BUCYRUS — A stage for the Schine’s Art Park was one of many topics discussed during the Bucyrus City Council Joint Committee meeting Thursday evening.
Public Lands and Building Committee Chair Dan Wirebaugh brought up the issue but pointed out that the council does not play a role in the decision-making process as the final decision is up to Mayor Jeff Reser.
Reser said only one bid was received and it came in more than the allotted $125,000 in grant money to construct the stage.
“We are looking at other options and it will have to be re-bid,” Reser said.
He said there are 14 months before the stage will be constructed next summer.
“We need to decide which way we are going within about a month and put it back out to bid,” Reser said. “We have $125,000 to work with but ORDC’s fees have to come out of that so it will be about $115,000 to $117,000 we have to spend on the stage.”
Reser said by the middle of June the city should have a clear direction on if they will go with another option or put the project out for bid.
Wirebaugh asked for the opinions of council members and their constituents as to whether the city should decide upon a boxcar-style stage or a more conventional one.
Reser explained that the stage will not simply be a boxcar but a modified one that is created to become a stage with sound, lighting, handicap accessibility and changing rooms.
Council member Andy Schoch said that the theme of the park is theater and cinema.
“The boxcar would not really fit with the theme and that is feedback that I have received from several people,” Schoch said.
Council president Sis Love said a group of men that get together each morning for breakfast expressed to her that they like the idea of a boxcar stage.
“They totally love the idea of a boxcar going in there,” Love said.
Reser said the stage needs to be an attention-grabber and impressive.
Committee member Mark Makeever said residents who are with the local theater were present at the meeting to discuss the issue and introduced Joe Armbruster, who has been with the Bucyrus Little Theatre for decades.
“My opinion is that we need a stage that keeps with the design of the park. Roger Rush is from Bucyrus,” Armbruster said.
Rush was also at the meeting and submitted the lone bid that was rejected by the city.
“His design for the stage is absolutely beautiful and will go along with everything we have done to the park,” Armbruster said.
Armbruster said he has raised the money to make up the difference of Rush’s bid and the amount of the grant to construct the conventional, marble, wood and granite stage.
Rush said his bid includes electric but not dressing rooms.
“Nothing was said about that at the time,” Rush said. “The stage is the maximum height without having to have a rail around it.”
Rush gave council members a copy of his bid to review.
Council member Kevin Myers asked Reser if ODRC must re-bid the project or if the city does it.
“ODRC will do it at our request,” Reser said.
City Law Director Rob Ratliff said the project may be bid at a higher price to include the donations that Armbruster has received.
Rush said that it was deliberately put into the bid package that no other money can be used to construct the stage.
Bruce Truka asked if there is a bank that people could send donations to for the project.
“We will wait and see if the project goes out for bid again,” Reser said.
In other council business, Bruce Brandstetter of Brandstetter Carroll informed council it could cost the city about $450,000 to resolve issues with the Pines Reservoir after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently issued a chief’s order that requires the city to get the reservoir in compliance. Brandstetter said the reservoir has had compliance issues since 1978 but they were not addressed by the city.
Approved for legislation to be created to go before the entire council at the next meeting were an updated traffic signal at Marion Road and Beal Avenue, ODOT paving of North Sandusky Avenue and Quaker Road/Ohio 19, a land donation at Aumiller Park by Richard and Helen Michaek, employee manpower to include pay increase for employees with experience, $100,00 for a concrete pile at Waste Water Treatment Plant, and the Arrowhead Drive reconstruction project.
A special council meeting occurred after the committee meetings to approve the North Sandusky Avenue paving project to meet ODOT deadlines.
The Public Lands and Building Committee decided farmland owned by the city on Krauter Road will not be rented at this time to allow the city to possibly sell the land.
There will be further discussion about the possibility of selling some of the city’s downtown parking lots to local business owners between council member Dan Wirebaugh and the city’s administration.
The next council meeting May 21 at 7 p.m. at Bucyrus City Hall.