Council honors Shultz, OKs legislation

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council commended fellow Council member Dick Shultz and also approved the final legislative piece in a new set of trash collection regulations during its next-to-the-last meeting of the year Monday evening.

Council President Gary Corcoran and fellow Council members recognized Shultz, who is leaving City Council at the end of the year after serving 20 years on that body, for his contribution to city government.

“I know Dick has served, not only on this body, but other organizations within our community a considerable amount of time,” Corcoran noted. “It would be appropriate for us as a body to express our appreciation for the years Dick has invested in us, as well as the community as a whole.”

Council unanimously approved a resolution, with Shultz abstaining, to honor him for his Council service.

Shultz began his Council career as Fourth Ward councilman, replacing Marty Burchfield, who moved to council president in 1990.

Shultz made the decision not to run for re-election this past year, ensuring that there will be three new at-large council members seated when the new year rolls around. That’s because fellow At-Large Councilman Don Farmer was elected mayor and voters approved Joi Mergy for the Second Ward Council seat.

Moreover, although incoming at-large members did not serve in that capacity this term, all three have prior experience on Council. Council veteran and former mayor Stan Agler currently serves as Fourth Ward councilman, while Jeff Agler was formerly Council representative for First Ward and Brent Crone formerly served as an at-large member of Council.

Legislative action taken Monday included approving an amended measure providing regulations for recently passed trash collection changes, authorizing Mayor Louis Ehmer to apply for a downtown revitalization CDBG grant program, appropriating the city’s share of the cost of replacing the Wall Street bridge and vacating non-existent Kohn Street, a city thoroughfare that was never constructed.

Council also voted to prepare legislation creating a Health Savings Account program for city employees and to set maximum salary requirements for the coming year.

City Auditor Martha Balyeat reported on the city’s finances through 11 months of this year, noting that while revenues were $88,000 less than in 2010, city departments again were fiscally responsible, with expenses nearly $400,000 less than revenues so far this year.

Councilman Jon Tomlinson commended Mayor Ehmer’s administration for the city’s positive financial outlook. “We’re down in revenue, but we’re still up in the difference between revenue and expenses,” Tomlinson noted. “I think that shows good planning, and it also shows good leadership and good stewardship of tax dollars.”

Balyeat agreed, noting that, although revenues haven’t increased, city department heads have managed to keep their expenditures under budget.

Prior to the regular Council meeting, Council heard Randy Payne, community affairs manager for AEP Ohio, talk about the utility’s Electrical Security Plan settlement agreement. Payne also discussed the agreement last week with the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners, which had sent a letter opposing the agreement on the advice of First Energy, one of AEP Ohio’s biggest competitors.

With recent approval of electric aggregation within the city and county, Payne noted that AEP was not against aggregation and pointed local residents toward the website of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which regulates utility companies in the state. Payne said the website included information on aggregation

Farmer also urged local residents to attend one of two public hearings being held Wednesday to explain the electrical aggregation program approved by voters in November. The meetings will be held at 4 and 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Ohio State University Extension meeting room, located in the Administration Building at the fairgrounds.