Thursday at Council Pastor Jim Case was recognized from his retirement as Chaplain for the Stow Police Department. Pastor Case retired in 2021 after over a decade of service where he aided the police department with crisis situations for both our officers and the citizens of Stow. Police officers are often on the front lines of tragic events and having a Chaplain be there to support them and our residents in a time of need does not go unnoticed. Pastor Case was very humble in his recognition and said he will continue to stand ready if he is ever needed again. Thank you for your service to Stow Pastor Case.
Council approved a sign variance location for DeAngelis Insurance which recently relocated several of their offices to a new building on Fishcreek Road just northwest of the Stow Road intersection. I supported this location for the sign because based on right of way taken by the City many years ago there really was not a better option to place the sign. Mr. DeAngelis attended the meeting and was thankful for the support for the sign location and also was happy that they were staying in Stow and consolidating a few of their offices into this one location. I look forward to their upcoming open house to welcome them to their new location in Ward 2.
Council also followed the recommendation of Planning Commission to deny a variance for the operation of a family home for persons with disabilities on Vira Road. The use of a residence for this type of operation is conditionally permitted, however, here the owners were also asking for a variance to house a larger number of residents than allowed under our code based on the size of the residence.
Council also reviewed several fees as it relates to our building department, including the contractor registration fee and the engineering department review fee related to lot splits. Council voted down increasing the contractor registration fee from $100 to $150 dollars by a 4-2 vote (Lowdermilk was absent, myself and Mr. Feldman voted yes). Council approved by a 6-0 vote to increase the lot split fees from $75 to $125. There has been a continued effort to review the fee structure in the City to ensure we are charging accurate and fair fees to help cover the costs of the service provided from the City.
Council will meet again on June 9th at 5:30 PM for committee meetings and Council will follow afterwards.