The Urbana City Council had a full meeting room during their regular session meeting on Tuesday.
To start the meeting, Police Chief Matt Lingrell with the City of Urbana’s Police Division, recognized many people regarding the 2011 Homicide of Mr. Lewis Taylor, 87, of Urbana.
Lingrell explained that this case was ongoing until just this January.
After the Urbana City Police and many other people investigated for 12 years, Josiah Mathews, 32, of Springfield, is now in prison for the murder of Mr. Taylor.
There were many emotions and thanks given during the meeting in honor of Mr. Taylor and everyone’s efforts.
Lingrell touches on the recognition:
Below are the individuals who were recognized:
Next, the minutes from the last meeting on January 16, 2024, were approved.
During the meeting, the council passed the following:
- Authorize a purchase order to Peterson Construction Company of over $63,400.00 for labor to remove and replace the upper and lower bearing on two of the screw pumps located at the Water Reclamation Facility. This will be charged to the Sewer Fund and is in the 2024 budget.
- The Board of Control and Health Insurance Committee recommends Council authorize the purchase of Anthem group health insurance and related life, vision (EyeMed), and dental (Delta Dental) insurance for nearly $2,000,000.00.
- Resolution 2686-24: The Director of Administration of the City of Urbana to accept additional federal grant funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation under the Transportation Alternatives Program for the South High Street Improvements, including authorization to execute any required grant agreement amendment on behalf of the City of Urbana.
An Urbana resident, Taylor Armstrong, presented to the council that the deer population in town is very high.
He would like to get some ideas from the council to help control the deer population in the city.
This topic will require further discussion.
Council member Stephanie Truelove mentioned the need for public transportation after 4 p.m. throughout the week and on weekends.
This topic will continue to be discussed at the next meeting.
Chief Dean Ortlieb, from the Urbana Fire Division informed the council that the fire department is fully staffed.
In the finance department, Chris Boettcher said that income tax information was submitted to RITA on Friday.
Law Director, Mark Feinstein, told the council that rules on legislation will be on the next meeting’s agenda.
At the end of the meeting, many council members touched on the appreciation and dedication that the Police Department had for the case of Mr. Taylor.
Member Amy Jumper made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and Stephanie Truelove seconded the motion.
A meeting over the Total Solar Eclipse will be held this Thursday, February 8th, at 5 p.m. on the third floor of the Urbana City Building located at 205 South Main Street.
The next city council meeting will be on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, on the third floor of the Urbana City Building.
For more information on the council, you can visit HERE.(https://www.urbanaohio.com/city-council.html )
