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Northfield council adopts TIF extension, budget amendments and personnel moves; fire station work continues
Summary
At its Dec. 13 meeting, the Village of Northfield Council approved a package of ordinances and resolutions — including a 30-year extension of the Northfield Park TIF, budget amendments and hiring of a part-time police assistant — and received updates on the fire station and Cambridge Drive projects.
The Village of Northfield Council unanimously approved a slate of ordinances and resolutions at its Dec. 13 regular meeting, including a 30-year extension of the Northfield Park tax increment financing district and a series of personnel and budget measures.
Mayor Jenn Domzalski opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. and Council moved quickly through a packed agenda. The Council suspended the three-reading rule and adopted Ordinance No. 2023-56 to extend the Northfield Park TIF by 30 years pursuant to cited Ohio Revised Code sections; the vote was unanimous following a motion by Councilperson Kevin Lewis and a second from Councilperson Renell Noack.
The meeting included multiple administrative and personnel actions. Council approved Resolution No. 2023-57 to amend the 2023 appropriation resolution, renewed the Village's agreement with the Summit County Public Defender's Commission (Resolution No. 2023-58), and adopted a memorandum of understanding with the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association to convert 2023 holiday time (Resolution No. 2023-59). Council also enacted Ordinance No. 2023-65 to establish a part-time Police Department assistant position and confirmed Mayor Domzalski's appointment of Jennifer Sobieski to that role (Resolution No. 2023-66). All recorded votes on those items were unanimous.
Council handled several fire-department items and capital-project updates. Engineer Daniel Collins reported that the Village underwent an EPA MS4 audit and is awaiting a compliance report. Collins also said design drawings for the Cambridge Drive Reconstruction Project (including Stratford Drive) are 95% complete, with bid documents planned for release in January and an estimated project budget of $1.6 million.
Fire Captain Joseph Zemek said the new fire station project remains on schedule with an estimated completion in May or June 2024 and that temporary living quarters (a trailer) are expected in January to support Phase II. Council authorized a furniture purchase from Ohio Desk for $58,717.12 to furnish the new station after a motion by Renell Noack and a second from Gary Vojtush; that motion passed on a unanimous roll call.
Operational actions included authorization to list a damaged 1996 Triton landscape trailer for sale on gov.deals (motion by Gary Vojtush, second by Kevin Lewis; unanimous), and Service Department Superintendent Jason Walters reported FirstEnergy approved power sourcing on six utility poles for holiday decorations this season.
Not every ordinance was adopted this evening. Ordinance No. 2023-67, which would amend Chapter 889 to address medical and adult-use marijuana cultivators, processors and retail dispensaries, was read by title and scheduled to advance to a second reading at the next Council meeting rather than being adopted tonight.
The Council closed with brief announcements; Councilmember Renell Noack thanked the Mayor for a successful tree lighting that the Mayor estimated drew about 50 attendees. A motion to adjourn passed unanimously and the meeting ended at 8:04 p.m.
Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (Nov. 8, 2023): motion by Renell Noack, second Kevin Lewis — roll call: Jesse Ferko (yes), Renell Noack (yes), Gary Vojtush (abstain), Nick Magistrelli (abstain), Kevin Lewis (yes) — outcome: approved. - Ordinance No. 2023-56 (Northfield Park TIF extension, 30 years): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Resolution No. 2023-57 (2023 appropriation amendments): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Resolution No. 2023-58 (renew public defender agreement): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Resolution No. 2023-59 (OPBA MOU converting 2023 holiday time): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Ordinance No. 2023-60 (income tax code changes to conform with Ohio HB33): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Ordinance No. 2023-61; Resolutions 2023-62, 2023-63, 2023-64: adopted (unanimous roll calls). - Ordinance No. 2023-65 (create part-time police assistant): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Resolution No. 2023-66 (confirm appointment of Jennifer Sobieski): adopted (unanimous roll call). - Ordinance No. 2023-67 (marijuana regulations): advanced to second reading; not adopted tonight.
What this means The TIF extension preserves the Village's existing tax increment financing structure for the Northfield Park area for another three decades, a tool the Village can use to support local development projects. The package of adoption votes also updates pay rates and personnel designations for the Fire and Police departments, renews intergovernmental legal-services arrangements, and moves the Village closer to completing the new fire station and the Cambridge Drive reconstruction project.
Next steps The Council will consider Ordinance No. 2023-67 on a subsequent meeting's second reading. Bid documents for the Cambridge Drive project are expected in January with a February bid deadline; the fire station remains on track for a May–June 2024 completion.
