E-bikes and more discussed at meeting

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Monday’s Van Wert City Council agenda was light in terms of legislation, but a variety of different topics were addressed during the meeting, which lasted slightly longer than 90 minutes.

Council members heard a plea from city resident Scotty Beair, who said the city’s laws on e-bikes need to be addressed. Beair explained that his parked car was recently hit and damaged by a person riding an e-bike, a bicycle with an electric motor that helps the operator pedal faster and farther. He also said the e-bike rider was not charged.

“There’s a lot of gaps in the law on e-bikes,” Beair stated. “Yes, they can get ticketed for failure to control but they’re using another loophole, since we was physically not driving our vehicles. That’s his ‘out’ of being responsible so I would technically have to hire an attorney and sue him.”

Beair also said his insurance company questioned why the e-bike operator wasn’t cited and he called for changes in the existing law. Law Director Jon Hatcher told Beair he would look into the issue. 

Council members heard from First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler, who complained about a property at the corner of Central Ave. and Chestnut St. A number of bicycles, lawn mowers and other items take up much of the yard. A photo of the property was shown to those in attendance.

“It needs cleaned up tomorrow, not next week, not next month, not next year,” Agler said emphatically.

The property is a rental and Agler suggested citing the owner, something Hatcher said he would look into.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said city residents will likely see a notice in their October water bills about levels of TTHM that remain above drinking water standards.

“We just completed our fourth quarter sampling for this year and our running annual average based on these latest results show 0.0863 (mg/L),” he explained. “Our limit was 0.080, so we’re again in violation and we kind of expected to be with the hot times we’ve had and the algae issues. The positive side is pilot studies on some treatment techniques, one being aeration – we’ve tested water at the plant and both water towers and the first go-around in that testing show about a 15 percent reduction in TTHMs.”

He noted dedication plats for the Bonnewitz Ave. extension project will need council approval, and he gave an update on the Leeson Ave. reconstruction project and said mass excavation is underway.

“All of the utilities are done – storm sewer, sanitary and water are all complete – everyone is hooked up to the new water main and all of the hydrants are installed, so now they have to go the length of the street and remove all of the old material, get down to a good dirt base and build it back up with stone,” Fleming said. “That’s going to take place over the next month. While they’re moving down the street, not only are they cutting the street, they’re going to remove driveways, all the sidewalks.”

He added that Leeson Ave. residents will have to temporarily park elsewhere for driveway, sidewalk and curb reconstruction, but he said that could be as little as 2-3 days for affected residents. He said he’s hopeful pavement will go down in late October or early November.

“The goal is to get all of the pavement down and the concrete poured with the exception of the top course of blacktop…that would be completed in the spring,” he said.

During her report, City Auditor Erika Blackmore said she’s beginning work on the next budget and she noted city employees won’t pay more for health insurance next year.

“I got the call from our insurance broker and we are going to have a zero percent increase on health insurance, which is unheard of,” she stated.

She also said a check of previous years showed annual increase of three to five percent.

Council members heard the third and final reading of an ordinance that establishing a no parking zone on the east side of Tyler St., from 800 S. Tyler to the end of the street. It was approved 6-0. Councilwoman At-Large Judy Bowers was absent from the meeting.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, September 23, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St. All regular council meetings are streamed live at vanwert.org, then archived for on-demand viewing.