Hudson City Council Meeting – December 3, 2024

The Hudson, Ohio City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at Town Hall, 27 East Main Street. The 6:45 p.m. executive session to interview applicants for the Environmental Awareness Committee preceded the public session, which convened at 7:30 p.m. and adjourned at 8:30 p.m. after a second executive session on economic development assistance. All seven council members were present. Mayor Jeffrey L. Anzevino presided; City Manager Thomas J. Sheridan and City Solicitor Marshal Pitchford attended.

Proclamation

Mayor Anzevino read a proclamation naming Sunday, December 8, 2024, as “Red Kettle Day” in Hudson in recognition of the Salvation Army. A Salvation Army representative accepted the proclamation.

Public Comments

No members of the public addressed Council.

Appointments

No appointments were made at the regular meeting. Council President Foster noted four Environmental Awareness Committee vacancies with terms from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2029; additional applicant interviews were scheduled for the next meeting.

Council Comments and City Manager’s Report

• Chris Banweg thanked local charities and encouraged residents to volunteer during the holiday season.
• Michael Bird described a Hudson High School service-learning presentation on a potential recreation center and a tour of the water treatment plant, praising Kevin Powell’s team and water safety.
• Christopher Foster asked the public to avoid distracted driving because the city has experienced many severe accidents recently.
• Mayor Anzevino announced upcoming events: winter fireworks on December 7 at 7:30 p.m., the Winter Wonderland Tour of Trees at Case-Barlow Farm on December 6-7 and 13-14, the First and Main Holiday Walk on December 8, and a cold-weather clothing drive through December 13 with a drive-thru drop-off on December 14.
• City Manager Sheridan said the winter fireworks are sponsored by the City and Hudson Community Foundation, 89 percent of leaves had been collected (the transcript later also refers to 90 percent), and a snow-plowing tracking app was being prepared for the City website.

Consent Calendar

• Council suspended the rule requiring three readings and approved the consent agenda by 7-0 votes, except Resolution 24-150, which was pulled by Skylar Sutton.
• Motion 24-0120 approved the proposed 2025 City Council meeting schedule.
• Motions 24-0121, 24-0122, and 24-0123 directed the Clerk to send notices to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control stating that no hearing was requested for new or transferred liquor permits at Regal Cinemas Inc., 5339 Darrow Road; NC Soccer Club Inc., 5661 Stow Road; and Hudson Gas LLC, 5915 Darrow Road. The required responses were due December 9, December 14, and December 16, 2024.
• Motion 24-0124 approved the City Manager’s appointment of Brian Griffith as Assistant City Manager.
• Ordinance 24-143 made additional and amended appropriations for fiscal year 2024.
• Resolutions 24-144, 24-145, and 24-146 authorized 2025 contracts with TrueRX for prescription drug administration, Mutual Health Services for claims administration, and BRM Specialty for stop-loss insurance.
• Resolution 24-147 authorized internet auctions of obsolete or surplus city property.
• Resolutions 24-148 and 24-149 authorized 2025 as-needed purchases for Public Utility and Velocity Broadband operations exceeding $25,000 and competitive or cooperative bidding for Public Works contracts.

Marijuana Activity Moratorium – Resolution 24-150

• Sutton pulled the proposed three-month moratorium on new marijuana-related applications from the consent agenda; the rule requiring three readings was suspended 7-0.
• Sutton opposed the extension, stating that 14 of Hudson’s 18 precincts passed the state issue, two public hearings drew only one resident, and the city already found a zoning location; he called further delay “kicking the can.”
• Banweg supported the moratorium, noting the issue passed by only a slight majority in each precinct and more resident feedback was needed.
• Foster supported the three-month extension, observing that the Planning Commission was split and little public opposition had been heard, but he added that the city should move forward if no substantial pushback emerged.
• Resolution 24-150 passed 5-2: Banweg, Bird, Foster, Goetz, and Heater in favor; Kowalski and Sutton against. City Solicitor Pitchford noted the 5-2 vote did not satisfy the six-vote emergency requirement, so the resolution becomes effective in 30 days rather than immediately.

Land Development Code Amendments – Ordinances 24-104 and 24-105

• Both third-reading ordinances were postponed to a date certain of December 17, 2024, for public hearings by unanimous 7-0 votes. They concern D6 and D8 setbacks adjacent to residential properties and non-conforming residential uses, respectively.

Growth Management Allocation System – Resolution 24-131

• Council referred the resolution accepting the City Manager’s recommendation not to implement the Growth Management Residential Development Allocation System in calendar year 2025 to the Planning Commission by a 7-0 vote. The system itself is not being removed.
• Foster noted ambiguity about the Planning Commission’s role and favored asking for its input on development. Sutton said a Planning Commission member wanted to weigh in. Banweg said referral would use the commission’s expertise proactively rather than reactively.

Walk and Bike Hudson Plan – Resolution 24-132

• Council substituted the November 21, 2024, version of the 2026-2030 Walk and Bike Hudson Plan and then adopted the resolution “in concept” as amended. Both votes were 7-0.

Pine Trails Reservation Strip – Ordinance 24-133

• The ordinance to release the reservation strip in Pine Trails Subdivision to provide access to the abutting 18.16 acres failed 6-1, with Patricia Goetz the only affirmative vote.
• Sutton said he reviewed about 30 years of legislative history and found reservation strips are normally released with an attached site plan, easement, or development agreement, not as a blanket release.
• Banweg, Foster, Bird, and Heater echoed concerns about the lack of site plans or an agreement; they supported the owner’s property rights but wanted more detail. Banweg explained that the three-reading process had been needed to develop those questions, and Goetz asked why the concerns had not been raised more strongly earlier.

First Readings

• Ordinance 24-151, updating storm collection and stormwater management sections of the Engineering Standards, had its first reading.
• Ordinance 24-152, directing preparation of draft appropriations using any excess General Fund carryover balance for Hudson infrastructure, had its first reading.
• Ordinance 24-153, amending the Employee Handbook and Personnel Rules as approved by the Personnel Advisory and Appeals Board on September 30, 2024, had its first reading.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of November 19, 2024, approved 7-0.
• Consent agenda approved 7-0; Resolution 24-150 passed 5-2 with a non-immediate effective date.
• Ordinances 24-104 and 24-105 postponed to December 17, 2024.
• Resolution 24-131 referred to Planning Commission.
• Resolution 24-132 adopted in concept as amended.
• Ordinance 24-133 defeated 6-1.
• Council voted 7-0 at 8:21 p.m. to enter executive session to discuss confidential economic development applicant information, then returned at 8:30 p.m. and adjourned.