TROY — Troy residents will have more time to catch up on their payments for city utility bills.
City council on Monday approved an ordinance to give residents and business owners 180 days to bring their account balance into compliance. Federal or state grants may also become available to assist those in need. The city averages 150 delinquent accounts, but those have since tripled to 547 accounts due to the pandemic. Delinquent bills currently total $140,000, according to committee reports. Of the late accounts, nearly 300 are tenants and landlords have been advised of those accounts as well. This legislation is specific to the coronavirus pandemic.
Council spent the majority of the meeting discussing the sale of park land for both Archer Park and the potential sale of Waco Park.
Director of Public Service and Safety Patrick Titterington said the city plans to present a list of criteria to review for recommendations for park land to be sold. He said the city is looking at maps and a few minor encroachments have been viewed.
The sale of one-tenth of Archer Park land in the rear of 636 Shaftsbury Road was moved to a seventh reading to be reviewed at the June 1 meeting.
Resident and city employee Chrissy Shafer had requested to purchase a tenth of an acre behind her home from the Archer Park. Anyone is able to acquire the land deemed as surplus, and several residents in the area have requested additional land behind their homes they’ve maintained in the neighborhood. The park board recommended the land to be sold as surplus since Shafer had installed a concrete basketball hoop in the area unbeknownst to city officials in the park right-of-way several years ago.
The Park and Recreation Committee requested an inventory of park land be surveyed to determine if there are any more encroachment issues. Titterington said it would apply to both city and park land. The human resources department will conduct the survey of city and park land.
A public hearing regarding the rezoning of 430 Kirk Lane, from R-4 to Office Commercial-1 will be held June 1. The applicant is Phillip Wray and is the former site of the Kindercare building.
• The following resolutions were approved: Adopted the ADA Transition Plan to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; the 2020 CHIP Program Agreement between Miami County, Troy, Piqua, and Tipp City. The city of Troy would be allocated $283,000 for four home repair projects and four rehabilitation projects for low- to middle-income residences. The county will likely receive $815,000 for the county’s project list.
• The following ordinances were approved: Approved the transfer the 124 Ash St. property to the city of Troy from the Lincoln Community Center to create a single parcel for 110 Ash St.; Approved the easement and right-of-way by board of park commissioners to DP&L at Waco Park.
