Development News for Kent, Ohio

Akron Water Plant Incident Highlights Inter-City Utility Challenges

A significant chemical leak incident occurred at the Akron water plant, involving a reaction between hypochlorite and allium, creating a gas cloud. While the leak was airborne and did not contaminate the river or groundwater, the plant was shut down, and three individuals were hospitalized. Crews are working to mitigate the gas cloud to allow safe entry and restart the plant, which is crucial as the city is running low on water. Kent's water interconnect with Akron was found to be non-functioning, discovered during a previous mill fire, and repairs have been complicated by potential water quality issues. Kent has offered to provide diluted hypochlorite from its own supply to assist Akron. The incident highlighted issues with inter-city water system interconnectivity and emergency response coordination.

Enterprise Rental Car CRA Agreement Amended to Reflect Revised Employment Numbers

The Enterprise Rental Car CRA agreement was amended to reflect updated relocation numbers for part-time and full-time positions. The annual payroll commitment decreased from approximately $1.4 million to $825,000. This amendment aligns with other CRA agreements on West Main Street and maintains a 12-year, 75% tax abatement based on auditor valuations. The city will execute a new agreement, superseding the previous one.

Sustainability Commission Bylaws Amended to Allow Internal Governance

The council discussed and approved an amendment to the bylaws of the sustainability commission. The primary change grants the commission the ability to amend its own bylaws internally, rather than requiring council action for each amendment. The bylaws were revised to include three broad categories covering sustainability, environment, and natural resources. Specific additions were made to include language related to the 'climate action plan' and 'any other environmental and sustainability issues'. A clarification was made to a run-on sentence to improve readability. The commission unanimously voted for these bylaws.

Council Moves Forward with Plan to Replace Police Station Bond with New Income Tax Measure for Fall Ballot

The council discussed the potential placement of a financial measure on the fall ballot. The primary proposal involves sunsetting the existing 0.25% police station bond and replacing it with a new 0.25% income tax. This would effectively maintain the current tax rate for residents while redirecting funds to support essential services like police, fire, and street/sidewalk improvements, as well as potentially funding parks and recreation projects. The council debated the timing of the ballot measure, considering the upcoming November election, the cost of a special election, and the need for clear communication to the public about the 'no tax increase' message, although it's acknowledged as a replacement rather than a new tax. There was also discussion about whether to combine the sunsetting of the police station bond and the implementation of the new tax into a single ballot question. The council ultimately voted to sunset the 0.25% police station bond and replace it with a 0.25% measure for the fall ballot, with a motion to approve passed.