Plain City Council members are working to ensure the progress made on their goals will be clear.
During their most recent work session, council set timelines and deliverables for each of the 2022 goals they determined earlier this year.
“We had these great goals but how do we know we’re actually progressing or what we’re accomplishing?” asked Council member Jim Eudaily, who suggested assigning measurables to each of them.
Council began with their highest priority goal for the year – hiring a new village administrator.
Haley Lupton is currently filling the role on an interim basis, following the resignation of former Village Administrator Nathan Cahall in late 2021.
Council member Kerri Ferguson, who also sits on the Administrator Search Committee, said the group is working with a target hiring date of May 31.
While most of her fellow council members felt it is a reasonable timeline, Council member Frank Reed said he feels “disappointment” that it is not happening more quickly.
“Apparently the sense of urgency has not developed around finding an administrator,” Reed said.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” Council President Michael Terry replied.
Ferguson noted that the committee is working with a consultant and has engaged local stakeholders throughout the process.
Plain City Police Department Chief Dale McKee emphasized that the consulting firm “said this is normal, and they do this every day.”
Terry agreed.
“We shouldn’t be rushing a decision that’s going to guide us for the foreseeable future,” Terry said.
Council agreed that achievement of this goal will be measured by whether the position is filled by May 31.
The group also discussed their goal of improving communication.
In an effort to do so, council planned to approve the creation of a Communications and Marketing Board during its next meeting.
“To me, I think it’s a big need,” Terry said.
The board will likely be headed by Council member James Sintz. He said it will be more of an advisory board than one that actually renders decisions, like the Design Review Board or the Board of Zoning Appeals.
“I really see this more as a committee that’s going to set a strategy,” Sintz said.
A final document outlining roles and responsibilities of the board will be presented before the matter is decided on Feb. 14.
Sintz said he is aiming for the board to host its first meeting “as soon as possible,” likely at the end of March.
Council also addressed their goal of continuing progress on the “next steps” laid out by the village’s comprehensive plan.
Mayor Jody Carney suggested holding a special work session for council to review the comprehensive plan and lay out their objectives. Then, she said a “town hall” meeting could be held to invite the public to offer their feedback.
From there, council could revise their plan.
Terry said council will plan to hold their work session in April, ideally bringing ideas to the public in May, before work on the 2023 budget is underway.
Lupton also informed council that the next phase of the Uptown redesign officially began on Feb. 1. She said the project should be completed within four to five months.
For that reason, Terry said the timeline for council’s goal to complete the Uptown redesign will be set as June.
The group also agreed that two goals – creating a five-year and 10-year plan, along with finishing the Wastewater Treatment Plant and 208 Plan update – are continuous and should not be bound by an end date.
In other business, council:
– Moved to advise the village administrator to submit a letter of interest to participate in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program.
Lupton explained that the village was approached by Clermont County with a request to sponsor their water restoration project. Sponsorship would include reviewing their project status and financial state.
In exchange, she said Plain City will receive an interest rate reduction from the Ohio EPA on its loan for the Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.
“Any sort of interest rate reduction is good, obviously,” Lupton said.
Finance Director Renee Sonnett noted that she has participated in the sponsorship program before and feels comfortable doing so again.
In 2006, she said the village received a loan rate reduction of 1/10th of 1%, though the Ohio EPA has not specified what the reduction would be this time.
Lupton emphasized that there is “no financial responsibility” tied to the sponsorship.
Still, Reed disagreed with her evaluation and claimed Plain City would be financially liable if they agreed to sponsor Clermont County. Lupton adamantly disagreed.
Sonnett added that a letter from the Ohio EPA indicated Clermont County has participated in the program nine times before and “has a good track record.”
Ultimately, council voted 5-1 in favor of sending a letter of interest, with Reed dissenting.