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Kent City Council

Monday, May 20, 2013

Dog Poo Downtown Topic at Council

City may consider signs, receptacles for picking up dog waste

With downtown's surging redevelopment there's likely one topic that hasn't been atop many people's minds as part of the work: dog poo. But K9 waste has made it to Kent City Council, where it will get a full review. Councilman John Kuhar asked council to consider adding dog waste receptacles, similar to those found at some parks and dog parks, to encourage people to pick up after their animals while walking them downtown. "There's nothing worse," Kuhar said. "If there’s some way that we could notify the public better, in at least the downtown area, of what to do with their doggy poop... I’ve been in a couple cities where they’ve had actually doggy poop bags." The more than $100 million in ongoing redevelopment projects has drawn large …

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Chris (Kit) Myers

9:08 pm on Saturday, May 25, 2013

Will the pet waste station professionals provide their own uniforms or will the City have to give them a clothing allowance? Will they be eligible for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)? Is this something they do in Hudson? Hartville? Will the City purchase them monthly passes in the parking deck or will they have to park way down by the Haymaker bridge? The barter idea is intriguing. …   more ›

Friday, May 3, 2013

Police Levy Going Back to Ballot with Sunset Provision

Income tax hike would only pay off debt to build new police station

City administrators and Kent City Council plan again to ask voters to approve a 0.25 percent income tax increase to pay for a new Kent Police station. Council voted in committee Wednesday to place the issue on the November ballot, but this time they included a sunset provision in the ballot language and eliminated the idea that any excess revenue would pay for streets and sidewalks repair — language that was included in the previous ballot issue. In November 2012 voters rejected Issue 11, which would have raised Kent's income tax from 2 percent to 2.25 percent to pay to build an estimated $18.36 million police building in the Day Street block. Kent residents cast 4,240 votes for the tax increase and 5,163 against the tax. Kent City Manager…

Sue

9:45 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The school levy has passed. Thanks to everyone who voted for it. This is great news for the children of Kent.   more ›

Monday, April 22, 2013

Roger Sidoti Democrat Candidate for Kent Council

Incumbent appointee seeks to retain seat

Name : Roger Sidoti Job titles held : Principal, Theodore Roosevelt High School Employers : Retired; Kent City Schools Party affiliation : Democrat Running for a:  Local Office Running for position: At-large Kent City Council representative Chamber/district:  Citywide Incumbent: Yes
 Previous elective offices : Appointed Kent Charter Review Commission 1981, 1 year; Appointed Kent Board of Zoning Appeals, 4 years; Appointed Kent Planning Commission, 1 year; Appointed Kent Assessment Equalization Board, 1 year Unsuccessful bids for elective offices: N/A Degree(s): BA Education, University of Akron 1971; MA Educational Administration, Kent State University 1978; EdS Education Leadership, Kent State University 1992 We have called Kent our home…

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Wine Bar Liquor License Delayed

Kent council votes to re-examine trex liquor license transfer

Kent City Council voted Wednesday to reverse a decision made in committee earlier this month for a liquor license transfer request from a new wine bar. Council voted against granting a variance to the investors behind Twisted Root Cellars who are looking to transfer a liquor license from another community into Kent in order to open a wine bar at 181 E. Main St. inside the Kent Stage building. Council had voted April 3 in a committee meeting to grant the variance to the three men looking to open the small wine bar — after a lengthy discussion. That approval also came with a condition that any future sale of the liquor license needed council's approval. “I think there’s so much that has to be clarified between the last presentation we had …

Teresa K.

9:18 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013

Kent City Council: On the decision reversal, I appreciate the extra consideration you all put into this decision. When in doubt: don't. Yes, we all want Kent to flourish and be thriving but at what cost?   more ›

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Readers React to Liquor License Cap

Council members briefly talked about limiting new liquor licenses in Kent

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Should Kent Put a Cap on Liquor License Transfers?

City officials anticipate more requests for trex liquor license transfers into Kent

Kent already has 21 full-service bars either open in the city or soon to open as part of the new redevelopment downtown. That number excludes businesses that only serve beer and wine or have liquor licenses for carry-out sales only. Given the renewed interest in Kent, via the downtown redevelopment and enrollment growth at Kent State University, some members of Kent City Council are starting to ask if they should limit the number of liquor licenses that can be moved into Kent via Ohio's "Trex" liquor license transfer process.  Councilwoman Tracy Wallach flat out said during last week's council meeting she wants to see a cap on the number of trex licenses allowed to come into Kent. We want to know what you think. Do you agree with Wallach? …

dharma freebird

8:55 am on Friday, April 12, 2013

OMG! This continued complaining about parking is insane. I went downtown last night for the unveiling of a new downtown business, after 5pm, and found a spot. I had to walk a little bit, but if people continue to expect to find parking right outside the door of an establishmment they are just not being realistic. Also, this opening that I attended was not another bar, but rather a venue that is …   more ›

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

City Expects More Liquor License Transfer Requests

Numerous business entities have contacted city officials about trex liquor license transfers

Kent City Council can expect to see more requests from bar and restaurant owners for liquor license transfers — as early as next month. At least 10 different businesses or partnerships have inquired with city administrators about  Ohio's "Trex" liquor license transfer, a state-approved process that allows for the transfer of a liquor license from one community to another. "They are out there," Kent Law Director Jim Silver said. "They want to come in to town. I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding people who want to come in to Kent and sell alcohol." In Ohio, the number of liquor permits allowed per community is limited based on its population. In Kent, all of the available liquor licenses are owned or in use. Kent has some strict …

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James Thomas

1:21 pm on Friday, April 12, 2013

Hey, I'm glad I don't know Nolan and I'm happy that he doesn't know me because he has threatened violence, and I have the e-mails to prove it.   more ›

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Should Kent Change Liquor License Transfer Requirements?

Kent City Council talked about changing trex transfer requirements this week. Got an opinion on it? Share it with us.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Council to Re-Examine Wells-Sherman House Loan

Terms of repayment, other details to be talked about in committee

Kent City Council will take another look at the $15,000 loan to Kent Wells Sherman House, Inc., for relocation and restoration of the historic house. Council voted recently to put the issue back in to a future committee meeting to review the details of the loan, which was originally approved in June 2012. Councilman Roger Sidoti, who suggested the review, said he wanted to see details such as when the city will release the money and the term of the loan hashed out. "I think there are two issues here," Sidoti said. "In good faith we are extending a significant portion of taxpayer money to the house. Obviously they are sitting on some issues they haven’t quite got rectified ... for the placement of the house." The Kent Wells Sherman House …

David Badagnani

12:02 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013

"Next up, Rick Hawksley writing a blog on the need for greenspace." $$$space must be more important to him than greenspace?   more ›

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Council Acts on Fracking Recommendations

Councilwoman urges prohibition of fracking on city, Kent State property

Kent City Council took several actions Wednesday on fracking after hearing recommendations from the Kent Sustainability Commission on the issue earlier this month. Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer made four recommendations, all of which were approved, regarding the potential for hydraulic fracturing in Kent. The actions council took Wednesday, none of which posed serious or immediate changes, were: "I would like them to continue monitoring and apprise us if there is something we need alerted to," Shaffer said of the third action. Dan Schweitzer, chairperson of the Kent Sustainability Commission, told council earlier this month that it's unlikely that Kent will see fracking operations on the scale of other communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. …

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Matt Fredmonsky

9:55 am on Friday, February 22, 2013

It means council formally acknowledged receiving the recommendations from the sustainability commission, but other than what council voted on above they did not then take the next step and turn those recommendations into actual law.   more ›

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