DORA RENEWED, ZONING REQUEST ADVANCES AT ST. MARYS COUNCIL

ST. MARYS — The St. Marys City Council covered a short but active agenda Monday night, highlighted by the renewal of the city’s Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) and movement on a zoning request.

According to Joe Hurlburt, the meeting began with a public hearing on the DORA ordinance. No residents spoke in opposition, and no changes were proposed to the existing boundaries. Council later approved the measure on its third reading, keeping the DORA in place as-is for another five years.

Council also received a request from a resident seeking to rezone a property from R-1 to C-2 to allow for multi-family housing. That request was referred to the St. Marys Planning Commission for further review before returning to council for possible approval.

In other business, representatives from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel addressed council via Zoom, urging members to oppose a proposed rate increase from Enbridge. The increase could raise monthly bills by about $9.50, or roughly 10 percent. Officials said concerns center on the impact to low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes. The resolution will move forward for a second reading.

Council also passed an emergency ordinance allowing the city’s Director of Public Service and Safety to begin advertising for bids on four parcels of land. One lot is located in the Sleepy Hollow subdivision, while the remaining three are along St. Marys River Road and Markley Road in Noble Township, just south of the landfill. The ordinance takes effect immediately, allowing the city to begin the public bidding process.

Hurlburt said those items made up the bulk of Monday night’s meeting.