Data center, pool, more discussed by council

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Answers to questions about the data center are expected to be answered sometime in March.

At Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council, At-Large Councilman Dewaine Johnson, who chairs the economic development committee, said nine pages of questions have been submitted to Council President Thad Eikenbary. The list of questions will be checked for duplicates then submitted to Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Brent Stevens, who will answer the questions. The answers will then be relayed to the public via local media, including the VW independent.

The data center, which will be constructed at the Mega Site in Van Wert, has been the subject of questions and concerns from city residents, including questions about water and electricity use.

The end user, or the company that will run the data center will be announced in late March and a community event is being planned at Vantage Career Center in the spring to share even more information. The date of the gathering will be announced in advance.

Johnson also said according to Stevens, negotiations are underway to possibly built a Hampton Inn hotel in Van Wert. Details, including the location, have not yet been revealed.

“(It’s) because of the data center,” Johnson said of the hotel chain possibly building in Van Wert. “This will mean more jobs and will provide a conduit to other businesses that follow Hampton Inn from market to market.”

Fourth Ward Councilman Eric Hurless, who chairs council’s judiciary and annexation committee, gave a brief update on municipal pool research and noted no decisions are being made.

“At this point it’s just information gathering,” he stated. “I am also attempting to reconnect with the architect and consultant that did the last feasibility study just to re-establish that communication line but like I said, no decisions are being made, no agreements are being made, just basically exchanging information at this time.”

Hurless added efforts are being paused until April to allow time for more information to come in. As far as financing, he said the city was previously awarded an Ohio Facilities Construction Committee grant but it was never used.

Council discussed the possibility of a pool in 2024 but it was eventually placed on the back burner. Hurless expressed interest in reviving the discussion last month.

Speaking on behalf of Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming, who was absent from the meeting, Mayor Ken Markward said city and county officials are working together to lower the speed limit along Van Wert Decatur Road. Much of the road, roughly between Chief Supermarket and VanCrest alternates between city and county/township property, and has a current speed limit of 55 miles per hour. A recommendation on a new speed limit is expected at the next council meeting.

Other brief discussions during Monday’s meeting centered about new sidewalks in new developments around the city and a possible new noise ordinance. Councilman At-Large Hall Block addressed both topics. Currently, the city has no noise ordinance on the books, other than one dealing with automotive noise.

Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Greg Roberts requested that legislation be prepared to repeal a 1975 ordinance requiring the city to have a parks department committee. It’s unknown when, if ever, such a committee was formed or met.

Council members unanimously passed two pieces of legislation – one that corrects errors in a previous supplemental appropriations ordinance and the other allowing Fleming to advertise for bids and award and sign contracts for the combined sewer overflow project near the Wall St. bridge. Council also heard the first of three readings of an ordinance allowing Ohio Power (AEP) to continue to operate in the city.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 9, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.