By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
With a limited legislative agenda at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary took the opportunity to look back on 2014.
Galion City Council kicked off 2015 with a brief meeting Tuesday night, only one piece of legislation and that one something of a bit of housekeeping that takes place every year. Ordinance 2015-1 allows the safety service director to bid for and appropriate necessary materials to keep the City departments functioning.
While official action may have been at somewhat of a minimum but the meeting was not without discussion. O’Leary gave something akin to a state of the union; a recap of 2014 and some things to anticipate for 2015.
Looking back at 2014, O’Leary cited as the successes the labor agreements with employment unions, negotiation of the debt and freeing up of the Freese Funds, revamping what he termed some of the “anti-growth measures of the 2008 zoning,” and the establishment of management teams in the city departments that “we have increasing confidence in.”
The Portland Way project, while mostly completed in 2014, is something that is not quite finished. O’Leary stressed the need to “work on follow through” and especially make sure that work done at the end of the year is up to snuff.
Looking forward to next year, Portland Way features heavily again; this time with the southern portion of the revamp taking center stage. The merging of the service departments is also beginning to show its worth.
He highlighted the top priority as “to support our financial officers of the city,” as Galion navigates the last few hurdles out of fiscal emergency. Also of importance will be working at gaining consensus among council and monitoring the developing situation with the Health Department.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Beech commended the mayor and the Street Department for “getting the streets cleaned off so well. And I hope they get this message.”
. Several appointments were made. O’Leary appointed Garland Gledhill and Council President Carl Watt appointed Lonnie Eagle, both to the Freese Grant advisory Board. Marty Cecil, Judy Gibson, Rich Henry, Dee Volk, and Jeanne Isley were appointed to the Building and Zoning Board.
Committee meetings are as follows: Parks and Recreation at 7 p.m., Jan. 14; Police, Fire, and Health at 7 p.m., Jan. 15; Laws and Ordinances at 1:30 p.m., Jan. 21; and Finance at 7 p.m., Jan. 21.