City Council Approves Emergency Funding For The Maumee Valley Historical Society
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
Due to a misunderstanding over a three-year funding agreement, the Maumee Valley Historical Society has requested emergency funds from the city of Maumee to continue operations at the Wolcott House complex through the end of May, while the city finance committee considers the appropriation of additional funds.
At Monday’s meeting Maumee City Council approved a request from the MVHS for $30,000 in immediate funds, by a vote of 6 to 2. Council members Brent Buehrer and Todd Zimmerman opposed the request.
According to Jack Hiles, executive director of the MVHS, the need for funds stems from a 2005 agreement between the city and the MVHS in which the city would appropriate annual funds of $50,000 to the society’s capital budget and $75,000 to its operating budget, which would be paid in three $25,000 installments.
Hiles said when the city approved the three-year funding schedule in 2005, he assumed those funds would carry the MVHS through the year 2008.
Earlier this year he learned it did not.
“We were figuring that the city would count the agreement as 2006, ’07 and ’08, but they counted it as 2005, ’06 and ’07,” Hiles said.
He realized the discrepancy when he requested a $25,000 payment for operating funds earlier this year and was informed that it wasn’t in the 2008 city budget.
“We need the funds,” he said.
Mayor Tim Wagener agreed.
“They’ve been running in arrears for a month already so we’d like to make them solvent,” he said.
Council president Richard Carr said that while it’s inappropriate to approve funds before the finance committee reviews the request, the need to provide immediate funds is more important.
“While it was not handled appropriately, the necessity outweighs that,” he said.
At the city council meeting on April 7, Hiles requested $75,000 for the 2008 operating budget; however, council referred the issue to the finance committee for review.
Wagener and council member Zimmerman did not attend that meeting.
The finance committee met the following week, but did not discuss the request for funding from the MVHS.
Zimmerman, chair of the finance committee, said he was not properly informed.
“I’m not opposed to funding and I’m not in favor of funding, I just want to know what’s going on,” he said.
The property and buildings located at the Wolcott complex are owned by the city.
A small staff and many volunteers operate the complex. With an annual operating budget of $200,000, the MVHS relies on funds from the city as well as fund-raising campaigns to meet its financial needs.
Hiles believes some city officials don’t fully grasp operations at the Wolcott House complex, a collection of historical buildings at 1035 River Rd. in Maumee.
“In order for anyone to understand the historical society, they need to participate and see what’s going on,” he said. “It applies to anything – if you want to understand what goes on you have to participate and get involved.”
Hiles said that all members of council are regularly invited to attend events at the complex.
“The only one who usually shows up is the mayor,” he said.
The city finance committee met on April 22 to discuss the issue.
Also at the meeting, council took the following action:
• Presented a proclamation recognizing a tree commission award to St. Joseph Catholic Church commending its landscape project.
• Presented a Government Financial Officers Association certificate of achievement recognizing the city’s 2006 comprehensive annual financial report.
• Appointed Catherine Oatis, Janet Russ-Jones and Jane Williams to three-year terms on the Maumee Indoor Theater advisory board, and Doug Brainard to a one-year term.
• Approved an agreement with Ohio Turnpike Commission for ambulance services.
• Authorized an agreement with Total Environmental Services for asbestos removal at the former fire station in the amount of $2,650.
• Approved a $20,600 contract with Arcadis to update the water system plan.
• Approved a $63,000 contract with Mannik and Smith Group, Inc., to implement the soil contamination remediation plan at 214 Illinois Ave.
• Approved a contract with Tetra Tech in the amount of $24,750 for conceptual design work for phases one and two of the Crystal Avenue sewer improvements.
• Approved a $1.9 million contract with Underground Utilities of Monroeville, Ohio, for the next phase of storm sewer improvements.
• Approved repealing ordinance 72-2007 and authorized amendments to rates and fees.
• Authorized amendments to compensation for employees of the pool program.
• Heard a report from the parks and recreation committee that installing Internet service in the offices of the Rolf Park Pool is too cost-prohibitive. The committee recommended against installing Internet access at the pool.
• Approved support for the Swan Creek balanced growth plan for the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District.
• Approved a request from St. Joseph Catholic Church to hold a family fair on Saturday, May 17.
• Approved a $29,200 contract with Right Stuff Software Corporation for the police division.
The next Maumee City Council meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
School Board Honors National Merit Scholar Finalists
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
The Maumee board of education honored four Maumee High School seniors who were named National Merit scholar finalists.
Students Philip Ross, Stephanie Mutchler, David Sowa and Elizabeth Kent received a resolution from the board at Monday’s meeting for their achievement.
“This award speaks volumes. It’s very difficult to achieve,” said superintendent Dr. Greg Smith.
The National Merit scholarship program is an academic competition in which 15,000 students from across the country are chosen as finalists from a pool of 1.4 million entrants.
In the MHS senior class of 244 students, Mutchler and Kent are ranked first, Sowa is ranked fourth and Ross is ranked 29th.
The board also recognized Jeanne Ducat, a 20-year employee of the Maumee City Schools.
Ducat is the kitchen manager of Maumee High School and volunteers many hours for school district events.
Also at the meeting, the school board took the following action:
• Authorized naming district treasurer Paul Brotzki as the board’s representative at the auction of the former school board office, which will take place on May 1.
• Authorized bidding the replacement of two pickup trucks.
• Approved overnight trips for students.
• Accepted the resignation of Ted Lauber and Doreen Trent.
• Accepted the retirement of John Hertzfeld and Ruth Russell.
• Approved several employment and nomination positions and employee contracts.
These are just a couple of articles that ran in The Mirror Newspaper.
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