SIDNEY — Tawawa Park hours wil be suspended for the upcoming Civil War Weekend

During Monday’s Sidney City Council meeting, council adopted resolution which suspends parks hours from Friday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 16. Council also approved the suspension of the discharge of firearm and noise ordinances, only associated with the event scheduled at the park, Saturday, Sept. 15, and Sunday, Sept. 16.

Deputy Fire Chief Cameron Haller introduced an ordinance to City Council Monday to adopt the updated 2017 Ohio Fire Code.

Haller told council the 2017 Ohio Fire Code is based on the 2015 International Fire Code and is compatible document to the Ohio Building Code and other international codes in the building and trade industry published by the International Code Council.

The Ohio fire code establishes the minimum standards for safeguarding life and property from fire and explosion in Ohio. Currently, Haller said, Sidney recognizes the 2011 edition of the Ohio fire code. The Ohio Administrative Code rules that comprises the Ohio fire code became effective on Dec. 15, 2017. Haller noted that the fire code was developed by the State Fire Marshal for statewide applicability, as required by the Ohio Revised Code, and was subject to several years of consensus development and public hearings prior to adoption.

The ordinance dealing with 2017 Ohio Fire Code will be discussed further at the Sept. 10 council meeting.

In other business, council to adopted two ordinances to assess the cost of unpaid utility charges and to amend an ordinance related to small cell facilities and wireless support structures in Sidney.

The ordinance assessing the cost of unpaid utility bills for water, sewer and stormwater charges of certain property owners, Finance Officer Ginger Adams said, are outstanding as of July 30. The amounts due will be collected with other property tax obligations for six properties to be assessed a total of $17,499.07, she said.

The ordinance dealing with the right of way of small cell towers modified a previously adopted ordinance. The language changes were for general procedures and standards for the siting, construction, placement, collocation, modification, operation, and removal of small cell facilities and wireless support structures within Sidney, said Gary Clough, assistant city manager/public works director.

Council also adopted five other resolutions, and they are:

• To authorize a payment for gas to Purvis Brothers Inc. in the amount of $16,181.63, which was not encumbered prior to contract or invoice date;

• To accept amounts and rates determined by the Budget Commission and to authorize the necessary tax levies and certify them to the county auditor;

• To accept the plat titled “Charles M. Cole lot split;” which was paired with a resolution accepting the plat titled “Charles M. Cole lot subdivision-A. The split and replat of a lot transfered ownership of a 20-foot strip of land to create two new lots on the east side of Vandemark Road, south of Fair Road, for storm drainage.

• To accept the plat titled “Hammer Survey” for the approval of a replat of 5-foot of the property at 610 N. West Ave. to be transferred to the adjacent property so the corresponding sewer lateral will belong to the correct property.

Council member Darryl Thurber reminded the public about the SCARF lip sync battle on Nov. 10 at the American Legion, 1265 Fourth Ave. Thurber will be participating in the competition to help raise money for the new Shelby County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center.

Joe Ratermann, at large council member, asked about an update on the possibility of a dog park being created in Sidney. Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier said it is still up in the air. Gaier said they had a donator prepared to help bring a dog park to the city, but a spot for the park has not been established yet. Ratermann also questioned why several ash trees that were taken down by the city in park areas have not been removed. He was told the trees are in low traffic park areas or paths that are not heavily traveled.

Fire Chief Brad Jones told council two Sidney Firefighters recently graduated paremedic school and will be taking the national certification test soon.

City Manager Mark Cundiff shared that during a recent Dayton area managers’ meeting, he learned more about state issue 1 which will decriminalize the possession of drugs. He told council that he and other attendees heard a Montgomery County common pleas judge speak on the issue and how it will negatively effect the municipal court load and limit judges’ ability to sentence. He also announced that the city’s five-year plan will be discussed at council’s workshop session on Sept. 4.

Council also went into an executive session to consider the purchase of property for public purposes and the employment of a public employee. No action was taken when council members emerged from the session.