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Tuesday, 12 May 2009 |
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By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — Members of the St. Marys City Council Monday night took the first step in making the creation of wetlands within the city easier.
 Staff photo/Mike Burkholder: Members of the Kidz Drama Klub perform for St. Marys City Councilors during their meeting Monday night.
Councilors approved the first reading of an ordinance amending a measure related to noxious vegetation that would pave the way for wetlands within the city. Under the measure, Safety-Service Director Tom Hitchcock would be able to designate a parcel within the city as a wetlands and make it exempt from the noxious vegetation requirements.
“We have a local business doing a wetlands project and found out we don’t really exempt wetlands from the ordinance,” Hitchcock said. “In the future we have plans to do one so we figured we’d protect ourselves.”
Hitchcock said having wetlands in the city has several benefits, including quality of life improvements.
“It helps as a buffer system for storm water,” Hitchcock said. “It also creates wildlife habitats.”
Hitchcock said AAP is in the process of creating a wetlands. He also said the city has plans to create one south of U.S. 33, between the St. Marys River and the Miami and Erie Canal.
“It was suggested by (Engineering Superintendent) Craig Moeller who has been working with a local industry,” City Law Director Kraig Noble said of the ordinance. “I think you’ll be seeing more. It’s an area of emphasis. Around here, we are in the southern edge of the Black Swamp, so we had some natural ones.”
Noble said there are federal programs that exist that would pay land owners who turn their property into wetlands.
Hitchcock said the new wastewater treatment plant is online and treating all flow from the city. The $12 million plant will be open for a public tour in the fall.
“I think it’s something they should see,” Hitchcock said. “We spent a lot of money on it.”
Members of the Kidz Drama Klub entertained city councilors before their meeting. Director Vickie Shurelds said the group, made up of 31 children ages 5 to 14, is in the process of raising money for a trip to New York. While in New York, the children will visit with the cast, crew and producers of the play “Billy Elliot” and perform a show in Connecticut.
In other business, councilors:
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance setting forth the rates of pay for the St. Marys Fire Department supervisors, including the fire chief and assistant fire chief and employees not covered by collective bargaining units.
The next meeting of the St. Marys City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 26 in the city building located along East Spring Street. The meeting is open to the public. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 May 2009 )
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