By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

The polar vortex may have won the stare down with the Bucyrus City Council for a Tuesday night meeting but starting off the New Year and new Council with a Thursday night meeting isn’t so bad either.

The City Council had to cancel its first meeting of 2014 Tuesday night due to the weather and scheduled a special meeting for Thursday instead. It was during this meeting that the 2014-2015 Bucyrus City Council was introduced. Kelli Tuttle sat at Council President Sis Love’s side as Council Clerk. She took over the duties after long-time clerk Regina Zornes retired near the end of the year. Wanda Sharrock was the other new face in attendance. She joined Richard Rockwell and John Walker as Council-at-Large members, replacing outgoing member Dan Wirebaugh.

Council passed a single piece of legislation during its meeting. Resolution 201-2014 appointed Tuttle to fill the position of Council Clerk for 2014 and 2015. She will be employed on a full-time basis at $15.50 for 2014 and $16.50 for 2015. Health insurance, sick leave and vacation will also be available to her as other non-union, non-elective full-time employees.

Bruce Truka was nominated and accepted as Council President pro tem for the 2014-2015 term.

Love announced the committee appointments for the 2014-2015 Council term. Monica Sack will serve as chairwoman of the Economic Development Committee along with councilmembers Rockwell, Truka and Walker. The Finance Committee will now be chaired by Bill O’Rourke. Steve Pifer, Sack and Walker were also appointed to that committee. Pifer will take over duties as chairman of the Health and Safety Committee along with O’Rourke, Rockwell and Sharrock. Appointed to the Platting Committee were Rockwell (chairman), O’Rourke, Pifer and Sharrock. Public Lands and Buildings Committee will be filled by Walker (chairman), Rockwell, Sack and Truka. Truka (chairman), O’Rourke, Sharrock and Walker will be on the Service Committee.

Council members were also appointed to various boards and organizations within the city and county. Those appointments were as follows:

  • Crawford County General Health District: Love
  • Bucyrus Board of Zoning Appeals: Rockwell
  • Board of Trustees of the Central Joint Ambulance District: Service/Safety Director Jeff Wagner
  • Crawford County Family and Children First Council: Sharrock
  • Bucyrus Tourism and Visitors Bureau: Walker
  • Crawford County Park District: Truka and O’Rourke
  • Safety Team for Bucyrus Employees: Pifer
  • Community Improvement Corporation: Sack
  • Floodplain Appeals Board: Pifer
  • Stormwater Utility Appeals Board: Truka
  • Volunteer Firefighters Dependent Fund Board: O’Rourke and Walker
  • Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Housing Council: Sharrock and Walker
  • Airport Commission: Bobby Carter
  • Tax Incentive Review Council: Sack
  • Bucyrus City Housing Advisory Committee: Love
  • Bucyrus City Records Commission: Glenn Achtermann

Law Director Rob Ratliff requested to go into executive session to discuss collective bargaining agreements.

Committee meetings were set near the end of the meeting. The Finance Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 14. The Public Lands and Buildings Committee will follow at 4:45 with the Platting Committee meeting at 5:00 p.m.