VW City Council OKs purchase of property

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council approved the purchase of 1½ acres adjacent to the Bonnewitz Lift Station, adopted legislation stating the city’s intent to receive property on which the former Clark Service Station is located, and paved the way for reconstruction and widening of Woodland Avenue and alignment of the Westwood Drive-Fox Road intersection during its meeting on Monday.

Council unanimously approved legislation that states the city’s intent to receive the former Clark Service Station property located near the intersection of Jackson and Main streets.

The property would be owned by the Van Wert County Land Reutilization Corporation, and could then be acquired by a neighbor or sold to a developer interested in the site.

City Law Director John Hatcher said he had received verification that the gasoline tanks had been removed from the premises, while Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming addressed concerns about possible liability to the city from any environmental concerns related to the property.

“We’re never under any liability in this case, because we were never the owner or operator of this gas station,” Fleming noted. “That’s the way the law works.”

Following a brief executive session to discuss the matter, Council also approved the purchase of a 1½-acre tract of land adjacent to the Bonnewitz Lift Station. Cost of the land is $18,000, which Fleming said was needed to make improvements at the facility.

City Council also unanimously approved measures that would allow Fleming to take bids on a resurfacing and widening project on Woodland Avenue, and a project that would align Westwood and Industrial drives at the intersection with Fox Road.

Fleming said the Woodland Avenue project would include widening the street from Shannon Street to the railroad tracks, install gutters and curbs from Davis Street to Kenwick Drive, and grind and pave the entire street from Shannon to Woodland Cemetery.

Cost of the project is estimated at $800,000, with Fleming noting bids would be taken in June, with construction likely running from July through October for both the Woodland project and Westwood/Fox intersection realignment.

In his report, the safety-service director also said rain had delayed the city’s brush pick-up, but said city workers are attempting to finish up this week.

Council also appointed Third Ward Councilman Ken Markward to a term on the Van Wert County Land Reutilization Corporation.

Mayor Jerry Mazur also addressed the failure of the proposed 0.28-percent income tax increase in the May primary, but added that more work would be needed to get the increase approved by voters when it is placed on the November ballot.

“In my opinion, we did pretty darn good,” the mayor said, noting that the issue failed by just 25 votes. Actually, the unofficial vote difference was 49 votes, according to Van Wert County Elections Director Linda Stutz, with the issue failing 537-586.

He also said, though, that city officials would have to better address voter concerns, while also coming up with a way to get more voters to the polls. A meeting will be held to address strategy

In other legislative action, Council also voted unanimously to prepare revamped legislation relating to solid waste collection within the city, following a presentation on changes to the ordinance by Health-Service-Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall. Some tweaking of the legislation is also possible prior to passage.

Council members were also in favor of providing $21,000 in funds to the Van Wert County Regional Airport Authority for airport operations, but only if the money comes from hotel-motel tax funds earmarked for economic development.

Changes to Chapter 30, City Council’s rules, were also approved on third and final reading.

Former mayor Don Farmer also attended the meeting to add his opinion that Council should not agree to combining the city and county Revolving Loan Funds.

Farmer said the city would stand to lose up to $50,000 in administrative funds for any project approved under what is now the city RLF, while he said having the loans combined would not likely result in any major industrial development outside the city.

“Like it or not bigger industry will be located within the proper city limits, or expansion of the city,” Farmer told Council. “We have the infrastructure that they want, the road construction that they want, and it’s not available, at this time, in the county.”

Farmer’s presentation was in addition to City Auditor Martha Balyeat’s opposition to combining the funds on the basis that combining the funds would mean the loss to the city of its RLF forever.

An advisory vote on the second reading of legislation combining the two RLFs was split 3-3, with Steve Trittschuh, Markward, and Warren Straley voting against the measure, and Fred Fisher, Bill Marshall, and Jon Tomlinson in favor. Joi Mergy was not at the meeting, but had voted in favor of the legislation when it was read the first time.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of Van Wert City Council will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 22, in Council Chambers, second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.