By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Sometimes it pays to be neighborly.

The City of Bucyrus is a big source of income for the Bucyrus Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau, who receives 50 percent of the city’s bed tax. While the city helps fund the Tourism Bureau with the bed tax, it is also asking them to pay for their water and utilities as well. With the Tourism Bureau on a budget, Mayor Roger Moore requested that the city eliminates the Tourism Bureau’s utility bill.

In light of the circumstances, the Finance Committee and the Public Lands and Buildings Committee both approved to eliminate the Tourism Bureau’s utility bill during meetings Tuesday evening.

The Finance Committee will also be seeking emergency legislation for appropriations and transfers requested by Auditor Joyce Schifer. The auditor requested three appropriations, which included appropriating $1,501.68 within the personal services line of the Ohio Crime Victims Assistance Grant Fund; appropriating $31,087.30 within the debt retirement line of the Waterworks Fund; and appropriating $6,900 within the Derelict Building Liability Fund for the demolition of a property on Kaler Ave.

Schifer also requested a transfer of $4,400 from the Capital Outlay. Of that amount, $4,000 will be transferred into the materials and supplies line of the General Government Fund, $200 into the contractual services line of the Service Director Fund, and $200 into the contractual services line of the Maintenance/Utility Worker Fund.

The Platting Committee also met Tuesday evening to discuss a request by Millennia Housing of Cleveland for a letter of support. The Cleveland-based company has plans to renovate the apartment complex behind Bucyrus Plaza, which has 46 units for the elderly and 30 units for families. Millennia Housing will be receiving some type of tax abatement from the project but is also applying for a grant to rehabilitate the property. The company asked the City Council for a letter of support to include in its grant application.

Council President Sis Love said there was a sense of “cohesiveness” within the residents who have lived in the complex for years. The Platting Committee also saw the benefits to improving the area for the residents.

A motion was made and passed to approve a letter of support for Millennia Housing.