Page 3 - Patrick Deorio News Today

NORTH CANTON – City Council has adopted a long-discussed Main Street zoning overhaul. Main Street will now be split into five new zoning districts — Main Street North Gateway, Main Street North, Main Street Center, Main Street South and Main Street South Gateway — each with specific zoning regulations. The plan, titled "Zoning for North Cantons Second Century," is aimed at attracting new businesses and other ventures to the main corridor, as well as making the city more attractive to yo...

The changes were introduced earlier this month and approved on emergency Friday. Councilman Mark Cerreta, at-large, has been the lone dissenting vote on the DORA , describing it as "mirage legislation." "Its trying to be something were not right now," he said at Mondays council meeting. Council also approved adjusting the language of potential fire and EMS levies that could appear on the ballot in November, following discussions with the Stark County Auditors Office. The proposed EMS levy woul...

What is North Cantons argument for the levies? "In general, we are woefully short," said City Administrator Patrick DeOrio in a presentation to City Council.  Calls for service and the cost of operating the fire and EMS departments have gone up year after year, but the money generated by current levies has stayed flat, he said.  "Were going to reach a point where so much of the general fund is being transferred over to maintain these operations, theres not going to be funds available for the...

NORTH CANTON City water and sewer customers could see a rate increase over the next few years. City Council has introduced legislation that would raise water rates by 5% in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and by 3% in 2025 and 2026. It would be the first rate increase since 2017. The proposed hikes are based on a study of how much it costs the city to operate and maintain its water supply, said City Administrator Patrick DeOrio. The city will perform another water rate study in 2024. The city also is re...

NORTH CANTON  City Council Monday adopted new rules for its meetings, including new regulations for participating in those meetings. The new rules are intended to better protect the decorum of meetings while preserving the rights of speakers, according to the legislation. In previous meetings, council members have said that the public speaks portion of meetings have, at times, gotten out of control and devolved into personal attacks. The new rules keep an enforced 5-minute limit for speakers....