The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Council OKs fire/EMS services legislation

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council approved several pieces of legislation, including an ordinance modifying the speed limit on North Franklin Street near Vantage Career Center and Thomas Edison Center, during its meeting Monday night.

Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance that lowers the speed limit from 35 mph to 20 mph from 8-9 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m. on days school is in session. A sign will be placed approximately 950 feet south of Vantage’s main entrance for northbound traffic and from a school zone sign approximately 720 feet north of the main Vantage entrance for southbound traffic.

Health Service and Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall talks about possible safety issues related to trash hauling vehicles within the city.
Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent

City Council also approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming to negotiate and sign contracts with the Pleasant Township Board of Trustees to provide fire and EMS service to unincorporated areas of the township.

The legislation is the result of talks that have taken place between city officials and Pleasant Township trustees over the reinstatement of fire and EMS service provided by the city to township residents. It has been nearly 20 years since township officials ended a fire and EMS services contract with the city during the administration of Mayor Stephen Gehres.

Two pieces of legislation approved Monday deal with an annexation request on property owned by the Larry and Diana Greve Living Trust located on the southwest corner of Westwood Drive and Ervin Road. The first ordinance adopted accepts the property into the city, while the second then changes the classification from R-2 (residential) — the initial zoning designation for all property annexed into the city — to B-3 (business).

Also Monday, City Council approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Mayor Jerry Mazur to allow the city to remain in the opioid class action lawsuit that is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in Toledo.

Attorneys representing the City of Van Wert in the lawsuit have noted that remaining in the lawsuit is still in the City’s best interest.

Also adopted or prepared were several pieces of legislation related to temporary appropriations for 2020, as well as a then-and-now certificate and several “housekeeping” transfers and supplementary appropriations.

City Auditor Martha Balyeat also reported on the city finances, noting that there was “nothing extraordinary to report” financially at this time. While she noted that Van Wert Municipal Court fines and court costs remained lower than anticipated, Law Director John Hatcher said that could change with the reopening of the weigh station on U.S. 30, which brought in additional revenue to the city in the past.

Balyeat also noted that Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Stacy Adam is currently working on revising a job incentive program.

Fleming also noted that the snowfall this week was the earliest snow he could remember during his tenure as safety-service director.

Health-Service-Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall noted a situation where a city resident had more than 200 tires in his backyard, adding that it’s against city ordinance to store items such as tires at a city residence.

Marshall also said that, with the time changeover, some city trash haulers’ vehicles don’t have adequate lighting on the rear of the vehicles, making them hard to see in the mornings before sunrise. Fleming said that trash haulers are “probably the only contractors in the city not required to have lights when stopped”, while Marshall said that, oftentimes, brake lights are operational, but are dirt-covered and hard to see.

No action was taken on the situation on Monday.

Legislation was also prepared to remove the age limit for junk vehicles from an ordinance on that topic after Marshall noted that junk vehicles could possibly be newer than three years old, the current cut-off for junk vehicles.

Council also discussed legislation needed to place a charter government issue on the November 2020 ballot. Hatcher noted that his research shows that Council cannot pass an ordinance on such an issue before a maximum of 120 days prior to the election. That means city officials need to provide significant information on the issue well before legislation is adopted. 

Hatcher also noted that the legislation would consist of two questions, with the first addressing whether a commission should be formed to create a charter government proposal, and the second related to selection of charter commission members.

During his report, Streets and Alleys Committee Chair Steve Trittschuh reminded Council of a public meeting being held November 19 by the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 1 to provide information on safety improvements planned for the intersection of Marsh Road, U.S. 127, and U.S. 224 north of Van Wert.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 25, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.

POSTED: 11/14/19 at 6:51 am. FILED UNDER: News