December 8, 2025 Minutes passed December 22, 2025
Council President Thad Eikenbary called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m.
Pastor Bill Watson of the Pentecostal Way Church gave the invocation.
On call of the roll: Ringwald, Kallas, Bowers, Agler, Roberts, Moore, and Marshall were present.
Agler made a motion to approve tonight’s Consent Agenda and minutes from the November 24th meeting. Kallas seconded; all concurred.
SCHEDULED PUBLIC SPEAKERS
Dawn Kennedy and Juli Hamilton, Owners of Artful Kitchen Collective were present to share with council and public, the intentions of their new downtown business. The Artful Kitchen Collective (AKC) is a Level III shared-use commercial kitchen designed to support food entrepreneurs, cottage food operators, bakers, candy makers, etc. AKC can support nearly all food-processing activities except raw meat handling. AKC will have a rental structure, a “makers & bakers market” retail space and working toward a future e-commerce platform and corporate gifing program to continue expanding.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
MAYOR: Mr. Markward turned his report over to Van Wert Chief of Police Douglas J. Weigle to explain a newer Flock Safety system the police are utilizing. First, he “debunked” some rumors on the cameras located at 8 common entrances into the city. These cameras do not register speed, no personal information is collected, there are no license plate reading capabilities, etc. Second, he shared how this safety system does work, which basically uses a “search” technology on the police can search for specific vehicle makes, models, colors, features, etc. to view if they have entered the city and know specifics to look for. These cameras currently only face for vehicles entering the city, not exiting.
Markward continued with his report. He touched on Board of Zoning Appeals in which has 5 members with 5 year terms. Each member is nominated by the mayor and approved by council. Greg Amstutz has a term ending this year, the mayor is re-nominating Amstutz to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Ringwald made a motion to approve of the mayor’s nomination. Agler seconded; all concurred. Dwaine Johnson is another member of Board of Zoning Appeals. Johnson will be joining council effective 01-01-2025; because of this, the mayor will be searching for a candidate to fill the rest of Johnson’s Board of Zoning Appeals term.
There is one seat on the Revolving Loan Fund for a member of City Council for a 2-year term; currently this seat is held by Jeff Kallas. Council will need to decide which of the 7 members who will be here in January will take the place of Mr. Kallas. By default, the mayor also has a seat on the Revolving Loan Fund. If the mayor so chooses, he can appoint someone to his seat. If the mayor does so, council must approve. The mayor is nominating Kallas to take the mayors Revolving Loan Fund Seat. Agler made a motion to approve the mayor’s nomination of JEff Kallas. Marshall seconded; Agler, Marshall, Ringwald, Bowers, Roberts and Moore voted yes, Kallas abstained.
The tax department is nearly finished with seeing how many city tax payments needed repaid. A few people who are deceased needed specifically addressed with the Law Director. So far, 3,381 returns were affected (some of these were the same person over several years). There were a total number of people affected 1,370. The total corrections so far add up to $537,587.75, but approximately $130,000 will not be sending out in the form of checks because those people still owe the city that money. A supplemental will need passed tonight to move $410,000 in order for the Tax Department to cut checks to the people affected. The Tax Department will begin sending out batches of checks.
SAFETY SERVICE DIRECTOR: Mr. Fleming reported ODOT requested the city to prepare preliminary legislation for a project that will happen in 2026. This is the Bonnewitz signal upgrade where there will be traffic updates, right turn only lanes and new lights. This project is $718,000 in which ODOT will pay 80%; the city will be responsible for paying 20%. Our responsibility will be $145,000 to which we will need to add in the budget via an amendment. Then, an ordinance can be prepared to initiate this project for the next meeting.
AUDITOR: Mrs. Blackmore reviewed November financials.
Blackmore provided an updated budget to council including an overview of funds and a line by line budget.
The auditor went through several lines of the budget with council to explain differences, expenses and percentages. Several discussions for line items took place. No questions from council followed. As we near end of year, more items will be finalized.
An extensive list of supplemental appropriations will be passed tonight including healthcare reimbursement, street lighting, electric, indigent burial, hotel motel tax disbursements, and the $410,000 city tax reimbursements.
Agler asked if the Safety Service Director was still bidding on electricity rates. Fleming stated the city still does this and keeps a close eye on rates.
Lastly, Blackmore covers Annual Transfers that are done every year. She summarizes what will need approved by council to move before year end. This includes reserve for retirement, reserve for 27th, hotel motel, parks capital improvement, and sewer maintenance reserve fund.
LAW DIRECTOR: No report.
COMMENTS, COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS:
None.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
FINANCE: Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-058. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-058; AN ORDINANCE TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM FUNDS 101, 201, 203, 230, 301, 601, 602, 701, AND 550 TO FUND 550 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Moore seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-059. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-059; AN ORDINANCE TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM FUNDS 101, 201, 203, 230, 301, 601, 602, 701, AND 550 TO FUND 560 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Moore seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-060. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-060; AN ORDINANCE TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM FUNDS 101 TO FUND 215 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Agler seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-061. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-061; AN ORDINANCE TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM FUNDS 602 TO FUND 603 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Bowers seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-062. Kallas seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-062; AN ORDINANCE TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM FUND 101 TO FUND 302 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Moore seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to prepare a supplemental appropriation to fund 101, 201, 212, 301, 601, 602, 701, and 875 and declaring as an emergency. Agler seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-066. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-066; AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS TO FUNDS 101, 201 212, 301, 601, 602, 701, AND 875 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Bowers seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to prepare a supplemental appropriation to fund 101 and declaring as an emergency. Agler seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number 25-12-067. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-12-067; AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS TO FUNDS 101 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Bowers seconded; all concurred. Ordinance Passed.
Ringwald made a motion to suspend rules for Ordinance Number: 25-11-054. Moore seconded; Ringwald, Moore, Kallas, Bowers, Agler, and Marshall voted yes. Roberts abstained.
Ringwald made a motion to pass, on it’s First and Final Reading, Ordinance Number 25-11-054; AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE SALARIES AND COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM FOR THE VAN WERT MUNICIPAL COURT, ESTABLISHING JOB CLASSIFICATIONS, SALARY RANGES AND LIMITATIONS, AUTHORIZING SPECIFIC NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, PROVIDING FOR SICK LEAVE, VACATION SCHEDULE, ALLOWANCES, IMMUNIZATION AGAINST COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, AND OTHER BENEFITS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Bowers seconded; Ringwald, Bowers, Kallas, Agler, Moore and Marshall voted yes. Roberts abstained. Ordinance passed..
STREETS AND ALLEYS: Kallas made a motion for the Law Director to prepare an ordinance for a signal line change on Bonnewitz and Washington as an emergency. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Kallas made a motion to introduce Resolution Number: 25-12-065. Bowers seconded; all concurred.
JUDICIARY AND ANNEXATION: Bowers made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number: 25-12-063. Agler seconded; all concurred.
Bowers made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Ringwald seconded; all concurred.
Bowers made a motion to pass on it’s first and final reading, Ordinance Number: 25-12-063; AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 17-08-054 AMENDING SECTION TO CHAPTER 39A MUNICIPAL INCOME TAX REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE 1/1/2016, ALSO KNOWN AS SECTION 39A.08(A) CREDIT FOR TAX PAID AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Agler seconded; all concurred. Ordinance passed.
Bowers made a motion to introduce Ordinance Number: 25-12-064. Moore seconded; all concurred.
Bowers made a motion to suspend statutory rules. Ringwald seconded; all concurred.
Bowers made a motion to pass on it’s first and final reading, Ordinance Number: 25-12-064; AN ORDINANCE TO ACCEPT THE APPLICATION FOR THE ANNEXATION OF CERTAIN REAL ESTATE CONTAINING 128.133 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, FILED BY THE MARSH FOUNDATION, NORTH OF US 30 IN PLEASANT TOWNSHIP TO THE CITY OF VAN WERT, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. Agler seconded; all concurred. Ordinance passed.
PROPERTIES AND EQUIPMENT: No report.
PARKS AND RECREATION: No report.
HEALTH, SERVICE AND SAFETY: No report.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: No report.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL and PUBLIC: Hall Block, 401 S. Washington St., asked what the remaining approval process/steps were in the data center process. He also asked if there would be any remaining meetings left for the public to speak specifically on this. Fleming stated there is a pre-annexation agreement from 2014 that means there will be no more annexation meetings for the public to speak at.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS: NONE
RESOLUTIONS & ORDINANCES:
Third and Final Reading for Ordinance Number: 25-11-048; AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE PETITION FOR ANNEXATION TO ANNEXT THE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WOODLAND AVENUE AND JOHN BROWN ROAD. All concurred. Ordinance passed.
Third and Final Reading for Ordinance Number: 25-11-049; AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENTS WITH PLEASANT TOWNSHIP AND HOAGLIN TOWNSHIPS. All concurred. Ordinance passed.
Second Reading Advisory for Ordinance Number: 25-11-056. All concurred.
First Reading Advisory for Ordinance Number: 25-12-065. All concurred.
Agler made a motion to adjourn at 8:04 p.m. Kallas seconded; all concurred.
MINUTES PASSED AT DECEMBER 22nd MEETING.