By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Crestline Village Council is complete once again after appointing a new member during Monday’s meeting.
Gene Toy was approved by a vote of 3-2, and sworn in as the replacement for Stacey Wampler at the end of the meeting. Council members Ryan Mahek and Aaron Buckner cast the votes opposing Toy’s appointment.
Toy was village administrator and safety-service director for Crestline from 2000 to 2008. Toy served on the Crestline school board for three years and was city manager for Galion for five years.
“We have some financial challenges, and coming from Galion being there for five years and Galion being in fiscal emergency, luckily we aren’t there yet,” Toy said. “What we need to do is just make prudent decisions so we don’t get there.”
Former council member Dave Crokie was back in Crestline’s Council Chambers Monday evening speaking during the voters and taxpayers address to council. During his address Crokie asked Mayor Dave Sharrock to step down.
Crokie served one term on council and chose not to run for re-election. He did run for mayor in 2011 and was defeated by Sharrock who received approximately 73 percent of the vote.
Crokie began by asking the mayor about the last meeting when he asked if he had knowledge of a committee being formed which would have a council member, the mayor, and a member of the public to help fill the council seat vacancy. Sharrock said there was no such committee.
Crokie however said that he was informed otherwise by council members. Sharrock said that the Committee was meant to be ad hoc to put references to council.
“The citizens need a voice. I did not put a committee together,” Sharrock said. “Whoever said that to you is wrong.”
Crokie asked council member Kevin Taylor if what the mayor said was true.
“No, council member (Mike) Blaising had said the committee was Mahek and an unknown citizen. I looked up the law and council has 30 days to receive input from any citizen,” Taylor said.
“I was contacted by the mayor about a committee, and conferred with the law director,” Councilman Clayton Harold said. “Ultimately no committee was formed.”
Crokie also claimed that Sharrock illegally had the village administrator change the wording on an ordinance which had been previously been read which stated the position of police chief be moved from a salaried position to an hourly position without properly notifying council.
Crokie also alleged that the mayor entered Crestline hospital and removed memorials and plaques, then illegally stored the items in his garage. Crokie also alleged Sharrock had scolded Crokie due to a campaign sticker that Crokie had displayed on his car saying that it was a violation of state and federal law.
“The other accusations are wrong,” Sharrock said. “I had no wrong doings.”
Council unanimously passed an emergency resolution in support of a moratorium of conducting deep injection waste wells in Crawford County until a report has been issued by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Council agreed to table a resolution that was to amend the Rules of Council which confirms the legislative power stating Village Council acts as a legislative body and not by its separate members without prior approval by the entire council.
Council also unanimously approved an emergency resolution authorizing the village administrator to prepare and submit an application to participate in the OPWC Commission State Capital Improvement Issue 1 Round 29 Transportation Program. If approved the Village of Crestline would make improvements to Wood Street, parts of Colby Street, for resurfacing.
Council also authorized a contract with Rinehart-Walters-Danner Insurance Agency to provide the village with casualty, property, and liability insurance.
The third and final reading of Ordinance 3098 was held Monday night which rezones the Village Inlot No. 1139-1146, and portions of outlets 196 and 197 from Residential R-1 to Light Industrial M-1.