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Changes proposed for Groveport Village Charter
(by Rick Palsgrove, Southeast Editor - August 02, 2010)
Every 10 years the citizens of Groveport take a look at their village government to see what needs changed.
At its July 26 meeting, Groveport Village Council approved an ordinance outlining proposed amendments to the village charter, made by the Charter Review Commission, to be placed on the Nov. 2 ballot for the consideration of the village's voters.
The members of the Charter Review Commission are: Patrick Pickett (chair), Charlotte Barker, Gary Boucher, Bob Dennis, and Jack Rupp.
The proposed amendments (in italics):
•resolutions for annexation proceedings; as well as resolutions required by the State of Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control in order to request a hearing on the advisability of the issuance, transfer or renewal of a liquor license in the municipality shall take effect immediately upon passage rather than in 30 days;
"Because of deadlines inherent in the relevant annexation and liquor processes, the 30 day period before the matter became effective made it difficult, if not impossible, to complete the legislative process without addressing the matter as an emergency measure," said Pickett.
•the planning and zoning commission shall provide council with recommendations on ordinances and resolutions within 90 days instead of the current 20 days; if the planning and zoning commission fails to make a recommendation in 90 days, council may place the legislation on its agenda for a public hearing and could pass the legislation if it receives a majority vote of council;
According to Groveport Law Director Kevin Shannon, this amendment will allow for a more workable timetable for handling zoning legislation.
•the village residency requirements for the village administrator and chief of police would be removed from the charter;
"The General Assembly enacted Ohio Revised Code section 9.481, which prohibited some residency requirements," said Pickett. "Also, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down some residency requirements."
•the village administrator may authorize a designee to execute any contract or agreement that involves a facility rental agreement for the departments of recreation and parks, community affairs, and golf where there is no financial obligation on the part of the village;
"Some contracts were of a small and recurring nature and largely written on pre-printed forms which were previously approved by the administrator and the law director," said Pickett. "Facility rentals (such as the recreation center and aquatic center) for birthday parties, etc. have become more common. These rentals are contracted on the previously described pre-printed forms. They do not obligate the village to pay any money to anyone...it was not the most efficient use of time for all concerned if contracts of this nature always had to be executed by the administrator."
•the phrase "for the remainder of the unexpired term" would be removed from a statement involving a successor to the law director;
"That clause appears to be an error from the time the charter was first written and approved by the electorate," said Pickett. "The law director is not an elected position and thus does not serve for a 'term' and cannot have an 'unexpired term.'"
•the Charter Review Commission should submit proposed amendments to council by June.
This change is in response to state legislation that incorporates the federal MOVE (Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment) Act which seeks to improve access by uniformed services voters and overseas voters to absentee ballots.
"The Act has earlier deadlines to help such voters obtain absentee ballots," said Pickett. "In order to give council a meaningful opportunity to consider the recommended charter changes within the time limits set by the MOVE Act, the timeline had to be moved up."
•expenditures requiring advertised competitive bidding shall be advertised once a week for at least two weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality or posted on the municipality's web site for 14 consecutive days.
According to Shannon, this amendment was deemed necessary in the event that a newspaper is not available in which to post the advertisement.
For more information on the charter amendments, call 836-5301.
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