Whitehall City Council passed two pieces of legislation at the Sept. 4 meeting that will levy assessments for property maintenance at several locations throughout the city.
When owners do not tend their properties, the city is forced to mow or handle anything else that is considered a blight. Service Director Ray Ogden and council discussed the possibility of raising the fees in the near future in an attempt to curb repeat offenders. They feel that too many residents are using the city as their lawn service.
Also, council authorized the mayor to enter into an amendment to the agreement for the creation of the Central Ohio Transit Authority previously entered by the city in 1971.
At the time there were 11 municipal corporations in Franklin County: Bexley, Columbus, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, Worthington and Franklin County.
Over the years Dublin has grown to a population of about 40,000, and is now wanting bus service in their city.
Council questioned the mayor’s reason for making it emergency legislation, and she explained that she did not want Whitehall to be the one community holding up the process.
If it went three readings, it would take six weeks, and she did not want to delay Dublin’s access to bus service, the mayor explained.
Council also accepted the subdivision re-plat for the Wal-Mart Whitehall at Main Street and Collingwood Avenue for the purpose of creating a separate parcel of land so that Murphy Oil may purchase the property where their business exists.
At the next council meeting three employees from the police department, fire department and service department will be recognized for outstanding service to the city. That meeting will be Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Paul Wenning, from the Franklin County Board of Health, will be on hand at Sept. 11 committee meetings to answer questions about an ordinance that will require hotels and motels within the city to obtain a permit to operate and establish safety and sanitation regulations.
The legislation would allow the city to monitor and enforce certain safety and sanitation measures to ensure that guests are receiving quality services. Committee meetings begin at 7 p.m.
