Van Wert approved for a pair of grants

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council wasn’t completely contentious (see story above).

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming delivered some good news – the city has been awarded a pair of grants for future projects. One of those is for improvements to the intersection of N. Washington St. and Bonnewitz Ave.

“Believe it or not it falls under an emissions grant that helps us clean the environment because if we make that intersection more efficient cars won’t be built up so long,” he explained. “We’re going to do a lot of work with signalization and some driveway closures to make that Bonnewitz area flow better. It will help traffic moving to Walmart and U.S. 30.”

The other grant will fund a Fox Rd. walking path that will go from the water plant to Taco Bell. Both projects are scheduled for 2027.

In other business, council members approved a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Slusher Jewelry for the future site of Bigby Coffee, and council members heard the second reading of Downtown Redevelopment District legislation.

Three “then and now” invoices were approved by council – one to the Ohio EPA $4,634.43 for surface water programs and a pair of invoices to CSX for burrowing under the railroad on Leeson Ave, for water and sewer lines, each for $3,700.