The TREE CITY Volume 24:1 – Spring 2019 Bulletin What’s Inside... w Council Members (2) w Board & Commission Positions (3) w A Cure for the Common Cubicle (4) w Business, Community & Healthcare Expo and Taste of Kent (5) w Project Spotlight... SR 43 Traffic Improvements (6) w Town & Gown Relations (7) w Local Business Resources (8) w City of Kent Health Department News (9) w News from Utility Billing (10) w Spring Cleanup & Brush Collection 2019 (11-13) w Kent Sustainability Commission (14) w Yard Waste Transfer Site Information (16) w Kent Parks & Recreation Programs & Events (17-18) w KFD’s Fire & EMS Updates (20) w 2019 - The Year of the River! (20) w Main Street Kent Update (21) w Earth Day Seedling Give Away (22) w Income Tax Information (23) Photo courtesy of Matt Keffer The TREE CITY Bulletin Council Members Who To Call At The City of Kent... Emergency – Police, Fire, Ambulance . 9-1-1 Mayor & After Hours Non-Emergency Concerns . 330.673.7732 President of Council Building Division – Building Permits ...................................330.678.8107 Jerry T. Fiala Income Tax Division...............................................330.678.8103 330.678.8007 Clerk of Council..................................................330.678.8007 City Manager’s Office .............................................330.676.7500 Ward 1 Door-to-door solicitation, special event permits Garret Ferrara Community Development Department . 330.678.8108 330.678.0069 Economic development, housing rehab, zoning Ward 2 Engineering Division – Street and Sidewalk construction....................330.678.8106 Jack Amrhein Fire Department - Non-Emergency . 330.673.8814 President Pro Tem Health Department...............................................330.678.8109 330.678.9749 Animal bites, birth/death certificates, food service inspections, pest control Parks & Recreation Department.....................................330.673.8897 Ward 3 Police Department - Non-Emergency. 330.673.7732 Robin Turner 24-hour calls, stray animals 330.221.8860 Police Department - Investigations . 330.673.7733 Ward 4 Police Department - Administration . 330.673.3221 John M. Kuhar Republic Services of Ohio Hauling, LLC - Residential Rubbish Removal. 1.800.247.3644 330.678.5897 Recycling Center.................................................330.678.8808 Service Department...............................................330.678.8105 Ward 5 Yard Waste Transfer Site, signs, traffic lights, street maintenance, trees, Heidi L. Shaffer water/sewer problems 330.256.4346 Utility Billing – Water, sewer, stormwater and recycling bills .................330.678.8104 Ward 6 Trash Collection Reminder Tracy Wallach Please be reminded that City Ordinance 521.08 330.678.0540 states: Collection Time Period: Each container placed at the curb or alley, and each other item set out Council-at-Large for collection, shall be placed at the location no Michael DeLeone earlier than 7:00 pm of the day before collection, The City of Kent tests the siren system 330.678.0032 in the locality as established by the City’s Refuse twice per month: and Recycling Contractor. 1st Wednesday at 11:00 am Gwen Rosenberg rd Container Retrieval: The empty solid 3 Wednesday at 6:30 pm 440.665.4327 waste receptacles and recycle The tests run for 3 minutes each time. In the event of a real emergency, the Roger Sidoti storage containers shall be removed from the curbside by 7:00 pm the sirens will be set off 3 times for a total 330.678.3381 day collection has taken place. of 9 minutes. The Tree City Bulletin is published quarterly by the City of Kent, and is provided to inform residents and businesses regarding City programs and services. Questions or comments regarding the newsletter may be directed to the City Manager’s Office - 301 S. Depeyster - Kent, Ohio 44240 – 330.676.7500. Unless otherwise stated, all programs and services described in this publication are intended and provided for City of Kent residents only. Designed by LMS Creative Communications, Ltd. This publication is printed on recycled paper. Tree City Bulletin 2 Spring 2019 The TREE CITY Bulletin Applications Are Now Being Accepted Through MARCH 26, 2019 at NOON FOR MORE INFORMATION AND AN APPLICATION, CONTACT: CLERK OF COUNCIL 330.676.7555 - OR - [email protected] Interviews will be scheduled by the Clerk for April 3, 2019 at 7:00 pm during Council Committee Meetings BOARD OF FAIR HOUSING STORMWATER DISTRICT BUILDING APPEALS BOARD REVIEW AND APPEALS BOARD Volunteer. Four (4) vacancies. One (1) vacancy Volunteer. Two (2) vacancies. Must be elector Volunteer. One (1) Vacancy. The Board will for a General Contractor and Three (3) vacancies of the City. May not hold any elected public hear appeals regarding disputes brought by for Alternates. office at municipal, county, state or federal level owners and non-owners concerning TERM: Three (3) year term commencing and shall not be employed by the City, but may application of the City’s Stormwater Utility immediately through December 31, 2022. be employed by the County, State and Federal Chapter and will have the authority to make government. Members hear complaints on adjustments to provide relief due to unique BOARD OF alleged violations and/or unlawful housing circumstances which reduce the burden of ZONING APPEALS practices. operating, constructing, repairing and TERM: One (1) three (3) year term maintaining the Stormwater utility system. Volunteer. One (1) Vacancy. Must be elector of commencing May 2, 2019 through December TERM: Two-year term commencing the City. Members of the Board of Zoning 31, 2022 and One (1) - three (3) year term immediately through December 31, 2020. Appeals shall hear and determine all appeals; commencing July 24, 2019 through December grant or recommend variances; and have the 31, 2022. SUSTAINABILITY power to hear and decide any question COMMISSION involving the interpretation of any provision of PARKING ACTION the Zoning Ordinance. Members will also hear COMMITTEE Volunteer. One (1) vacancy. Must be a appeals for the Exterior Maintenance Code. resident of the City and possess some technical TERM: One (1) three-year term commencing Volunteer. Two (2) vacancies. Must be elector knowledge and/or strong understanding of on February 6, 2019 through December 31, of the City. Responsible for administering the environmental issues. The Commission is 2022. policy recommendations of the Parking responsible for the examination of the current Management Planning Committee. Composed and proposed policies and programs and shall DESIGN AND of the City of Kent Community Development make evaluations on their environmental PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Director; City of Kent Safety Director; City of impact as well as their effect on the livability Kent Service Director; a representative from and sustainability of the community. Volunteer. One (1) Vacancy. Must be elector of the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce; and TERM: One (1) three-year term commencing the City. Members shall have, to the highest five (5) members of the Business Community, July 20, 2019 through December 31, 2022. appointed based on : 1. Geographic Basis (e.g.: extent possible, a demonstrated knowledge, NOTE: By statutory definition, "elector" means experience, or interest in architecture and/or East and West Main Streets, North and South anyone of voting age and a resident of the City. historic preservation. Members must possess a Water Streets, Franklin Avenue, side streets…) The Kent City Charter Section 8.01 mandates determination to work for the overall and 2. Land Use Basis (e.g.: Church, service, that all appointments to City Boards and improvement of the quality of the physical retail, housing and nightclub representation…) Commissions shall be electors of the City, with the exception of the Board of Building Appeals. environment of the City. TERM: One (1) unexpired term commencing TERM: Three (3) year term commencing July immediately through December 31, 2019 and 20, 2019 through December 31, 2022. One (1) - five (5) year term commencing immediately through December 31, 2022. EQUALIZATION PORTAGE AREA REGIONAL ASSESSMENT BOARD TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Volunteer. Twelve (12) Vacancies. Must be (P.A.R.T.A.) elector of the City as well as a property owner. Members of the Board shall hear objections to Volunteer. One (1) vacancy. Must be electors estimated special assessments for particular of the City for a period of at least three years projects in the City. Boards for specific projects prior to appointment. PARTA serves Portage shall be selected, by lot, from the Assessment County and works to provide transportation Equalization Board. systems for the purpose of scheduled mass TERM: Three (3) years commencing movement of passengers. immediately. TERM: Three years commencing July 1,2019. Tree City Bulletin 3 Spring 2019 The TREE CITY Bulletin A Cure for the Common Cubicle By Dave Ruller, Kent City Manager Like a lot of employers, Kent city government is facing the retirement of a large number of “baby boomers” who have stewarded Kent for decades and we're finding we've got some hard shoes to fill. Whether it's a result of the tight labor market or broader changes in employee- employer relations, new employees are more selective than ever in seeking positions that provide financial security and enrich their lives at the same time. Today's new hires are looking for more than paychecks and when job expectations go unfulfilled they're quick to move on to find something better. That puts a lot of stress on recruiting, attracting,