By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Tuesday served as not only a night for Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser’s State of the City address, but also Police Chief Dave Koepke’s annual report.
As Reser kicked off the Bucyrus City Council meeting, he noted the numerous accomplishments the city achieved in 2016, including the construction of the new water treatment facility and the Schines Art Park. He also looked to projects set to begin in 2017, such as the EPA storm sewer separation project on Southern Avenue, the renovation of Plymouth Street, and drainage improvements in the East Southern Avenue corridor.
“We don’t want to rest on our laurels,” Reser cautioned.
He turned his attention to the investment the city took with the Crawford County Partnership for Education and Economic Development and implementation of a tree program.
“I am not naive to think that we won’t have some tougher times – that’s the way things work – but those challenges we will face with optimism and we will get through them,” Reser said.
In Koepke’s report, he noted the increase in charged felonies for 2016 – from 170 to 226, a difference that was primarily attributed to the Internet Crimes Against Children investigations. The Bucyrus Police Department saw a spike in felonies for pandering obscenity involving minors (29) and pandering sexually oriented material (55). The previous four years saw zero felonies for either felony.
Drug possession charges fell from 80 in 2015 to 56 in 2016 while felony trafficking also saw a steep decline from 30 in 2015 to six in 2016.
Koepke noted that injury car crashes, assault, and breaking and entering were at five-year lows, which contrasted with a five-year high in driving under the influence complaints. The chief attributed that to an increase in drugged driving and increased enforcement. Overall traffic stops also produced a five-year high with 1,066.
Despite an increase in overdoses, Koepke said the department is taking an “all of the above” approach with enforcement, the use of nasal naloxone, drug take-back programs, and Operation Hope.
K-9 Rosco, who was handled by former Officer David Rowland, located 69 doses of heroin, two doses of crack cocaine, nine doses of marijuana, 67 doses of prescription medication, 15 doses of K2, and 27 items of paraphernalia. Rowland left the department at the beginning of this year and Officer Chris Hulsmeyer will be undergoing training with Rosco in the spring for certification.
“In the mayor’s report today, he was on point,” Koepke said. “Bucyrus is ahead of a lot of communities in the state. Per capita, we were a leader in the state in the worst statistics. In 2017, I’m happy to report that our community is turned around and now we’re a leader in the state in people surviving. We’re a community that’s been resilient and resourceful – and it’s because of the churches, it’s because of the people banding together.
“We were ahead of those counties, addressing the problems. We didn’t have our head buried in the sand. We took it on and things are going in the right direction,” Koepke added.
Clay Korner, who owns Freddie’s at 510 N. Sandusky Ave. with his brother, addressed council on a matter handled by Law Director Rob Ratliff. According to Korner, Ratliff presented a purchase offer on behalf of the mayor for the Korner’s property.
“Immediately afterwards, Mr. Ratliff served me with a notice of intent to acquire the same property by eminent domain,” Korner stated. “That is, if my brother and I do not choose to accept the city’s low offer for the appraised property, then Mr. Ratliff, acting on behalf of the mayor, is going to take legal action and sue me and my brother to acquire this property through the eminent domain process.”
Korner said he made numerous public records requests to better understand the process, and noted that he has not been provided documents since he made the request nearly two weeks ago.
Ratliff said that, due to the numerous records coming from various departments, he was still gathering the requested documents, but expected to have them by Friday.
It was confirmed during the meeting that the purchase offer and eminent domain notice were never made at a public meeting. Though the issue at 510 N. Sandusky Ave. had been talked about before in a committee meeting, no action was taken on it.
Ratliff explained that the written offer and notice to acquire were all part of the eminent domain statutes.
The council did adjourn into an executive session to consider the purchase of property at the end of the meeting.
Council approved five pieces of legislation, including raising the age-eligibility limit to 41 for the police department, rezoning parcels for Avita Health System and Home Town Garage, changing the traffic map, and entering into an agreement with the Bratwurst Festival Committee to provide safety forces and cleaning services at no charge for 2017 and 2018.