BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Ad-Hoc Committee for the updated Bucyrus City Property Maintenance Code held a meeting on Tuesday night at the Bucyrus City Council Chambers. The committee’s goals include defining property maintenance responsibilities for properties within the city, assigning them to either the tenant or the owner.
The committee, working from a foundational code established by former Law Director Rob Ratliff in 2012, is set to update the existing 2024 codes. These updates will encompass fees and penalties for violations, a clear legal process for resolution, code requirements, and the establishment of a formal registry for vacant structures, out-of-town owners, bank foreclosures, and estates.
Committee Members and Heated Debates
The committee consists of council members James Mee (Chairman), C. Aaron Sharrock, Carolyn Shireman, along with citizens Jarrod Miller, Bill Stuckert, Ken Long, Ray Thitoff, and Richard Burton. However, the meeting quickly veered off course when a debate ensued regarding the responsibility of property cleanup between the owner and the tenant.
Bill Stuckert shared a scenario where an owner was cited for junk cars on his tenant’s property. Despite the tenant’s refusal to remove the cars, the owner attempted to do so, only to be stopped by the police who cited that he couldn’t touch the tenant’s belongings. This dilemma left the landlord with no feasible solution to comply with the citation.
Carolyn Shireman argued that the owner had alternative options, such as eviction if the tenant failed to cooperate, placing the responsibility on the owner. C. Aaron Sharrock attempted to simplify the issue for Shireman, using an analogy about placing a purse on a table against the rules. “Do I have a right then to take your purse because you put it on the table?” Sharrock asked. “I’m not an idiot!” Shireman yelled back.
Tensions Rise
A motion was passed that all parties related to a citation be given notice. Later when discussing how to exclude ornamental grasses so they aren’t defined as weeds, the two got into it again. Sharrock made a gesture that Shireman responded to. Chairman Mee told them to knock it off. “You tell Aaron I don’t like it!” Shireman said. “Both of you knock it off”. Mee said banging his gavel. “ I know her father was a judge, but that doesn’t mean she knows more than me.” Shireman replied. “That’s enough!” Mee said banging the gavel loudly. “No! She does this to me all the time, no matter what I say.” Shireman said. Mee told the women to move on. “You got away with it again, Aaron.” Shireman said.
Tensions continued to rise with Shireman as Sharrock rested her hand in her head and did not respond. Finally Shireman asked to be excused but made the following statement before she left: “ Could I be excused because no matter what I say, I’ve watched Aaron at a lot of our committee meetings, and anything I say she laughs at me, she’s been called out for it, she holds her head down, and I feel at this point in time is there is nothing I am going to be able to say that she is not going to have a come back for and make me feel like a fool. I’m not a fool I’m a very smart lady, or I wouldn’t have been voted in. But she’s no better than me just because her father was a judge.”
Shireman accused chairman Mee of not admonishing Sharrock as he admonished her to which Mee replied that Sharrock had heard him admonish her. Shireman left the meeting at 6:17pm.
Meeting Continues
The meeting continued for nearly an hour after Shireman left. The next meeting is scheduled for April 23rd at 6pm.