The Bluffton Council met on Monday, November 25 with Mayor Richard Johnson presiding. There were no individuals present to speak during the public comments section. The Bluffton Icon and Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce were in attendance.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Streets & Lights
Joe Sehlhorst reported on meeting with Dr. Fan Ye from Ohio Northern University about potential Civil Engineering student capstone project topics in Bluffton.
At the November 19 special meeting of the Village of Bluffton Ordinance Committee, council members and residents discussed best case and worst case scenarios for the expansion of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Village.
Seven residents attended the meeting led by council and committee members Mitch Kingsley and Joe Sehlhorst.
The committee has taken a year to draft legislation that would spell out how residential property owners in Bluffton may build attached and detached ADUS for rental and non-rental purposes.
The expressed goal of the legislation is to ease housing shortages and allow for a wider range of housing options. ADUs exist in and can be built in Bluffton, but specific guidelines are not provided for the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.
The residents in attendance expressed concerns about changing the character of neighborhoods and creating more rentals with absentee owners. ▶︎
The November 13 meeting of the Bluffton Board of Education included both business and the pleasure of hearing reports directly from middle school students. (Agenda attached below.)
INCOME TAX RENEWAL
A Resolution of Necessity was approved for a tax levy renewal on the upcoming May 2025 ballot. The first levy was passed in 2007. It is a ½ % income tax that raises $1,158,543 annually. Funds generated from the levy help maintain facilities and continue to enhance the school district.
VISITORS
Keith Horner, Superintendent of the Apollo Career Center, updated the board on programs and future initiatives. Currently 39 students from Bluffton attend Apollo. The school now has Fire, Police and Truck Driving programs in a new building and can do testing for CDLs on site. The school plans to introduce a High School Criminal Justice program next year. ▶︎
The Village of Bluffton will hold an Emergency Council Meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 18 on the third floor of the Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main St., to consider awarding a contract to repair critical infrastructure to the public water distribution system.
The previously scheduled Ordinance Committee meeting for Monday, Nov. 18 will begin immediately following the Emergency Council Meeting.
