Mayor Donald Lofty

LoftyOn January 4, 2016, I joined the long line of Glendale citizens, dating to 1855, who stepped forward to serve our community as Mayor. I promise to do my best to maintain the high standards of public service they set. My wife Mary and I lived in Glendale and raised our children here from 1982 until 1993, when a job transfer took us to Racine, Wisconsin. When I retired in 2012, we knew there was no place else we would rather be. We returned to the Village, where I served as Solicitor until being elected Mayor.

We have not regretted our decision to return to Glendale for a minute. The sense of community is everywhere, from the beautifully improved Washington Park, to the homey feel of the Village Square, from the long-time residents on East Sharon, Chester Roads and the Historic District, to our newer residents along the northern parts of the village.

Together we all bring a special character to this village that is unique and memorable. When you add those attributes to our perennial rating as a “Tree City,” our many beautiful public parks and gardens, and the wide Green Belt that borders us on the south, you have a truly idyllic environment! I look forward to working with our neighbors from everywhere in the Village to continue to build on the legacy of my predecessors and to make Glendale even better than it is now.

MAYOR SCHEDULES TOWN HALL FORUM ON WAYS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VILLAGE GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 AT 5:30PM TOWN HALL (UPSTAIRS), 80 EAST SHARON AVE

Mayor Don Lofty reports that, “For some time, and particularly during the recent political campaign, there have been expressions of residents' desire to see improvements in communication between them and the Village Government.  Now that the political campaign is behind us, I believe that it is time to begin to address systematically ways for improving communication. 

To this end the Village has scheduled a Town Hall Forum to allow residents and representatives of the Government to come together and discuss ways of improving communication about emerging issues, policy decisions and actions taken by Village Government.  The Forum will be broadcast and recorded by ICRC.  Persons who wish to speak but cannot attend in person should contact Spencer Hawkins at the Village Office, (513) 771-7200 or shawkins@glendaleohio.org 

Read Full Article Here

MIAMI UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VILLAGE OF GLENDALE
As a part of our ongoing efforts to improve communications between the Village and residents, the Village of Glendale recently completed a study with Miami University to analyze our current communication methods, and to identify new ways to reach more citizens. The full analysis from Miami University can be read below.
Village of Glendale Communication Analysis

SIGN ORDINANCE TO BE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL

IN PUBLIC HEARING DECEMBER 6, 2021

Signs are one of the most effective ways for people to advertise their goods and services, to express their views on political, religious and other matters, or just to make a point.  However, some people consider signs unsightly and disruptive to the ambience of their neighborhood and governments like Glendale have historically regulated them.  In 2015, the US Supreme Court decided in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, protections of the First Amendment to the US Constitution generally mean that signs should not be regulated based on the content of their messages.  While that seems clear, the Court left some questions open that have confused governments and lawyers since the Reed decision was announced.  These questions are still being resolved by the Federal Courts.

As we in Village government saw examples of how larger cities attempted to comply with the new requirements, we formed an ad hoc committee of the Glendale Planning and Historic Preservation Commission to do likewise.  The Committee consisted of GPHPC Chair, Tom Breidenstein, members Beth Sullebarger and Dan Mazum, as well as our Administrator and Solicitor.  Based on current interpretations of Reed, the committee produced a draft Ordinance, which the Commission voted unanimously to send to Council for approval.  The Ordinance replaces existing sign regulations in the Glendale Zoning Code:  Section 154.27 (Residential Districts) and Section 154.37 (Business Districts) with a single Code section.

The hearing on the Draft Ordinance will be held before Council on December 6, 2021 at 7:00pm upstairs in Town Hall.  All residents are invited to attend.  For planning purposes, we ask those who wish to speak to contact the Village Office at (513) 771-7200 or dlumsden@glendaleohio.org.   The full Draft Ordinance, updated as of May 6. 2022, can be viewed here.

The Draft Ordinance is lengthy and cannot easily be summarized.  Here are some highlights that will help residents in understanding it (Sections refer to the draft Ordinance):

  1. The regulation must be “content-neutral,” in order to comply with Reed v. Gilbert and current court interpretations of that decision. Therefore, there is no discussion of the purpose or message of the sign in the regulation.  Rather, regulations in the proposed ordinance are based mainly on size, materials, condition of the sign and location.
  2. Permanent signs will require a permit, which can be obtained through the Village Office. (Section F.I) Temporary signs, which are constructed of light materials and attached to ground or structure in a non-permanent manner and are less than 9 square feet in area, will not require a permit.  Temporary signs between 9 and 30 square feet must obtain a permit and signs over 30 square feet are prohibited. (Section M)
  3. In general, signs may not be placed on public property, including parks, building grounds, and the right-of-way between the street and sidewalk. (Section K.1. Rather, they can only be placed on private property with the permission of the owner and if they comply with applicable sign code regulations.
  4. Certain kinds of signs are prohibited, such as those that move or rotate, are internally illuminated, have flashing lights, or use neon. (Section K.2) All illuminated signs must avoid beaming light onto adjacent properties and must not create a hazard for traffic. (Section L.1,2)
  5. The Ordinance will retain the distinctions between signs in Residential and Business Districts, as well as those in Residential Districts for Non-Residential Purposes, mainly businesses that the Zoning Code allows to be run out of homes. Sections O, P & Q)
  6. Signs that pose threats to traffic or public safety will be prohibited, such as those presenting dangers of falling or obstructing visibility. (Section U)
  7. The regulations will apply to all signs that are placed in public view after the date the new sign regulations go into effect. Existing signs that meet the requirements of the current regulations will not be affected by the new ordinance until they are removed, changed or replaced.  (Section R)

I hope this helps residents understand the proposed Ordinance and allows you to focus your comments on those aspects of it that are of greatest concern to you.  Let me add some cautions:  First, the proposed ordinance is a draft and is likely to change as a result input from residents and Council.  Second, the requirements discussed in this message are not a complete review of the proposed ordinance.  Third, the descriptions of those requirements are my best efforts, but the wording of the ordinance, when it is finally adopted, will determine  how it will be enforced.

Don Lofty, Mayor