By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Some fees for both businesses and residents in Bucyrus may be eliminated if the Bucyrus Police Department has its way. A proposal to eliminate the alarm permit registration fees that are currently required for residences and businesses in Bucyrus was heard by the City Council’s Health and Safety Committee Thursday evening.
Bucyrus Police Department Dispatcher Jenny Gerger spoke before the Health and Safety Committee requesting that the city ordinance which requires alarm owners to register their alarms with the city police instead drop the registration fee, and just submit updated contact information of the alarm owner.
Gerger mentioned that Police Chief Dave Koepke would rather implement fines on false alarms depending the number of false alarm drops and the circumstances behind the false alarm.
The procedure for all alarm is that an officer responds to the alarm drop, makes sure the building is secure, and if it is a false alarm contact a person on scene or attempt to contact a responsible party before leaving the scene.
If there is a problem with the building the police officer will stay on scene until a responsible party arrives.
Law Director Rob Ratliff was assigned to look over the old ordinance and reword it to reflect the proposal for the Health and Safety Committee to review before sending it to the full City Council.
Questions of what to do with indigent burials were also discussed during the Health and Safety Committee meeting Thursday night. That discussion centered on burial or spreading of ashes of the deceased. Ratliff said the city needed to look into the federal guidelines for indigent burial.
The Service Committee briefly discussed the waterline, with city Safety/Service Director Jeff Wagner communicating via written note that he would like to see current legislation expanded so that county could install in any direction. With the renewal for the contract with the county up in August, as well as a few people absent from the meeting, further discussion amongst the Service Committee went into recess.
The Finance Committee discussed modifying the manpower ordinance dealing with employees under the law director. During the discussion Ratliff wanted to take away the position of casual secretary which is a 10-hour per week position and increase the hours of the law clerk position from 15 to 22 hours per week. That would still keep that employee under 30 hours per week meaning the city would not be required to pay the health benefits that a full-time position would warrant. As a result the amount paid per week to the employee would raise from $713 to $797. The meeting was recessed with Ratliff being asked to come up with job descriptions for the casual secretary and law clerk.