By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Those hoping for a speedy resolution to outdoor seating in the Downtown Business District of Bucyrus will have to wait a little longer as the Platting Committee was split on their vote for draft legislation on the matter Thursday night.
The amendment, which would allow outdoor seating provided that a development plan was approved by the Bucyrus Board of Zoning Appeals, failed to pass with council member and Platting Committee chair Wanda Sharrock and Bill O’Rourke being the dissenting votes on the decision. O’Rourke has been an outspoken opponent of the measure since its inception.
“I have no problem with seating, but I have a problem with there not being any guidelines,” Sharrock said of her vote. “I think we need to work on a plan and say this is how we like it.”
“I am 100 percent for it if everything was ADA compliant,” O’Rourke said. “Not one person who attended the public meeting offered any ideas on how to work the matter out.”
O’Rourke noted that the First Fridays was also in violation of current laws within the city.
Natalie Norman, co-owner of Norman’s Niche, asked if the city is responsible for the sidewalks who would be responsible in a lawsuit if someone slipped on the ice in front of a store. Norman noted that she took care of the sidewalk in front of her business, not the city. Norman said there are huge swaths of the sidewalks that are going untreated.
“We take the front of our stores very seriously. I am very responsible, I sweep the curb where the street sweeper doesn’t come through, I pick up the cigarettes that aren’t all mine, I clean up the dog poo on the sidewalks, and you wouldn’t believe what goes on downtown. If you come into my business, I don’t have a messy clientele.”
Mayor Jeff Reser was displeased with the outcome.
“Brick and mortar stores and small business startups are in decline,” Reser said. “We need to do what we can to help make them successful. I have been in big cities and small cities this year, and I have seen this everywhere. I think we are exaggerating the possibilities.”
Council member Bruce Truka suggested that the committee should have John Rostash come back and help with a framework of guidelines.
Bill Stuckert, who had asked earlier if the amendment was just limited to seating, brought up the ADA compliance issue on the slope of the sidewalk.
“I’m not talking about the slope, I am talking about the width,” O’Rourke answered back.
“It is all ADA, you can’t just pick and choose,” council member Steve Pifer said.
“If you are not 100 percent compliant now, they can still sue you,” Stuckert added.
With the measure tied, it will go to council to be referred back to committee.
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Bruce Brandstetter spoke to the Platting Committee about a few ODOT projects coming up for the city, as well as the Southern Avenue sewer trunk line project.
“You are going to spend a lot of money on the sewer, but you won’t see the benefits until the side streets are phased in over the next five years,” Brandstetter said.
“There will be traffic disruptions, and people will be unhappy,” Brandstetter added. “It is going to take all year.”
The Platting Committee approved the project to go to bid with the cost not to exceed $1,787,500.
Brandstetter also spoke about ODOT paving Ohio 19 from the city limits on Hopley Avenue to North Sandusky Avenue at Speedway.
Pifer requested that Brandstetter contact ODOT and ask if they could start in the middle at East and Charles streets first and work outward due to the elementary school coming back into session later in the year.
Platting approved ODOT to go to bid for the project.
Brandstetter also spoke about the ODOT grant for the North Sandusky Avenue rehab project.
The project will begin at Plymouth Street and will go northward on Sandusky Avenue to US 30 and will include a bike path. The cost of the project will be $1.4 million from ODOT and $75,000 from the city plus non-construction costs.
Council member Mark Makeever asked if the project would widen Sandusky Avenue to accommodate the bike path. Brandstetter noted that the road wouldn’t be widened, but street parking on that section of Sandusky Avenue would be eliminated.
Brandstetter noted that the project isn’t scheduled to start until 2018.
The Platting Committee also approved authorizing the service-safety director to advertise bids and enter into a contract not exceeding $900,000 on the 2017 mill and pave projects.
The Service and Finance committees approved authorizing a contract with a consultant for airport repairs.
Brandstetter spoke to council about the repairs, noting that the FAA grant application totals $832,048.67 with 90 percent ($748,843.80) coming from federal funds, 5 percent ($41,602.43) from state and 5 percent would come from the city. The city will also be able to use funds from land reimbursement to help pay for its 5 percent.
The repairs would include a two-inch mill and fill and turnaround seal, bring the runway safety area up to code and make an obstacle free area around the runway. According to Brandstetter, the obstacle free area must be at the same level as the runway.
“You may have to shave 1,000 cubic yards off of the dirt mound, which is an estimated $30,000 to $40,000. The city would pay 5 percent which would be $1,500 to $2,000,” Brandstetter said.
The Service Committee also approved the Southern Avenue sanitary sewer trunk line project and 2017 material bids.
The Public Lands and Buildings Committee approved grant applications for a proposed bike path.
Brandstetter showed a schematic of possible trails within the city that would start at Aumiller Park and travel through downtown along the river to the new water plant and around the reservoir.
Brandstetter noted that there are two grant programs, one which would fund the planning portion of the potential path, and one that does not.
The pathway, if constructed, would be approximately six miles in length.
Public Lands and Buildings also creating a committee for the Tree City U.S.A. Board.
The Finance Committee approved adding a manpower billet for a part-time code enforcement officer position within the law director’s department.
City Law Director Rob Ratliff expressed hope that monies collected from fines would be set aside to pay for the position.
The Finance Committee also approved the Southern Avenue sewer trunk project, airport improvements, material bids, the ODOT paving of Ohio 19, the ODOT grant for North Sandusky Avenue, the 2017 mill and pave projects, the ODNR grant for a bike path and the Tree City U.S.A. Board.
The Economic Development Committee appointed Makeever and O’Rourke to the Volunteer Firefighters’ Dependent Fund Board.