By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council was given its marching orders Monday evening to study the possible licensing and inspections of rental housing in the community.
His first meeting as new council president, Mark Hollenbaugh assigned a due date of April 6 to turn over the findings, and then May 4 to hold a meeting to discuss recommendations.
“I’m excited you’re interested in looking into housing in Bowling Green,” said council member John Zanfardino, who is chair of the Community Improvement Committee which will lead the study.
The first committee meeting on the topic will be Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.
New members on council – Neocles Leontis and Rachel Phipps – may create a shift in the ongoing but stalled effort to regulate rental housing in the city. The committee looking at the issue includes Zanfardino, Leontis and Bill Herald.
Specifically, the assignment from Hollenbaugh asks the committee to complete the following tasks:
- Determine if there is a need for rental licensing, registration and/or inspections.
- Identify what problems need to be addressed.
- Determine if these problems are isolated to a particular type of rental or if they are industry-wide.
- If rental licensing, registration and/or inspections are deemed to be necessary, generate a checklist of items to be inspected.
- Recommendations should be mindful of the cost involved in both staff time and taxpayers’ dollars required for implementation and enforcement.
- Conduct at least two meetings to gather public input.
- Complete the committee study and hand over the findings to council and the city administration no later than April 6.
- On May 4, there will be a council meeting of the whole to discuss the Community Improvement Committee’s recommendations, which will include a staff report on the impact provisions of the committee’s recommendations may have.
- Following this process, council will discuss what measures need to be implemented and legislation will be crafted.
In his first report to council as mayor, former council president Mike Aspacher said his report would be brief.
“I’m still learning where the light switches are,” Aspacher joked with council. But then he got serious – “2020 has the potential to be a hallmark year for the city of Bowling Green.”
The mayor noted that years of community and land use planning can now be put into action.
“We must challenge ourselves to look at the big picture issues.”
However, he cautioned council members to thoroughly study the ramifications of their actions.
“I ask for your patience,” Aspacher said. “Our actions impact many in the community.”
Also at the meeting, council heard the first reading of an ordinance authorizing an agreement between the city and the Wood County Regional Airport Authority. Last year, the city subsidy of the airport was $20,000 for operational support and $6,237 for a bond which the city had agreed to participate in several years ago.
This year, however, the city has been asked to subsidize the airport with $30,000. Last summer, city and Wood County officials met to discuss a request from the airport to increase the operational subsidy amounts to $30,000 each.
Council also heard the first reading of an ordinance dealing with the costs of indigent burials. By state law, the city is responsible for paying for burials when a deceased person is declared indigent and no one takes responsibility for the burial.
Assistant Municipal Administrator Joe Fawcett estimated the city pays for about 10 indigent cases a year – with most being cremated.
For several years, the city has been on its own paying the costs. But recently, the state agreed to reimburse municipalities for a portion of the cost. The state’s reimbursement is set at $1,000, so the city plans to increase the amount paid to local funeral homes to $1,000.
In other business at the meeting:
- City Council passed a resolution honoring Bruce Jeffers for his service on City Council.
- Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley reported that a public forum on Wintergarden Nature Preserve will be held to get citizen input on Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., in the community center.
- Phipps noted that a public hearing on zoning code regulations will be held Jan. 21, at 6:45 p.m., in council chambers.
- Herald announced that a Transportation and Safety Committee meeting will be held Feb. 3, at 6 p.m., in council chambers. On the agenda will be discussions about goals for the new year and filling an open position on the sidewalk commission.
- Council member Greg Robinette reported the Finance Committee will meet on Feb. 3 at 5:15 p.m., and March 16 at 6 p.m., in council chambers.
