Shelby City Council addresses multiple topics in community

As it concluded its legislative business for May and addressed other initiatives, Shelby City Council faced a full agenda on a range of topics.

That included spending $27,550 on adding a culvert to address water issues along Technology Parkway.

Officials say the work is needed because years ago, the existing culverts were installed at a higher elevation than the design had called for. The reason is not known, but water is not moving properly in that area now.

"So we are going to be fixing that," through the installation of an 18-inch culvert, said Councilman Nathan Martin, chairman of the council's Utilities and Streets Committee.

"The lowest quote was $27,550, and that legislation has been prepared for this evening's meeting," Martin said May 16, noting that three quotes were provided to the city.

Council eventually voted 5-0 on the proposal.

Officials noted that the city does not own two retention ponds in the area.

Prior to that vote, Councilman Garland Gates raised a question about the third culvert and the city's financial responsibility.

"I'm struggling to find, struggling to understand how this expenditure is a public purpose," Gates said. "I'm struggling to see how the public as a whole benefits from this. It makes changes to two lakes, which are private property. I understand that there is some storm drainage that drains into them. But again, I just don't see that this is a public benefit, that the public benefits from this expenditure of money. I think primarily it's the private-property owner who benefits from it."

Councilman Martin said the third culvert would be the city's second attempt in trying to fix the stormwater drainage situation involving the existing culvert system.

"We have already exerted city expense to try and fix this problem, unsuccessfully," Martin said.

"My understanding is the way the natural drainage, stormwater movement of that area, is supposed to go from east to west and doesn't currently," Martin said.

"And as a result, whenever there is a break in the natural environmental movement of stormwater, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that that is done well," Martin said, adding that was the explanation given to him by municipal utilities director John Ensman, Shelby's deputy public service director.

"The other issue is there is not a clear delineation of ownership of the problem that can be assigned to a particular property or even properties in that area," Martin added.

"And again, it really has not much to do with the properties per se, it really has to do with making sure that stormwater moves how it's supposed to move," he said in later remarks.

Councilman Gates asked if the existing two city culverts were blocked.

"No, the culverts are not blocked and the elevations are higher than they should be," Ensman responded. "When the area was developed, they were set a little higher than they were designed to be."

City Councilman Charles Roub was able to provide first-hand information on the situation.

"I actually saw a crew out there a couple of years ago when they were attempting to do that," Roub said of the city's first attempt to fix the situation.

He stopped to speak with the city crew.

"The issue is that if it's allowed to continue the way it is, eventually it's going to destroy the roadway, and then we're going to have a bigger problem," Roub said.

"So what's happening is the water is actually flowing underneath the culvert and taking with that soil, which means that eventually the roadway is going to collapse into that hole," Roub said. "And then we're not going to have a $27,000 problem. We're going to have a $100,000 problem, and the best way to correct it is do it this way and do it now."

Councilman Gates thanked Councilman Roub for the new information.

"That had not been mentioned last week during the committee meeting, that the water was flowing underneath the culverts and undermining the road," Gates said. "That changes things greatly. I want to thank him for sharing that information."

In other business, Councilman Derrin Roberts presented the report of the Safety Committee that he leads as committee chairman.

Among highlights, Roberts said that both Fire Chief Mike Thompson and Lance Combs "would like to see council act to restrict the use of fireworks inside the city limits."

"So as we progress with our safety meetings, we will talk more about that and maybe some other committees, also," Roberts said.

According to the Ohio Department of Commerce website, beginning July 1, "Ohio residents (and nonresidents) can discharge consumer grade fireworks in Ohio either on their own property or on another person’s property with permission EXCEPT where a political subdivision has chosen to opt out, meaning they will not allow people to discharge consumer grade fireworks."

"The political subdivi

sion may also choose to place additional restrictions on when a person can discharge consumer grade fireworks," the state said.

Councilman Martin raised a question after Roberts' presentation.

"So on the fireworks legislation, this is kind of the first year that we've had kind of unrestricted (fireworks) so we're looking to restrict something that we don't know is a problem yet?" Martin asked.

Roberts said, "We think it's going to be a problem. Both chiefs thought it was going to be a problem . ... From a fire issue, obviously there's all kinds of bad stuff that can happen. From a police point of view, it's a safety issue. It's something we're going to talk about. What we come up with, we don't know yet, but that is what they (chiefs) would like to happen."

Councilman spoke of the involved.

"Obviously the Fourth of July is right around the corner," Martin said. "Even if we did miraculously get legislation before us the first of June, it's not going to go through three readings before the Fourth of July."

"So I think that it probably would be wise to wait until after the Fourth of July season to actually make sure that we're addressing the actual concerns that happened versus trying to push something through so quickly before the Fourth of July because it (legislation) is not going to make it for this year" due to the timing, Martin added.

Roberts also provided a reminder that Shelby's citywide cleanup days event is nearing on June 1-June 4. The location is in the empty parking lot south of the old Central School off High School Avenue. Hours are June 1-June 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and June 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., officials detailed in an earlier announcement.

"Flyers were sent out with the last round of utility bills," Roberts told council.

In addition, the city plans curbside collection of limbs and branches from around the Shelby community during those dates, Mayor Steve Schag has said.

Roberts also provided an update initially shared by Beth Conrad, the city's director of environmental health, at the Safety Committee meeting earlier

Martin timing in the month.

"Nine nuisances were on the books and two sent to the prosecutor," Roberts detailed to council.

In addition, applications are being reviewed for Shelby's director of nursing, Roberts said. Tiffiny Ellenberger left that position in April, ending her service to the city of Shelby throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Because of Ellenberger's departure, no comprehensive COVID-19 data report was presented at the last safety committee meeting.

At the Shelby Police Department, the Civil Service Commission was to certify nine candidates for the open dispatcher position, Roberts said. "And the police department currently is down three officers," he added. "It is difficult at this point to hire officers. Nobody's there, and the ones who are there are maybe not worth having here in Shelby. So It's becoming an issue."

Efforts are continuing to figure out a solution.

"We need to hire some people," Roberts said.

He also shared the new Memorial Day parade route that's changing this year due to downtown road construction. The parade, planned to begin at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, will start at its normal location on Grand Boulevard and end at Oakland Cemetery, the city reports on its website. "The route will utilize High School Avenue, Park Avenue, and Tucker Avenue instead of its normal route."

Roberts reported on other Safety Committee business, as well.

"Chief Thompson reported that the Civil Service Commission would meet and that Sam Sauder would be promoted to captain and be sworn in on May 12," Roberts said.

"Shelby Fire also is in need of new O2 bottles," Roberts said. "Current bottles are nearing their expected life, which is about 15 years, and they have to be replaced."

Chief Thompson told council the department wanted to give the grant process a chance so that if the city received the grant, money could be freed up to upgrade some other equipment.

Earlier, Councilman Martin presented the Utilities and Streets Committee report that addressed topics such as the culvert issue, a $50,000 state grant for lead water line identification, the opening of Shelby's community gardens and the continuation of the meter replacement program.

Councilman Gates presented the Finance and Personnel Committee report.

As of the end of April in the city treasury, a balance of about $16.6 million was reported, Gates said. "We can see how that has been allocated between Civista, PNC, Park National and U.S. Bank," he said. "By and large, U.S. Bank is the prime depository for the city, a little over $12 million of the $16 million."

Mayor Schag provided an update on the Shelby City Health Department's accreditation process.

"We're hoping to hear back in August, September," Schag said. "It's gonna take a while. Maybe it will come back sooner. But we feel good about what we submitted so we're looking for good results."

City project manager Joe Gies provided updates on floodplain management and continued troubles with some truckers not following proper detours during the downtown streetscape road construction.

"We've done a lot of different things to try to stop that," Gies said. "We are meeting tomorrow to really try to look at" -- once this construction has moved over to new locations -"what other things we can do to try to solve this problem."

Gies also mentioned the new parade route for Memorial Day.

"We put that on our website, sent it to all of the (media), and put out on social media," he said of the announcement so that people don't go to the wrong spots for the parade.

As far as floodplain management, Gies said that pending final Federal

Emergency Management Agency approval, the city's CRS classification is to move from eight to seven.

"So that means 5 percent more reduction on our citizens' flood insurance rates," Gies said. "That should start April 1, 2023."

CRS refers to the city’s Community Rating System. Every five years, an insurance services organization comes and does a review to make sure the city is doing everything correctly on floodplain regulations, Gies has said.

Meanwhile, the council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 31-2022 on behalf of the fire department and the equipment mentioned by Chief Thompson and Councilman Roberts. This authorizes the mayor, as director of public service of the city of Shelby, to apply for the community giving grant from TC Energy for the purchase of the self-contained breathing apparatus and apparatus bottles and declaring an emergency.

TC Energy provides financial assistance for emergency responders through the community giving grant.

"If awarded, this money would be used to purchase those new (O2) bottles, Roberts said.

Councilman Martin praised city department heads and chiefs for pursuing outside funding when possible.

They are "consistently looking for grants and things to do to improve their departments without just having their default being just coming to city council and the general fund," Martin said. "The amount of money that we've been able to save the citizens of Shelby because of that culture that we've cultivated within our city really, really should be applauded," Martin said.

The grant seeking the equipment for the fire department is one example of that, he said.

"There have been a lot of times where we've come here, and they've said 'I don't know if we're gonna get it, but we'll try' and other cities took themselves out of the running, and we get it (funds)," Martin said.

"So it's just a really wonderful culture to have, and it's part of all of us being good stewards of the city's resources," he added. "So kudos to the chief (Thompson), and kudos to the administration and the culture we've cultivated."

In other business, Mayor Schag and Councilman Gates praised city Law Director Gordon Eyster, who served as acting mayor for five days earlier in May when Mayor Schag was out of town.

"I want to thank Mr. Eyster for stepping up to the plate there and taking care of issues that were in the mayoral capacity," said Mayor Schag, who in separate comments noted the successful bid opening for the Black Fork Commons construction project.

Councilman Gates said: "I want to thank the acting mayor. During your absence, he issued a proclamation for Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day."

"I took the original of that to the post office and gave it to the postmaster, and she was quite tickled to receive that," Gates said. "So I thank him (Eyster) for that. And I want to thank everyone who set food out by their mailboxes on Saturday (May 14) for the letter carriers to pick up. That is a great benefit to the FISH Food Pantry."

Meanwhile, Mayor Schag, through a proclamation, designated May as Poppy Month in Shelby.

"The annual distribution of Buddy Poppies by the American Legion Auxiliary of the United States has been officially recognized and endorsed by governmental leaders since 1922," Mayor Schag said in his proclamation.

"American Legion Auxiliary Buddy Poppies are assembled by disabled veterans at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky, Ohio, and the proceeds of this worthy fundraising campaign are used exclusively for the benefit of disabled and needy veterans and the widows and orphans of deceased veterans," the proclamation states.

"I urge all patriotic citizens to wear Buddy Poppy as mute evidence of our gratitude to the men and women of this country who have risked their lives in defense of the freedoms, which we continue to enjoy as American citizens," Schag also said.

And in closing remarks in the last meeting before Memorial Day, Councilman Martin spoke about Memorial Day's importance.

"Memorial Day is not Veterans Day," he said.

"It has nothing to do with me or my service or my colleagues' service," Martin continued. "It has to do with those who are no longer with us, because they made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. So let's make sure that when we're enjoying the hot dogs and the baseball games to take a moment to reflect and to be thankful for all that we have as a result of the literal blood, sweat and tears of those who have come before us."