Council votes to repeal legislation addressing safety, cleaning services at Brat Festival
Bucyrus City Council on a 4-1 vote repealed a resolution that authorized the city service-safety director to enter into a permanent agreement with the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival to provide safety forces and cleaning services at no charge.
Council also voted to place a safety forces equipment levy on the November ballot.
Council members C. Aaron Sharrock and Kevin Myers abstained from voting on the festival matter. Councilman Zyan Hickman voted against the repeal.
The levy voters will see on the ballot will be for an additional five-year 3.25 mills, outside of the 10-mill limitation, to support safety forces. The new levy is needed, according to council, because the funds raised through the 10-mill levy are insufficient to provide for safety forces needs.
The resolution aims at ensuring Bucyrus safety forces have adequate equipment notwithstanding the city's financial ability to pay the safety forces wages. The resolution was passed on a 6-1 vote with Carolyn Shireman voting against it.
Public participation
In the public participation part of the meeting, Bucyrus Fly-In Director Fred Fischer addressed council about the festival, saying throughout the years it benefitted the community, and the pending legislation to repeal the resolution would only make the issue to come under constant review by the city.
“Tonight, five of you have an opportunity to undo a wrong,” Fischer said. “Instead of burning bridges with the taxpayers in this town, you’ll start building them.”
Repealing Bratwurst agreement and background
According to the new resolution, the section of the current resolution allowing the service-safety director to enter into a permanent agreement with the festival for free safety forces services and cleaning services was repealed entirely. A one-year notice of change is required.
The new policy is a result of a months-long discussions by City Council on whether or not the city should continue to provide free safety and cleaning services to the Bratwurst Festival.
Earlier, council requested the festival to provide its financial records to the city for the council to determine if it can continue to support the festival in the current tight financial situation. The request has not been answered by the festival.
Other business
The council passed the following pieces of legislation:
A resolution authorizing the service-safety director to enter into and agreement with the Bucyrus Tourism and Visitors Bureau to promote tourism and attract visitors and conventions to the Bucyrus City area at a cost of 50% of bed tax revenue.
A resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Crawford County Parks District for maintenance of the service road in Aumiller and Unger parks.
A resolution authorizing the mayor to transfer property owned by the city to the Park District, while the Park District will simultaneously transfer property to the city.
A resolution authorizing the mayor to accept transfer of property at 214 E. Perry St. owned by the Crawford County Land Reutilization Corporation.
A resolution accepting enterprise zone and Community Reinvestment Area tax abatement recommendations of the Tax Incentive Review Council for the period ending Dec. 31.
A authorizing the mayor and the service-safety director to proceed with Bucyrus wastewater treatment plant pre-construction tasks with Wessler Engineering.
A resolution authorizing the mayor and/or the service-safety director to apply for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) and sign all documents with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority for planning, design and/or construction of wastewater facilities.
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Council votes to repeal part of Bratwurst Festival agreement
