Landlord: 'People, like me, are a force for good' in Alliance

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the last name of a property owner.

ALLIANCE ‒ A pair of city initiatives, including one that has provoked the ire of landlords, have entered the homestretch.

The first measure ‒ a citywide comprehensive property inventory and assessment involving the Western Reserve Land Conservancy ‒ is ahead of schedule. The nonprofit will create a complete digital database on all 11,800 parcels within the city limits.

Peter Wearstler, the city's planning director, said there is 1% left, and all the remaining property is city-owned. He told City Council on Monday night that all of the data would be sent to Western Reserve Land Conservancy to evaluate and present a final report soon.

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Safety-Service Director Mike Dreger, along with Wearstler, praised the nine part-time inspectors for getting their survey work done within seven weeks ‒ not 10, as planned ‒ because it saved the city 30% on related expenses.

"It was a good staff," Dreger said.

Law Director Caitlyn Weyer said she wanted to wait on the survey results before she crafted legislation on new rental property rules, the other initiative that has raised concern for the last six months with landlords. It is close to getting on the council agenda.

Property owner: 'Put it on the ballot. Let the citizens decide its fate.'

While the survey was not directly tied to the city's plans to regulate landlords, it has been seen as a potential resource for new rules. Weyer said the survey report might have a different outlook on the situation, and, "I want to see what they tell us before we go on," she told council.

Councilman Phillips Mastroianni, chairman of Council's Planning, Zoning and Housing Committee, in charge of the proposal, said he was "fine" with waiting on the survey report, but, after that, he didn't want any further delays with legislation.

Meanwhile, a steadfast group of property owners have kept pressure on City Council to turn back and rescind the proposal. That group - frequently 20 to 30 people, but not always the same owners ‒ attend every council and committee session that might discuss the rental regulations.

"We're all against it," Wes Schulz, a property owner, told City Council on Monday night.

Paul Billing, a Perry Township resident and educator who owns property in Alliance, said he buys and rehabilitates houses as another income. He said the rental regulations, which include city inspections, would weaken his ability to "add value" to the community.

"I created value in this city," he told City Council. "People like me are a force for good. We are people who like to add value. I think this would make it harder to do that."

George Vasu, also a property owner, made a suggestion.

"Put it on the ballot. Let the citizens decide its fate," he said. "Even I can win an election when I run unopposed. Remember that."

In other business, council:

• Heard from Mayor Andy Grove that the latest population figures show the city has grown by 2%. The last growth, he said, was in 1962. "It's only 2% but all of it is in the right direction."
• Appointed Herb Watson II to the city's Board of Zoning Appeals. His term expires Dec. 31, 2027.
• Heard the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration returns Aug. 24, starting at noon, in Maple Beach Park. The event has a parade, live music, food, drinks and other activities. "All are welcome," said Councilwoman Cindy King.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com . On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP .

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Landlord: 'People, like me, are a force for good' in Alliance