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Twinsburg council adopts narrowed planning-code change after legal clarification
Summary
The Twinsburg City Council adopted Ordinance 84-20-25 as amended, removing most proposed zoning text changes but preserving a time-sensitive amendment to section 11.18.10; council legal counsel said the retained change does not require referral to the electorate. Vote: 7–0.
The Twinsburg City Council voted unanimously Nov. 12 to adopt Ordinance 84-20-25 as amended, narrowing proposed changes to the city’s planning and zoning code to retain only a single amendment in section 11.18.10 that city staff said must be adopted before year-end.
The amendment was proposed during discussion and the council removed all other proposed amendments before taking a final vote. Council legal counsel, Mister Verzana, explained that the retained change does not fall within charter-mandated categories that require submission to the electorate. "So it does not need to go to the electorate, and I will tell you why," Verzana said, outlining charter section 7.A.01 and related zoning-code provisions that define which changes trigger an election requirement.
The presiding officer moved the amendment and, after a roll-call vote on the amendment, the motion passed 7–0. The council then voted to adopt the ordinance as amended by roll call, also 7–0.
Why it matters: the ordinance updates the codified planning and zoning regulations that guide how the city reviews text and map amendments; preserving only section 11.18.10 keeps a narrowly focused change that officials said is needed before the end of the year to maintain legal and administrative continuity.
Council process and context: during discussion a council member asked whether the change would need electorate approval; Verzana referenced specific charted items and codified sections (including the recently adopted zoning code and process in sections 11-22-04 and 11-24-02) to justify counsel’s conclusion. The council’s action removed broader text changes being considered and limited the update to the time-sensitive provision identified in 11.18.10. The ordinance passed by a unanimous 7–0 roll call vote.
Next steps: the ordinance takes effect as amended; council staff and the law director will implement the updated code language and noted the timing was intended to meet an end-of-year administrative requirement.
