Productive night for Van Wert City Council

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Approximately 4,700 new residential water meters will be installed around Van Wert.

During Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council, legislation was approved to advertise and receive bids and award a contract to the lowest and best bidder for the water meter replacement project.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said carryover funds from water and sewer and American Rescue Plan funds will pay for the project.

“We’ll draw $500,000 from each of those funds and then use $1 million in ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds,” Fleming explained. “That way we can finance the project without borrowing so that save us potentially $200,000.”

On a separate topic, Fleming said the city will do an additional pickup of limbs and branches that came down during a weekend wind storm.

Council members heard a request from Van Wert County Airport Authority board president Fred Fisher to help fund the cost of a part-time maintenance worker at the airport. Fisher said the county commissioners are willing to split the projected $30,000 cost if the city is on board.

“We’re growing, we’re having more issues and we have more maintenance,” Fisher said.

The request will be considered at future meetings and it led to a brief discussion of possibly transferring 140 acres of city-owned property at the airport to the Airport Authority. The move would save the city approximately $13,000 per year in property taxes. Like the additional funding request, the idea and various stipulations will be discussed at future meetings.

Van Wert Area Economic Development Executive Director Stacy Adam informed council members that the land bank has taken possession of the long vacant motel on North Washington Street and she said plans are being formulated to demolish the structure sometime in 2022.

During her report, City Auditor Martha Balyeat income tax revenue remains about $12,000 ahead of last year and she said the general fund will end the year in a better position than anticipated. 2022 budget items were discussed and council members later approved a three-month temporary budget.

Council approved two ordinances dealt with salaries for employees of the police and fire departments, service department, auditor’s office, income tax and administration, and three percent raises for non-bargaining unit employees.

Four appointments were made during Monday night’s meeting. Mayor Ken Markward reappointed councilman at-large Bill Marshall to a three-year term on the Design Review Board and Trevor Bebout to a six-year term on the City Planning Commission. Council members agreed to reappoint Julia McGrath to a two-year term on the Board of Tax Review and Jeanne Ziegler to a three-year term on the Design Review Board.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, December 27, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.