St. Marys votes to keep lifeguards afloat

ST. MARYS - An emergency ordinance passed under rule suspension Monday will offer city lifeguards reimbursement for receiving their certifications and amend their pay.

In an effort to stay competitive in attracting and retaining seasonal pool employees, the city recently conducted a wage survey and also decided to implement a certification reimbursement program, something that had reportedly been discussed over the years with pool managers.

Pool employees who obtain their initial lifeguard certification will be eligible for a one-time reimbursement of up to $170, and $40 to renew their certification every two years, so long as they work a minimum of 125 hours at the St. Marys Family Aquatic Center.

Employees who obtain a lifeguard instructor certification can also be reimbursed partly or in full at the discretion of the director of public service and safety.

The city currently has 15 individuals becoming certified life guards. While pool management would like to have more employees, the aquatic center will open to the public Memorial Day weekend.

Lifeguards will be on hand to give guided tours of the city's new bath house during the facility's open house on May 28.

Council members also passed under rule suspension an emergency resolution allowing the city to apply for funding via the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' NatureWorks Grant Program. Mike Burkholder, manager of industrial and community development, said about $86,000 was allotted to Auglaize County in the grant program, and city officials want to try obtaining funds for the park for all abilities.

A play area that would include equipment accessible for children in wheelchairs and those with developmental disabilities was proposed to city officials earlier this year. The play area would be constructed north of the parking lot at Mill Park.

The NatureWorks grant would require a 25% local funding match, which Burkholder said could be achieved either through local donations or the price of city labor.

In other news, the former Roughrider Touchdown Club located at 128 W. South St. will undergo asbestos removal May 24, and city work crews will reportedly begin razing the structure May 25. It was purchased by the city in March, along with two other properties locally known as the Palm and Murphy buildings, for $325,000 plus standard closing costs. The purchases are part of the city's plan to construct a new municipal building in the future.

The other buildings included in the purchase, located at 111 W. Spring St. and 101-103 W. Spring St., will also eventually be razed. City service and safety director Greg Foxhoven told council members Monday the Murphy building is currently being checked for asbestos, and that so far there was "a lot of it." Similar levels of asbestos are expected to be in the Palm building as well.

The amount of asbestos in the Murphy and Palm buildings could reach levels that would require the city to bid out the work to have it removed, according to Foxhoven. Bidding out the work would slow the process down some, and officials are hoping to stick to an aggressive schedule.

Foxhoven said the city hopes to have a new municipal building in time for the city's bicentennial celebration in 2023.

Council members also learned electric car chargers will be installed in St. Marys Square. Burkholder said other local communities had been talking of adding chargers, and city officials felt if they could do the same at a reasonable cost, it could make the St. Marys community more attractive to visitors.

City law director Zach Ferrall said the city would be installing destination chargers for electric cars, which are intended to work over a few hours or overnight. The chargers could potentially draw in day trippers or people from the highway. The adapters are reportedly compatible with virtually all electric cars in use, according to Ferrall. If the initial chargers are found to be a success, officials may add more in other parts of the city.

ChargePoint, an American electric vehicle infrastructure company, would allow officials to monitor how much chargers are used and when they are used.

Infrastructure for the chargers is currently being worked on, and the chargers themselves could be installed within the next six weeks, according to Burkholder.

Council members also

• scheduled a streets and sidewalks committee meeting for 5:15 p.m. May 17 and a finance committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. May 17.

• watched Mayor Patrick McGowan present a resolution of sympathy intended to go to the family of Scout, a K-9 unit that had served the St. Marys Police Department for six years and recently passed away.

• performed second reading of an ordinance to create a designated outdoor refreshment area. The second reading was done following a public hearing prior to the regular meeting, during which no members of the public came to address council.

• passed two ordinances approving the issuance and sale of bonds for street projects. One authorizes the issuance of $8,000 for improvement and reconstruction of Cheshire and Cumberland drives. The other ordinance authorizes the issuance of $22,500 in bonds for costs associated with the city's 2020 street program.

• performed first reading of an ordinance editing and adding certain ordinances as part of the various component codes of the city's codified ordinances. The city typically updates its ordinance language annually to bring language in line with changes or amendments to the Ohio Revised Code, according to Foxhoven.

• performed second reading of an ordinance authorizing an agreement with the village of Yorkshire for the collection of village income taxes.