By James Massara

The Bucyrus City Council Public Lands and Buildings Committee agreed to have Bucyrus City Law Director Rob Ratliff draft a form to allow an indefinite continuance of the current contract between the city and Internet provider WaveLinc.

WaveLinc services will continue as it previously has while the city prepares and executes the bidding process for the tower space. Ratliff said the bidding process will most likely take months to complete.

Committee chair Dan Wirebaugh initially asked for an extension to the current contract, but Ratliff said the city needed to be careful on the language used, so to not illegally bypass the bid process, as was the unintentional result of the creation of the existing contract when it was drafted 10 years ago.

“There’s a difference between oversight of not having a bid and an intentional act,” Ratliff said.

Wirebaugh said he wished for something to be in place to help give WaveLinc owner Kurt Fankhauser sufficient notice to remove his equipment from city towers if he is not the winning bid for the tower space.

Wirebaugh suggested giving a continuance to the current contract, adding language that would give Fankhauser six months to remove his equipment if he is not the winning bidder when the bids are opened.

Currently, Wirebaugh said when the current contract expires April 18, the city could tell Fankhauser on the 19th to remove all equipment that day.

“And we don’t want to do that,” Wirebaugh said.

Fankhauser addressed committee members and asked if they had heard of other municipalities avoiding the bid process by allowing multiple providers to use the same tower, as space allowed, by having the different companies follow the same requirements.

Committee members did not know specifics on that type situation, but said all options would be looked at.

The public lands and buildings committee also discussed long-term parking in the downtown area and city lots.

Wirebaugh gave the idea of selling parking permits for drivers who wish to park in city spaces for an extended period longer than the two-hour limit.

He said the city could leave the two-hour parking for free and could charge a small amount for an extended-time permit. He added the money could be put in a fund specifically for the upkeep of the city lots.

Ratliff told committee members the idea is legal.

Council President Sis Love asked if the city would need to reserve spots for those with permits, and Ratliff answered that each lot could have its own regulations.

The committee also discussed painting parking spaces and adding signage with two-hour parking limit notices on it.

In other business during the joint committee meeting, Kevin Myers informed Bucyrus Health and Safety Committee members of an April 6 deadline, established by multiple townships and other municipalities that participate in the Central Joint Ambulance District, for council members to decide if Bucyrus will remain a member of the district.

Myers said the other municipalities intend on putting a three-year contract out for bid Jan. 1, 2019.

The current contract ends Dec. 31.