Mayor Richard Herbst called the regular April 21, 2025 Vandalia City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., followed by the moment of reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance. There were no minutes to approve and no public comments from citizens. The meeting recognized a national champion sprinter, swore in a full-time firefighter/paramedic/inspector, acted on four resolutions and two ordinances, and closed with council comments.
April 21st uh City of Vandalia 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. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic, which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, we have no minutes to approve, and that brings us to communications petitions and awards, where tonight we are going to recognize Mr. Jordan Gross for winning the national championship for with the Adidas Indoor Nationals for the 60 meter dash. So if you could join me here at the podium for the proclamation. Anybody else would like to come up with you too? That's fine. All right, again, congratulations. All right. Watch the video of you, Ryan. That's pretty impressive. And actually, we do have it queued up here. Um we're gonna play it for everybody in case they haven't seen that yet. So whoever hits play, this would be your time. And watch quick here. Underway. And even Stark Edwards got a little bit better of a reaction, but here comes the top end speed of Jordan Gross from Butler. What do you think about that? All right. Congratulations on that. That was that's pretty pretty neat. And also, I saw an interview that you did after that. It sounds like you set some personal records here uh this season, so things are really improving for you. Anything you'd like to add to that as far as your upcoming season, what do you got? What's your goals are? Um, my goal uh is gonna I'm gonna try and win a state championship in the 100 in the 200 meter dash. Hopefully have some relays that can go out there and compete. All right, all right. Well, again, congratulations. Uh so the city of Vande, we would like to issue a proclamation to you, and if you don't mind, I'll go ahead and read it to you. Whereas a City of Vandalia takes great pride in honoring its residents who excel in their prospective fields, embodying embodying the values of dedication, hard work, and excellence. Whereas Jordan Gross has achieved a remarkable accomplishment by winning the national championship in the 60-meter dash at the prestigious Adidas Indoor Nationals. An achievement that reflects not only the athletic talent, but his unwavering commitment to excellence and the sport of track and field. And whereas Jordan's outstanding performance at the national level has brought recognition and honor to the city of Vandalia, showcasing the strength, determination, and competitive spirit that our community fosters. And whereas Jordan's accomplishment serves as an inspiration to young athletes and all the residents of Vandalia, reminding us the power of perseverance and the pursuit of greatness. Now I, therefore, Richard Herbst, by the make as the mayor of the City of Vandalia, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, as Jordan Gross Day in the City of Vandalia. Congratulations. Now the shy people get out. Thank you, Your Honor. Tonight we want to welcome a new member or a returning member to the Division of Fire. So Jake, if you don't mind standing, we'll read your bio and then I'll meet you at the podium and we'll administer the oath of office to you. So Jacob Walters originally started his career at the Division of Fire as a part-time employee in September of 2020. During this time, Jacob attended at Sinclair Community College, where he worked towards and obtained his paramedic certification in 2023. Jacob currently resides in Tipp City with his wife and growing family. Jacob Litter moved from his part-time position with the Division of Fire to full time, where he received multiple letters of commodation, unit citations, and most notably, Jacob received the 2023 EMS Person of the Year Award before having to leave in 2024. We are happy that Jacob is returning to the fire department family where he will deliver top tier service to our community again.