By Kimberly Gasuras
CCN Reporter
BUCYRUS — Repairs are underway at the former Ohio Department of Transportation property on West Irving Street as paperwork to sell the city’s current properties is being drafted.
According to the plan that Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser proposed to the Bucyrus City Council in April, no money would be spent to make what were called much-needed repairs to the property until the sale of several properties the city currently owns. Reser said in phase one of his plans for the ODOT facility, the water distribution building would be listed for sale and the proceeds from the sale be used for renovations to buildings one, four and eight.
Those buildings include the salt dome, the main building and building eight that was used for storage by state employees.
On Monday, Reser said the need arose to use the salt dome building at the former ODOT property before the sale of the other properties.
“I don’t make every decision for the city,” Reser said. “The city’s street superintendent and city safety service director made the decision to repair the roof of the salt dome at the former ODOT property so we can use it this season to store salt.”
Reser said the salt is purchased through a state discount program and a minimum amount is required to order.
“Our building on Isaac-Beal Road, where we currently keep the salt, is still nearly full,” Reser said. “We felt like we needed to order more while we can get the discount since predictions for this winter appear that it may be a tough one.”
Council approved legislation last week allowing Bucyrus Service-Safety Director Jeff Wagner to begin the process of selling three city-owned properties.
The city property at 301 W. Mary Street and the nearby vacant lot on the east side of Spring Street will be sold as one property while the water distribution garage at 2037 Marion Road will be sold separately. The Mary Street properties appraised for $80,500 while the Marion Road property came in at $390,000. Council members set a minimum bid of 90 percent of the appraised value for the properties.
Council member and chair of the Bucyrus Public Lands and Building Committee Dan Wirebaugh, said in April that no work is to begin on renovations to the Irving Street property until the first building of Reser’s plan is sold.
“I realize that there is a need for the salt dome, but I think it should have been communicated to council before the roof work began,” Wirebaugh said this week.
Wagner said Home Sheet Metal of Bucyrus was hired to put the new roof on the salt dome.
“The cost will be between $12,000 and $13,000,” Wagner said.
Wirebaugh said legislation is in place that allows the city’s administration to spend as much as $50,000 without the approval of council.
“It still would have been nice if they would have told the council that this roof work was being done,” Wirebaugh said.