Meeting Minutes
St. Albans Township/Village of Alexandria Merger Commission
December 20, 2023

Present: Jeff Baer, Sean Barnes, Elaine Robertson, Dean Schiller, Stephanie Taylor, Ben Zanks

Absent: Dawn Burton, Ann Lodder, Cari Meng, Craig Thorpe

Guests in Attendance: Bruce Lane, Jean Morrison, David Lees, Mary Fitch, Steven Meisel

Meeting began: 6:33 pm, per Ohio Revised Code 121.22.

Pledge of Allegiance

Meeting

Ben Zanks: Does anyone have questions regarding the merger? No response from attendees.

Sean Barnes: Implications of merger. Not given a clear response

Sean: Document received from Brad Cottrell: 2022 Tax Year – 2023 Collection Year information.
Current 2022 Tax/2023 Collection for Alexandria Village and St. Albans Township.
Hypothetical Merged “new” Village of Alexandria 2022 Tax/2023 Collection
Levies needed to bring revenues back to TY22 totals for Fire/EMS, Roads/Bridges.

Elaine Robertson: Document received from Fire Chief Theisen.
St. Albans Fire Department budget from 2021, 2023, and 2024.
*Does not include a hypothetical merged budget.
See Hypothetical Merged “new” Village of Alexandria tax estimates based on merger and current services. Contained in Brad Cottrell’s 2022 Tax Year – 2023 Collection Year. *Does not include new infrastructure projections.
Dean Schiller:
We will work on the effects of 1% income tax, amount generated, etc.
SW Licking Water and Sewer says they want to meet with the Merger Commission.

Mary Fitch (attendee): What is the process for the Merger vote?
Sean: Committee meets until August 2024. Vote vote wouldn’t occur until 2025

Ben: We must start planning. Form committees.

Sean: Anything finance-wise we need to do?

Mary Fitch: Would merger commission investigation stop annexation/de-annexation? (yes)

Jean Morrison (attendee): If merged, taxes from township/trustees will drop.
Bruce Lane (attendee): Expressed concern that those appointed during the interim could undo everything thus far and set up the merged Alexandria with special interest groups. Choose interim individuals carefully. They should also be those who could successfully win the next election to serve in the newly merged Alexandria council.

Jeff Baer: Need to organize committees: Finance, Zoning, Services, Township,
Finance
Zoning – needs finality to affect annexation question.
Township changes
Services/Police/Fire/Northridge School District
Consult with Dan Bunting, Police Chief

Sean: NCA – is agreed upon before annexation. It must be agreed upon before the merger. NCA Acronym: New Community Authority. If we look at the conditions of the merger. What were those specific things in regarding to zoning.? We would have to create an interim government until the next election.

Bruce Lane: If it passes and there’s an interim government with special interests, we could lose everything within 6 months. You also want to make sure those people could eventually be incumbents and elected. Get an exact explanation of all terms via the ORC directly.

Sean: I will look up funding acquisition and define acronyms.

Ben – We need to find out what townships will look like in the future.

Elaine: Many township concerns. Zoning. Open burning. Gun discharge zones.

Sean: Rural residential zoning – in Johnstown – allows for certain lot size.

Jeff: Pataskala “Right to Farm” community. What does that mean?

Stephanie Taylor: Talked to Granville. What are we compelled to provide? (Falls under services.)

Sean: Spoke to the engineer at ODOT to see how the merger would affect road maintenance responsibilities.

Jeff: Committees needed.

Bruce Lane: New Albany Company is a proxy for the State of Ohio. Ohio gave 1.5 million to them.

Sean: Suggested to talk to Northridge SD – Would they benefit from the merger? Would they have to eventually split the district? Christy Michael had come to some prior meetings but was not present.

Stephanie: We need to talk to them (Northridge SD) because they don’t feel that growth will impact them. Do they have a plan? If township land is annexed, we get the kids – they get the tax monies. The cost of land right now is expensive. Are they prepared for increased enrollment?

Sean: Combine development with financial development. A group work on it?

Stephanie: Finance is the bottom dollar issue. Noted “Grow Ohio” was talking about our area becoming a global center for industry.

Elaine: Confirm committees:
Services: Stephanie Taylor, Ben Zanks
Zoning: Jeff Baer, Sean Barnes, Elaine Robertson
Finance: Ann Lodder, Dean Schiller
Merger Conditions: All

All: Meetings every 3rd Wednesday monthly from 7:00-8:30

Sean Barns made a motion to adjourn, Stephanie Taylor seconded.

Meeting adjourned at 8:08 pm

Next scheduled meeting: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 @7pm.