St. Marys council members approve land purchase
St. Marys City Councilors approved the purchase of property located north of U.S. 33 that could provide future development in housing and for St. Marys City Schools.
During Monday's city council meeting, council voted to suspend the rules and pass as an emergency Ordinance 2021-04 to authorize the purchase of the Philip E. Doseck Estate, approximately 147 acres of land with seven plots south of Shipman Road, approximately 77 acres, and two plots north of Shipman Road, approximately 70 acres
The property is located to the northeast of town in Noble Township, which is just outside of the city limit and adjacent to Memorial High School.
Cost of the land is $2,486,258.
During a Community Improvement Corp. meeting last week, Greg Foxhoven, the city’s director of Public Service and Safety and CIC member, asked the CIC’S Board of Trustees to approve a check of earnest money to the family of Philip Doseck to show good faith in the city’s mission to purchase property in that location. Foxhoven added that amicable negotiations took place over a span of four weeks.
Plans for the land include south parcels potentially being sold to the St. Marys City Schools District for more long-term development.
The two north parcels could potentially be space for housing developments, Foxhoven said, as the city continues to address the housing shortage in the area by purchasing land and putting it into the hands of developers.
With council approving the purchase, Foxhoven said the city is hoping to close on the property around April 1. The safety and service director added that the annexation process will start immediately after closing of the property is finished, but the city will not force any property owners who are not involved with the transition to be annexed into the city limits — it will instead offer the opportunity to them.
In other business on Monday, council:
• Suspended the rules and passed Resolution 2021-04, authorizing the director of public service and safety to apply to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for a Paddling Enhancement Grant.
• Suspended the rules and passed Resolution 2021-05, authorizing the director of public service and safety to enter into a contract with Vance's Law Enforcement for the purchase of new hand guns for the St. Marys Police Department.
Police chief Jake Sutton said the purchase of new handguns is not new money but instead from money already appropriated into the 2021 city budget. Sutton said the Let's Back The Blue campaign, a grassroots response to a decline in respect for law enforcement personnel, gave St. Marys PD a $7,488 grant to purchase red dots for their firearms, which Sutton suggested would increase the department's capabilities with their firearms and increase safety. Sutton noted that the trade-in value as compared to new firearms would be $149 and to retool the current firearms would cost anywhere between $200-$300 per gun, which Sutton said would not make sense financially.