New Franklin Council adopts retaining wall regulations

New Franklin City Council adopted an ordinance to amend a section of the city’s zoning code to add regulations on retaining walls. 5-0 was the vote count in the favor of ordinance. Judy Jones and Gust Kalapodis(Ward 4) were among the absentees. According to city officials there was need for regulation and they called it “an omission” in the zoning code. They added that if the improper construction of walls poses significant dangers. A maximum wall height of 6 feet has been allowed and a provision for site-plan review by the city’s planning and Zoning Commission has been also added in this. More details about the amendment are available on the city’s website at www.newfranklin.org. Two incidents triggered this regulation. One incident took place on a home located in Dusty’s Road that collapsed and flooded the home below it with water and mud and another such incidence took place in the A-1 Mower site. Council also authorized the purchase of a 2010 Ford E-450 Life Line “Superliner” Type III ambulance for the New Franklin Fire Department from PFund Superior Sales Co. Inc. for a cost of almost $144,000. Mayor Al Bollas explained that the cost for maintenance of old ambulance was exceeding at a brisk rate due to increase in frequency of calls for ambulance, so it was decided to buy a new ambulance in installments which would save $13,000 in costs. The fire department is expected to pay back the General Fund in increments of about $30,000 a year from the Fire Fund, with no interests to be assessed. Advertising for bids for a trash aggregation program, adopting soil/erosion control and post construction measures, and alternative energy system regulations were amongst the three items that continue to be revived. Finance Director Scott Svab reported income tax collections are up 22 percent, or $38,055, over the same time last year. The city and Summit County Local Emergency Planning Committee will participate in an exercise May 14 at JCI Jones Chemical. Manchester High School will host its annual Senior Citizens Breakfast April 28 at 8 a.m. for all local seniors. Officials from Northwest Local School District attended the meeting to ask the public to support the five-year, 5.5-mill, $1.5 million levy renewal on the May 3 ballot.