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Waterville council approves ODOT repairs, salt contract and incentives for Kaufman expansion
Summary
The City of Waterville council approved consent for ODOT pavement repairs, participation in a statewide salt contract, and incentives for Kaufman Engineering Systems’ building addition; council also scheduled readings on a parking ordinance and entered executive session on property.
The Waterville City Council approved a set of routine and economic-development measures at its meeting, including consent for Ohio Department of Transportation pavement repairs inside city limits, participation in the statewide road-salt contract, and tax-incentive and job-grant agreements for Kaufman Engineered Systems’ expansion.
Council passed Resolution 14-25, which authorizes the Ohio Department of Transportation to complete concrete pavement repairs on U.S. 24 within the City of Waterville. The council also approved Resolution 15-25, authorizing participation in ODOT’s awarded contract for rolled road salt for the 2025–26 season; the city estimated ordering 850 tons for the coming season.
Separately the council approved incentives tied to a local business expansion. Kaufman Engineered Systems (LCR Investments), represented in the meeting by part owner Nick Kaufman, requested a community reinvestment area (CRA) incentive for a 52,205-square-foot building addition at 1260 Waterville-Montclover Road. The council approved Resolution 16-25, which authorizes the city to enter a CRA agreement that, as presented in the application, would abate 100% of real property tax on the new addition for 10 years. The company estimates the expansion will create roughly 16 full-time jobs within three years, with an estimated new payroll of about $1,055,000 per year; Kaufman currently employs about 134 people in Waterville.
Council also approved Resolution 17-25, which authorizes a jobs-creation grant for Kaufman under the city’s program. The grant as described in the packet would pay the company an amount equal to 255% of the new payroll tax receipts the city receives from the expansion, paid over three years. According to the city’s explanation, the three-year payment schedule begins once the addition is occupied and certified and the new hires are on payroll.
Council took the required first reading of Ordinance 0225, which would extend a no-parking area on the west side of South Third Street north to approximately 120 South Third Street (an extension of about 135 feet, and an overall no-parking stretch of about 335 feet on that side). The ordinance will return for a second reading on April 28 and a third/legislative reading on May 12.
The council also voted to enter an executive session under Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(2) to consider the purchase or sale of public property. The mayor said no action was expected after the executive session; the roll call in the transcript recorded multiple affirmative votes and at least one dissenting vote on the motion to enter executive session.
All resolutions on the consent/economic-development docket were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting. No additional financing approvals for the Kaufman incentives were included in the packet beyond the CRA application and the jobs-grant terms; the resolution materials note that payments will be made to affected school districts to offset taxes they would otherwise lose under the abatement.
