By Eamon Baird
PIQUA — The Piqua City Commission introduced an ordinance to adopt new rules for future commission meetings during on Tuesday, July 16.
Some of the new updated rules for meetings would include: not continuing meetings after 9 p.m.; ensuring all comments are related to city business or activities; and instituting a public comment request card which will be monitored throughout public comment sessions.
Commissioner Tom Hohman suggested an addition to the new rules to allow for more public comments after the comment cards have been exhausted.
Under the rules of the business agenda, any non-citizen of Piqua may also participate in public comment if an ordinance or resolution affects his or her business located within the city or the utility service they receive is within the city.
Resident Kim Heisler asked Law Director Frank Patrizio for clarification on part of the business agenda regarding citizens and non-citizens of Piqua.
“If you have Piqua in your address, is that considered in the city, or not?” Heisler asked.
“No, you have to live inside the city limits of the city of Piqua,” Patrizio responded. “Now you can also speak if you own a business in town, if it affects your business.”
“I guess I would still like to have anybody in the city of Piqua to be an active member and be able to still speak also because they’re contributing to the city and what we do,” Heisler said.
The commission also listened to a first reading of an ordinance to make appropriations for the city of Piqua for 2024 to increase the budget by $559,360.
As stated in the staff agenda the changes to the appropriations are due to changes in plans and unforeseen circumstances at the time the 2024 budget was completed.
The commission will hold a second readings for the two ordinances at their next meeting.
The commission also heard a quarterly report from Chair Natalie Young and member Terry Wright, of the parks board.
“I think my real hope is to get some clarity from the city going forward in terms of what their vision is for our parks, and would encourage any of the public to attend out meetings to make suggestions to what they would like to see in our parks in the coming years,”
Young also thanked community volunteers for their contributions to the parks.
“There’s a lot of people that care very deeply about our park system, and I would like to take this time to thank them directly from the Park Board,” she said.
“I wanted to bring up the point about the Mote Park building,” Wright said. “We were told at our park board meeting that the original organization for that kind of fell through.”
Wright said according to the lease of the property that if there’s no activity people in the city should be given the opportunity to rent the building.
“It seems like you’re missing an opportunity to get some revenue and maybe even improve that building and to help with the rest of the parks that need maintenance,” Wright said.
During his city managers report, Paul Oberdorfer thanked Young for her report.
“I’ll plan on attending the next meeting with some of our staff and looking at the old master parks plan, and looking at the improvements that they’re after,” he said.
In other business, the commissioners also unanimously authorized the city manager to enter into a contract with GovWell for a permitting software solution at a cost of $28,910 for 2024, and a total expenditure of 68,230 for three years of service.
The new software will provide additional services to residents and businesses and make the permitting experience better. The additional services include: external portal to see where the permit is in the approval process; online payment options within the system; faster approval/review times; and Public mapping and data reports.
“We believe this software will serve our community very well,” Community Services Director Kyle Hinkelman said.
The commission also heard second readings for the following ordinances:
• To allocate the adult use of cannabis marijuana. Under this ordinance the city of Piqua would receive 3.6% of the tax on all recreational marijuana purchases. Piqua currently has the only two marijuana dispensaries in Miami County.
• To permit the commission to remove appointed representatives from boards created by the commission.
The commission also unanimously authorized the following resolutions:
• A liquor permit for Quick Mart located at 538 McKinley St.
• To delegate the number of assistants and other subordinates to be employed in the Piqua Police Department from the commission to the city manager.
