Council meeting proves to be a fiery one

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s fair to say Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council was a bit contentious at times.

During the near two-hour meeting, council members approved an ordinance allowing the property at 10480 Greenville Road to detach from the city limits. It passed 6-1 on its third and final reading, with First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler casting the lone no vote.

The owner of the property, Daniel Dasher, doesn’t receive city water or sewer service, and Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said it would cost approximately $100,000 to extend water and sewer lines to his property, an expense that would come from the city’s coffers. As he did during previous discussions about the matter, Agler said the city should take necessary measures to provide water and sewer service to Dasher and he questioned the accuracy of the price tag, which led to a brief debate and raised voices among Agler, Fleming and Mayor Ken Markward.

Fourth Ward Council Andrew Davis questioned if the city would be opening a can of worms if the request was denied and water and sewer service was provided.

“If we vote no and spend $100,000 or potentially more to extend water, are we opening ourselves to a what could potentially be a $2 million project?” he said referring to other properties currently within the city limits. “I don’t know if we’re in a fiscal position to put ourselves at risk to write what could be a massive check because once we set this precedent it could open us up to other situations to things that maybe haven’t been correct in the past.”

“So it’s kick the can down the road government,” Agler said. “We’re a kicking the can down the road government.”

Earlier in the meeting, Davis requested legislation be prepared to modify certain existing council rules, including some procedural rules, plus a calendar for council to follow to set salaries for elected officials. Davis, who chairs council’s Judiciary and Annexation Committee, said the committee discussed the matter during a recent committee meeting, but Second Ward Councilman David Stinnett said he didn’t know about it and questioned if a meeting notice was issued. A meeting notice wasn’t issued to the media, but Davis replied by saying it was posted on the city’s website and met all Sunshine Law requirements, an answer that didn’t sit well with Stinnett.

“You had to look at the website because that’s what he wanted,” Stinnett said in a raised tone. “He did not want nobody to know about it.”

“I want to point out I was directed by the law director on what we needed to do,” Davis replied.

During the discussion, City Auditor Martha Balyeat said she believes decisions on council procedures should be made early in the term instead of near the end of a term.

Council eventually voted 4-3 to prepare the legislation, with Stinnett, Judy Bowers and Julie Moore voting no.

During his report to council, Markward addressed the situation with water bills for people with new meters who were mistakenly overcharged (see related story here). Balyeat chimed in and noted employees in the water office have taken a lot of abuse over the snafu.

“They have undergone undue abuse the last 10 days and I think many of our citizens should be ashamed of themselves for ripping those girls for decisions were made and (how) this transformation from quarterly to monthly went,” Balyeat said. “The treatment that they have received has been terrible so if you go past the water office, tell them they’re doing a good job and that you appreciate their hard work.”

In other business, council members approved raises for council and other elected officials for 2024-2025. On its third and final reading, the vote was 4-3 in favor of raises, with Bowers, Stinnett and Moore voting no. Agler, Davis, Bill Marshall and Jeff Kallas voted in favor of the increase. Annual salaries of council members will increase from $4,900 to $6,100, and the salary of the council president will go from $5,500 to $6,700 annually, starting next year.

A vote to increase future salaries of the mayor, law director and city auditor passed by a 7-0 vote. The mayor’s salary will increase by three percent annually, to $55,805 in 2024, $57,379 in 2025, $59,103 in 2026 and $60,876 in 2027. The law director’s salary will increase by three percent annually, to $72,403 in 2024, $74,575 in 2025, $76,812 in 2026 and $79,116 in 2027, and the salary for the city auditor will increase by three percent to $65,822 in 2024, $67,797 in 2025, $69,831 in 2026 and $71,926 in 2027.

After a 15-minute executive session, council members also approved a three-year contract with Local 3767 of the AFSCME, Ohio Council 8, AFL-CIO, which includes street, water and parks department employees. The deal calls for raises of five, four and three percent plus a one time $600 signing bonus.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 28, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.