Bellefontaine City Council took the first steps toward approving the hiring of a new firefighter for the city's understaffed Fire Department Tuesday night at its regular meeting.

Council unanimously passed on first reading only an ordinance authorizing Service-Safety Director Jim Holycross and Fire Chief J.P. Schulz to begin looking for the right candidate.

Mayor Adam Brannon said the city already has a list of candidates from a previous hiring, and that he hoped council would push the ordinance through for adoption on second reading at its next meeting June 24. (Video interview included.)

If that happens, city leaders could hire the new firefighter by the end of the month. The candidate would then have to complete Fire Academy training, Brannon said.

The hiring is part of a larger effort by city officials to increase the Fire Department's staff to numbers prior to 2004, when the city laid off several firefighters.

However, Brannon says getting there won't be a short process.

Watch comments from Brannon.

If approved, the new firefighter's salary would be paid for with funds already appropriated in the 2008 budget, Finance Committee Chairman David Henry said.

Councilman David Haw said he was glad to see the ordinance on the agenda because the city needs more firefighters.

In other business, council adopted an ordinance to appropriate $11,375 privately raised monies to purchase disc golf course equipment and materials. The group in charge of building the course donated the funds to the city.

Contractors have already begun constructing concrete pads for the course and are looking for payment, Henry said.

Councilman Mark Fissel told council members that the Streets Committee had decided to keep Court Avenue open after hearing concerns from community members at a hearing in May.

Court Avenue is the oldest concrete street in America.

The committee tagged a stipulation onto its decision, saying a maintenance plan must be established for the street's upkeep and a line item added to the city's budget to appropriate funds specifically to maintain the landmark.

The street might not require maintenance funding each year, Henry said.

Fissel said if the street is going to stay open, it must be taken care of.

City Council also adopted an ordinance authorizing Mayor Brannon, Service-Safety Director Holycross and City Engineer Tim Notestine to advertise bids and extend a contract to a successful bidder for the relocation of city utilities on South Main Street between Lake Avenue and the southern corporation limit.

Local crews will move water and sewer lines further from the street's center so they won't interfere with the Ohio Department of Transportation's street-widening project, which was pushed back until 2010, Brannon said.

Finally, Mayor Brannon had a couple of items to report to council.

Brannon said he met with other local leaders last Wednesday to discuss the Logan County Health District levy being considered for the ballot in November.

If the health levy doesn't pass, each government entity in Logan County would be assessed to help pay the Health District's operating costs, as required by state law.

According to Brannon, Bellefontaine would lose nearly $200,000 if the levy fails. He said council should support passage of the levy.

Brannon also told council members the city and county should receive a Community Block Development Grant in October for the demolition of the old YMCA building in Bellefontaine.

The county owns the building, but the city agreed to share the cost to bring it down.

The county will receive $51,300 and the city will receive $51,000.

Demolition should begin in November, Brannon said.