Noise, junk/rubbish, smoking and solar project discussed

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

There was a lot of talk but not a lot of action during Monday’s meeting of Van Wert City Council.

The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, was primarily discussion-based around four topics – a potential new noise ordinance, possible amendments to the city’s existing junk and rubbish laws, smoking in parks, and a long-term lease for a solar project. The discussion set the table for possible action at future meetings.

Councilman At-Large Hall Block presented fellow council members with a possible noise ordinance that would include such things as loud music, loud vehicles, early morning lawn mowing, and possibly yelling. While some things are already covered under an existing ordinance, Block said his proposed legislation would clean up and expand the existing law and would cover industrial and data center noise.

“That’s something that people have been worried about and I’d like to give them some confidence that we can hold people accountable if there’s undue noise,” he stated.

Fourth Ward Councilman Eric Hurless said he believes the ordinance should include a decibel level.

“I think that would hold up in court better if it got that far, because then it’s not subjective, it’s objective,” he said.

Law Director John Hatcher noted that very few noise ordinance violations end up in court, adding that he’s seen less than 10 in 15 years.

The proposed ordinance also included vibration levels, which seemed to draw a lukewarm response, with questions on how to enforce vibrations caused by trains, certain events at the county fair, and more.

The 30-minute discussion ended with Block saying he would make revisions to his proposal and re-submit it for consideration.

On the topic of junk and rubbish laws, in cases of rental properties, First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler suggested notifying notifying not only the renter but the property owner simultaneously, which could speed up the clean-up process. Other changes and additions would include making the definition of “junk” more clear, and expanded visibility standards. Over the last couple of years, the city has put an emphasis on enforcing junk and rubbish laws. Usually, potential violations are fixed before getting to court. More discussion and potential council action is expected.

Should smoking be permitted in city parks? Smoking marijuana on any city owned property is strictly prohibited but no city ordinance seems to address smoking tobacco products in parks. Block believes it’s time for the city to enact a formal ban on it as soon as possible. 

“I don’t believe that somebody should be able to inhibit somebody else’s use of the park because they are smoking around them,” Block stated. “This is a no-nonense, bare minimum issue. I don’t understand why we would not ban smoking in parks – that’s crazy to me.”

Block then made a motion to have legislation prepared for the next meeting and council agreed by a 6-1 vote, with Hurless casting the lone “no” vote.

Council members also discussed a proposed 30-year solar project lease with Butterfly Meadows. The lease would cover 38 acres of city owned farmland off of U.S. 127. If the project moves forward, the 38 acres would be a very small part of the project. Overall, it would occupy approximately 4,000 acres of land in Hoaglin, Union and Pleasant townships. If ultimately approved at the state level, construction would likely begin in 2028. A vote could come at a future meeting.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 13, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St. Council meetings are usually streamed live on the city’s website and then archived for on-demand viewing.