By Amantha Garpiel
For Miami Valley Today
TIPP CITY — During the Tipp City City Council meeting on Monday, April 15, council members approved several purchases for the city and discussed an ordinance to modify the city’s zoning code and map.
The first ordinance approved during that meeting was to modify the zoning code of approximately 1.417 acres, located at 1400 W. Main St., from a highway business interim to general business permanent.
The change in the zoning code and map came before the council with a positive recommendation from the city’s planning board. Changing the code allows for a variety of businesses to operate in the area though a slightly smaller variety than allowed under highway business zoning.
The second ordinance discussed failed, with Council members John Kessler, Ryan Liddy, Joanna Pittenger, and President Kathryn Huffman and Mayor Logan Rogers voting against the ordinance. The ordinance would have authorized the city manager to enter into a contract with JNZ Rentals LLC to sell a portion of the Broadway Street right-of-way for private parking. Kessler, Liddy and Huffman all expressed concerns this would set a new precedent for the city, as selling right-of-way has not been done before. Pittenger and Rogers did not express why they did not support the ordinance.
Council then passed four resolutions approving different purchases for the city, and they are:
• City manager authorization to purchase playground equipment from Penchura through the state of Ohio purchasing plan at a cost not to exceed $78,943.89. The equipment is designated to Hathaway Park to replace and update the existing equipment.
• Approval for the purchase of two trucks for the street and electric departments from Beau Townsend Ford, through the state of Ohio purchasing plan. The cost of both vehicles together is not to except $116,180. The ordinance also declares the current vehicles as surplus property.
• Approval for for 2.5-ton dump truck chassis for the street department from Freightliner at a cost not to exceed $104,417. Along with the purchase of the chassis, council also approved the purchase of a plow and dump body for the dump truck at a cost not to exceed $115,755.
All of the purchases approved during the April 15 meeting are a part of the 2024 Capital Improvement Plan.
Lastly, council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would remove the requirement of a two-thirds vote or a “supermajority” of council to modify recommendations from the planning board.
In other business, city council:
• Passed a motion accepting the 2024-2026 strategic plan;
• Moved to request a public hearing on the issuance of a new liquor license to Dolgen Midwest LLC (doing business as Dollar General Store 20636) to allow the citizens in the area to share their opinions on the issuance of the liquor license;
• Appointed Levi O’Neill to the parks advisory board for an unexpired term expiring on Dec. 31, 2025;
• Passed a motion setting May 20 as the public hearing date for the rezoning of a portion of 4155 Peters Road.
The writer is a regular contributor to Miami Valley Today.
