Van Wert City Council to hold second meeting of July

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Van Wert City Council’s first meeting of July was the longest one in recent memory, lasting two hours and 45 minutes. Monday night’s meeting could be another lengthy one.

During the July 13 meeting, council members spent a significant amount of time about legislation proposed by Councilman At-Large Hall Block that if enacted, would prohibit smoking cigarettes, cigars, vapes, pipes and other smoking devices at all city-owned parks. The proposed ordinance does not include marijuana, because pot consumption is already banned on all city-owned property.

The no-smoking proposal was met with some resistance from audience members who said they smoke or are former smokers. In addition, a couple of council members questioned the need for such a law and after that, the ordinance was revised to allow smoking only in the parking lot of each park. The vote on the first advisory reading was 5-2, with council members Jana Ringwald and Eric Hurless casting the “no” votes. The proposed legislation will have its second reading Monday night and will likely have its third and final reading at council’s August 10 meeting.

Two weeks ago, a long discussion was held by council members about legislation proposed by Hurless that would do away with the city’s tree commission, which was established 45 years ago but has not been in use in decades. Block objected to idea of no tree commission on the books and said he knows of 10 people interested in serving on it. The ordinance to do away with a tree commission advanced to a second reading by a 5-2 vote.

Among the other items on Monday’s agenda:

• The second reading of three readings of an ordinance that would prohibit private wells within the city limits.
• The second reading of three readings of an amended ordinance dealing with door-to-door salespersons in the city.
• The second reading of three readings of an ordinance creating a new handicap parking spot on the west side of N. Washington St., south of Jackson St.

A noise ordinance proposed by Block last month was tabled at the July 13 meeting for revisions. It’s unknown if more discussion will be held Monday night, if a first vote will be held or if it will remain tabled.

An ordinance that has been prepared but not formally introduced is also on the agenda. It would authorize Mayor Ken Markward to sign an annexation petition for approximately 32.4 acres of city-owned land, along with two parcels of land, approximately 12 acres, owned by the Business Development Corporation and five acres owned by the Ohio Power Company (AEP).

Various administrative and council committee reports are on the agenda and there is one scheduled speaker listed on the agenda. Tara Heck is expected to voice opposition to the planned QTS data center.

Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St. All regular council meetings are streamed live on the city’s website and are archived for in-demand viewing.