By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Bucyrus City Council’s Finance Committee met Thursday night and it was all about the money – and the water.
The Finance Committee created a new fund in order to store, and use monies for the upcoming water treatment plant and sewer system Thursday night.
Creating the New Water Filtration and Distribution ConstructionFfund, the Finance Committee approved $26.4 million to be allocated to the fund. The committee then approved allocating $23.76 million towards the filtration plant construction fund, and $2.64 million for the water distribution project fund. Both allocations include $1.4 million in engineering costs spread over both funds.
The Finance Committee approved to place an amendment to the Street Fund levy on the November ballot 2 to 1 Thursday night with John Walker voting against the amendment measure. The amendment wouldn’t ask for an increase in rates or tax money, but would change the wording of the levy to include wording to allow for monies to be set aside for sewer repair.
Appropriations for the local share of the $80,200 in donations for the Schines Theatre demolition to the Crawford County Community Foundation Projects Inc. was approved by the Finance Committee Thursday night.
The Finance Committee approved $600 to be appropriated to the General Fund Council Contractual Services from unappropriated funds in order to cover the city’s telephone bills.
City Law Director Rob Ratliff spoke to the Finance Committee about using an offsite e-mail and website provider Thursday night. Ratliff explained that the cost would be $500 per year, and that the Public Lands and Buildings Committee could look into charging rent for the towers on top of City Hall. Ratliff said that either he or Bucyrus Planning and Zoning Administrator John Roshtash would gather more information to present before the committees.