Budget, blighted homes discussed by council

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The City of Van Wert’s 2022 permanent budget is one step closer to becoming final.

Van Wert City Council heard the first reading of the budget during Monday night’s meeting. Auditor Martha Balyeat outlined requests for additional funding from various departments. The budget will have a second reading next month then will be approved at the final March meeting.

Council members also heard the first reading of a resolution to authorize the sale of unwanted city property and an ordinance to advertise and sell unneeded, obsolete or unfit vehicles via internet auction.

During his report, Mayor Ken Markward informed council members that Northwest State Community College has announced plans to open a Van Wert campus at the former Kennedy Manufacturing site on E. Sycamore St., with classes scheduled to start this fall. NSCC officials will release more information in the coming days.

Markward also said the possibility of livestreaming council meetings is being examined, including checking to see if the city has the necessary equipment and if there will be additional charges. He also said Lt. Doug Weigle will be sworn in as the city’s new police chief.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said stump removal is underway again.

“Just to remind the public when we grind it up and leave it in a pile, we’ll be back to get it,” Fleming said. “We’ll pick it up and then we’ll be seeding all those areas in the spring when the weather is right.”

Fleming also said crews are patching potholes around the city.

Before the regular meeting, the Health, Service and Safety Committee met to discuss landlord obligations and options regarding trash disposal and to some extent, tenants obligations and responsibilities. The matter will be discussed at future meetings.

Committee Chairman Bill Marshall also brought up the topic of blighted and abandoned homes.

“We must do something about abandoned properties,” Marshall said. “We have to come up with some type of ordinance, we have to find our way through this. I’ve looked at several things on the internet from different areas and there are personal property regulations on board that are ORCs (Ohio Revised Code) that are about abandoned properties.”

“They devalue our property. I know of 12 abandoned homes that we have in Van Wert right now and there may be more that I’m not aware of but they’re very obvious abandoned homes. I think we have to create some type of legislation or ordinance that will address this issue.”

Marshall acknowledged that some of those properties may have liens against them which would require legal work.

The Heath, Service and Safety Committee will meet before Council’s next meeting to further discuss the matter.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 14, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.