Council OKs financial assistance measures

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council approved two pieces of financial assistance legislation needed to accept state aid related to COVID-19, adopted a measure needed to sell no longer used vehicles through Internet auction, and heard some less-than-positive economic information during its meeting on Wednesday evening.

Council, meeting two days later than normal because of the Memorial Day holiday, approved a resolution allowing the city to accept CARES financial assistance from federal and state governments, while also adopting an ordinance creating a separate fund to house state COVID-19 assistance. Both measures were adopted on first and final reading as emergency measures.

Council also approved Ordinance 20-05-031, which authorizes Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming to advertise and sell the city’s “unused, unneeded, obsolete, or unfit” vehicles by Internet auction, as part of its consent agenda.

During his report, Fleming noted that the existing Jefferson Street Bridge should be completely gone by Thursday, and also announced that a portion of Van Wert-Decatur Road, between Burger King and Chief Supermarket, would be closed next Wednesday for eight hours for pavement repair.

Mayor Ken Markward said in his report that a property owned by the Van Wert Area Land Acquisition Corporation (Land Bank) on the southwest corner of Keplar and Market streets would be the location of the next Vantage house construction project. 

“One of the purposes of the Land Bank was to put housing back in place (of dilapidated houses demolished),” Markward said. 

During his report, Markward also noted that the tennis courts at Smiley Park and the pickleball courts at Franklin Park are now open to the public.

Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Stacy Adam noted that unemployment in the county had gone from a 30-year low of 2.5 percent in April 2019 to a 30-year high of 16.2 percent this past April to underline the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the county’s economy.

“It’s a huge swing, without a doubt,” Adam said, adding that the county, which was in the top 10 percent of the state in job growth prior to the pandemic, has a strong foundation she feels is needed to make a fairly complete economic recovery.

Adam also said the VWAEDC will be holding a virtual annual meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. Those interested in accessing the meeting, which will be held via Zoom software, should call the VWAEDC office at 419.238.2229.

Also Wednesday, City Council heard a dispute concerning a shared driveway brought by city resident Robert Kistler. Kistler, who lives at 914 W. Main St., said that he shares a drive with a rental property to the west of his property, but has been having problems with a tenant who parks a semi tractor on the rental property, tearing up the shared driveway, as well as sometimes leaving the truck running all night.

City Law Director John Hatcher said there wasn’t likely anything the city could do to alleviate the situation, but he did feel Kistler had a civil remedy he could seek through the courts.

Prior to adjournment, Council went into executive session to discuss information from a pretrial hearing of a civil lawsuit brought against the City by Haven of Hope seeking a decision that would allow them to operate under current city zoning usages, as well as hearing information from Adam on the possible purchase of property related to economic development.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 8, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.