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., C