By: Shar Dimick
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
Wauseon Mayor Kathy Huner commended the Public Service Department at the February 2 council meeting for their hard work and long hours keeping the streets of Wauseon clear after 15.2 inches of snow fell on the city in a 24-hour period.
Dennis Richardson, Director of Public Service said “As all storms are this was a unique storm as far as how long it lasted, its intensity, the winds that came with it, we decided early on that we were not going to be able to treat it as a normal storm where we have forces all come in a clear off the streets immediately. We knew had to take a defensive position at first.”
Richardson said that beginning at 6 AM Sunday morning two crews began working to keep the primary streets open and “by 7:30 PM they had all 15 of their guys out on every piece of equipment we owned.”
Huner said she received “a lot of calls about why the secondary roads were not done and also about the levels. Talking with the Chief [of Police, Keith Torbet], the reasons that we don’t go up [to level 3] is the fact having the hospital, having people in the city limits that can get to work. If are roads are passable it is good to keep them open for that reason alone. Thanks to public works we were able to keep them open.”
Councilor Shane Chamberlin asked Richardson if there was a way to know if all the roads have been touched. He said that some citizens wondered if their road had been forgotten. Richardson said “by sometime last night there had been a truck everywhere at least once, but with the blowing and drifting it was hard, but the guys are always communicating with each other.”
Torbet said if people are concerned about their road they can contact the Police Department as they are in constant contact with the plow crews during the storm.
In other business, council passed:
•Emergency ordinances effective immediately to amend Section 139 of the Codified Ordinances of Wauseon regarding Fire Department rules, regulations and membership and to approve the new positions on the fire department along with their pay scales. The new positions are first assistant chief, second assistant chief, captain/EMT-paramedic, captain/EMT, lieutenant/EMT-paramedic, lieutenant/EMT, firefighter/ENT-paramedic and firefighter/EMT. A Civil Service test for these positions will be held March 7.
•Emergency resolution designating Public Depositories, awarding public monies and authorizing the mayor to sign memoranda of agreements with the Public Depositories effective immediately.
•Emergency resolution to authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement with Countywide Emergency Management Agency effective immediately.
•Third reading of Resolution 2015-4 to authorize the mayor to enter into a client services agreement with Medicount Management, Inc. for EMS billing services effective in 30 days.
•Second reading of a resolution to establish that if a new pool is built it will be built at Reighard Park
•A motion to accept the Justice Assistance Grant – Law Enforcement.
•A motion to approve the Building and Grounds Committee recommendation to grant an easement to Rover Pipeline for a gas pipeline across the bike path east of Carter Lumber pending NORTA approval.
•A motion to approve the Street Committee recommendation to grant Toledo Edison an easement in the City’s right of way along the east side of Glenwood Avenue from Airport Highway to just south of Banister Drive for an underground electricity utility.
Shar may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com