Parlor City Voice Podcast: Bluffton Mayor and Councilman Discuss City Projects (November 11, 2025)

On November 11, 2025, Mayor Scott Mincer and Councilman Rick Elwell recorded the first episode of Parlor City Voice, a conversational city podcast hosted at Bourbon MD in Bluffton. No formal agenda or minutes were available for this episode, and no official votes were taken. The mayor and councilman shared personal backgrounds, highlighted ongoing and upcoming city projects, and spoke about preserving community assets and traditions.

Discussion Items

• Opening conversation: Mincer and Elwell recounted their routes to Bluffton and public office, including Mincer's career in manufacturing and Elwell's radio background. Mincer said he is serving out the remainder of John Wicker's mayoral term and had been in the mayor's office 99 of his first 100 days.
• New community pool: The existing pool was 53 years old and at the end of its life; engineering firms said renovation was not feasible. The city studied pools in New Haven, Columbia City, Marion, Van Wert, Ohio, and Portland, and gathered community input through fundraising. It is the only community pool in the county. The design includes pickleball courts, rentable event space, cabanas, slides, a vortex/lazy river, a ninja course, rock walls, and a diving area separate from lap lanes. Mincer said construction is slightly ahead of schedule and the city is committed to opening by Memorial Day.
• Roush Park improvements: Recent work includes new paving, a new parking lot, new basketball courts, and new backboards. The city is awaiting final details on donated stadium lighting for the park, which hosts baseball and softball games.
• Wastewater treatment plant: The mayor described a $34 million plant project driven by an IDEM mandate. Heavy rain events had overwhelmed capacity, sending untreated water to the river. The new plant will handle large flood events and future growth, including rural areas north and south of the city. Startup is expected in about a month.
• Riverfront and greenway: A stabilization project is being done to keep riverbanks from falling into the river and damaging the greenway path. Lighting was also added to a portion of the greenway; Elwell called it a home run and noted it was controversial but widely appreciated.
• Street work and wheel tax: Bluffton has about 66 miles of roads. The last two completed road projects were described as about $300,000 roads, paid with Community Crossings matching grant money in which the state matches local dollars dollar for dollar. Mincer said the wheel tax was not desired but was forced by the state to protect matching grant eligibility and address potential shortfalls tied to Senate Bill 1 property tax relief.
• Owner Occupied Rehab (OOR): The city is seeking a federal grant through the state for $350,000, with a city match of about $40,000, or a little more than 10 percent, for nearly $400,000 total. Eligible residents, including seniors, veterans, and disabled residents, can apply for up to $25,000 for roof, HVAC, heating, or accessibility threshold repairs. Applications are still being accepted; Mincer encouraged residents to apply even though the grant has not yet been awarded.
• Neighborhood Link: Mincer introduced a neighbor-helping-neighbor platform meant to connect residents in need with volunteers for tasks such as gutter cleaning, leaf raking, porch painting, window repairs, or roof repairs. Residents can sign up at neighborlink.org or call the phone number shared during the episode to submit needs or volunteer. Mincer said the city wants to fill the funnel with needs before mobilizing volunteers.
• Community events and traditions: The mayor and councilman celebrated the success of Boo in Bluffton, with more than 2,000 children walking through city hall. They also announced plans to bring the Christmas tree lighting ceremony back to the courthouse downtown on the 28th, with a golf cart parade, Santa, music, downtown businesses open, and new downtown Christmas lights. Both expressed strong support for reviving holiday traditions after COVID.

Key Outcomes

• No formal resolutions or votes were taken; the episode was a public conversation rather than an official city council meeting.
• The mayor committed to opening the new pool by Memorial Day, with construction slightly ahead of schedule.
• The city will continue accepting OOR grant applications and Neighborhood Link sign-ups through the website and phone number provided in the episode.
• The downtown Christmas lighting ceremony is scheduled for the 28th starting at 6 p.m., with several hours of activities.
• Future Parlor City Voice episodes will feature city department heads and possible outside guests.