Council looks at streets, downtown plan

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council introduced legislation approving the Van Wert Downtown Revitalization Plan and Market Survey and also adopted an ordinance formally accepting annexation of property on which the Kennedy-Kuhn John Deere dealership is located.

Approval of the downtown revitalization plan, which was presented to Council by Main Street Van Wert Program Manager Adam Ries a few weeks ago, would also enable that organization to apply for a Tier II Community Development Block Grant to help fund future construction and renovation projects in the downtown area.

Ries said the plan was not a construction document, but merely a “roadmap” for future downtown development. “It’s not something we’re going to start tomorrow,” he noted.

Because of deadlines involved in applying for CDBG grants, Judiciary and Annexation Committee Chair Stan Agler said it was likely the legislation would be adopted at Council’s next meeting on Wednesday, November 13 (moved back from Monday because of the Veterans Day holiday).

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming noted that work on West Main Street is finishing up, with the last concrete for curbs to be poured Wednesday and final paving to start either Friday or Saturday. Fleming also noted that work is progressing on the new concession stand in Smiley Park and is ahead of schedule, while railroad-crossing work continues on Wall Street.

The first city leaf pick-up will be held Monday, November 4, Fleming also noted.

Prior to the regular City Council meeting, the Streets and Alleys Committee met to discuss future street projects. Committee Chair Pete Weir asked council members to take a look at streets in their constituent areas and make a list of streets that are in the most need of repairs or improvements. The list would then be given to the administration as input into the city’s efforts to select future street projects. City officials currently use a number of criteria, including looking at the condition of curbs, sewers and drains, as well as the condition of a street’s base and outer surface, to select which streets should receive priority for street improvements.

One street currently on track for improvements is South Washington Street, from Ervin Road to Fox Road, since Small Cities Grant money has been approved that would provide 80 percent of the funding for that project.

Mayor Don Farmer noted during his report that a new version of House Bill 5 – proposed state legislation originally intended to centralize tax collections and streamline tax forms – is again before the Ohio General Assembly.

The mayor said his administration would be keeping a close watch on the measure to ensure that it doesn’t include provisions that would be detrimental to city income tax collections. Law Director John Hatcher also noted that the state was also looking at possibly taxing services provided by Ohio businesses, in addition to products produced in the state. The law director said small business owners should educate themselves on the ramifications of the bill, which could have adverse affects on their businesses.