City Council OKs 3-year police contract

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council approved a new three-year contract for city police officers during an otherwise brief and uneventful meeting on Monday.

Police officers received a 3 percent raise the first year of the contract (2015), with a 2 percent wage increase the second year and a 1 percent raise in the final year of the contract (2017).

City Auditor Martha Balyeat and Mayor Don Farmer also provided some financial information for City Council. The mayor noted that tax revenues were down $4,100.52 in July, but still up more than $85,000 for the year.

During her report, Balyeat noted that the city had spent $144,544 more than it had taken in so far this year, but added that, compared to figures included in this year’s tax budget — which called for spending more than $1 million over earnings — the city has spent a relatively small amount more than it has received. “That leads me to believe we’re in pretty good shape as far as our comparison to revenues and expenses,” the auditor said.

Mayor Farmer also talked about certification for the 1,600-acre megasite, noting that the city has held talks with the Marsh Foundation for an easement for an electrical line onto the site. However, discussions with the state on electrical needs at the site have led to a preliminary agreement similar to that with natural gas lines that allows the city to delay installation of electrical lines to the site until an end user is found for the site.

The mayor said the agreement would allow for quicker certification of the megasite, while also allowing the city to better tailor gas and electric service to the needs of an end user.

Mayor Farmer also talked about a recent visit he made to a Toyota auto plant near Princeton, Indiana. Noting that he was able to present a packet of materials about Van Wert and the megasite to the president of that facility, the mayor also noted some of the economic benefits from having a plant such as that one in a community.

Mayor Farmer said the Toyota plant has paid approximately $70 million in taxes since it was constructed in 2000, while having an annual payroll of approximately $350 million.

The mayor also addressed a concern raised locally by existing companies when Honda was looking at Van Wert as a possible plant site. While local companies were concerned that there would be enough employees to staff a possible Honda plant, Mayor Farmer said the Toyota plant has found that employees will drive from as far as 75 miles away — with the average being 45 miles — to work at the plant.

Noting that Princeton, Indiana, is a town of 8,700 in a county of approximately 33,000 people — while also stating  that a 35-mile radius around Van Wert contains approximately 550,000 people — the mayor said he didn’t feel there would be a problem finding people to work at a major plant built on the megasite.

“My point being, that when you create and fill the megasite with that type of industry, people will drive to it,” Mayor Farmer said.

Also during the meeting, Councilman At-Large Stan Agler told of having a Dominion Gas worker call him and ask for his account information. While the mayor noted that the call was legal, he and Agler also recommended that any Van Wert residents contacted avoid providing any account information or any personal identification, such as a social security number, to telemarketers.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming told Council that bids were currently being sought for fall street paving projects, with the bid opening set for September 3. Street paving work is expected to be completed by October 31 of this year.

In addition to the police contract, City Council also adopted resolutions dealing with health insurance matters, including employee contribution and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).