Special Meeting: Economic Development, Walton Hills Traffic Camera Collections, and 2025 Budget Adjustments

RELATED: Regular Meeting: Walton Hills Traffic Camera and 2026 Budget

WALTON HILLS, Ohio – Walton Hills Village Council held a special council meeting and Committee of the Whole session on Tuesday, Dec. 2, combining an economic development update with a detailed discussion of Walton Hills traffic camera collections and last‑minute 2025 budget adjustments.

Mayor Don Kolograf convened the meeting at 7 p.m. with the pledge of allegiance and roll call, with Fiscal Officer Nickol Sell, Law Director John Montello, and the village’s economic development consultant Tom Jordan also in attendance. Council later moved into a brief legislative session, adopted two ordinances on an emergency basis, and went into executive session for personnel matters.

Ford Road/Forward Center East: Top‑Tier Industrial Site, Waiting for the Right User

Economic development consultant Tom Jordan updated council on the large Ford Road/Forward Center East redevelopment area.

He said the site remains one of the top “shovel‑ready” industrial sites in Ohio:

• Statewide marketing:
  The site is on Team NEO’s short list of ready industrial locations, with necessary utilities and heavy power capacity that make it competitive for large users.
• No speculative building likely in current market:
  While there is strong demand for existing industrial space across Northeast Ohio, the market is not favoring speculative construction without a committed tenant. As a result, it’s unlikely a developer will build a multi‑tenant spec building on Ford Road in the near term.
• Most realistic outcome – single large user:
  Jordan told council the village should expect that the next major move on the site will likely be one large industrial user building a substantial facility, rather than multiple smaller users.

Jordan said he meets regularly with the site’s management and with Team NEO. Walton Hills remains competitive whenever there is a national or regional search for a large, serviced site.

TIF and Campus Uses: Adams Board Headquarters and Future Revenue

The discussion also covered the campus area that includes the Adams Board of Summit County, which now has its headquarters on the site:

• The Adams Board’s headquarters and some related health and social service facilities are located within the broader campus area,
• Portions of that campus—particularly new or separate buildings—will be subject to standard property tax and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) arrangements,
• As construction finishes and organizations reach full employment, the village expects:
  • Real estate tax collections in the district to increase,
  • Additional income tax from new jobs on the site,
  • Stronger TIF performance that will help fund infrastructure and relieve pressure on the general fund.

Tom noted that for some of these buildings, full occupancy and employment will not occur until late 2025 or into 2026, meaning the full revenue impact will lag behind the construction schedule.

Infrastructure, Meeting District, and Long‑Term Planning

Tom and council also referenced a recent special “meeting district” session involving multiple entities connected to the Ford Road area:

• Infrastructure improvements—roads, utilities, and potentially additional energy or storage projects—will be key if the site is to be further developed,
• Tom said the village wants all major stakeholders “at the table” when future decisions on infrastructure are made,
• For now, he described the infrastructure horizon as still several years out, but emphasized that planning now is essential to be ready when a major user finally commits.

Several council members asked about:

• Energy storage or electrical projects proposed or operating on nearby property,
• What authority the village has over those uses.

Tom explained that many such projects are state‑regulated, and while Walton Hills retains zoning authority, major energy projects are often governed by state rules and commissions. He said some companies are hesitant to make new investments given market and regulatory uncertainty.

Debris and Concrete on Site: Reuse and Rail Concept

A council member asked about concrete and debris visible on or near the Ford Road site:

• Tom said some of the material is being reused as fill and base on the site,
• At one point, a separate company had discussed using the site for a concrete crushing and rail‑shipping operation, but that concept did not fully move forward,
• Site planners have prepared conceptual layouts for various possible users, showing how different building and rail configurations could work.

He emphasized that these layouts are planning tools, not final commitments.

Walton Hills Traffic Camera Collections: Attorney General vs. Private Agency

The second major topic of the evening was how to handle unpaid traffic camera citations and other fines in the Walton Hills traffic camera program.

A representative from the mayor’s court staff outlined options for old and outstanding citations, and council compared:

1. Private Collection Agency (e.g., Capital Recovery)

• Charges a significant percentage fee (often around 35–37%) added on top of the amount due,
• The village still receives 100% of what it is owed; the debtor pays the extra fee,
• Offers more direct customer service:
  • People can call and work out payment plans,
  • In many cases, they can still pay at the village window, with the agency’s fee added separately,
• Actively pursues ongoing collection efforts, rather than just one‑time intercepts.

2. Ohio Attorney General’s Office

• Charges a 10% fee that is taken out of the amount collected,
• Has the power to intercept state income tax refunds and some other state‑administered payments, which can be compelling,
• Once a debt is with the Attorney General, people cannot pay it at the village window; payments go through the state system,
• May be less flexible on payment plans and customer interaction compared with a private agency.

Council debated:

• How each option affects residents, especially on smaller tickets (for example, a $50 fine turning into a much larger debt with fees),
• Whether a letter from the Ohio Attorney General would be more intimidating and effective than a private collection letter,
• How important it is to allow people to walk into village hall and pay in person to clear both the fine and any BMV registration blocks.

Some members leaned toward the Attorney General, arguing that:

• Residents already dealing with a BMV block and then getting a letter from the Attorney General may be more motivated to resolve the debt,
• The village is not currently receiving these unpaid amounts anyway, so even receiving 90% of what’s owed could be an improvement,
• The state’s official status may carry more weight than a private collection logo.

Others expressed concern that:

• The Attorney General’s process may feel less flexible for residents,
• The village would be giving up the ability for people to pay locally once debts are turned over,
• There is not yet solid comparative data on actual collection rates between the two methods.

Council members ultimately asked for more data on:

• Typical recovery percentages for the Attorney General versus a private agency,
• How costs and fees would work out on a sample ticket (such as a $50 or $100 citation) under each program,
• Whether using the Attorney General for Walton Hills traffic camera collections could be paired with continued local payment options in some form.

Mayor Kolograf and council directed staff and Law Director Montello to research the options and bring back more information and draft legislation at a future meeting.

Warrant Blocks and Limited Enforcement Tools

During the discussion, the village’s representative also explained warrant blocks:

• When traffic or camera fines go unpaid, the village can apply a warrant block through the BMV,
• This prevents renewal of license plates or registration until the debt is resolved,
• The village sends an initial notice letter, and the block remains until the person pays or appears to address the matter.

However, Montello reminded council that:

• Under modern court rulings, the village’s ability to issue warrants or suspend licenses purely for non‑payment is limited,
• The registration block and collections are often the only practical leverage on old obligations.

Legislation: Traffic Camera Ordinance and 2025 Appropriation Amendment

As part of the special council meeting portion, council took up two pieces of legislation tied directly to the evening’s discussions:

Ordinance 2025‑15 – Traffic Law Photo‑Monitoring Devices

Council considered Ordinance 2025‑15, titled:

“An Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 2024‑18 amending Section 414.035 Traffic Law Photo‑Monitoring Devices of the Codified Ordinances of the Village of Walton Hills, and declaring an emergency.”

The ordinance:

• Updates the village’s Walton Hills traffic camera code section,
• Confirms that traffic camera violations are civil violations with no points assessed on driving records,
• Sets civil penalty amounts based on how many miles per hour over the speed limit a vehicle is recorded,
• Details ticket content, issuance procedures, appeals, and how judgments from Garfield Heights Municipal Court can be collected.

Council:

• Suspended the three‑reading rule,
• Adopted Ordinance 2025‑15 as an emergency, emphasizing public safety and the need for clear authority to slow traffic and reduce accidents.

Ordinance 2025‑16 – Additional 2025 Appropriations

Council also adopted Ordinance 2025‑16, titled:

“An Ordinance amending the ordinance passed for the 2025 budget making additional appropriations for current expenditures of the Village of Walton Hills, Ohio during the year 2025, and declaring an emergency.”

The ordinance:

• Adds $25,000 in new appropriations to the general fund for 2025,
• Leaves all earlier 2025 budget appropriations (under Ordinance 2024‑21 and later amendments) in effect, except where changed by this ordinance.

Council again:

• Suspended the three‑reading rule,
• Passed the measure as an emergency so the funds would be immediately available for operations.

Both ordinances bear the signatures of Mayor Don Kolograf and Fiscal Officer Nickol Sell.

Executive Session: Compensation, Police Staffing, Retire/Rehire

Before adjourning, council voted to enter executive session under Ohio Revised Code 121.22(G) to discuss:

• Employee compensation,
• Police staffing issues,
• Retire/rehire of a service department employee.

Council stated they would reconvene after executive session only to handle any required procedural motions. No public votes on these personnel matters were taken before the recording ended.

Council also formally excused Councilwoman Jennifer Allen from the special council meeting.

Holiday Event Reminder and Light Moments

Mayor Kolograf closed the open portion of the meeting with a reminder about the upcoming Saturday holiday event:

• Activities will include a juggler, balloon art, face painting, crafts, and pizza,
• Children will have a chance to meet Santa and take photos,
• In a playful exchange, officials joked about whether this Santa is the same one who rides on the village’s holiday delivery truck, finally insisting this visit was by “the real Santa.”