City council wants to meet in person again

After meeting online via Zoom Monday, Wapakoneta City Council members want to get back to meeting in person in November.

Council President Steve Henderson said he and Safety Service Director Floyd Gregg were attempting to work out a plan to keep to the

10- person limit in council chambers and perhaps utilize an on- line component to accommodate the public. But Mayor Tom Stinebaugh said the Auglaize County Health Department isn’t worried about 10 people in a room — they want you to pay attention to social distancing.

The room should be set up to ensure the six- foot minimum for social distancing, Stinebaugh said, which should eliminate the need to broadcast the meeting online.

“You’ve got two weeks to figure it out mayor,” Henderson said.

Also during the brief session, council members heard progress reports about the city’s on- going construction projects and updates from the mayor.

Crews are working on seeding grass for the Riverscape project, Stinebaugh said, adding the paving is done, and the pavers are in place. He encouraged councilors and residents to check out the area.

“I’m really happy with all of it,” he said.

The project should be complete by mid- November, the mayor said, the same time the first part of the West Benton Reconstruction project is done. The holdup on West Benton Street, Stinebaugh said, is thanks to CSX who wants a flagger on site when crews bore under the railroad tracks. The mayor is not sure why a flagger is needed as the road is closed on both side of the tracks and assured council they will get blacktop down “with or without a flag

men.”

The grind and pave project is set to begin this week, Stinebaugh said, weather permitting, although he said grinding can be completed in the rain.

He reminded councilors the DORA debut is set for Nov. 3, the first day of the annual Holiday Open House event in the downtown area.

The solar energy field project proposed for south of the city is ongoing, Stinebaugh said, reporting on a recent telephone conference with officials from Generate Capital, the company that may finance the project. While the project won’t be complete this year, he said he was encouraged to learn it was, in fact, moving forward.

The city’s street department is assessing the trees and “toe stubs” throughout the downtown area, Stinebaugh said, to develop a plan to remove and replace dead and dying trees, and eliminate any trip hazards for pedestrians. He said he hopes to replace trees with similar species.

In action items, council: * Asked to have legislation prepared to use the next round of CARES Act funding to fund and safety services expenses due to the coronavirus. Gregg is looking into what is an eligible expense, Councilman Chad Doll said. He also said grant recipients should receive their funding this week;

* Tabled the third reading of an ordinance vacating a northsouth alley east of Dearbaugh Avenue as the public hearing won’t be held until Nov. 2;

* Adopted an ordinance making supplemental appropriation as well as an ordinance approving an M3 zoning classification for property south of the city adjacent to Pratt Industries property.

City council meets again Nov. 2 at 7: 30 p. m. in council chambers in city hall. A public hearing is set for 7: 15 p. m. to hear comments about the proposed alley vacation request.