April 30, 2008 Meeting Minutes
Members present: Maridee Curry, Debbie Kuck, Susan Muenzer, and Jeff Yoder. Members absent: Robert Peinert. Others present: Josh Torres, Chamber President; Linda Hall, Poggemeyer Design Group; and Barbara Knisely, Building & Zoning Clerk.
Linda Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Introductions were made and Ms. Hall went over the responsibilities of the Design Review Board (DRB) and their function with the downtown area and any future grants received from the Ohio Department of Development. She also noted that if any Board Member owns a building in the downtown area that is on an Agenda for discussion, that they must abstain from that vote.
Since this was an organizational meeting, officers were elected. Susan Muenzer nominated Maridee Curry as Chair, and Maridee Curry nominated Susan Muenzer as Vice-Chair. Motion carried 4-0.
The group then discussed meeting dates. The enacting legislation for this Board (Ordinance 18-98) states that "Meetings shall be held at least once each month when there are applications to be considered and not less than once a year". It was unanimously decided that the Design Review Board Meetings would be held on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Village Hall. Members will be notified if there are no items on the Agenda and the meetings would be cancelled. This information will also be on the Village web site.
It was noted that the By-laws of the Whitehouse Design Review Board adopted on May 22, 2001, are in direct conflict of the enacting legislation (Ordinance No. 18-98) passed on October 6, 1998, in that the By-Laws state in ARTICLE VI - Meetings "Meetings shall be held at least once each month when there are applications to be considered and not less than once every three (3) months".
Article VIII-Amendments states "These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the DRB". Therefore, Maridee Curry made a motion to amend the By-Laws to reflect that Meetings shall be held at least once each month when there are applications to be considered and not less than once each year". Susan Muenzer seconded the Motion. Motion passed 4-0.
While discussing the items to come before this Board for consideration, it was noted that the enacting Legislation (Ord 18-98) Section II, ALTER or ALTERATION reads: "Any material change in an external architectural feature of any property which lies within a Preservation District, including demolition, removal, construction, modification to existing signage or placement of new signage, roofs, windows, siding, awnings/ canopies, additions, doors/entrances, but not including the landscaping of real property and painting".
Debbie Kuck made a motion to amend that Section to read: "Any material change in an external architectural feature of any property which lies within a Preservation District, including demolition, removal, painting, construction, modification to existing signage or placement of new signage, roofs, windows, siding, awnings/canopies, additions, doors/entrances, but not including the landscaping of real property". Maridee Curry seconded the Motion. Motion carried 4-0.
With no further business to come before this Board, Maridee Curry made the motion to adjourn and Jeff Yoder seconded the Motion. Motion carried 4-0.
Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.