By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Waiving this year’s fees for the Bratwurst Festival was approved by the Finance Committee during the joint regular committee meetings for Bucyrus City Council Thursday night, but there are a few catches for the city to move forward to waive the fees yearly.
During the Finance Committee’s meeting, Bratwurst Festival Board President Deb Mason appeared before the committee. Mason explained the hours that the volunteers put into making the festival happen, while also noting that the festival’s volunteers were responsible for replacing the city’s barricades, which are in use year-round.
Mason also added that their proposal is to attain a 501(c)3 licensure, enforce the copyright on the Bratwurst Festival logo, and reduce vendor prices for local nonprofit vendors to $100 if the fees that are imposed on the festival are removed.
Councilman Mark Makeever noted that of the 40 people he spoke with on the matter the majority were questioning whether the waiving of fees would be for just one time, or if it would carry over. Makeever asked that the Bratwurst Festival show in writing that they have applied for the 501(c)3 license and that they have spoken with an attorney about how to enforce the festival’s copyright.
Council President Sis Love added to Makeever’s sentiment.
“People want to see a plan, and see things in writing, whether the event is going to have a corporate sponsor, approach those that profit from the festival on how they can help out,” Love said.
Councilman Steve Pifer added his two cents into how the festival should be funded by the city.
“Why not take the bed tax money that goes into the general fund,” Pifer said. “It should go to the fest once they are in 501(c)3 status. I would say the majority of our bed tax money is collected from the festival.”
Makeever threw in that the festival should also charge the beer gardens that profit from the festival.
“Charge the six beer gardens because without the festival they don’t have their beer gardens,” Makeever said. “That would help defer the cost.”
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The Finance Committee also approved appropriations for the custodian/clerk position, and the renewal of depository agreements.
The city’s Mary Street garage may receive new life after the Public Lands and Buildings Committee approved investigating the structure’s condition for future use for after school programming with the police and fire departments.
Bucyrus Police Lt. Tom Walker appeared before the committee requesting that the garage be used as a site for an explorer program as well as for youth programs taught by the Bucyrus Police Athletic League.
“We have knowledge that we can give to kids,” Walker said. “I am a result of the Explorer Program in Crestline. I feel it would be a phenomenal opportunity to reverse some the negative trends in our community.”
Walker gave the example of the Bucyrus Youth Soccer League as being a successful venture in the Bucyrus Police Athletics. Walker noted that while it wasn’t officially sponsored by the Bucyrus Police Athletic League, a few of the officers on the squad helped facilitate its creation.
Bucyrus Law Director Rob Ratliff was in agreement, but noted that the building needed to be inspected first.
“We have to make sure that the garage is usable and that we have an alternate place for storage,” Ratliff said. “We need funding through grants, it has the bones we need, and we just need to flesh it out.”
Sidewalk usage for establishments was tabled by the Health and Safety Committee. The approval of Norman’s Niche to have non-permanent outside seating for customers wasn’t objected to by the city, however, the measure was tabled in order for the city to figure out if outdoor dining locations such as Norman’s Niche should be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals, or if the city should look at the beer garden and open container laws and make adjustments to those.
Michelle Norman spoke before the committee seeking approval so that the liquor license for her establishment could be approved.
Mayor Jeff Reser spoke in favor of a Norman’s Niche’s outdoor seating area.
“Everywhere you go, every restaurant, hotel, and bar has outdoor seating,” Reser said.
Doug Leuthold, who was in attendance, spoke in favor of the seating.
“I find it interesting that we discussed how to help small businesses to grow, and this would be one of those ways,” Leuthold said.
Discussion on the International Property Maintenance Code was discussed by the Health and Safety Committee.
Questions about who should have sent out the letters were brought up, as the code states that it should be sent by the Coding Official, John Rostash. In the event of prosecution, however, the letters were sent out by Law Director Rob Ratliff.
Dave Markley expressed displeasure that he was sent a letter due to chipped paint on his house. Markley noted that the letters stated that those in violation could receive up to a $1,000 fine and a first degree misdemeanor.
“So you guys are saying that chipped paint is as bad as someone driving drunk, which is also a first degree misdemeanor,” Markley questioned.
“Actually, drunk driving is an unclassified misdemeanor,” corrected Ratliff.
Councilman Pifer stopped the escalating argument from getting out of hand, saying to council that they need to learn about the International Property Maintenance Code.
“I recommend to learn about this, we sleep on it and absorb the knowledge of the law through osmosis,” Pifer said. “We will be hearing about this a lot. It is like a rash that is not going away.”
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A few changes to the 2016 Mill and Pave legislation, including fixing the square at the site of the water main break, were approved by the Platting Committee.
Safety/Service Director Jeff Wagner noted that the project is set to cost roughly $32,000. Wagner also noted that he had to remove the bike trail parallel to Friendship Drive from the project list because it is not a street and cannot be funded for the project. Wagner added that the two alternatives of Friendship Drive and the Waste Water Treatment Plant Drive be held off until the project at the square is complete in order to make sure they have enough in the budget for the projects.