By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
It must have been open season on legislation the way the ordinances were shot down at Bucyrus City Council’s meeting Tuesday night.
Council barely got through reviewing the Finance Committee’s Nov. 21 report before arguments were being made for and against the auditor’s request for a new computer system and software. Auditor Joyce Schifer had requested a $39,000 appropriation and transfer for the new system and software for the Auditor’s office and the Income Tax office.
Schifer stated she had investigated how much it would cost to set up a server for City Hall rather than setting up a server just for the Auditor and Income Tax departments. It would cost the city between $75,000 and $100,000 for the wiring, purchasing and setup of a complete server, though the city would still have to have servers in the various departments. On top of that cost, Schifer said, the city would have to pay someone to run and maintain the servers, a cost estimated between $85,000 and $105,000. She added that the Auditor’s office and the police department shouldn’t be on a city-wide server due to security concerns.
Schifer believed a computer system for the entire city would not be effective at all and it would compromise security.
Council President Sis Love realized it is not the City Council’s position to tell the auditor how to run her office but she felt that they needed to take the time now to review the best options for the city. Love argued for an overall program throughout City Hall and urged her fellow council members to vote no on the upcoming legislation.
“I will not participate in the central server. Period,” stated Schifer. “This is already in the works, folks. This was my decision.”
Schifer said the money for the system and software was already in the budget. She felt there was only one person who wanted to change everything.
“We all have our own niche,” Schifer argued about the various departments in the city. She felt that the different departments had different needs to be addressed when it came to a server.
The two pieces of legislation that dealt with the system and software appropriations and transfer both failed on the second and third readings. Ordinance 39-2013 failed on a 3-2 vote while Ordinance 40-2013 failed on its second reading by a 3-3 vote. Council needs two-thirds of the votes to pass, which Council failed to achieve with the absence of Councilman Dan Wirebaugh. Without the necessary two-thirds votes, the legislation will return for a second reading at the next Council meeting. If it fails again, it can be voted upon for adoption at the following Council meeting.
Love said the legislation may be brought up again in the Finance Committee.
Ordinance 41-2013, which updated the Codified Ordinances, failed on a 3-3 vote. It will also be presented to Council for a second reading at the next meeting.
Police Chief Dave Koepke announced to Council that Officer Bret Thomas submitted his resignation and will be taking a position with the Marion Police Department, which puts the Bucyrus Police Department’s staffing level back down to 15 officers.
Koepke said the department faces a few challenges ahead as they work to catch up on hiring personnel. Though Koepke was pleased with the safety forces levy passing, the money generated from that will not be seen until 2014. He added that many of the candidates they are looking at to replace key personnel currently do not have their Ohio Peace Officer certificate yet. Koepke said the situation Bucyrus finds itself in is not unusual right now. Many police departments are also scrambling to find officers as they await the candidates to be certified in May.
The City will continue to do leaf pick-up. Due to equipment and staffing issues with holiday garbage pick-up, the routes had been put behind. The compost site will remain open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents will be able to drop off leaves, grass clippings and small limbs, though everything must be removed from the bags before leaving the compound.