The Van Wert County Courthouse

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025

City Council approves 2019 tax budget

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council is halting live streaming of its meetings until problems with the broadcasts can be fixed, and Council members also discussed several other city problems, including the placing of grass clippings and leaves on city streets.

Health, Service & Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall talks about the hazards of grass clippings being blown into the street during Monday’s Van Wert City Council meeting. Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent

Council President Jon Tomlinson noted that live broadcasts of City Council meetings currently have no sound and noted that problems have regularly occurred following the decision to go from broadcasting directly from the meeting room adjacent to City Council Chambers to broadcasting from Van Wert High School. The changeover from Time Warner to Spectrum has also caused some issues, Tomlinson noted.

Tomlinson questioned whether live broadcasts are even needed, since tapes of the meetings are available for rebroadcast on the cable’s system’s public access channel and are also available on the city’s website.

Health Service & Safety Committee Chair Bill Marshall addressed the problem of glass clippings (and leaves in autumn) being blown onto city streets, noting grass clippings and leaves can be very slippery and provide a hazard to motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles, such as mopeds and bicycles.

“The reason it’s a safety hazard, especially for people who ride motorcycles or two-wheeled vehicles, is it’s just like a patch of ice,” Marshall noted. “It is a safety issue, so I think it needs immediate attention.”

Marshall and Mayor Jerry Mazur both recommended that those who blow grass clippings or leaves into the street should be charged with a misdemeanor offense, but there was some confusion over who should be ticketed if the property is a rental.

Tomlinson looked at the issue as a community pride problem, adding: “Would people please take some pride in their property?”

Tomlinson also noted he feels people who throw cigarette butts out should be ticketed as well, but the difficulty in enforcing that ban was a factor in that issue being a non-starter on Monday.

The grass clippings/leaves issue was referred to City Law Director John Hatcher for his review.

The mayor talked about the upcoming visit of 10 students and six chaperones from Sumoto City, Japan, Van Wert’s Sister City. The delegation will be her from July 24-29 and will tour various city institutions and businesses, as well as a large dairy farm in rural Van Wert County. On the final day of the visit, the community is invited to a “going away” party at Franklin Park. Efforts are also underway to have a delegation of 13 local students and chaperones visit Sumoto City in 2019.

The mayor also talked about cell phone repeater towers, which are normally placed in public rights-of-way to avoid paying rental fees, and suggested the city look at legislation that would provide more control over where cell towers are placed.

He also talked about a littering problem at the city reservoirs and asked people to be responsible in picking up after themselves, while also noting that American Legion Post 178 is sponsoring a Fourth of July Parade in downtown Van Wert this year.

Safety-Service Jay Fleming said the city is looking for a new parks director, with the resignation of Kevin Longstreth to take another position, while also noting that the July brush pick-up will begin July 9.

Council also looked at the possibility of reducing the number of printed books of the city’s Code of Ordinances to save money, but more important, save time for Council Clerk Tara Fox, who must update all copies of the code books whenever there is a change or a new ordinance is adopted.

Economic Development Committee Chair Warren Straley gave a recap of the Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation annual meeting held a couple of weeks ago, noting that the meeting provided a chance for people to obtain memberships in the corporation for $5 and also updated members on activity during the past year.

The five Council members who attended Monday’s meeting (Council members Joi Mergy and Joel Penton had both noted they would be absent and were excused) also passed the 2019 City Tax Budget 4 to 1, with First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler voting against the resolution.

Agler also voted “no” on the second reading advisory vote of an ordinance that would allow the 0.5-percent Street Income Tax to be used to install sidewalks when a street is reconstructed.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 9, in Council Chambers.

POSTED: 06/26/18 at 7:41 am. FILED UNDER: News