The Bellefontaine City Council breezed through a crowded agenda Tuesday, authorizing a traffic light and the widening of State Route 47 West at the AGC plant. Council also approved the construction of a commercial hangar at the Bellefontaine Regional Airport and granted the transfer of a liquor license to Black Tie Catering.
The Ohio Departments of Transportation and Development will be footing the most of the costs of the widening of SR 47, which totals just over $200,000. Most of the city’s involvement and monies will come in the form of engineering costs. The three-reading rule was suspended at the behest of consultant Bob Berquist, who told the council that ODOT and the Dept. of Development has the plans and funds ready for the project.
Also passed on the first and final reading was the passage of an ordinance authorizing Service-Safety Director Jim Holycross to start the bidding process for the construction of a new 8,000-square-foot commercial airplane hangar at the Bellefontaine Regional Airport. Finance Committee Chair Mark Fissel said after the meeting that the Federal Aviation Administration has kicked in a total of $450,000 to fund the project, with the stipulation that the bids for construction of the same be accepted by Aug. 1.
Listen as Finance Committee Chair Mark Fissel comments on Tuesday's meeting
In other actions, the city agreed to be a facilitator for the issuance of up to $20,000,000 in bonds to be issued by Mary Rutan Hospital. Mary Rutan asked the city for the help as it was able to use the city’s status to get a lower interest rate on the bonds. Fissel reported after the meeting that the city will simply be a repository or agent for the hospital, and will not be “on the hook” for any monies with the bond issuance. SSD Holycross was also authorized to initiate the paperwork which will allow the transfer of a liquor license to Black Tie Catering at 116 N. Main St. Council also approved the hiring of a seasonal employee for the Water Department, and agreed to allow Wal-Mart to make an early payoff which the nation's largest retailer and the city entered in 2005, involving the construction of Gunntown Road.
Council meets again on July 10th at 7:30 p.m.
