Chain connection fences were on Tuesday, June 18, in the center of the discussion on the Pika Commission meeting. The change of the code in Piqua would have banned people to have a chain connection fence around the front of their garden.
Kathleen Leese | For Miami Valley today
By Kathleen Leese
For Miami Valley today
Piqua-Pika City Commissioners and residents were on the same side of the proverbial fence for an undesirable code proposal, heard an update from the fire training committee and an application to suppress the city administrator on Tuesday, June 17th, in a three-hour session of the Piqua City Commission.
In the new business department of the meeting, the Commission has put down a code proposal in a regulation that would have limited if the residents could have a chain connection fence on their property.
Kyle Hinkelman, director of the municipal services, said that the change in the city code would mean that the residents would not have fences from chicken wire and chain connection fences are only limited to the side and backyards only by residential properties and are not permitted in front of yards in Piqua.
“We receive symptoms and chain connection fences every day (are) one of the greatest complaints we see.” Hinkelman said and noticed that the hope was that the change would alleviate some of the symptoms.
Commissioner Frank Debross rejected the proposed change and said: “I have a problem telling people what kind of fence they can have.”
Mayor Kris Lee also rejected the proposal. “I have a chain connection fence (since) for 31 years, he said and added that his fence still looks good and there are no problems with it.
Hinkelman replied that they looked at the security of code assurance and not at the costs, and added that those who already have a chain connection fence would be grandfather as part of the proposal.
Valerie Mullikin, Executive Director for Operation Veteran and Caregiver Support (OVCS), spoke about the fence proposal and informed the commissioners that a disabled veteran had recently come to her after he had said that he could not upset six meters long, and noticed that it had to be a four-foot fence.
“He came to me to ask which options we (OVCS) had to help with the costs because he is disabled,” said Mullikin.
Hinkelman asked Mullikin to call his office to further discuss the topic.
Mullikin added that many houses in Piqua have only one front yard for their children in which they can play and have to have a chain connection fence for the safety of their children.
After an application by Debross, the commissioners approved the part of the proposed code change, with Lee confirming that he was removed before the second reading.
The proposed regulation would change titles XV: land use, Piqua development code, which is a change in the development code. Hinkelman said that the approval of a planned development area and the planned use of mixture would enable more flexibility that Piqua currently does not offer. “Our goal is to analyze our code and make it better.” It was found that the next two readings of the regulation for July 15 and August 19 are planned.
The Commission heard from the Commissioner Committee for the fire training facility with an update about their work. David Roth, chairman of the committee, spoke to the Commission.
“I will be honest. We don't make the progress we have hoped for,” said Roth to the Commission and added that they received “little cooperation”.
Roth said that the committee received “900 documents” as part of its research from bowling Green State University (BGSU) and added that they sent interview requests to dozens of individuals in February.
“I think we are in a place (where) We think we could include this until the end of this summer,” he said.
Roth discussed the way they should present their results to the city commission and noted that they could do this in writing or consider a PowerPoint presentation that “shows what they have discovered (committee)”.
Debross replied that he “less concerned about the format … as long as the information is available”.
“That is frustrating that nobody wants to sit down and speak to us,” said Roth to the Commission.
“Are these people who are current or former city workers?” Debross asked Roth that Roth used to answer.
“We have most of the citizens documents. It was very helpful,” said Roth.
Commissioner Thomas Hohman asked if the committee was satisfied with his lawyer.
“I think it was well suited,” replied Roth. “He was the one who designed the interview request.”
During the part of the public commentary of the non-agenda commentary of the meeting, Alisha announced that she would like to be interviewed by the Commissioners Committee for the fire training facility.
“I asked three times to be interviewed … I want to be interviewed,” she said.
The inhabitant Kim Heisler spoke to the commissioner's committee in the interviews for the fire training institutions and stated: “Your (commission) has lectures to facilitate the interviews.
The meeting originally planned for 6 p.m. contained an executive meeting at 5:30 p.m., Greg Simmons, explained the reason for the executive meeting during the comment area of the commissioners.
“I asked the boys (commission members) to have the city administrator's employment terminated.” Last autumn, Simmons cited a lawsuit last autumn that he reported that the city, Rumpke problems and other problems as reasons for the request of the termination.
Simmons made an application for termination, but did not receive a second from one of the other commissioners, and Lee announced that the application had died.
On January 17, 2024, Simmons made a similar request that Oberdorfer could step down. After this meeting, Simmons made the following explanation to Miami Valley today.
“I will accept the results of the proposal for what they were and will continue to work with the city administrator, while he is employed in his position in the city. If his actions or his behavior past, present or future-a renewed occupation of this application, I have no concerns to bring him back to the commission.”