VW City Council puts gas issue on ballot

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

After a good deal of discussion at the last meeting, the topic of trash and rubbish pickup within the city limits was brought up again during Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council.

Law Director John Hatcher told council members since the previous meeting two weeks ago, he believes communication between law enforcement, his office and the community has progressed to a point where things are being handled in a more efficient manner in terms of a citywide cleanup and code enforcement.

“More people are getting the right information sooner which has been helpful for everyone involved,” Hatcher said. “It’s caused less frustration and I think we’re reaching a situation with the community where this is starting to work. I’m very optimistic.”

Hatcher added the city is doing everything it can to work with the public and he said continued communication is the key.

“Most of the cases that have bad results are the cases where people ignore something coming from us or don’t go through the proper channels trying to get the information back to us,” Hatcher stated. “If we work on those two problems then most everything else can be overcome.”

City Council heard a brief presentation from Amy Hoffman of Toledo-based Palmer Energy Company about natural gas aggregation. Ohio law allows communities, including townships, cities, villages and counties, to form aggregated buying groups to buy gas, typically at lower prices.

She noted her company worked with the city 10 years ago to put electric aggregation on the ballot for the city and said it’s resulted in savings with no issues. She requested council members approve placing the natural gas issue on the May 3 ballot.

“Once it passes, we as the consultant go out and bid it out to multiple suppliers to get a competitive rate against the rate you can get on your own,” Hoffman said.

She also said the same issue will be on the ballot in unincorporated areas of the county and she said if it passes, residents and business can opt out if they so choose.

Council members later passed an emergency resolution to place the issue on the ballot. The filing deadline is February 2.

In other business, council members approved an emergency resolution to pay $22,304 for the city’s share of an ODOT paving project along U.S. 127 South that will come into the city limits the Sunset Drive area. Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said work is expected to begin in a few weeks.

Council also agreed to hold a committee of the whole meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, February 28, to review landlord obligations and garbage pickup, and council members heard the second reading of an ordinance to change the first parking space on the north side of the 100 block of East Central to a handicap parking space.

Council also heard the second reading of resolutions recognizing former council members Joi Mergy, Joel Penton, Jon Tomlinson and Steve Hellman for their service to the city.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, February 14, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St. A committee of the whole meeting will be held at 6 p.m. that day to discuss a request for funding by the Van Wert County Regional Airport.