Full or part time? Council to discuss issue

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It appears a series of meetings will be scheduled to gather input on a suggestion to change the job of Van Wert mayor from full time to part time with a reduction in salary.

Mayor Ken Markward floated the idea last year and it was brought up again during Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council, this time by Fourth Ward Councilman Andrew Davis. He suggested several joint council committee meetings be held to discuss the possibility.

“That way we can hear the opinions of the public more than anything, how they want us to approach that,” Davis stated. “I want to do multiple (meetings) because I want to give people who work second shift (to attend)…so we’ll try to do something during the day at some point, maybe meet on a non-meeting night.”

Davis added he’ll have a proposal schedule at the next regular meeting of council. He also said any change would need to be made before the August 9 deadline for non-partisan candidates to file petitions with the Van Wert County Board of Elections Office.

“By the time we run it through a couple of meetings and talk about it and things like that, we’re going to be right on the doorstep,” he said.

During his report to council, Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said diagonal, or angle parking, will become a reality on the west side of Jefferson St., between the railroad tracks and Town Creek. The idea was first mentioned by the Van Wert County Foundation last fall.

“It becomes a net gain of 19 spots,” Fleming explained. “The plan is, the Foundation is going to fund the radar controls for the traffic light and the grinding off of the old stripes and repainting the street. If we get angle parking we’re going to do away with the turn lanes. We believe there’s enough room to do this and it’s a nice gain of parking spots.”

He added radar controlled lights should mean a more efficient flow of traffic and he said an ordinance change will need to be made to make the switch to angle parking. A formal vote will come at the next meeting.

Fleming also said water and sewer customers can expect to see another notice about TTHM levels that exceed standards in drinking water. He said the notice will be included with the next water bills.

“We still have our consultants working on this,” Fleming said. “They’ve climbed towers, taken measurements, taken two sets of samples all around the city to determine if we can incorporate some mixing in the water towers to hold this off. To be clear – you do not need a different source of water, it’s just a warning that it’s supposed to be under 0.080 mg and our running average last quarter was 0.094.”

Fleming also said the Vision Drive extension project is underway and he said Eggerss Stadium sanitary sewer project is done except for patch work that needs done on Crawford St.

After a public hearing and a lengthy and sometimes heated discussion, council members approved two of four rezoning requests, going from R-2 to I-1 at 213 S. Vine St and a lot at N. Vine St. and E. Jackson St.

On its third and final reading, council members approved an ordinance to amend Chapter 30 of the Van Wert Code of Ordinances. It was described as a change to streamline meetings. Council also approved an amended TIF agreement with Jennings Crossing LLC.

Council members agreed to appoint Matthew Perry to the Tax Review Board.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 10, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St. Prior to the meeting, a public hearing will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. regarding a stone grinding project on S. Washington St.