City Council debates removal of Southern Avenue stop signs

By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Residents in the area of East Southern Avenue and Rogers Street are fighting a proposed removal of the stop signs at that intersection. Tuesday they found some allies among the Bucyrus City Council.

The matter was first brought up at a Traffic Commission meeting on Dec. 19 but East Southern Avenue resident Roger Cady brought the issue before Bucyrus City Council Tuesday night. Cady was against the removal of the stop signs on Southern, which he believed helped traffic slow down at that intersection and kept students a bit safer as they walked to school.

The issue of the stop signs, however, may not be completely up to the city. Those stop signs had been erected to help with traffic control at the former Kilbourne School. Now that there is no longer a school in that area, council member Bill O’Rourke said it was against the law continue using that sign as traffic control.

O’Rourke had proposed at the Dec. 19 Traffic Commission meeting to remove the stop sign at the intersection in question thus making it a two-way stop rather than a four-way stop.

Cady, along with council members Monica Sack and John Walker and Council President Sis Love, all noted the number of students that walk to school in that area and cross the street at that intersection.

“A lot of people in that area don’t want that sign down,” Cady argued.

Removing the stop signs at Southern and Rogers – an area that at times has a lot of foot traffic – was compared to the intersection of Tiffin and River streets. The Traffic Commission has been considering turning that intersection into a four-way stop due to the fact that it does have such a heavy student presence.

O’Rourke argued during the council meeting that drivers are required by law to stop for the school bus when its stop sign is extended.

“I see the kids down there every morning,” Walker admitted. But he noted that there are rules and regulations that require municipalities to establish stop signs, such as the number of accidents that have occurred there and the amount of foot traffic that the area receives.

Walker added that the state had come through Bucyrus years ago and ordered certain stop signs to be taken down because the state believed the city had been using them as traffic control. Walker said that the city couldn’t gather enough proof to get the signs back up.

“The state’s not going to come in on that stop sign unless there’s an accident,” Walker said. “Then you better have your ducks in a row or there’s going to be a lawsuit.”

Councilwoman Sack said she had received several calls about the removal of the stop signs in the past few weeks.

“I guess I don’t understand how it’s abusing a stop sign when it’s the only one from a stop light to Hopley (Avenue),” Sack said.

Councilwoman Wanda Sharrock believed that the stop sign was there for the safety of the children.

Service/Safety Director Jeff Wagner said he had received a handful of calls about the stop sign and also had people stop in to City Hall about it.

Mayor Jeff Reser still wanted to have a trial run for the two-way stop at East Southern Avenue and Rogers Street. He conceded that they could make the trial run last 30 days rather than the proposed 90 days. That trial run, should it be granted the go-ahead, would not start until after the city has received information on the traffic count in that area, which wouldn’t be until the roads are cleared of snow.

“We want everybody to be safe,” Reser said.

Council passed two pieces of legislation during its regular meeting. The council authorized the mayor to enter into a Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) agreement for the new water treatment plant. The cap on the WSRLA loan had been increased to $40 million, which allowed the city to fund the $30 million water treatment plant project solely through that loan with an interest rate between 1.39 and two percent. The WSRLA loan will save the city thousands of dollars of interest versus using an OWDA loan at four percent.

The second piece of legislation authorized the Service/Safety Director to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for the purchase of various materials and bids.

Reser announced that a proclamation will be made at the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus concert on Feb. 27. That proclamation will be signed by Reser, Galion mayor Tom O’Leary, Crestline mayor Dave Sharrock, New Washington mayor Ben Lash, and the county commissioners. It will proclaim Feb. 27 as U.S. Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus Day in Bucyrus, Galion, Crestline, New Washington, and Crawford County.

Cory Tyrell, president of the Bucyrus Little League, announced that the league will be having sign ups from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 22, March 1, and March 8 at Bucyrus City Hall. There will also be a registration opportunity from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 25 at City Hall.

Registration can also be completed at http://www.jerseywatch.com/leagues/league_about/bucyrusll. A link has also been provided on the City of Bucyrus’ website.

Tyrell said the league had 394 last season, an increase of 50 players from the year before. The major baseball and softball season will begin the first week in May with the minor ball teams starting shortly after that. T-ball will begin the first weekend after Memorial Day.