Plain City is working on extending the village’s contract with the Miami Valley Steam Threshers Association.
During Wednesday’s work session, council discussed updates to the lease agreement between Plain City and Steam Threshers.
Village Administrator Nathan Cahall said the new lease agreement includes three major modifications.
First, the contract extends the term through 2025. Cahall said this would allow for Steam Threshers to court larger, national showings that require scheduling a venue farther in advance.
The agreement also more clearly defines what area will be leased out. An illustrated exhibit will delineate what areas of land are still free and open to the public during the eight-day lease, Cahall said.
The new, five-year contract also locks in rental cost at $3,000 each year through 2025.
However, Cahall explained the new agreement requires Steam Threshers to cover the cost of utilities during their lease period, including “trash pickup, electric, water and sewer services.”
Council member Jody Carney said she felt this was a “fair trade.” She said removing the escalator clause, which increased rates each year, would be balanced by utility costs.
Not all council members were in favor, though, as Darren Lee said he was opposed to the flat rate.
“I know you’re looking at what the village gets from rental,” Carney told Lee, “but we get so much more in terms of what (Steam Threshers) attracts.”
Mayor Darrin Lane echoed Carney, pointing out how closely connected Steam Threshers is with Plain City’s identity.
“We’re getting an event that people look forward to, that really doesn’t cost the village anything,” Lane said.
Ultimately, council settled on the flat rate although the contract will not be set in stone until voted on in regular session.
Lee also recommended the $1,000 security deposit be increased to $5,000.
Carney said she felt that was too significant an increase. Council member Shannon Pine suggested the security deposit match the rental amount at $3,000.
In response, village solicitor Paul Lafayette reminded council that the updated contract includes a new liability insurance requirement of at least $2 million.
With that in mind, council settled on increasing the deposit to $1,500.
Aside from financial obligations, Lee asked that a clause be added to the agreement preventing the storage of property outside of the eight-day lease period without prior written consent.
The largest point of contention was Steam Threshers’ use of the old horse barn to store equipment throughout the year. Cahall said they currently
occupy about half the space, with the village using the other half.
Lee argued that, since the lease agreement doesn’t include rental of the horse barn, which is village property, Steam Threshers shouldn’t have year-round access to it.
Cahall pointed out that the horse barn is being evaluated by a structural engineer within the next week because it is not currently up to code.
“I can’t tell you, as of today, whether that barn’s even going to be there in six months,” he said.
While the horse barn is the current focus, Cahall said any third-party use of village property for storage is a larger issue that needs to be discussed.
He said other organizations, such as the baseball association and the Historical Society, also use village property for storage during the year.
Lafayette suggested they consider discussing regulations for the use of village property as a separate matter, including what insurance or acknowledgements should be included.
“It might be something where we have a separate agreement,” Lafayette said.
Cahall said he plans to meet with Steam Threshers again within the next week to create a clean copy of the lease agreement that includes council’s suggestions.
He said he hopes the contract will be presented for a first reading by council in December.
In other business:
– Council heard from president Kerri Ferguson that several uptown businesses have expressed interest in creating “directional signage” toward their shops.
Cahall said there are multiple options to create signs toward uptown shops that wouldn’t create zoning or sign issues with the village.
Since the signs will be located in the right-of-way they will be within the village’s purview, Cahall explained.
For that reason, council agreed to ask the Design Review Board (DRB) for aesthetic recommendations that will be voted on by council.
Cahall said he hopes to present formal plans to DRB early next year, likely in January.