By Kimberly Gasuras

The Bucyrus City Council met for the last time in 2017 Tuesday evening and the legislation that was passed signals that a new year is on the horizon.

With two council members absent from the meeting, Dan Wirebaugh and Bruce Truka, the council still had enough members present for a quorum and passed ordinances regarding year-end transfers, reductions, advances, employee manpower and the 2018 budget for the city.

During a special service committee meeting, held immediately before the regular council meeting, there was a debate between members about a proposed 10-percent sewer rate increase for all city residents. The issue was tabled until the committee’s next meeting in the new year.

Bucyrus resident and former city employee Vicki Dishon addressed council to set the record straight regarding a request she made at a previous council meeting to receive a copy of a memo that was issued to council members by city law director Rob Ratliff.

“I did not demand a confidential document,” Dishon said.

The memo she requested was one regarding a few errors Dishon believed she found in committee meeting minutes throughout the year.

Dishon filed a lawsuit against the city in 2015 in which she accused the council of failing to properly prepare, file and maintain the minutes of several committee meetings. The city settled the case and paid her $20,300.

Dishon pointed out several other errors in the minutes from the last council meeting when she addressed council and stated that only two pages of the memo were emailed to her the morning after the meeting and later in the afternoon, she finally received the other two pages.

Bucyrus resident Kurt Fankhauser asked council president, Garnet “Sis” Love, why during an Ad-Hoc meeting that occurred last week to consider council procedures, she advised that citizens should only be allotted three minutes to speak to council.

“During the campaign, you said that you wanted to give citizens more of an opportunity to be involved,” Fankhauser said.

Love agreed and said there has always been a time limit for people to speak at council meetings, but many times, guests can speak longer if needed.

Love also pointed out that since she has been a council member, two more opportunities have been added to the council’s agenda to allow citizens to speak to council.

Mayor Jeff Reser was not present at the meeting but in his report, he wished all city employees and city residents and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He also added that garbage pick-up normally scheduled on Mondays will be picked up on the two Tuesdays following Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Love said there will be no committee meetings Thursday, Dec. 21 and that council will be back in session at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 2.

The swearing-in ceremony for council members who were elected during the general election in November will be at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28.