Commission declines strict CWICC property limits in charter, agrees to finalize red-line draft for May review

The Canal Winchester Charter Review Commission on April 16 debated whether to add a charter provision limiting city authority to acquire and hold property for private development and whether those limits should apply to the Canal Winchester Community Improvement Corporation (CWICC). Commissioners generally opposed adding binding rules for CWICC in the charter and agreed to produce a finalized clean red-line charter draft for review at their next meeting in early May.

A proposed draft clause circulated during the meeting would have allowed city council to acquire and lease property for the purpose of promoting private development only if each acquisition included a disposition plan targeting transfer to private ownership within seven years; continued ownership beyond seven years would require a two-thirds vote,…