[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6193512,"mediaKeyId","3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db","parentId",3866908,"title","Owner seeks neighborhood commercial rezoning at 1351'1353 S. Limestone to allow barbershop; planning staff recommends approval","audioSeconds",462,"startMs",4026000,"endMs",4488000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db&start=4026&end=4488","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db/thumbnail_4026000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6193512/Ohio/Owner-seeks-neighborhood-commercial-rezoning-at-13511353-S-Limestone-to-allow-barbershop-planning-staff-recommends-approval","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193512-79b9e0d562c9d176af96f6916ce37c22/orig.mp4?Expires=1770825732&Signature=D5gz0jmtB7ck5E1OKVDeEJm4b1ceSLk4A6QThR1XDDAAev~NnfLcTN3UjAn3vwQsJDzLT~ioqpduRtXYRxK4jWR~9pGPjjmz-EH5wvK4m8P42IEuhgPvtgk~63PaiYhvDan4KJY2qp~t9ErFUVHucHy6T~uRo5TNRXgRAXZDnIG7ql~bHfgrxSqgQawVZlYRfs5aTtGsKqWSxd10b8~1ke7B6LDDxbENjIKxT5tWYgNWsSMg9XyaBFkYxpmQa2VUJVHs3~W0JLK7YAID3sIE3EV-yBJ-RNcK6lDbxS~FUsRTvQMbPUQl0Zj5vD9wBhQVY0mWn3zwTDmWvE20XnHqzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Springfield OH","date","2025-06-18T13:15:25Z","article","At a public hearing the commission considered an owner request to rezone 0.21 acres at 1351'1353 South Limestone Street from RM-12 low-density multifamily residence district to CN-2 neighborhood commercial district to allow a barbershop.

Staff said structures on the parcel were demolished in 2023 and the lot is presently vacant. The 1975 zoning map showed the property as apartment-residence district and the Clark County thoroughfare plan classifies South Limestone as a primary arterial with a 100-foot right of way. Staff and the city planning board recommended approval, noting CN-2 (neighborhood commercial) allows small-scale retail that complements surrounding uses.

Staff also advised property owners that any new structures or site improvements must comply with zoning requirements and listed conditions such as no parking on unpaved surfaces and that accessory structures cannot be constructed before primary uses. No complaints or objections were reported before the hearing, and a commissioner praised the rezoning as an entrepreneurial opportunity for the inner city.

The hearing record shows the planning division recommended approval and the item will proceed through the ordinance process if the commission votes to rezone.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting, June 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A public hearing was held on rezoning a 0.21-acre vacant parcel at 1351/1353 South Limestone from RM-12 to CN-2 neighborhood commercial to permit a barbershop; staff and the planning board recommended approval and no complaints were filed before the hearing.","taxTitle","Springfield City Commission, Springfield City, Clark County, Ohio","taxId",68986,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193515,"Commission hears staff recommendation to rezone 1109 Kenton Street to allow duplexes",215,2334000,2549000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db&start=2334&end=2549","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db/thumbnail_2334000.jpg","/articles/6193515/Ohio/Commission-hears-staff-recommendation-to-rezone-1109-Kenton-Street-to-allow-duplexes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193515-20b01f2d419b9bc0ac3e9428cf0e6788/orig.mp4?Expires=1770825732&Signature=f7jKVjpZ3dJltJ0bUEtU44cpli1E6pAG2ed~EUhr1uWv1e-g3fZ6rcADPZMCYgw-i0fBMJ8lbK-aRVJpIJEV66XQXGgvAjP3mP8oATRyXYT5ryud~AB-bvP0GMLLIAEsix0BH7YfHBu7gouVwUXkYAHGBLGEOE7QK5lwIsMC7c7o0kEIwu~raM~6rgew-R3QEO2oHrdCkMctQhL-n5lLGQ5JcFzdAqD7tRxEVa7ySYMMwtO1vYbgujIRRmiurgRzujKncyij42iBpqekryzEgm0JsK6lOleQ5uOZgr0XmrB8FrXd8b9MFhJqBe3ilwnDr7H9MtX6O4H36P0Mb2eR1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A public hearing and staff report recommended that the Springfield City Commission rezone a 0.146-acre parcel at 1109 Kenton Street from CC-2 Community Commercial District to RM-12 (low-density multifamily residence) to permit duplexes.

Staff said the parcel contains a two-unit dwelling built in 1940 that appears unoccupied, with no certificate-of-occupancy record on file, and that the 1975 zoning map showed a limited business designation for the site. The Clark County comprehensive plan characterizes the area as mixed-use low intensity, and staff said the requested RM-12 (also described in staff materials as RHD/high-density residential under the pre-2025 code) aligns with the future character area and with surrounding residential high-density parcels to the south and west.

City planning and zoning staff and the city planning board recommended approval and reported no objections filed before the hearing. A commissioner noted the rezoning could support neighborhood goals to expand entrepreneurial and housing opportunities along major corridors. The hearing record shows the motion to receive the communication and to file the legal notice was made and the rezoning item moved through the formal hearing process with a unanimous roll call vote to adjourn the hearing.","At a public hearing commissioners heard a staff report recommending approval to rezone 0.146 acres at 1109 Kenton Street from CC-2 (Community Commercial) to RM-12 (low-density multifamily) to permit duplexes; city planning recommended approval and no public objections were filed.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193520,"City explains move toward microtransit; drivers, riders press for details on jobs and paratransit",318,5391000,5709000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db&start=5391&end=5709","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db/thumbnail_5391000.jpg","/articles/6193520/Ohio/City-explains-move-toward-microtransit-drivers-riders-press-for-details-on-jobs-and-paratransit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193520-19bfec030124d248dcd767a26649a105/orig.mp4?Expires=1770825732&Signature=JcEF-urx05hoQu~kHIGSffQSVdpO2GXUKIlDNjVqPMO71mTFUCmz2XU~qCUnLxBGisXuDYdG~YXnqRoJtmSGSpZTdnnpGDIgi0c0zhyBP6Lz1yHBkrMHkE78O0ZAdiksI5FPAIuVDx37-7p0F~1B8aRQXoxxOXT9zrklLS8XHT0c2oxLqfS~AemKj4N9AEHeXQkkQzqRU6s2o6oWU2-QJIKLrX-mqg0~5i98T9HbrMAdNc1t8nOKVWKmFF3peR9ufnTD4tkQSv-79hwcLgLpoOLdCkgeX6~jtSBmjN5LWGFoDlwjwKcFL-LBAHL6xu0F8FVMubf97WH-uh5MKvvrDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and transit drivers pressed city officials for details after the commission disclosed it is negotiating a contract to move Springfield's fixed-route bus service toward a microtransit (on-demand) model.

At a work-session summary presented to the commission, staff said federal funding (FTA) provides roughly 80% of public transit dollars and that Transdev, the city's current operator, notified the city late last year it would invoke a contract clause exiting the agreement because the existing model was not financially sustainable. Staff said the city ran a request-for-proposal process in 2024 and received a small number of responses; a new provider is being recommended but no contract had been signed at the time of the meeting.

Drivers and riders raised repeated concerns during public comment. Multiple speakers who identified themselves as current or recent employees of the city's contractor described being \"in limbo\" about job status and asked whether the city would honor the protections of Section 13(c) (the federal labor-protection provision tied to transit funding). One speaker said crews had not been contacted and that passengers, particularly seniors and people using wheelchairs, had not been informed.

City staff said ADA paratransit (dial-a-ride) services \"will continue to exist in the future\" and that a Transportation Coordinating Committee will help maintain discounted rides for elderly and disabled riders. Staff also said the proposed vendor plans to offer an app for riders but will keep a phone-in option: \"you will also still be able to call in to schedule your ride.\" The staff presentation said the vendor's proposal intends to preserve existing fare levels; staff said the company presented keeping fares at current rates when it showed vans during a work session.

City legal staff clarified the city's limited role: existing drivers are employees of the private operator, not city employees, and collective-bargaining matters must be handled by the employer and union. The law director told drivers it would be inappropriate and potentially illegal for the city to intervene directly in collective-bargaining discussions.

Staff committed to more outreach: they said a public meeting originally planned for July 1 was canceled while contract details were negotiated and that the city manager and procurement staff plan outreach visits to senior facilities and other riders. The commission asked staff to speed communication with drivers, riders and partner organizations.

No contract vote occurred at the meeting; staff said a contract recommendation will be brought to the commission for formal approval before a provider begins service.","City officials said federal funding changes and an unsustainable fixed-route contract prompted a procurement for a microtransit model. Transit drivers and riders raised concerns about job status, ADA/paratransit service, fares and communication; city staff said ADA paratransit will continue and the proposed vendor plans to keep fares consistent.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6193526,"Springfield adopts 2026 tax budget after finance staff warns of income-tax shortfall",889,964000,1853000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db&start=964&end=1853","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3866908-e5bc0cf5c11a6b2178344cc5031b92db/thumbnail_964000.jpg","/articles/6193526/Ohio/Springfield-adopts-2026-tax-budget-after-finance-staff-warns-of-income-tax-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6193526-f287cbff8d893dabaa9b1b81c6dcae39/orig.mp4?Expires=1770825732&Signature=MndZLPg~FP4k3l-b9Ps3wLPlPaVOlnWjhj8bxnBjmuFAGrDW9EYFbBJBApxGPttPlSb-~CK~rux1rS45WZKIcdV99L02rk--Yc06zFgau4wpoEOBBJUi3naRgobUx6q2d1dJEj0RgLE09IMP2trIvtHa2zrIX0rPbRhjE783n9F3GtSSCSaqwDs2kRf9AuJEOG2qchm4DX6skADXxlDRdu7Qyxc0T~NSbG2ma3lXODRSTZu7SkWcOn-bxSZHiKXCt9HuNyX2zFGfxsOBZ~Awjdnhyc909jrSYumvQn1rrKnGOUio-YyrIGPfVF5ZO6xXNK2OPRbledbmoMs9Vtoasg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Springfield City Commission voted to adopt the city's 2026 tax budget after a staff presentation that warned the general fund faces a near-term revenue shortfall and that \"income tax revenue, which is the backbone of our general fund, has flattened.\" The ordinance adopting the tax budget passed unanimously on a roll call vote.

Staff told commissioners the city relied on about $5,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to balance the 2025 general fund and that those one-time federal relief dollars are now exhausted. \"For 2025, we relied on more than $5,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to balance the general fund budget,\" the staff presentation said.

The presentation said income-tax growth slowed sharply after a post-pandemic rebound: the city saw a combined gain of about $9.2 million from 2021 to 2022, and only about $3.0 million in growth from 2023 through mid-2025. Staff recommended a cautious 2.5% income-tax projection for 2026 and said the city is transitioning collection to the Regional Income Tax Agency (RETA) to improve compliance.

City staff described steps already taken and additional reductions under consideration. They said more than $3,000,000 in cuts have been made to the 2025 budget and that, without the reductions, 2026 expenditures would have left a projected $4,700,000 deficit. The tax budget reduces projected general fund expenditures from about $63,400,000 to $58,900,000 and lists a general fund projection of $58,683,783 for 2026.

Commissioner Rob Estrop praised the early warning: \"we've got to increase revenue or we gotta decrease expenditures or we gotta do a little of both,\" and thanked staff for bringing the issue forward sooner rather than later so the commission could act in time.

The ordinance adopting the tax budget was presented as an emergency measure and approved by unanimous roll call. Staff said the commission will receive the city manager's preliminary expenditure budget by the November 1 charter deadline and return in November and December for public meetings and the appropriation ordinance that sets final spending.

The budget presentation and the commission's vote did not adopt an expenditure appropriation; the tax budget is a revenue document that sets the ceiling for next year's appropriations. Staff emphasized the plan to preserve core services while continuing to identify efficiencies.

Funding details and fiscal context cited in the presentation included: the special police levy (3 mills) generating roughly $3,000,000; police and fire pension at 0.6 mills; conservancy district at 0.4 mills; and income tax constituting about 80.83% of general fund revenue in the 2026 projection. Staff also noted timing effects from the RETA transition that will affect how December receipts are recorded in cash-basis accounting.","City commissioners adopted the 2026 tax budget after a staff presentation that said income tax—the general fund\u0000backbone—has flattened, one-time federal relief is exhausted, and projected 2026 expenditures were reduced to avoid an estimated $4.7 million deficit.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Owner seeks neighborhood commercial rezoning at 1351'1353 S. Limestone to allow barbershop; planning staff recommends approval

Commission hears staff recommendation to rezone 1109 Kenton Street to allow duplexes

City explains move toward microtransit; drivers, riders press for details on jobs and paratransit

Springfield adopts 2026 tax budget after finance staff warns of income-tax shortfall