretty
simple change, but consequently, you
guys had discussed you wanted council to
be able to confirm sort of like a US
Senateesque type thing where at least
they have to vote. Um, it's simple.
Majority is the one we made it here.
There's only seven members anyway.
So, uh, and then again, just for the
contract administration, it's just
eliminating that convoluted statutory
term and saying it's just the amount set
by council that they consider
it. And then 5.07 now is the new section
regarding the salary of the mayor. Um,
we had made a couple changes since we
had last discussed it that after
consulting with that, who's the law
director that I work with. Um, and we
have them in front of you if you guys
want to look at it. The main change was
that we had determined after reading
ethics laws um, and some of the case law
on it and when the charter actually goes
into effect that council would be able
to vote on changing the mayor's salary
as early as next year for the current
term. Um but then so that's why that's
where that language at the beginning is
that's labeled in red and then at the
end this is just clarifying that the
mayor is taken completely out of the
process because that is where a lot of
the ethics laws also were implicated. Um
even though the ethics the ethics
commission took a really hardline stance
that doesn't really line up with
statutes but this is just clarifying
that to make sure that everything is
good on that front. So it'll be this not
what's in our
Yes. Not that correct. That's Yeah,
that's correct. Well, that might be No.
So, that is the most updated. So, we we
literally sent this like two hours ago.
So, the the the version that you guys
got last night didn't include this.
Okay. But it'll be So, the version that
we adopt would be that's the only change
from
what you guys had received.
The I did have the the one question I
had about this is it says
Where is it? C um mayor salary shall
take place at one of council's two
regular meetings in October each year a
regular mayoral election is
held. So it's not going to change until
so at that point. So there's two
components to this. So one would be if
it's passed by the voters, council would
have the first shot to change it for
this term and then going forward it
would be a pre election pre-term vote by
council because Amanda if you want to
talk through the budgetary reasons for
that. So um well the I can speak to the
October time frame. Um, I think the
original language proposed said it would
be done, I believe, in January, but as
most of you are probably familiar with
our budget process, we do that in the
fall. So, in order for me to have some
concept of what the mayor is going to
make to include it in the budget, I need
it a little earlier. Typically, the um
city council gets the budget at the end
of October, the beginning of November um
for the next fiscal year. So, from a
timing perspective, that's why we put it
in um October. give them as much time to
talk about it as possible, but enough
time for me to get it into the budget.
So
now, the only catch is that obviously we
wouldn't know who the next mayor would
be in October, but there was really no
way to make it perfect to align with the
budget process and wait for a perfect
time to for council to address it. Mhm.
I just The reason I brought it up is
because I know there was talk about
addressing it with council in the next
meeting.
So, does that will that not apply? Now,
it's it still will because if this would
have be not adopted by the citizens or
by council, we would still have to still
that rate for the next two years per for
the existing chart.
Cool.
Everything make sense?
All right, we will move on to article
six. This was another change that we
discussed early on. Um, you guys had
expressed a want to make sure that
council is required to provide for fire
and police protection. And even though
it in effect was always going to be that
way, this just really mandates it. Um,
if I recall, the discussion was only
around police and not the fire. Um, not
putting the shall in there for fire.
Correct me if I'm wrong because because
it's it's pretty common to have township
fire um and putting shall in there would
then require some type of contractual
agreement with Madison Madison or Violet
or something like that. So if I recall
it was only police. Yeah I think
I have in my notes that we struck from
time to time for fire protection but
kept the word may. Okay. Rather than
shall. So it would state council may
provide for fire protection by contract.
Correct. That is a mistake by us. We
will fix that. Should it be may on both?
Is that what we No, because shall was
for the police. Yeah. Always have a
police contract. Yeah. So yeah, for the
police it would be they can contract or
they have to start their department.
Start their own department. Those are
the only two options. Yeah. Good.
Okay. So that that has changed in my
version even though it's not changed
live up there. Great. Thank you.
Absolutely.
Um so 6.02
legal services. Again, this was just
updating it because I think this
language was originally written at the
beginning of the charter. Um so it was
just modernizing it and simplifying it.
Um and then all the changes in 6.2 6.02
2 are reflecting that. So 6.02B because
the law department already
exists. Um that really didn't need to be
there anymore. That language that was
struck. Mhm. But we had nothing else
there. So you can keep on moving
to article 7. This was another big
discussion that we had talked through
regarding the structure of the planning
and zoning commission. So this was the
way that we had this was the best way we
could find to write what you guys had
wanted by adding a member of council.
They would be the chair and then
explaining when they would vote and when
they wouldn't in specific
scenarios, but if you guys wanted to
talk through that or get a better
explanation, we're happy to do so. I
just have a quick uh spelling issue in
section A. Um the red line it says the
eighth member instead of the eighth
member in my copy. Oh, I saw that. No,
that's right. You are correct. That has
been changed.
Thank you for catching that.
Red line or red line.
Well, that's what's funny. I as we were
reading through some of the articles,
there's like a missing period every now
and then. So, this is interesting to
catch. Um, but any other questions about
the planning and zoning section?
Yeah, 7.02, it was already gone. We just
made sure we just clarified that to make
it easier to read. Um, and then
renumbered these sections. Uh, the merit
system, that was another big um
discussion in terms of it just being
really complicated to understand. So,
this was and be I know you can't see all
of it, but it would be in front of you,
too. um is this was just an easier way
to explain what that section was saying.
To the best of my understanding, you
don't have a
four
7.04. The four is not struck out.
7.043. Yeah,
it is. It's It's very hard to see. Is it
on the floor?
Yeah, sorry. This was I was whenever I
was writing this one out, fixing the
numbers, it was hard to keep track where
I was. Yeah. Yeah, it was in way, but
yes, it is there. Sorry. Okay. Um I was
right there with you,
and we will we will confirm that the
letters and numbers add up too in the
final review. So, we'll double we'll
double check that.
Um 705 again is omitted. So then that
led to 706 becoming
704. 707 to becoming 705. Um no changes
there. Finance tax department we did not
have any changes in article
8. Article nine. So, this was just
clarifying
um again in eliminating ambiguity and
just making it the maximum amount of
signatures set by the county board of
elections. Um so again, I would hope
that's not too controversial, but we can
discuss again if you guys would
like and
then 11.01c
01C was the next change and this was
just uh you guys had wanted to add some
accountability in terms of unexcused
absences for council members. Um so just
cutting that down from 4 to 2 and 6 to
4 and then I think that was it the u
effective dates. Yeah. Effective date,
which that's that's stock language,
which we'll just implement at the end of
the two. I don't think there's really
any policy to discuss. I I do have a
question about 9.01 the nominations. Oh,
yeah. Um, what is the maximum set by
Franklin County?
That is a fantastic question. I can look
that up real
quick. But I think it I think it has
percentage of
voters. I don't I don't know what the
role number is now, but I know it's
always based on the amount of votes in
the county in the previous governor's
election, I think. So, it it's it
fluctuates all the time. I'm not sure
what it is right now, but we can I just
I don't want it to be higher than 3%.
Because that's what it was before or
that's 3% of the electors. I'm sorry.
That's maximum
as well. So, and I think those
provisions I think the state also has a
maximum for signatures. Yeah, the state
mandates that because they don't
essentially want to go through and get
have someone get like 300 uh signatures
and then they have to go through and
verify all those. It just kind Yeah. I
just didn't know like maximum versus
minimum like what's the minimum versus
maximum that's set by the that's set by
the state set by the county board of
election. Well, yeah, but through the
county. Yeah, but it's all state. You
know, I think I think I see where you're
going. We can clarify the language too
of what the 1% is talking about if
that's where a point of confusion might
be. Should Should they post both be does
the county board of elections set the
minimum and the maximum? Yeah, that's
Yeah, we can we can we can just make it
the minimum and maximum. Yeah, it's a
great idea.
Okay.
Yeah, especially if that ends up
becoming out of date at some point, that
would be good to just add the broader
language. Yeah.
All right, that has been added. Um, is
there any discussion left? Any
questions? Anybody had any disagreements
you wanted to make sure was on the
record?
And I read the full sentence. Disregard
what I was asking about that. It makes
sense after I read the full thing. So
cool. Never mind.
Yeah. When you started when you brought
it up, I read it again and I was like,
"Wait, he's got a point." Then I read it
again.
I was like, "Wait, that does make
sense." Put a sentence in there at the
end. Say, "Read this twice." Yeah. Yeah.
Or maybe three times. That might make
sense. Finally.
Okay. Um, okay. So, um, I guess correct
me if I'm wrong, but at this point, we
can
[Music]
pause for audio. Um, I guess take a roll
call vote on final
approval of I guess the the charter as a
whole
is as we've gone through it with all the
red line
um additions, amendments, what have you.
Um,
again, council decides after we send it
to them whether they take it whole cloth
or piece meal it or scrap it all
together. So, so the chair will make a
motion to approve the updated uh redline
chart. So, moved. Motion made by chair,
second by Mr. Connor. Roll call. Mr.
Milligan. Yes. Mr. Connor. Yes. Mr.
Hust. Yes, Mr. Carer.
Yes, Mr. Lan. Yes, Mr. Mcraer. Yes,
[Music]
he's got something.
Mr. Scanland. Yes. Mr. Steelman. Yes,
Mr. Vile. Yes, Mr. Young. Yes.
All right. And uh lastly, personally, I
just want to thank every Yeah, go ahead.
We also have one more motion, sorry,
that you need to make, too. It would
just be a motion to allow the chair,
Chuck, to work with the law department
to finalize the final report that will
be sent to council for them to consider
it, too. Okay. And you can do that by
voice, I think.
Um, all in favor?
I thank you.
Um, Mr. Milikin, um, the charter review
commission five years ago when they met
the the chair, um, actually came to the
council meeting to kind of present. Um,
I was going to see if that's something
you were interested in doing or if you
would rather staff do it. Just um, all
of you planned on being there. I think,
um, I know Stacy had interest in being
there. I think the more people the
marrier. Um, by all means, everybody
show up and support all.
I'll hold your hand. I don't have a
timeline on
that. The next meeting when that meeting
doing the math, we have to have it done
by
I think it's July. July because so city
council takes the second meeting in July
off every year as their recess in order
to get this to um the board of elections
in time. has to be done before August,
which would push us back to their first
meeting in July, which
I it's July 7th. Seventh. Seventh. Does
that sound right? Yeah. Um, so if they
want to do three reads on it,
first meeting in June would be the
latest we could do it. So,
um, my thought is we'll let Mr. Milikin
work with the law department, get this
all squared away, and then we'll send
everyone an email with that meeting
date. Um, just so you're aware of uh if
you are able to attend and would like
to, you'll know when it's going to
happen. So,
yes, I will send me a copy of it,
please.
Juicy.
Uh, well, depending on which meeting it
is, it might be.
All right. Um so again I just wanted to
thank everybody for uh their
participation. Everybody's uh thoughts
and opinions were uh highly valued. I
mean it's a fun process for me
personally and hopefully it was for you
and um I encourage everybody to stay
involved in our local government and
that's what makes us great is we got so
many good people here.
So it's been nice working with you all.
That uh chair will make a motion to
adjourn. Need a second. Second.
Mr. Steelmith. Motion made by the chair.
Second by Mr. Sealsmith. Roll call. Mr.
Milikin? Yes. Mr. Steelmith? Yes. Mr.
Vile? Yes. Mr. Young? Yes. Mr. Connor?
Yes. Mr. H? Yes. Mr. Ker? Yes. Mr. Lan?
Yes. Mr. Mcer? Yes. Mr. Scan?
Yes. Well done. Thank you all very much
for your