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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Vandalia City Council Meeting - April 7, 2025

City Council — Monday, April 7, 2025

BodyVandalia, Ohio

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, April 7, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 31:31

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

The Monday, April 7th, 2025, City of Andalia Council meeting is now called to order.

0:10

We'll begin with a moment of reflection, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

0:19

Please stand for the pledge.

0:24

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:31

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:54

Being none, they stand approved.

0:56

And that brings us to communications, petitions, and awards.

1:00

And I have the honor of uh presenting a proclamation to one of our very own here tonight.

1:05

So this one's gonna be very special.

1:06

So Vice Mayor Blakesley, if you could join me down front.

1:45

All right.

1:46

This on?

1:47

It's on.

1:48

Okay.

1:49

All right.

1:50

Um well Mike, we're very proud of you in this award.

1:54

Um unfortunately, I could not be there that night, but or morning, actually, it was uh uh morning event, but uh again, we are all very proud of you, and we want to issue you this proclamation.

2:06

Whereas the City of Vandalia seeks to honor those who have made a lasting contributions to the fabric of our community, and whereas the Vandalia Butler Chamber of Commerce annually presents the Marvin C Link Distinguished Service Award, recognizing individuals who have shown a lifelong commitment to the betterment of the community of Vandalia and Butler Township.

2:27

And whereas Mike since is a 2025 recipient of the Marvin C.

2:34

Link Distinguished Service Award and has dedicated his life to the service of others, both professionally and in his personal time embodying the value of hard work, compassion, and community spirit that this ward represents.

2:49

Now, therefore, I Richard Herbst, by the authority vested in me as the mayor of the city of Vandalia, do hereby proclaim Mike Blakesley Day as April 8th, 2025.

3:05

You've never had your very own day before.

3:08

All right.

3:10

Well, first, I'm I'm very honored and very humbled by this award.

3:15

And one of the things that I was raised, and my mother had mentioned to me uh while I was growing up, that always think about your felt about mankind and what have you done for them today uh before you go to sleep.

3:31

And so that's resonated with me over the years, and I think that's what kind of started my role or my journey to helping people and giving of myself.

3:43

Um I never expected this, but I I always appreciated the family being by my side to allowing me to to give to others and and create that and keep that balance.

3:54

Um so this means a lot to me, and uh just very humbled about this and being on the same stage with all the other recipients of this award.

4:02

So uh means a lot.

4:04

Thank you.

4:07

Again, congratulations.

4:09

Usually I'm giving you a lot of things.

4:10

That's right.

4:11

You do a better job.

4:12

Here, take this.

4:13

This is the official one.

4:16

All right.

4:56

Again, congratulations.

5:03

All right, next we have a proclamation for the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week of April 13th through the 19th.

5:12

This on.

5:15

Push the little button, it turns green, and you can talk into it.

5:20

Where would you like to be?

5:22

Back sitting down.

5:23

Back sitting down.

5:24

Well, I can go back and sit beside you.

5:27

All right.

5:28

Well, again, we appreciate everything you you guys do for the city of Vandalia.

5:32

Go with them over here, it'd be easier for you to get a picture.

5:35

All right.

5:36

Stand over on this side.

5:42

All right, so for public safety telecommunications week, whereas emergencies can occur at any time requiring police, fire, emergency vehicles, and medical services.

5:52

Whereas, when an emergency occurs, the prompt response of appropriate personnel is critical for protection of life and property.

6:02

And whereas the security of our public safety personnel is dependent upon the quality and the ac accuracy of the information obtained from citizens who call 911.

6:13

And whereas public safety specialists are the first and most critical contact for our citizens when an emergency arises.

6:22

Therefore, I, Richard Herbst, as the mayor of the City of Andalia do hereby proclaim April 13th, 2025 through April 19th, 2025 as public safety telecommunication.

6:35

Congratulations, thank you.

6:41

I'll hand each of them the mic right now.

6:43

No.

6:46

There you go.

6:48

All right.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████50%

Liquor License██████████11%

Personnel Matters████████9%

Public Safety███████8%

Community Engagement███████8%

Parks and Recreation█████6%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████6%

Veteran Affairs██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Vandalia City Council Meeting - April 7, 2025

The Vandalia City Council met on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM. The meeting was called to order, followed by a moment of reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance. All actions were taken by unanimous 7-0 votes unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Council Study Session Minutes from February 17, 2025 and Council Meeting Minutes from February 17, 2025 were approved without discussion (the minutes stand approved).

Communications, Proclamations, and Awards

A proclamation was presented honoring Vice Mayor Michael Blakesley for receiving the Marvin C. Link Distinguished Service Award from the Vandalia Butler Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Herbst proclaimed April 8, 2025 as "Mike Blakesley Day" in Vandalia. Vice Mayor Blakesley expressed humility and gratitude.
A proclamation was presented declaring April 13–19, 2025 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, recognizing the critical role of public safety telecommunicators.
Dakota Sizemore was introduced as a new Parks and Recreation Building Maintenance Technician. (Note: The agenda states his start date as March 21, 2025, while the transcript says March 12, 2025.)
Retirements were acknowledged: Tami Ryan, Chief Assignment Officer and Administrative Assistant to the Judge, retired after 34 years of service; and Joe Blosser, Public Works Technician, retired after 32+ years.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public offered comments.

City Manager's Report

Information items included: income tax assistance extended hours on April 12 (8 a.m.–noon), April 14 (7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.), and April 15 (7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.) with the filing deadline April 15, 2025; free large debris drop-off for residents on April 12 from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Public Works Garage (proof of residency required); Vandalia Easter Extravaganza on April 19 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Sports Complex; and the Vandalia Recreation Center closed on Easter Sunday, April 20.
Action items:
- Appointment of Larry Pearson to the Golf Advisory Board was approved 7-0.
- Council voted 7-0 not to request an Ohio Department of Liquor Control (ODLC) hearing for a new liquor license at 722 W. National Road for Verma Treasure, Inc., DBA Curry & Grill.
- Council voted 7-0 not to object to the renewal of any retail liquor permits in the city (permits expire June 1 each year).

Resolutions

25-R-19 – Authorized the purchase of a Mitel telephone system from Forerunner, Inc. at a cost of $161,468.06. The city’s existing NEC system is over 25 years old and unsupported. The purchase uses a Sourcewell cooperative contract, and $8,531.94 remains from the allocated $170,000 for network switch equipment.
25-R-20 – Adopted a resolution in support of State Issue 2 on the May 6, 2025 ballot, which renews the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP). The city has received $3,109,000 in SCIP funding over the last 10 years.
25-R-21 – Approved the assignment of the mowing and general maintenance contract from Property Works to Schill Grounds Maintenance, the second-lowest bidder, at the same rates and terms. Property Works notified the city on March 14 that it could not fulfill the second year of its contract.

Ordinance – First Reading

25-04 – Amended Sections 878.03, 878.04, and 878.06 of the Codified Ordinances regarding hotel registration. Staff requested revisions after three years of implementation. The first reading was approved 7-0.

Board of Zoning Appeals Variance

Jonathan Frederick requested a variance to construct a 6-foot fence on his corner lot at 320-326 Dellsing Drive, encroaching 24 feet into Zone A. The BZA had recommended approval (4-0) with a condition that the fence not extend more than 20 feet into Zone A. Council voted 7-0 to deny the variance, citing safety and visual obstructions.

Council Comments

Several council members congratulated Vice Mayor Blakesley and acknowledged recent retirees and the new hire.
Councilmember Avalotis Weaver expressed concerns that Vandalia had not been invited to certain community meetings (e.g., a library meeting and an ODOT grand opening). She asked the City Manager to ensure Vandalia is included on invitation lists and offered to serve as a liaison to the community.

Key Outcomes

All motions and resolutions passed unanimously (7-0).
The variance request was denied.
The minutes were approved.
No public comments were received.

Meeting Transcript

The Monday, April 7th, 2025, City of Andalia Council meeting is now called to order. We'll begin with a moment of reflection, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Please stand for the pledge. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Being none, they stand approved. And that brings us to communications, petitions, and awards. And I have the honor of uh presenting a proclamation to one of our very own here tonight. So this one's gonna be very special. So Vice Mayor Blakesley, if you could join me down front. All right. This on? It's on. Okay. All right. Um well Mike, we're very proud of you in this award. Um unfortunately, I could not be there that night, but or morning, actually, it was uh uh morning event, but uh again, we are all very proud of you, and we want to issue you this proclamation. Whereas the City of Vandalia seeks to honor those who have made a lasting contributions to the fabric of our community, and whereas the Vandalia Butler Chamber of Commerce annually presents the Marvin C Link Distinguished Service Award, recognizing individuals who have shown a lifelong commitment to the betterment of the community of Vandalia and Butler Township. And whereas Mike since is a 2025 recipient of the Marvin C. Link Distinguished Service Award and has dedicated his life to the service of others, both professionally and in his personal time embodying the value of hard work, compassion, and community spirit that this ward represents. Now, therefore, I Richard Herbst, by the authority vested in me as the mayor of the city of Vandalia, do hereby proclaim Mike Blakesley Day as April 8th, 2025. You've never had your very own day before. All right. Well, first, I'm I'm very honored and very humbled by this award. And one of the things that I was raised, and my mother had mentioned to me uh while I was growing up, that always think about your felt about mankind and what have you done for them today uh before you go to sleep. And so that's resonated with me over the years, and I think that's what kind of started my role or my journey to helping people and giving of myself. Um I never expected this, but I I always appreciated the family being by my side to allowing me to to give to others and and create that and keep that balance. Um so this means a lot to me, and uh just very humbled about this and being on the same stage with all the other recipients of this award. So uh means a lot. Thank you. Again, congratulations. Usually I'm giving you a lot of things. That's right. You do a better job. Here, take this. This is the official one. All right. Again, congratulations. All right, next we have a proclamation for the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week of April 13th through the 19th. This on. Push the little button, it turns green, and you can talk into it. Where would you like to be? Back sitting down. Back sitting down. Well, I can go back and sit beside you. All right. Well, again, we appreciate everything you you guys do for the city of Vandalia. Go with them over here, it'd be easier for you to get a picture. All right. Stand over on this side.

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