City Council Report

By Dottie McGrew

Tiptoeing toward détente

Council is considering an ordinance that would establish a formal agreement between Jackson Township and the city for discussion of possible joint economic development, cooperative economic development or annexation agreements. Talks with Plain Township have started under a similar agreement negotiated earlier this year.

A first reading of the legislation was approved in late April. Second and third readings are scheduled for May.

Jackson Township trustees deleted the impasse clause before approving the proposed agreement. The deletion and the one-year life of the agreement sparked council discussion.

An impasse clause allows either party to get out of the agreement if negotiations become deadlocked and further talks are futile. The agreement with Plain Township includes an impasse clause.

At-large councilman Jim Repace said that moving forward without the impasse clause “would show that North Canton intends to bargain in good faith.”

Repace and At-large Councilman Pat DeOrio are spearheading the talks with Plain and Jackson. In the past the city and its neighboring townships have had an adversarial relationship.

But the administration contends that the one-year life span of the agreement could be a handicap. The contract between the city and Plain Township has a six month timeline, expiring on Nov. 30. The timeline was constructed with an eye on the November election which could change the composition of council.

“What if things go south,” asked city Administrator Earle J. Wise Jr. “What if something presents itself and the city wants to bail before the year is up. We would be tied to them until May 2008. I’m trying to think on the other side. The road to certain places is paved with good intentions.

But Repace and DeOrio say the time is necessary to fully discuss cooperation with Jackson trustees. They say there are many areas of mutual benefit. DeOrio suggested a cooling-off period if talks hit a snag. “The important thing is to maintain dialogue,” he said.

Oster Property Revisited

The city plans to drill a water well on the Oster property in the near future. Council approved the action in late April.

The 74-acre Oster tract is in Plain Township, outside the city limits, south of the Belden Village area and west of I-77. The site has the most prolific aquifer in the city’s water system.

The City of Canton has a collector well near the Oster tract and is pumping three million gallons of water a day, according to Ward 4 Councilman Jon Snyder. He said that the city must stake its claim to the Oster wellfield. If we don’t, Canton could draw down the well field to the point it becomes unusable to the city, Snyder said.

To maintain EPA certification to pump nine million gallons of water a day, the city must have a backup well capable of producing two million additional gallons daily, Snyder said. The well at Oster would provide backup, giving the city an actual production capacity of 11 million gallons of water daily.

Council members Kathy Magel and Susie Hines voted against the measure. Magel said she is opposed because in 2001 two city monitor wells indicated traces of volatile organic coumpounds. The wells were capped and never used. Magel wants a study to determine if the contaminants have traveled beyond the capped wells.

Water Plant Superintendent Rich Steinhebel says that time and travel information, based on current data, will go to the EPA with the application to drill the well. He said that appropriate testing will accompany every step of the drilling process.

The new well will be funded from the Water Fund, which is separate from the General Fund. Water fund revenue can is restricted to water-related projects.

Feeling the Pinch

Residents of 6th Street Northeast asked council to replace crumbling sidewalks while their street is torn up for the installation of a new water line. Neighboring streets would also like aged sidewalks replaced, they said. Council members listened, but explained that the budget was tight and money had not been allocated.

SWAP Committee Approved

Council authorized setting up a Source Water Assessment and Protection committee (SWAP).The committee could be made up of residents, business people and a representative of the city, according to Water Committee Chair Kathy Magel. The goal would be the protection of municipal well fields, Magel said. The EPA suggests, but does not require, such a committee.

Water Superintendent Rich Steinhebel voiced concerns to council about how the committeewould function. Steinhebel said he would work with a committee to educate the public.But, he said, some documents, if opened to the public, could jeopardize security at the water treatment plant.

Doug Lane and Snyder, Ward 3 and Ward 4, respectively, voted against the measure.Lane and Snyder want to know who would appoint the committee; what standards would guide appointments; how would the agenda be determined and to whom would the committee be accountable, among other questions.

At-large councilman DeOrio likened the questions to “putting the cart before the horse.” The questions would be answered by council at a later time, he said.