By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]

SIDNEY – The Sidney City Council rejected the rental registration program ordinance introduced at a council meeting on Nov. 28, 2022, and was introduced to a revised program at a meeting on July 24.

The revised rental registration program is a result of eight meetings of the Rental Registration Ad Hoc Committee consisting of landlords and city employees – of which all of the meeting minutes can be found on the city’s website. It Is also in line with other communities which have established, or intend to establish a rental registration program, and proposed legislation at the state level.

Under the program, rental registration would be required for all dwelling units which are not owner-occupied with exceptions such as nursing homes, group homes, halfway houses, or hotel/motels. If a landlord does not live within 75 miles of Sidney, an agent must be identified who is located within that range. The landlord will also be required to provide new tenants with information that city staff will provide pertaining to local and state regulations – when regulations are amended, all registered rental contacts will be provided with updates.

There are no required inspections in this program, but a tenant can request an inspection at any time, and landlords can request inspections for vacant units or occupied units if there is evidence of an imminent risk to health or safety to the tenants or the public. Failure to comply still results in penalties, like fines and/or jail time for multiple offenses, and are detailed in the ordinance. Appeals can be made to the Board of Building Code Appeals within 30 days of the receipt of the decision of the administrator.

The new program was only introduced at this meeting and will be scheduled for adoption at the Aug. 14 council meeting.

As part of a resolution authorizing the drawing of a warrant in payment of an amount contractually due to be paid to a Sidney vendor, which the council adopted, Police Chief Mark McDonough announced that Officer Joseph Kennedy has been selected to be the next K-9 handler, and he and a new police K-9 will be trained in August 2023. The K-9 will again come from Von der Haus Gill German Shepherds in Wapakoneta and the dog will be two years old and dual trained for patrol and narcotics detection.

The council also adopted the following pieces of legislation:

• An ordinance assessing the cost of weed mowing or junk removal. The invoices included are through June 10, 2023, and assess 34 properties with a total of $5,468.25 for weed mowing and 35 properties with a total of $8,524.20 for junk removal;

• An ordinance adopting amendments to the Plum Ridge subdivision, which will remove four undeveloped lots from the subdivision to be replatted for detached single-family development. The Planning Commission reviewed this item and recommended approval at a meeting on June 20;

• An ordinance requesting the rezoning of four currently undeveloped lots behind Menards from industry, innovation and manufacturing to residential multi-family. The Planning Commission reviewed this item and recommended approval at a meeting on June 20;

• A resolution accepting the master plan for the city parks;

• A resolution authorizing the execution of a purchase order without competitive bidding for a necessary upgrade to the public safety dispatch consoles, which are at the end of their life at almost 20 years in service;

• A resolution accepting a replat of four undeveloped lots to create two new lots along Winter Ridge Drive for the construction of two single-family homes;

• A resolution accepting a replat of three lots to create two new lots located where North Dixie Drive-Thru used to be at the corner of Wapakoneta Avenue and East Hoewisher Road. One lot will be used for a new gas station;

• A resolution authorizing the city manager to submit an application to the Ohio Department of Development Office of Community Development for a $30,000 PY2023 Community Housing Impact and Preservation Lead Abatement Program (CHIP-LAP) Grant.

Another ordinance was introduced which would make supplemental appropriations for various funds for the 2023 budget year of $219,181.

The council also approved the June 2023 summary financial report and excused Mayor Mardie Milligan and Councilmember Jenny VanMatre who were absent from the meeting.

The next city council meeting will be held on Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall’s council chambers.