12/08/2003 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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funding or address the issue of coining up with funding. Mr. Barker said the moratorium came up in their meeting with the Finance Committee. He asked Mr. O'Malley if it would be proper for the commission to look into having the moratorium extended. Mr. O'Malley said the commission has more than one request pending for a legal opinion and that can certainly be added. He pointed out he was asked to handle Mr. Lang's question regarding the function of the commission as an archivist. He said he does not have that information yet but will report back to the board. He said he tends to believe it is not the board's role to maintain all of the city records. The city recently revived the Records Commission and it surveys the record retention and disposal policy. A form would then be reviewed by the Ohio Historical Society and it is on the look-out for documents that have some historical value. There is a role for the commission and the code addresses it, but it will require a little bit more study. Mr. Lang said he has spoken to Mrs. Seman and Mrs. Purper regarding records retention and he thinks he has a good idea as to what the commission's role will be. Mr. O'Malley suggested that he also speak to the Service Director about the custody and control of the documents in the basement at Old Town Hall and the board's access to them. Mr. Lang said that access right now is not a problem. He does have a key. Mr. O'Malley said he would like to get back to the moratorium issue before he has to leave the ineeting. The city obviously had some experience with the concept of a moratorium when the CVS application was made. There was a moratorium at that time in an effort to presumably discourage them from doing anything or cause them to change their plans to some degree. But for that effort we may have had a somewhat lesser of a building there. To "just say no" might not be a viable solution. It inight not be an economic reality. The cost of moving the building is barely within reach compared to the cost of taking it. It is important to consider the basis for taking it. He asked if the city would then be calling it blighted and then would therefore be exercising eminent domain powers. He said extending the moratorium or the question of whether the board only has 6 months to work with is an issue. Mrs. Lord said several months ago when they were considering the possibility of a planning director, they had talked about a director coming on board and that being a strong rationale for a moratorium to give time for a comprehensive plan of some sort. She asked if that is a possibility. Mr. O'Malley said the planning director is in fact on board. He asked what would be the basis for a further moratorium beyond the 6 months that is already in place. He said most of the time a moratorium does involve some indication of a planner. He said for example, an application for a funding source may help Council consider a moratorium, pending review by the planning director, pending some response from some society on an application, pending the Cultural Activities Commission's consideration of the viable use of this property. There has to be some kind of time frame for a result. Mrs. VanAuken said the idea that sounded the best and most acceptable was the one to have it put at Springvale. She said it seemed the Mayor liked that idea. Mr. Barker said that the Mayor now is fine with the idea of putting the structure at the park. Mr. Lang said he had a conversation with the Mayor and he will accept any recommendation made to him by Council. Mr. Lang said he expressed an interest to the Mayor in the northwest corner of the park, which is directly opposite to Halleen's lot. He said the Mayor commented that would be a great spot, it is extremely visible and it is preserving the building. He said they are pushing on estimates of $80,000+ to move the building. Mrs. Lord said it seems they have two ideas on the table, one is to move it and the other to keep it where it is. She said anything they can do to keep it on site, that is where it should be. Mr. Lang said in his conversation with the Mayor, the Mayor asked if the board is giving any thought to saving the chiropractor's building, Dr. Barry's. Mr. Lang informed the Mayor they had talked to Mr. Kazak about moving it and Mr. Kazak said forget it because it is a stone building. The Mayor asked if there was historical significance to that building and Mr. Lang told him it was the first bank building in the 1930's. Mr. Lang said the Mayor then commented the board should try to save that one too. 1V1r. Lang said because it is a combined lot, one parcel with both buildings in the historic district, they can both be included. He said he is waiting for Mr. Kazak to get back to him with dollar amounts. Mr. Barker asked if everyone got a copy of the survey of the building. He thanked Mr. O'Malley for getting that information for the board. Mr. Barker then said he had a representative froin Precision Environmental come over to his home to look over the report. He said that company was involved in the asbestos removal from the houses on Butternut Ridge. There were a 5