[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5983231,"mediaKeyId","5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728","parentId",5793685,"title","Council revisits panhandling, signage and litter concerns; law director reiterates free-speech limits","audioSeconds",81,"startMs",1202000,"endMs",1283000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728&start=1202&end=1283","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728/thumbnail_1202000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5983231/Ohio/Council-revisits-panhandling-signage-and-litter-concerns-law-director-reiterates-free-speech-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983231-5b4309d44dae0c182b2fa706d4aa58e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766378&Signature=oK3jbvF~a9K9H243hkWTCJDrnvsKNo1e0dDMgVxt7rmqlfIi1sad5~Rg0eejle7jVqrq5-O0JOQbojdQQ1LJtgl88A9UCnPzkOKn1IXgx7aDkAh2Fodu~sCj2owSk0P-bw5Gr7P2tOy9jm-8hvDUrqeAs90oK6pNwRd0cWjffZc34wsdODPnIqm2fE8nrw8s56ZVhdGmjoydrv9bUJ9do3roVdyvMowSpkglvfJCQkDc6ZBNHiYDivIdJCWGnJcVtEbqTbWRbYTLUw5PHmnYA2EGQwSwxiJOduPd8vaPGJ1V3DeJVbDZDe6zmOouX9T7RpE~rbfDPqkGn8n72z9aIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Canal Winchester, OH ","date","2025-09-16T11:57:51Z","article","Canal Winchester City Council returned to a discussion of panhandling and related litter concerns on Sept. 15 after residents and council members reported ongoing problems in several locations. The council reviewed legal limits on regulation and discussed noncriminal responses, including signage and cleanup.

Council member (Shea) noted resident complaints about trash associated with people soliciting and asked whether additional signage with fines might help. \"They're concerned about the image…they're concerned about other things,\" Shea said, recounting constituent outreach. Council asked whether additional signs had improved conditions in privately owned areas and whether similar tactics could be used in public rights-of-way.

Law Director Thad Boggs reminded the council that panhandling implicates free-speech protections and that the city's regulatory options are limited. \"Unless they are creating a safety hazard or they are not using public space, that it's a free-speech opportunity,\" Boggs said, noting that enforcement is appropriate when conduct rises to a public-safety hazard or otherwise violates ordinances (for example, littering, obstruction or creating traffic safety concerns). Boggs's guidance framed the council's options as focused on behavior and safety rather than the act of solicitation itself.

Council members described residents' nuisance concerns—trash, congregation in medians and visibility near roadways—and asked staff to revisit approaches that had worked on privately owned land, such as signage warning of littering fines. Council asked the sheriff's office to respond when public-safety risks arise and discussed contacting private property owners about cleanup on their parcels.

No new ordinance or formal penalty was adopted at the meeting. Instead, council directed staff to follow up on signage options, coordinate with the sheriff's office on enforcement where safety or littering violations occur, and report back to council on possible next steps.

Notes: The discussion explicitly separated protected solicitation from conduct that creates a safety risk or violates local ordinances; council emphasized cleanup and signage as first steps and sought further staff and enforcement input before pursuing regulatory changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 15, 2025, Work Session & City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Canal Winchester council revisited panhandling and litter concerns on Sept. 15, discussing signage and cleanup while the law director cautioned that panhandling is protected speech unless it creates safety or ordinance violations.","taxTitle","Canal Winchester City Council, Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio","taxId",72201,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5983236,"Council discusses Sheetz D-1 liquor permit; city may seek hearing",553,4193000,4746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728&start=4193&end=4746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728/thumbnail_4193000.jpg","/articles/5983236/Ohio/Council-discusses-Sheetz-D-1-liquor-permit-city-may-seek-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983236-98279690d39590a13c9ea4d765f0692b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766378&Signature=XRjgV6fr-TqMCYPPtgdW~zsIgIsJonzlm3giOOeRjUkqSeq7xqlAcTypOtDkax7uqIVu8CKg9CKKWxkGPPmpF7rKJDOQlKulEtnS9Ydvxu5HQA95Ssf0UD9x-PKPVX~BzatT0CTkJLdo2mMhvjJv8JQpk~rI5qrNugYyozFTm04mkJ6CR9JY8nZOdBqZX18XK40SrJ2uOVTCcACgEy0rJc4KCucpCCPT6flh2CrsxWF2CwhJE~MOj7y9AjtIuermwh8MRy0my~DcPHc2LrlSDTW2Bv-XSGnC29rUuqGdTefrtwtdF1VnujcHKirMqDaTQLd9IH2udrqFYbhWdLvqXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Canal Winchester City Council on Sept. 15 discussed a notice from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control that a Sheetz location in Franklin applied for a D-1 liquor permit. Council asked staff and legal counsel about the grounds for objecting and whether the city should request a hearing.

Law Director Thad Boggs advised that objections to a permit may be sustained by the Division of Liquor Control only on limited statutory bases, including conviction records related to alcohol enforcement, an unfavorable enforcement record by the applicant, neighborhood saturation harming public welfare, or that the location would substantially and adversely interfere with public decency or the orderly conduct of a public institution. “Those are the bases on which if you requested a hearing, the hearing officer would be looking to see if the city could marshal evidence sustaining that objection,” Boggs said.

Council members asked for clarification about the intended scope of the permit. Development Director Lucas Hare said the permit materials did not identify a fenced patio and that a D-1 permit typically indicates on-premise consumption of malt beverages in an interior, contained area; if an exterior patio were added later, it would require a development plan amendment. A council member asked whether the D-1 could allow customers to carry beer into the parking lot; staff said the permit as submitted appeared interior-only because no patio was specified.

Sergeant Strong of the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office told council officers respond frequently to the Sheetz location for thefts of alcohol and some vehicle theft incidents. The sergeant said the department is regularly called to that site and noted enforcement activity there.

Council discussed possible next steps: asking Sheetz representatives to appear at the Oct. 6 council meeting to explain their plans, having staff gather contact information from the permit notice, and having the sheriff's office and counsel review local calls/enforcement history to determine whether statutory grounds for objection exist. Boggs said if council wished to object formally, it could request a hearing before a Division of Liquor Control hearing officer; that hearing would require the city to present evidence under the narrow statutory standards.

No formal objection was filed at the Sept. 15 meeting; staff and counsel were asked to follow up and return information to council ahead of the permit response deadline.

Notes: The city clerk read that the permit was for a D-1 license; staff discussed that Sheetz recently received a D-1 in Grandview Heights for malt-based drinks and that local contexts vary. Council asked staff to obtain contact information and to coordinate with the sheriff on enforcement records for possible use in any hearing request.","Canal Winchester council members reviewed a notice from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for a D-1 permit at a Franklin Sheetz location, discussed what D-1 allows, and asked staff to gather information ahead of the city's deadline to request a hearing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5983241,"Council approves East Waterloo storm-sewer contract, accepts two easements",322,538000,860000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728&start=538&end=860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728/thumbnail_538000.jpg","/articles/5983241/Ohio/Council-approves-East-Waterloo-storm-sewer-contract-accepts-two-easements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983241-0113b22efbff6f3b9e8eb2835dc3fd4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766378&Signature=CCWPBnVYVt8tBnnJ2MH~47Zvy-B-rC13upJ4ThyJDdLqGtN5VZZVZUQHMPReIWXiS15rRGz11w1ew1Frq2z2KXrWVUeIG5CIA6IB0rhmjSVnBBFqR6unfrHJZMXWwLduFEihl~38y3P0ECqgJB1~fWwOmUiqB7WcmePr9fdLtTNiZf9NBaGtPDVbU43NpZxu31GfcpRBSjnaSIf7WeyhYdgXYDoks5oDSoRe27~URBrbf3ci5gyzTgCm4SzM29QeTbAHnlZYjCb2Ga9dPgqdfzAk-inKISWydj47SNTpVnSxvA~8DBa9v~ldkPZ3lhJEZD6~-Bv1939nftl853JrRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Canal Winchester City Council on Sept. 15 authorized a contract and emergency declaration to replace the storm sewer on East Waterloo Street and accepted two property easements tied to that project. The council voted to move related resolutions to full council and then adopted the ordinance to contract for construction.

City staff said the work is tied to easements from Lynch Investment Properties LLC and Tremecore Development Ltd., which were presented to council for acceptance and moved forward for full-council consideration. Construction Services Director Bill Sims recommended awarding the construction contract after staff and the city’s engineer reviewed bids.

Sims told council that five bids were submitted for the storm-sewer replacement and that the bids varied across pay items. “We had 5 bids submitted for the project…we were satisfied that the bid is correct,” Sims said, describing how the engineer’s estimate sat in the middle of the range and staff reviewed the numbers independently with the engineering firm (EMH&T). He said differences in cost were driven in part by quantities of large-diameter storm manholes. Sims recommended awarding the contract to Dan Burke Incorporated and the council adopted an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute the contract and declaring an emergency.

Council then voted to accept related easements. Clerk reads of the two resolutions on easements identified the properties involved: Lynch Investment Properties LLC (68 East Waterloo Street) and Tremecore Development Ltd. (Emma’s Meadow, alongside Long Alley). City Administrator Matt Peebles explained the Lynch easement would capture and correct where an existing tile runs through a yard; the Tremecore easement runs alongside the alley and is intended to facilitate the work.

Sims outlined a construction timeline: bids were opened Sept. 5; staff expect the contractor could mobilize as early as Nov. 1. He estimated roughly 30 days of storm-sewer construction, with the goal of placing either temporary or permanent pavement by Christmas if weather and long lead times for concrete structures allow. “We are going to complete the storm sewer and get temporary pavement down…by Christmas time in the year,” Sims said. He added the city included contingency quantities in the contract to allow for temporary asphalt to get through winter if final pavement cannot be placed.

On traffic and staging, Sims said crews will work in the alley and in the roadway between Chloe Spa and Trine Street, that much of the work will be in the middle of the road, and traffic will be controlled with flaggers in alternating one-lane configurations. He also said portions of the field adjacent to the work are expected to remain undisturbed; limited easements will allow work along property edges but not full disturbance of private fields.

The council record shows motions to move the two easement resolutions to full council were made and seconded, and the ordinance authorizing the contract was moved, seconded and adopted by roll-call vote.

The project remains subject to the contractor schedule, material lead times and weather; the council approved the contract authorization and accepted the easements that would allow crews to proceed when the contractor mobilizes.

Notes: The ordinance and easement resolutions on the Sept. 15 agenda were identified as Resolution 25-048 (Lynch Investment Properties LLC), Resolution 25-049 (Tremecore Development Ltd.) and Ordinance 25-023 (contract authorization for the East Waterloo Street storm sewer replacement project).","Canal Winchester City Council voted to authorize a contract and emergency declaration for the East Waterloo Street storm-sewer replacement project and approved two easements needed for the work. Staff described the bid process, recommended a contractor and gave a construction timeline that includes a possible temporary pavement by Christmas.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5983226,"Council hears pool residency and facility-rental ideas; staff to study membership, day-pass and block scheduling",3651,1039000,4690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728&start=1039&end=4690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793685-7c999af6fb39066808ae9426d3805728/thumbnail_1039000.jpg","/articles/5983226/Ohio/Council-hears-pool-residency-and-facility-rental-ideas-staff-to-study-membership-day-pass-and-block-scheduling","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5983226-5ab0ce4b4a0a73977d00fe0f14f7fc32/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766378&Signature=Mgs~2jG0P8yVq1RJHm6crQCG7uG~oxrbi4hFA0yF4ppO0LUq9RsayIHToblG9mzUq3TiDZb0xADQhLFrrDV1gFRtPM6sfivRRe3-sLL1FElMfYmO2XE~uVXbIFDUnUaGa2c7sGyH6j-jTHuyuK8IQSQUVEoIBXtjX9uVbEd5vvFdsSxGVYx9mTHdIUvG6xY-RR5GwTmUhngWXf5KAZCbmjSk8s3nZNVQYnnkKYB-0N7bE1WiTIRMRZ3m9yrxPC3aUNuT7e~wVI0d-svIjpECVjAUgHmInxu4ORcy5~DoERcXkkNOemHLLSbruxelXfdgOewODtOnp54l2W3vfFqQGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Canal Winchester City Council and staff on Sept. 15 discussed pool residency rules, day-pass limits and the city's facility rental block schedule after staff shared practices from other municipalities and a resident offered suggestions.

A staff member relayed that Grove City operates early hours restricted to members and at least one hour reserved for members only at the end of the day; Grove City also limits the number of outside passes and reported that limiting day passes was associated with an increase in memberships. The staff summary noted that the Grove City pool manager reported roughly 700 patrons on busy days and that software used for pool management does not always capture identifying information for day-pass purchasers.

A resident, Adam Karschner, spoke during public comment advocating for resident-only pool hours and for digital ID options to manage day passes and guest access. He also urged reconsidering the facility-rental scheduling; council previously moved to two half-day blocks and Karschner suggested breaking blocks into three or four smaller slots to increase availability. \"I would love to see that we go to resident only, figure out a way to allow guests for residents…a digital ID of sorts,\" Karschner said.

City Administrator Matt Peebles and staff told council they had studied reservation patterns and that the two-block rental format was chosen because of staff-time constraints and the historical peak reservation times. Peebles said staff will continue evaluating options for next season, including software improvements to better track day-pass user information and assessing whether additional rental blocks are operationally feasible.

Council asked staff to continue research, including cost and operational impacts, and to report back with proposals for membership, day-pass tracking and rental-block scheduling ahead of the next pool season.","Council members and a resident discussed possible resident-only pool hours, limits on day passes and changing facility rental block scheduling. Staff said staffing constraints drove the current two-block rental format and that administrators will continue exploring digital ID and membership options for next season.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council revisits panhandling, signage and litter concerns; law director reiterates free-speech limits

Council discusses Sheetz D-1 liquor permit; city may seek hearing

Council approves East Waterloo storm-sewer contract, accepts two easements

Council hears pool residency and facility-rental ideas; staff to study membership, day-pass and block scheduling