Circus, development on council agenda

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Circus-related legislation is coming to Delaware City Council as a Monday agenda item along with parking updates, pay increases for employees and the development of an 80-acre site off U.S. Route 23.

Council will schedule today a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 of the proposed permit process for circuses and carnivals. The proposal would update the requirements for the first time in more than 40 years.

Council essentially canceled a circus performance at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in March, according to prior Gazette reports.

A troupe called Circus Pages had performed in the city for six years in a row until this year. The circus had never applied for a permit during that period until the city brought it to attention. There was a citizen-led petition at the time asking city and county officials to ban any circus because of possible animal abuse.

Council members said they did not have enough time to research Circus Pages’ safety record and voted 5-1-1 to table the issue, which canceled the show.

Circus Pages has started the permit process to tentatively perform on March 24. The city provided a draft of the proposed law to the circus and the individuals, who spoke at the hearing in March, according to a fact sheet from the city.

Under the proposal, circuses would be required to have council permission but purchase a license as set forth in the fee schedule with the application submitted 30 days prior to the event’s date. Council would grant permission unless it determines the event endangers or threatens the public or that the circus mistreats animals.

Council also will have a third reading of the Coughlin’s Crossing development, located between Route 23 and Stratford Road and north of Meeker Way.

Delaware Development Plan LTD seeks council approval to rezone the site from agriculture to mixed-use and for its preliminary development plans. The developer would preserve the historic Janes Home and Barn, build 24 single-family homes, three commercial/residential buildings that total 80,000 square feet, an open green space and a 98,700-square-foot big box retailer with 470 parking spaces.

The developer, Connie Klema, gave a 3D presentation to council at its last meeting in November.

In other business, council will:

• Consider the following parking resolutions: extend the no parking zone on the west side of North Liberty Street from West William Street to the north property line of 25 N. Liberty St.; remove two 2-hour parking spaces and one 15-minute parking space in front of the 216 N. Sandusky St.; and ban parking anytime on the north side of Firestone Drive from the east property line of 188 Firestone Drive to Delaware Drive.

• Consider two separate legislative items regarding pay and benefits for part-time, seasonal and non-union employees as reflected in the proposed 2017 budget. Employees would receive a 2-percent increase in wages. Permanent part-time and non-union employees would receive a 20-percent discount for City recreation programs. Non-union employees will have optional vision coverage. The department head pay plan has been redefined within three pay grades with amounts to be determined at a later date.

• Consider to amend the Municipal Court and Clerk of Court’s 2017 employee benefit and leave policies. Proposed changes include observing the half-day on the Friday before Christmas and New Year’s Day; increasing the parks and recreation credit to $60 and the addition of assignment commissioner/jury commissioner position.

Council will meet at city hall, 1 S. Sandusky St., 6 p.m. in council chambers — an hour earlier to conclude its work session of the 2017 budget.

By Brandon Klein

[email protected]

Brandon Klein can be reached at 740-413-0904 or on Twitter at @brandoneklein.

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