Rental rates for village facilities throughout Plain City will increase, though they now include a discount for residents compared to those who live outside of the village.
Council voted unanimously Monday to amend rental rates, including varied costs for nonprofit organizations and businesses or commercial operations.
Entities with a valid 501(c)(3) will always pay the same rate as village residents, while businesses will pay more than non-residents.
Nonprofits are also eligible to receive one free weekday rental per year, at the village administrator’s discretion. The Church Street facility is excluded from the free rentals.
Late last year, Village Administrator Haley Lupton pitched increasing rental prices to council, noting that she felt it was necessary to keep up with rising costs associated with the properties, ranging from electricity to staff time for maintenance.
With the increases, Parks and Recreation Director Linda Granger said she would like to differentiate rates between residents and non-residents, as the village has never done so before.
A full-day rental of the Youth Building will now cost residents and nonprofits $100, non-residents $125 and businesses $175. A $50 deposit is required regardless of the renter status.
The newest Plain City rental facility, which officials have named The Loft at Church Street, is the priciest rental option.
Village officials have previously said they feel the space, which includes a kitchenette, is more upscale and will draw more formal events, such as bridal showers and retirement parties.
To accommodate such events, the village implemented a permit program through which individuals who meet certain requirements will be able to provide beer and wine (hard liquor is explicitly prohibited) during their events at The Loft. The permit will cost residents, non-residents and nonprofits $35 and businesses $85.
A half-day rental of The Loft, located at 134 Church St., will cost residents and nonprofits $150, non-residents $200 and businesses $250. Half-day rentals can be reserved from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Full-day rentals, which span 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., will be $300 for residents and nonprofits, $400 for non-profits and $450 for businesses.
A $50 deposit is required to rent The Loft at Church Street, no matter who is renting it.
The Madison Meadows Shelter also has options for half-day and full-day rentals, though they span a shorter period, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Residents and nonprofits will pay $30 for the half-day rental or $60 for the full day. Non-residents will pay $50 and $100, respectively, while businesses will be charged $100 and $150.
Shelters and barns at Pastime Park will remain free to rent for all except businesses.
Granger previously said staff posts a reservation notice at the North Shelter, South Shelter and Cattle Barn when an individual places a request for that date. Otherwise, use of the facilities is first come, first serve.
Under the new rental rates, businesses will be charged $50 to rent any of those facilities.
Reservations and rentals for facilities can be made on the village’s website, www.plain-city.com, under the Parks and Rec tab.
In other business:
– Council heard from resident Kenneth Stalder, who shared concerns surrounding the speed limit in the area of the new roundabout on Route 161.
He said the speed limit at the roundabout is 35 mph, but increases to 50 mph when traveling westbound before entering the Uptown area.
Stalder said he worries that too many drivers will be traveling at a high rate of speed as they enter a portion of the village with many pedestrians and lots of foot traffic.
“We really ought to consider yanking down that 50 (mph speed limit) and putting 35 (mph) or lower,” Stalder told council.
Mayor Jody Carney said she has also witnessed speedy drivers in the area and shares Stalder’s concerns.
However, Plain City Police Department Chief Dale McKee said, because the roundabout is located on a state route, any changes to the speed limit must be made by the Ohio Department of Transportation and are not in the village’s control.
McKee also acknowledged that drivers tend to speed in that area, but noted that citations have “dropped tremendously” since the roundabout was built. He said that leads him to believe the roundabout is forcing most drivers to slow down.
– Carney read a proclamation declaring February as Career and Technical Education Month in Plain City.
Tolles Superintendent Dr. Todd Hoadley said the local career and technical center is seeing a “mass increase” in enrollment.
He said last academic year, Tolles had approximately 600 students. That number jumped to around 800 this year, and he projects it to increase to more than 1,000 next year.
Hoadley said he feels the cost of four-year institutions combined with the availability of jobs in the trades are driving more students to seek technical education.
He added that adult education is increasing as well, and shifting from “hobbyists” to those who are seeking to advance their career or begin in a new field.
– Council heard the first reading of a pre-annexation agreement with Wilcox Investment Group.
Jonathan Wilcox, with Wilcox Communities, approached council at a recent work session to share his intent to develop 112 acres on Lafayette-Plain City Road into a residential neighborhood with 226 single-story apartment units, 80 patio homes and 145 traditional single-family homes.
At the time, Wilcox said the pre-annexation agreement would allow Wilcox Communities to file for annexation with the county. Developers could then work through the village’s zoning process concurrently.