University Area Commission | Governance Committee Report
Meeting Details: Wednesday October 2, 2013, Northwood and High Building, Started 6:10 PM and Ended 7:04 PM
Attendance: (P: Present, A: Absent, E: Excused, G: Guest, R: Resigned) Sharon Young (P), Bill Graver (E), Lucas Dixon (P), Jim Bach (P), Zacery Kenitzer (R), Doreen Uhas-Sauer (E), Terra Goodnight (P), Colin Oden (P) and David Hegley (P)
- Discussed if elections committee needed any support
- First Day of voting is Wednesday October 30, 2013
- Second and final day is Saturday November 2, 2013
- No support was requested from governance, but volunteers are needed to work the polls.
2. Discuss plan for annual Commissioner training
- It was decided we should do training at the December Governance meeting ad see if the other Committees meeting that night would consider giving up their meeting time for a super Committee meeting.
- Ideas discussed for training:
- Cover the basic city structure of the offices and services provided by the City of Columbus
- Ohio Sunshine laws and how they apply to Area Commissions
- City code enforcement – Focus on rooming houses
- Zoning items:
- Have the city explain what is their enforcement mechanism when people violate a permit
- Explanation on how the City works and where people need to go to get services or their problems solved.
- Ask the City to explain the role of the Area Commissions in City government – specifically as it applies to the UAC.
- Discuss quality of life issues in the University District
- Police issues
- How to non emergency calls to the police
- Code enforcement procedures
- Consider having a presentation from Columbus 311
- Develop a series of questions ahead of the presentation so they can prepare
- Request all Commissioners think about things they would like answers to on all the areas covered by 311
- Examples of questions:
- If 311 is not taking care of a problem, as Commissioners is there someone we can call directly to facilitate getting the issue resolved?
- What happens when multiple people call 311 about the same problem. Do the priority on the problem change?
- What is the process used by 311 to resolve a problem?
- What basic functions are covered by 311?
- What makes an effective complaint to 311 that will be acted on promptly?
- Develop a series of questions ahead of the presentation so they can prepare
- Consider having someone from Code Enforcement come to speak
- Explanation on how they function
- What triggers them to take action
- Explanation on the purview and purpose of the Environmental court
- Consider having City Attorney Rick Pfeiffer come in to speak to many of the topics listed above.
- Matthew Hanson of UDO offered to help the Commission line up people to speak from the city.
Next Meeting November 6, 2013 Northwood & High Building Room 100 @ 6:00 PM