By Sam Wildow
TROY — The Troy City Council authorized bidding to take place for the first phase of the South Stanfield Road Reconstruction Project during its meeting on Monday. The project has an estimated cost of $1,970,000.
“The most recent estimate has taken into account cost increases being experienced,” said council member Bobby Phillips, who is also the chairman of Streets & Sidewalks Committee. The project was originally estimated at $1.3 million.
The project area includes approximately 1,800 feet along South Stanfield Road from West Stanfield Road to Commerce Center Boulevard. The project includes roadway reconstruction, missing gap sidewalks and shared use path construction, and replacements of curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. According to the committee report, the roadway will remain a three-lane cross section that includes a center turn lane, missing gap sidewalks on the east side, and a shared use path on the west side.
The city is receiving an Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) grant of approximately $958,444 for the project. Additional funding estimates include $505,778 from the stormwater fund; $252,889 from the water fund; and $252,889 from the sewer fund.
“We are hopeful that we will stay within the council authorization,” said Patrick Titterington, director of Public Service and Safety. He referenced challenges the city has faced in bidding capital projects due to increased costs of materials and labor.
“Our major project is currently scheduled to have a bid opening on April 6. That is the West Main Street phase one (project),” Titterington said. “We are going to include an alternate in that bid to include the duct bank work in case a contractor wants to also bid on that project.”
Also on Monday, the council approved two renewal applications to retain land in an agricultural district. The first renewal application was from Ematt Emari Emarc, an Ohio Limited Family Partnership, filed by Mark Scheafer, to retain 83.13 acres on Washington Road in an agricultural district. The second renewal application was from Neal Brothers Inc. by Phillip E. Neal to retain two parcels of 105 acres on Experiment Farm Road in an agricultural district.
The council then held the second reading of and approved an ordinance to amend the allocation of money received from parking fine violations. Those fines are to be split up with 75% of those fines going into the city’s Parking and Downtown Improvement Fund and 25% of those fines going into the city’s Parking Meter Fund. Council member Todd Severt previously explained the revenue currently all goes to the Parking and Downtown Improvement Fund.
By a majority vote, the council also authorized Treasure Island park use agreements for concerts on June 24 and Aug. 6. Those will be non-ticketed events. The concerts will include the approval of the sale and consumption of alcohol at those events.
“Events that include the sale and consumption of alcohol at this venue require specific council action,” said council member Jeffrey Whidden, who is also chairman of the Recreation and Parks Committee.
Council member William Twiss voted against this ordinance. Twiss has said at previous council meetings that he is against the sale of alcohol on public property.
The city announced its Treasure Island Park Concert lineup for the 2022 season in February. All concerts are free and open to the public at Treasure Island Park, 409 N. Elm St.
On Friday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. will be the Parrots of the Caribbean concert, feature “America’s #1 Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band,” who will bring the “rock” to “trop-rock” at Treasure Island Amphitheatre. This concert is presented by the city in conjunction with the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA). To find out more about GOBA, visit www.goba.com. Local food trucks will be onsite, and alcohol will be available for purchase.
On Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m., the city of Troy presents returning favorites American Pride, a Tribute to the Statler Brothers. Local food trucks will be onsite, and alcohol will be available for purchase.
An additional Treasure Island concert will be held on Monday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m., but that event will not have alcohol available for purchase. That concert will feature Rockland Road, a six-piece family band straight from Nashville.
The council later held the first reading of a rezoning of the Strayer Annexation on Washington Road. The rezoning request is to change the property from the county zoning of domestic agriculture and general agriculture to the city zoning of single-family residence district. The annexation includes inlot 11463, which is 5.0 acres, and inlot 11464, which is 3.13 acres. A public hearing will be held at the next council meeting.
In other news:
At the end of the meeting, Titterington commented on the status of the building located at 112-118 W. Main St., which is one of Troy’s old courthouse buildings.
Groups trying to prevent the demolition of the building — also referred to the IOOF building or tavern building — filed a civil complaint in Miami County Common Pleas Court in December. Titterington said the procedural issues have passed. A deadline to file additional briefs is within 80 days.
The city’s legal counsel recommended keeping the fence up around the building.
“As long as the fencing is up there, everything is safe,” Titterington said.
Also at the end of the meeting during the second period of public comment, Anne McDonough of Troy spoke about her concerns regarding a sale of surplus property she purchased from the city next to a public park. The property she purchased included an encroachment of her shed onto the public land, so the Park Board declared the property as being surplus, and McDonough purchased the property. Titterington stated she also had the option of not purchasing the property and moving her shed or having the city move the shed.
McDonough expressed concerns that she was not properly notified of the land being available for purchase, and she also spoke about concerns regarding how the sale was advertised in legal advertisements in the Miami Valley Today with other advertisements of city property in other places in the city. Titterington said it is state law that city sales of property have to be advertised and that property was included with other city surplus properties for sale in order to lower the cost of advertising. The advertising costs are charged back to the individual buying the property.
The Troy City Council’s next regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. on April 4 in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, located at 100 S. Market St.
