Council - Regular Meeting

It is 6:30. I'll call this meeting of the St. Mary City Council to order. And I'm going to break a little bit for the scouts of troop 38. Uh you have a copy of the agenda. This is what we will follow tonight. And if you have any questions, uh I will stay behind after the meeting. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer any of them. I'll try to give you a running commentary as we go along. So the first thing I'll do is I'll for roll call. May I have a roll call, please? Buff here. Lunch here. Slater here. Dutan here. Fitzgerald here. Aqua here. Gillan here. All rise. Please join in Pastor Tim in a brief prayer.

That's right. Mighty God, we thank you so much for this community in which we live here in St. Mary's. We thank you for this beautiful spring weather that we're getting to enjoy. Get some people outside, seeing some kids out on the baseball diamond. God, just it's a great time here in our community. Pray for the prom that's going to be coming up soon and graduation. It'll be here before we know it. God, we pray that all these moments that we get to celebrate as a community will be a blessing to us. Keep everyone safe as they're going to be out. Bless our first responders and everybody in this community that makes it run the way that it does. We ask your blessing upon us all as we enjoy this place together. We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen. Please join me in the pledge. I aliance 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.

At this time, uh the clerical council keeps minutes and the last meeting she sent gives us in our packet and it has the minutes of the last meeting. At this point, we have already had them, so we get to read them and look it over. And I ask for uh for a motion to accept the minutes as written. Mr. Bub, Miss Buchanan, and if you look behind you, they're going to vote uh whether they accept or not. Please vote. Oh, yes. And as you can see on the uh screen, it only tells me that they have voted. It does not tell me how they vote until everyone has voted. This so we don't keep uh this way then we don't have a herd mentality or not. So everyone votes their own conscience. Okay. Next under petitions communications we have a liquid request for St. Marin's Duchess. Uh I don't see it's where it's from. Mr.

Foxholder. Uh police chief has their concerns with the issue of permit. Is that the new gas station out in Indiana?

So at this point, uh since the chief hasn't has no objections, we're not airing any objections. It will be just processed. Next uh uh at this point under petitions and communications we have uh the time where the people of St. Mary's and the audience can address council. So does anybody here wish to address council? Not seeing anybody. We'll move on in under reports of city officials. We have the mayor's report. Mayor Herbert have no additions or corrections to my report. Any questions or comments from council? Next we have the tax commissioner's report.

M Harris, I have nothing to add the tax commission report. Any questions or comments from council? Next we have the director for public service and safety report. Mr. Fox.

Uh Mr. Harris, just a few things to add if I could please. The spring drop off uh kicked off last week. It's been very busy. You can see in uh Cory Stoker's report uh been very busy. We are in our second week. Uh so it's been good for our community. Um, as of close of business today, we've had 395 seniors sign up for the discount uh for the refugees rate. So, that's going well. Uh, on Friday the 24th uh not this coming Friday, but the following Friday is our Arbor Day event uh down at Bill Park. So, that's on the 24th. And then the following day, Saturday the 25th, is our um employee volunteer price pickup day. So, we can get together doing that. Other than that, I'll be glad to answer any questions anyone might have. Any questions or comments from council?

Okay. Didn't see him. Oh, sorry. Um, with the I wasn't sure how big our water table is, how far north that goes, if there's any concerns with the data center pulling from that or dumping into that. Do you know that at all? It's going by Lima. Yeah. I don't think it's going to impact us. No, it does. I don't think it's the Taz River Valley doesn't go up that way. It goes over to Fort Wayne. Yeah. Thankfully, uh I have been getting compliments on the new sidewalk on Indiana Avenue. Very good. I have one more too. Yes.

I got to stop into the grist mill and see their progress. It's looking pretty nice. You guys got to show me around a little bit.

We will do a elected official open house after one of our council meetings in uh May and then we'll have an actual open house for everybody else. We'll get you inside first when it's just about finished. So, we're we're in the process of picking out tables and chairs now. So, good. Any other questions or comments from council? Okay. Uh we have no reports from city council. Under the readings of resolutions, we have amendment ordinance number 202603, an ordinance approving the five rescue rates for the city of St. Mary's. Any questions or comments from council?

Just to just to add, Mr. Harris, if you'll notice on section five, if I could please. U section five since it was amended to have an emergency language. uh you'll see the date June 1 is is struck out and May 1st 2026 is and then section section six is the new emergency language. Okay. So that's the that's how it's been amended.

Okay. Any questions or comments from council? This being the third reading may I have a motion to pass please? Mr. Buck and Mr. uh Aquar uh to accept please. Oh, yes. Thank you. Sorry. Next greetings, we have ordinance 2020.604, 604, an ordinance conducting a 5-year review of the designated outdoor refreshment area, DORA, and approving the continued operation in specific specified public areas of downtown St. Mary's. Any questions or comments from councel? If not, this will be back for its third reading at the next meeting. Uh, we have no new legislation on the stage of miscellaneous business and closing. We have a public hearing on April 27th for uh to hear about the renewal of the designated outdoor refreshment. Is there anything else come before council? Mr. Motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn by Mr. B. Second by Mr. Council. Vote to please. All yeses. Thank you.