Lancaster · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lancaster public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Land development between Route 158 and Election House Road
Council Member Ailes warned colleagues that developers are again eyeing the land between Route 158 and Election House Road — the same spot that triggered flooding fears 43 years ago. He says expect a wave of resident calls if it proceeds.
$1 million RED grant for Casto housing site
The city received a $1 million state housing grant to reimburse developer Casto for site preparation, with legislation introduced to move the funds.
Eyman Avenue rezone to Advanced Manufacturing
A 1.8-acre parcel on South Memorial Drive is now zoned Advanced Manufacturing, locking in industrial use next to Biggs Group's existing 7.2-acre site. Supporters say residential use there was never realistic given floodplain and access issues.
Early payoff of 2012 water bonds
The water division wants to call its remaining 2012 water bonds early, freeing up cash ahead of bigger state loan payments — expected to save ratepayers at least $108,000 in interest.
Fire department overtime funding
The fire department is short-staffed, so council is moving $75,000 from salaries to overtime to cover contractually required overtime pay.
Early retirement of 2012 water bonds
The Division of Water wants to call its 2012 revenue bonds early, freeing up cash ahead of bigger OWDA payments and saving ratepayers an estimated $108,000 in interest.
Police funding for obligations and retirements
Two measures move money for the police department: about $95,550 to cover sick-leave buyouts, uniform allowances and overtime, and roughly $126,000 to cover retirements — including one tied to the unexpected passing of Officer Ray Hampbell.
Job and Family Services concerns raised by resident
A Lancaster mother alleged falsified drug tests and abuse of her children in foster placements during an emotional public comment, asking council to review her evidence.
NOPEC municipal electricity agreement
The city's NOPEC contract expired about three years ago and the city has been paying below-market rates they can no longer sustain; a new ordinance kicks off a re-bid for municipal buildings that will mean higher rates.
Concentration of sober-living homes on one street
A new resident on East Mulberry Street says three sober-living facilities have landed on his block in under a year, including one with occupants wearing ankle monitors near playing children. He wants to know if there are limits per block.
Rising Park Shelter Restoration
The city is asking the state capital budget for $500,000 to restore the deteriorating Rising Park shelter; without the full grant, the project likely won't move forward.
Marijuana dispensary moratorium review
A resident asked council to lift the city's moratorium on cannabis, arguing Lancaster is losing consumer spending and tax revenue to other cities and that 52% of local voters supported Issue 2 in 2023.
Police Chief Departure
Lancaster's police chief is packing up and heading south for a new gig, which means the city is officially on the hunt for a fresh top cop to run the department.
Zoning corrections for former LAP site and commercial properties
Council fixed a 2023 zoning error that wrongly turned manufacturing land residential, and restored commercial zoning to several businesses that had faced hardship. The changes passed unanimously after public hearings.
Zoning map change and code overhaul
Council fixed a 2023 zoning mistake by rezoning the old LEP property back to advanced manufacturing and rewrote parts of the zoning code to reduce hardships on business owners. Both passed unanimously after unopposed hearings.
Fire Department mutual aid modernization
The fire department's mutual aid rules hadn't been updated since 1952; Council modernized them to match current best practices with surrounding departments.
Wastewater plant odor complaints
Residents in the third, fourth and fifth wards keep reporting smells from the wastewater plant. Council members Smiley and Cohen both raised it; Water Pollution Control's Curtis is preparing clearer public explanations of what's being done.
St. Mary School resource officer
Council fast-tracked a contract putting a dedicated police officer at St. Mary School starting with the 2026-2027 school year, waiving the usual third reading to get it done before classes begin.
Ewing Woods TIF agreement on Sheridan Drive
Council approved a tax-increment-financing agreement with developer Ewing Woods LLC to support its Sheridan Drive development — a tool that redirects some property-tax growth to pay for project infrastructure.
Rezoning for 316 Sylvan Avenue and 1117 West Mulberry Street
A request from JFM Excavation to rezone the old Lancaster Electroplating site back to advanced manufacturing, with a public hearing set for August 10.
Lucas chest compression device for fire department
The police department is hunting for grant money to buy high-tech AEDs for cruisers that can communicate with each other while helping residents in cardiac emergencies.
BP Energy gas supply partnership
Lancaster Municipal Gas is teaming up with BP Energy for expertise managing its complicated gas supply program, tied to the Port Authority's $300.5 million gas bonds.
Two-year council terms
Council members' short two-year terms came up repeatedly as a possible reason to look at a charter. Law Director Hall pointed out the city can already switch to four-year terms through a simpler state-law process (ORC 731 and 733) without a charter.
Potential charter form of government for Lancaster
Lancaster is one of Ohio's largest cities still operating under the state's default statutory rules. A charter would let the city customize its government — council terms, how laws are passed, which offices are elected — but forming one requires a lengthy, expensive ballot process, and past attempts in 1951 and 1990-91 died at council.
Federal housing grants — CDBG and CHIP
The city will apply for $1.5–2 million in federal housing money to fix 50–65 homes at roughly $20,000 each, with a possible weatherization add-on of up to $350,000 if Community Action partners. Council is fast-tracking it with an emergency clause because the application is due August 31.
Proposed Department of Public Works Consolidation
Mayor McDaniel wants to merge LDOT, Engineering, Electrical, and Cemeteries into one department, using retirements as a chance to restructure without layoffs.
ADA Accessibility for Downtown Businesses
The city is seeking a $10,000 AARP grant to buy portable ADA ramps that businesses could borrow — but a council member objected that businesses should cover their own compliance costs.
City Hall renovation financing
Council took the first reading on a note of up to $6.4 million for City Hall renovation; the auditor said the city will pay down principal and borrow closer to $5.8 million.
Accessible pedestrian signals at 12 intersections
A $70,000 CDBG grant bought talking and vibrating crosswalk buttons for visually and hearing impaired residents; city crews install them for free.
Rising fuel costs squeezing city budgets
Unleaded jumped from $2.45 to $4.15 a gallon and diesel from $3.39 to $6.05 since late February. Departments may come back to council this fall asking for more money.
Complete streets after Lincoln Avenue crash
Two recent curb-jumping crashes — one at Firehouse Park — have a resident urging council to redesign streets so speeding drivers can't leave the roadway.
National opioid settlement recovery
The city can join a settlement with six pharmacy distributors and recover funds from the nationwide opioid litigation.
Police response speeding
A resident says officers routinely speed on non-emergency runs, particularly on the West Side, and suggested a dedicated traffic division like Zanesville's.
Housing Grant Award — $1 Million for Sheridan Development
Lancaster won $1 million from the state's new REDD workforce housing program for the CASTO project on Sheridan — the only Central Ohio winner in a $10 million program — driven by proximity to four regional mega-projects.
Eastside Industrial Connector Study
The city won an $800,000 federal grant to study an alternate east-west corridor to relieve Main Street traffic. The legislation lets the city sign the agreement and hire engineers for the feasibility study.
Miller Park Redevelopment
Council is moving to phase one engineering design for the Miller Park redevelopment; community partners have already raised over $2 million for the project.
Rezoning of 1560 East Main Street
A vacant lot was mistakenly given residential mobile-home zoning in a 2023 map update, blocking the owners' development plans. Council restored commercial general zoning so the site can be built out with retail, service or office uses.
Election Campaign
Local candidate Joe Bizjak has kicked off his city council campaign, signaling that local election season is officially underway. It's time to pay attention because the upcoming vote will directly shape how your tax dollars are spent and which city services get prioritized.
Property Acquisition
Lancaster is buying the old General Sherman Junior High building from the school district, setting the stage to turn the vacant property into something new. This means a fresh chance to revitalize a major neighborhood asset instead of letting it sit empty.
Infrastructure Dispute
Lancaster residents are super frustrated because city officials claim they can't do anything to fix the ongoing issues on Riverway Drive. Local leaders are facing mounting pressure to find a solution, but so far, they've offered no relief.
Fire Department Personnel Decision
An arbitrator says Lancaster was totally in the right when they fired a firefighter-medic for using the wrong-sized needle on a teenager. It's a big call on medical standards that backs up the city's decision to let the staff member go.
Public Nuisance Enforcement
Lancaster officials are cracking down on the Relax Inn, a local motel that's been causing continuous headaches for the city. The move aims to shut the property down for good due to ongoing public nuisance issues.