By Kimberly Gasuras

The Bucyrus City Council Special Joint Regular Committees approved a few pieces of legislation to go before council as a whole for a vote while continuing several other discussions during their meeting Thursday evening.

The finance committee approved an ordinance to be voted on by council that will allow the mayor and law director to join a coalition with other Ohio cities and villages to challenge the constitutionality of House Bill 49. The amendments have already been approved by the state to allow the state to collect municipal taxes through a “home rule.”

The state will release the tax money back to the cities and villages but not without keeping a fee for collecting it.

“Our auditor estimated that it will cost the city about $300,000,” Bucyrus Council President Garnet “Sis” Love said.

Council member Steve Pifer summed it up before a vote was taken on whether the city should pay a $4,000 fee to join the lawsuit.

“Spend $4,000 to save $300,000. Sounds like an easy decision to me,” Pifer said.

The finance committee also approved an amendment to the meeting minutes from Sept. 7, 2017, a bed tax agreement between the city and the Bucyrus Tourism and Visitors Bureau and an appropriation for the Schine’s Art Park that is being paid for through a grant and donations to the park.

The Platting Committee considered a proposed zoning amendment from the planning commission to allow recreational vehicles (RV’s) to park and hook up to utilities at the Bucyrus Mobile Home Village.

Mayor Jeff Reser said the issue arose when workers came into the area to work on the Rover Pipeline.

Reser said area campgrounds have filled up and that the owners of the Bucyrus Mobile Home Park have asked that this use be allowed.

Committee members Bill O’Rourke and Mark Makeever were vehemently opposed to the idea at first; stating possible drug use, more police presence needed and more traffic in the area.

“I have talked with two people that live in the area and they don’t want this,” Makeever said.

Reser said his home is in the neighborhood adjacent to the trailer park and that everyone he has talked to is fine with the proposal to allow campers.

Bruce Truka, the council member that represents Ward One where the trailer park is located, agreed to have a Ward One meeting with residents living in that area to gather their opinions on the issue. The proposal was put on hold until after the meeting occurs in January.

The Health and Safety Committee approved proposed legislation to allow the Ohio Department of Transporation (ODOT) to do a traffic study on the north sides of town on State Routes 4, 98 and 19 at no cost to the city.

Several residents came to the meeting to discuss letters they have received from the Bucyrus Post Office regarding whether they want to change from home delivery to curbside.

City law director Rob Ratliff and Reser said the city has no jurisdiction over the post office since it is a federal agency but that a letter will be posted to the city’s website that will explain to residents how to handle these types of requests and issues with the post office.

The committee also discussed the possibilities of legislation that would govern medical marijuana dispensaries should that type of business ever apply to locate in the city.

Pifer said that so far, the state has only given approval for one dispensary to be located within a four-county area, which includes Marion, Crawford, Wyandot and Hardin.

The next regular council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 in Council Chambers at Bucyrus City Hall, 500 S. Sandusky Ave.