TWINSBURG — A new chapter in the City’s Streets, Utilities and Utilities Code that addresses illegal discharges into the storm sewer system is heading for final Council action on Sept. 27.
The chapter establishes methods to control the introduction of pollutants into the system to comply with the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System authorization process, as required by the Environmental Protection Agency from Ohio.
The Council moved the adoption of the chapter to third reading during its September 13 session.
City Engineer Amy Mohr said at the Aug. 23 meeting that the state requires communities to develop a stormwater management program that “prohibits illicit discharges into the stormwater system and implements appropriate enforcement procedures”.
The proposed bylaw clarifies that when the city discovers that a person or business has violated or failed to comply with a requirement of the bylaw, it may order compliance by written notice delivered by hand or by registered mail.
A person receiving the notice must comply within a specified time or the city may seek a preliminary or permanent injunction restraining the person/company from activities that would create new violations or require them to make a reduction or remedy.
The city could recover all attorneys’ fees, court fees and other expenses associated with enforcement, including sampling and monitoring fees.
OTHER BUSINESS
The Board agreed to the amounts and rates as determined by the Summit County Budget Commission and authorized the necessary tax levies for 2023.
The total amount of tax levies is 3 mills, which the county estimates generates $2.15 million. The breakdown is as follows: 0.3 for police pensions, 0.3 thousandths for firefighters’ pensions and 2.4 thousandths for security force facilities and police/firefighters’ pensions.
The advance of local taxes from the departmental tax authorities for the 2022 tax year – payable in 2023 – has been authorized.
Meanwhile, three pieces of legislation have gone to their next readings, including an agreement allowing the Ohio Department of Transportation to conduct bridge inspections at 100% cost to the state, unless the city don’t make special requests.
Covered bridges are on East Idlewood, Dutton and Moreland drivs, Bissell Road and Miktarian Parkway on railway tracks, and the Glenwood Drive golf cart tunnel. Ohio’s revised code requires bridges to be inspected annually.
Another ordinance would accept the redistricting of city districts by the redistricting committee. The map is usually redrawn every 10 years after a U.S. census is completed to equalize the number of residents in the city’s five wards.
The third measure for future action is a modified capital asset policy to provide proper accounting and reporting of the city’s capital assets in an accurate and timely manner.
Capital assets with a useful life of more than five years and an original or estimated cost of more than $10,000 would be capitalized to the appropriate classification as a capital asset. The current figure is $5,000.
Mayor Sam Scaffide presented three proclamations. The first was to Fran Turle, acknowledging her 90th birthday and 48 years as an employee and volunteer at Twinsburg Schools. She has been a resident of Twinsburg since 1957.
The second was to Officer Olivia Bartulovic for performing CPR twice in one shift to save two lives, and the third was to the local Mind Challenge for a New Majority team.
Mind Challenge is a competition for people aged 55 and over. Fifty-one teams from northeast Ohio participated this year, with Twinsburg taking second place and winning $1,500 for the local senior center. Broadview Heights was the champ.
The Twinsburg team members were Bill Dixon, Paula Stump, Maribeth Kralik, Joan Vitale, Maureen Cavotta, Virginia Schmidt, Catherine Ruth, and Sandra Hansen.
Scaffidi has announced the following upcoming events: September 22 – Fall Festival at the Square; Oct. 12 – Police and Fire Services open from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the main fire station; November 13 – Turkey Trot; and November 26 – LuminoCité.
Director of Parks and Recreation Jennifer Betenson announced that a Nominees Night will be held Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center. Councilman Bill Furey praised Betenson and his staff for helping the fitness center turn a profit this year for the first time.
Police Chief Tom Mason reported the department handled 2,750 calls in August, bringing the total for the year to 18,115. Fire Chief Tim Morgan said his department responded to 299 calls in July and 304 in August to bring the total for the year to 2,507, an increase of 16% compared to 2021.
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