WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Washington City Council met in regular session on Wednesday beginning with the approval of the minutes of the last meeting.
A pubic hearing time was then held for any resident to talk about the rezoning of the property owned by the South Side Church of Christ and its intention to rezone three lots from residential to community facility to use some for parking areas. Noting that there was no one in attendance to object to the change, the council moved on to regular business.
The minutes of the Economic Strategies and Cooperation Committee and the Finance and Personnel Committee meetings of June 26 were read and approved.
In the City Manager report, Joe Denen thanked everyone involved with the Fire In The Sky fireworks show on July 3, and the traffic control by police and sheriff’s personnel was very well done.
He said that the “Market Street and Clinton Avenue sewer inspections might have caused some traffic inconveniences, but the work is done and the results were worth it in the long run for this task to be completed.”
There were no reports from the finance director or city attorney.
During the local residents’ time to speak, Marilyn O’Flynn, of 607 Carolyn Road, came to speak again regarding fireworks and damage to her property at the corner of Willard Street.
O’Flynn brought photos to show council regarding the violations she saw regarding setting off rockets within 150 feet of a structure, and baggies full of the debris and remnants she had to pick up in her yard after a week of almost non-stop fireworks from the residence next door. She said that both police and fire departments drove by after her phone calls, but right after the department vehicles left the area, the fireworks were set off again.
O’Flynn said she has lived in that home for 26 years and is afraid of fire or damage to her two-year old roof, her new siding she installed, and other areas of her property being littered with debris.
O’Flynn said she looked up the statute and the requirement states that anyone setting off fireworks must clean up all debris, which was reportedly not done by the neighbor, and that fireworks must be set off at a distance of 150 feet from a structure and no children allowed within 50 feet of fireworks. She complained that the neighbor’s fireworks were in their back yard and they have a child in attendance.
O’Flynn is concerned regarding the weekend prior and the weekend after the July 4 holiday, which makes it almost a full week of loud noises and residential disruption of peace and tranquility in people’s homes and the trauma to pets.
She said that assistant chief Jody Langley, of the Washington Fire Department, came out to inspect the area and took various photos to substantiate her complaint.
O’Flynn would like to see council take action to reduce the number of days made legal to set off fireworks in residential areas, and reduce the number of hours causing loud noises to disrupt other residents and pets.
Denen asked O’Flynn if she would approve him going out to talk to her neighbor, and she approved his request. Denen said he would go talk to her neighbor about her concerns.
Other council members also said they will look at the laws and regulations from the Ohio Revised Code and the State Fire Marshal regarding the use of fireworks in residential areas. Then, a further discussion will be held and a possible residential forum for input from the public to address this hazard concern.
A resolution was adopted to allow the city manager to apply for funding through the Natureworks grants.
An ordinance was placed on first reading to rezone property from residential to community facility for three lots owned by South Side Church of Christ.
A resolution was placed on first reading to allow the city manager to award a contract to Cox Paving for the East Market Street Roadway Improvement Project Phase One. This contract would be for paving the first phase of Market Street at a submitted bid of $123,304.
During the council comments, Caleb Johnson, who is also an attorney, addressed O’Flynn and said, “a bad neighbor should not be permitted to be a nuisance to others.” Council will look into the situation of fireworks in the city and Johnson said that a permit system might be a possibility. Anyone wanting to set off residential fireworks would have to apply for a permit so that violators could be cited, and not be issued permits in the future. More discussions and research will be done by council.
