The Vermilion City Council Committee Meetings and Special Meeting was partially derailed before it even started on Monday night. A fire on Idleview Dr. made Vermilion Fire Department Chief Bill Brown unavailable to attend the meeting Monday night. There were over 30 people attending the meeting and many wanted to hear from and speak with Brown. They would leave very disappointed, not only would they not speak to Brown, they wouldn’t granted the opportunity to speak publicly at all concerning Brown.
Highlights from the Committee Meetings
Health and Safety
Vermilion Police Chief Chris Hartung gave his report to the council for the Health and Safety Committee. The Police boat is in the water and all painted up. Safety town raised $4,000 to purchase bikes for kids. He’s continuing professional training for his officers and dealing with some issues from the state’s end over a contract dispute.
Chief Hartung finished up with a few updates, including a short review of the conference he attended in Columbus for Police Chiefs. One of the more interesting things brought up, was that the State is demanding that Municipalities do more to fufill public information requests and they provided more clarity on what is expected from Municipalities to comply and fill the request.
Streets Committee
The Streets Committee had Ward 5 Council member Brian Holmes speak. He inquired to Finance Director Amy Hendricks if he could get the ins and outs of a potential road levy, including mileage and scope. It looks to be one of the potential answers Council has for our roads problem is a road levy. Holmes will be corresponding with Hendricks and we will know more in future meetings.
Like us? Support us here >https://www.patreon.com/VermilionDaily
Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee had Ward 3 Council member Drew Werley speak on reviewing of the Mobile Food Services ordinance. He outlined the framework that the ordinance should consist of, how it could be adjusted or changed to encourage Food Trucks to come here and by removing many or most of the current barriers that exist.
The major issues of this potential ordinance consist of: What locations would be allowed? What county permits would be valid? What fees will be issued? Also deciding whether factoring in a truck’s proximity to an existing brick and mortar business would be required.
The Committee let audience members speak on the ordinance. Keeping the truck’s out of the downtown area and more focused on the parks that are on the east and west ends of town was suggested by one member. Other audience concerns were what department would oversee the food trucks and who would inspect them for fire safety? It was decided to hold a work session on work trucks in the near future. No date was given.
Vermilion Daily’s Joseph Jones inquired to Council President Steve Herron if the people in the audience would be afforded an opportunity to speak, since the Chief could not make it tonight. Herron replied they were waiting on the Chief and they would try to talk slowly.
Brown was found to be active on social media towards the end of the City Council meeting, but ultimately was not able to make it to the meeting due to his duties. Sources confirm he was at the fire site till 11:00 pm and residents gave him praise for his efforts.
Special Meeting Starts
Point of Order
Ward 3 Council Member Drew Werley called a Point of Order over the current practice of Vermilion City Council not having a mechanism for the public audience to speak during special meetings. He mentioned that Council has a rule that the public SHALL be provided an opportunity to discuss issues of public grievance or comcern at EACH City Council Meeting. Steve Herron replied “He believes that Municipalities are not under any obligations to have open discussion at all.” Herron also mentoned that unless its stated somewhere in city charter they don’t have to.
Werley challenged the rule of the chair. He had no seconds. Werley then asked Council to put a motion to put open to the audience on the agenda for the meeting. Herron responded with, “I don’t recognize that motion as lawful in nature, so we’ll move on.”.
Like us? Support us here >https://www.patreon.com/VermilionDaily
What’s the Emergency? The Reading of Ordinances
The reading of the ordinances started off with Ward 3 Council member Drew Werley asking Council what the emergency is on the employee manual ordinance. The Service Director Tony Valerius replied it wasn’t an emergency. After discussion, Council voted to rescind the emergency and to adopt the ordinance as then amended. After the correction, the ordinance passed 7-0.
The next three ordinances were expenditures based. They were all passed on emergency. Each was passed 6-1, with Werley being the no vote. Speaking with Werley after the meeting his reasons were: No votes are given solely on these situations not being emergencies.
Also it brings into question the ethicality of voting yes for an emergency when the situation is not one. It removes the citizen’s right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. People have a mechanism to confront government currently. That is taken from them when ordinances are pased by emergency and that mechanism is gone.
The next ordinance was a first reading to enter into contract to supplement minimal contract services for the Edgewater water lines project, to suspend the rules and to adopt the ordinance under an emergency. Werley suggested instead of passing it under emergency, that Council could waive the rules of the three readings. Further explaining that it would protect the citizens First Ammendment right to redress the government. Herron responded with, “We need to have them read under our rules…”. Herron decided to push forward to a vote. The motion passed 6-1 with the Werley giving an absolutely not vote. Herron asked the clerk to note the Absolutely. The motion passed 6-1 and the ordinance was adopted 6-1.
The first reading of an ordinance to authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Vermilion to enter a contract with for the Main Street Revitalization improvement plan, suspending the rules and adopting the ordinance under emergency. Motion passed 6-1. The motion to adopt the ordinance also passed 6-1. Werley being the lone no vote.
The first ordinance reading to rezone a Sunnyside road property owned by Vermilion Landing was read and moved to a second reading. Council President Steve Herron reminded everyone there is a public hearing on June 10th concerning this matter.
Herron then took a monent to inform everyone of the next meetings and opportunities to speak and mentioned that he follows the rules as a reason they were not permitted to speak. When Herron was done reading the meetings he said, “Thank you”.
“Let the People Speak Steve.”
Ward 3 Council member Drew Werley asked to be recognized to make a motion to open up public discussion. Werley’s reasoning being, “There all here. Here right now. Noone ever comes to these meetings. They’re here. Let them speak. Can I get a second? No, I thought not.”.
This caused quite a stir with a few members of the audience. With one audience member saying loudly, “…We pay your salaries, don’t we…” and also mentioning being harassed. Vermilion Daily’s Joseph Jones commented, “We just had a fire and it was catastrophic because of all of this. Let the people speak Steve.” Ward 2 Council member Greg Drew asked if we are adjourned. To which Herron replied, “This meeting is adjourned.”.
Werley got up in disgust and said something along the lines of they don’t care about you. Who can blame him? The continued refusal by Herron and the other five members of the Council to allow the public to speak tonight, citizens had real grievances and concerns is very alarming.
With the meeting adjourned, the audience took time to seek out individual council members. Council members Howell, Lucas and Werley were all seen taking significant time, upwards of an hour to talk to their constituents after.
Upcoming Vermilion City Council Meeting Dates – All meetings held at the Vermilion Municipal Court Complex, 687 Decatur Street, Vermilion, OH
-June 3, 2024-Vermilion City Council Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
-June 10, 2024-Public Hearing (PUD-Vermilion Landing) followed by Regular City Council Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
-June 17, 2024-Vermilion City Council Committee Meetings – 6:00 p.m.
-June 19, 2024-Juneteenth (City Offices Closed)
-July 8, 2024-Vermilion City Council Meeting – 6:00 p.m.