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Planning Commission Moves Forward with Farmland Preservation Plan, 

Appointing Task Force Members

Planning Commission – May 13, 2025 

Meeting Details: The Geauga Planning Commission met in regular session on May 13, 2025 at 7:30 am at the Geauga County Office Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024.  This meeting was in person with no virtual attendance option.  The agenda is normally available online prior to the meeting. A copy was available at the meeting.  Observer Note: The website presents the minutes and meeting dates, and the agenda is included in that section.

Public Comment Policy:  No formal policy, but in practice, public comment could be permitted at the Chair’s prerogative. However, this does not happen. No public comment is solicited or offered except in cases where an applicant or zoning inspector is present to answer questions regarding an item on the agenda. 

Board Attendance: Chair Nick Gorris, Vice Chair Dennis Bergansky, Secretary/Treasurer Gary Neola Jr. and board members Caterina Cocca-Fulton and Enzo Perfetto were present.  Board members Jim McCaskey, Phillip Miller, and Matt Johnson were not present. County Commissioner James Dvorak’s alternate, Dave Fabig, was present. County Commissioner Carolyn Brakey was present. Neither County Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri nor his alternate, Walter Claypool, were present.

Staff Attendance: Linda Crombie, Planning Director, Allyson Kobus, Planner II, and Pamela Irizarry, Administrative Assistant were present. 

Others Attending: This observer and one other member of the public were in attendance. No members of the press were present.

Minutes - Once approved by the board, the minutes are available online here.  Scroll down until the section on Minutes and Agendas.

Pledge of Allegiance - The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call - Roll was called. A quorum was present.

Approval of Minutes - The minutes of the April 8, 2025 regular meeting were reviewed and unanimously approved following discussion. Ms. Brakey commended the minutes for being well-written and grammatically sound. However, she noted that the vote tallies on motions were not detailed—no “yeas,” “nays,” or “abstentions” were listed. While it has been common practice to simply record that motions passed, members agreed the minutes should clearly indicate if a vote was unanimous or if there were any dissenting or abstaining votes. It was also pointed out that the agenda item numbering appeared to skip numbers, which matched the official agenda when items were not applicable. Nonetheless, members suggested making the reason for skipped numbers clearer to avoid confusion. 

Approval of Agenda/Addendum Items - The agenda was approved as presented with no changes.

Financial Report and Approval of Expenses

The financial report was presented. Notable items included increased costs for Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft 365, which required some payments to be split due to insufficient funds in the original line items. Ms. Irizarry noted that efforts are underway to establish a dedicated software account to streamline these expenses in the future.

Year-to-date spending was reported at approximately 33%, which aligns closely with the expected figure four months into the year. 

Other Business - There was no other business.

Major Subdivisions to Be Reviewed - None.

Township Zoning Amendments

The commission reviewed one zoning text amendment from Parkman Township: Text Amendment 2025-01, initiated by the township’s zoning commission on April 23, 2025.

This amendment addressed two areas:

1. Article 10 - Administration: Notice Requirements - In accordance with Ohio House Bill 315, the amendment added options for public notice beyond printed newspapers. Acceptable formats now include digital editions of newspapers, township websites, and social media accounts. Ms. Brakey noted the need to correct the amendment by adding the word "or" to the list of public notice options to clarify that at least one of the methods must be used.

2. Article 11 - Enforcement: Penalties for Zoning Violations- The amendment referenced Ohio Revised Code 519.99, which allows civil fines of up to $500 per offense. Discussion ensued around a potentially confusing clause indicating that each day a violation continues after a judgment may count as a separate offense. Members raised questions about who issues such a judgment (likely not the zoning inspector) and how this process would work in practice. While enforcement challenges were acknowledged, staff clarified that similar language already exists in many township codes and that few violations escalate to this level.

After minor grammatical corrections and clarifications, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendment. The motion passed unanimously.

Director’s Report

Planning Director Linda Crombie presented a monthly report, which covered the following highlights:

• Lot Splits: The month of April included two large-lot splits and two minor-lot splits, mostly on the eastern side of the county.

• Census Bureau Updates: Staff worked to remove Aquilla Village from Census Bureau maps to ensure the area no longer appears in future data sets. This update will take effect in the next census cycle.

• Township Plans: Work continued on Claridon Township’s land use plan (13 hours spent) and Thompson Township’s plan (11 hours). Thompson is reportedly progressing faster and more efficiently than Claridon. No work occurred on Burton’s plan in April.

• House Bill 315: The bill (see link above) included $1.5 million in funding for communities to modernize zoning and comprehensive plans. A short-notice application window opened and closed quickly, with $2 million in funding requests received within a week. Only one township from Geauga County (which one was not stated) submitted an application in time.

• Leadership Geauga Agricultural Day: Staff visited several farms, many of which are candidates for the Farmland Preservation Task Force. These visits provided valuable opportunities to connect with landowners in person.

• Directory of Public Officials: The directory has been updated with current information, although several positions remain vacant. Updates will continue throughout the year as needed.

• Geauga Growth Partnership Meetings: Two meetings were attended:

  1. A session on “Ohio Housing Tools for Development,” focused on infill housing opportunities using pre-designed, narrow-footprint model homes. While more relevant to urban areas, the concept was noted as potentially useful for some township situations. A key takeaway was that pre-approved architectural plans could reduce development costs.

  2. A second meeting was held with State Senator Matt Dolan and Team NEO leadership. Discussion focused on county needs, such as workforce alignment, infrastructure gaps, and energy reliability.

• Director of Public Officials Document: Despite vacant positions, the updated directory has been posted. Staff will continue to maintain it throughout the year.

• Village of Burton Zoning Map: Updated to reflect a change at the corner of Rapids and Kinsman Roads. The property, which was previously zoned for manufacturing, is now B-2 business. It will be used for diesel tech education and equipment display in partnership with Berkshire Local School District and Preston Automotive Group.

• Budget Hearing: Held May 8 before the County Commissioners. No major concerns or objections were raised, and the commission’s budget was approved as submitted.

• Historical Display: Planning-related documents from the 1960s and 1970s are now featured in a display case on the third floor of the county building.

• Commercial Construction: A new kitchen addition was permitted for Hambone BBQ. In addition, the Deer Lake mobile home park is undergoing significant redevelopment. Older units were removed, and the site is being converted into 24–36 new manufactured home sites with a modern aesthetic. The community has its own water and sewer systems, which are adequate for the new development.

• Legislative Update: Ohio Senate Bill 192 proposes funding for infrastructure improvements to support housing development in rural counties. However, limitations such as population caps and quarter-acre lot requirements likely make it of limited use in most Geauga townships.

• Conservation Easement: A new 24-acre easement was approved in Munson Township to preserve wooded habitat. Language was added to allow utility easements along the road for county or state infrastructure.

Old Business

A. Farmland Preservation Plan Update

Following outreach to farmers by the director, 15 individuals expressed interest in serving on the Farmland Preservation Task Force. This includes 11 farmers, 2 realtors (one of whom is also a farmer), and 2 county employees with ties to agriculture. Eight distinct types of agricultural production are represented, from dairy and grain to hops and viticulture. No equestrian or nursery operations are currently represented, although Ms. Crombie will make a second effort to recruit from those sectors.

An introductory “icebreaker” questionnaire will be sent to the confirmed task force members to learn more about their backgrounds and views on farmland preservation.

The first meeting of the task force will be scheduled for August 21, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the ground floor conference room of the county building.

A motion to formally appoint the named participants to the task force was approved.

New Business

A. GIS Planning Intern Position

The commission previously budgeted for a summer GIS intern. One applicant, Oliver Richard, was offered the position to avoid delays due to monthly meeting schedules. The board unanimously voted to acknowledge his hiring retroactively.

The board also discussed possibly modifying their policies to give the planning director limited authority to act between meetings on time-sensitive matters like internships. Staff was directed to draft a bylaw change for review.

B. Geauga County Hazard Mitigation Plan Assistance

Planning staff had been asked to assist with data updates to the county’s hazard mitigation plan. While staff updated population and housing figures, they flagged four pages of narrative content that included far-reaching statements about land use, zoning preferences, and development policies—areas better suited for the general or strategic plan.

Ms. Crombie recommended that these narrative pages be struck entirely from the hazard mitigation plan. The board unanimously agreed and directed that recommendation to be sent to the Department of Emergency Services.

C. Tuition Reimbursement for Planner II / GIS Coordinator

Planner II Allyson Kobus submitted a request to use the Planning Commission’s tuition reimbursement policy for up to $2,000 annually to pursue an online master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Central Arkansas. Staff confirmed the university is properly accredited, and the coursework aligns with department needs.

Ms. Cocca-Fulton asked Ms. Kobus to explain how the degree would enhance her work. She indicated that GIS is far broader than most realize and that the training would allow her to apply advanced tools to planning, public health, economic development, and more.

The board expressed support and voted to approve the tuition reimbursement.

Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 8:58 am.

Next meeting: June 10, 2025.

More Information about the Geauga Planning Commission is available online.

Observer: David Lewis

Editor: Rooney Moy

Reviewer: Sarah McGlone

Submitted: May 13, 2025

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