North Ridgeville council approves agricultural-district designation, Victory Park improvements and debt-collection agreement

North Ridgeville City Council on Monday voted to adopt three measures: a resolution designating a 25.09-acre parcel owned by Richard Stash as located within an agricultural district; approval of Planning Commission-backed improvements at Victory Park, including two artificial turf fields; and a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a delinquent debt collection agreement with the Ohio Attorney General under Ohio Revised Code 131.02.

The agricultural-district resolution (2025-41) was read during the meeting and a public hearing on the Stash application produced no speakers. The mayor moved to dispense with the third reading and then moved to adopt the resolution; Councilman Swink seconded. The roll call vote was unanimous with Councilmembers Swink, Abens, Awig, De Vries and Jacobs voting yes. The parcel was listed in the record as parcel number 07-00-024-102-013 and total acres 25.0.09.

The council also approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation for improvements at Victory Park, located at 7777 Victory Lane. The Planning Commission’s approval, reported 3–0 at its March 11 meeting, included conditions that athletic fields provide a minimum 15-foot run-out and have double gates at each field for emergency access; the commission withdrew the lighting plan for further review. The motion to accept the Planning Commission’s action was made by Councilman Abens and seconded by Councilman Swink; the council vote was unanimous.

Separately, council adopted Resolution 2025-37, authorizing the mayor to enter into a delinquent-debt collection agreement with the Ohio Attorney General pursuant to RC 131.02 for collection of debts owed to the city. The council was told the Attorney General’s office would collect debts owed to mayor’s court and the office’s fee would be 10% of debts collected. The motion to adopt was made by Councilman Swink and seconded by Councilman Abens; the measure passed on a unanimous roll call.

Other business on the agenda included first readings and administrative items. Council referred Ordinance 2025-48, a new chapter to require permits and inspections for tents under the Ohio building code, to Committee of the Whole for further review. The city engineer reported that two electric vehicle charging stations behind the senior center are under construction and could be operational within about 30 days; the stations were funded in part with CMAQ assistance through Nwaka. The proposed roadway rehabilitation project for Caroline/Lou Anne/Monica was removed from the agenda after the engineer said the county will administer construction and enter the contract directly.

A public hearing related to another agricultural-district application (Resolution 2025-49 for property listed in the agenda as Margaret E. Hupda and Katherine Krosick) was read into the record; the city announced a public hearing for that application scheduled for April 7, 2025, at 6:45 p.m. The council’s next regular meeting is also scheduled for April 7, 2025, at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.