Bellefontaine City Council approved in a 6-1 vote a first-reading of a resolution in support of the city of Bellefontaine permitting certain improvements in the public right-of-way, located at 137 to 141 W. Columbus Avenue, for outdoor seating for the Flying Pepper Cantina.
Bellefontaine Mayor Ben Stahler said the approval of the resolution — which had five public hearings — “really adds another layer of networking and almost an invitation of visitors to the community.”
“It was very well-vetted in the community,” he said. “Folks had a chance to be heard.”
“Outdoor dining and spaces to share with people to connect are terribly important in this day and age. It also really differentiates Bellefontaine from other surrounding communities.
“It does extend our footprint.”
Stahler explained the resolution is on a permission-basis and specified that no city money is going into the improvement and stressed the issue can also always be revisited.
An issue no-vote and at-large councilman Kyle Springs had with the resolution was that of parking.
“I voted no not because I don’t enjoy outdoor dining or rooting for The Flying Pepper (Cantina) to succeed, but the parking issue is much larger,” he said. “The city needs to work to resolve the parking issue as a whole.”
But Stahler said throughout the last two years the city has found 37 new parking spaces, giving away only three with this newest resolution, netting a total of 34 new parking spaces.
Council also approved:
• an ordinance authorizing the hiring of a part-time seasonal employee for the city utility’s office for spring/summer 2020 employment to be paid at a rate of pay not to exceed $14 an hour for indeterminate periods of time not to exceed 129 hours per month from March 16, through Sept. 20;
• an ordinance on first reading authorizing providing for compensation for a substitute clerk of council;
• an ordinance on second reading authorizing the hiring of part-time seasonal employee for the city utility office for spring/summer 2020 employment; and
• an ordinance authorizing making permanent appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures during the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2020, allowing for a general fund total increase over 2019 by 9.3 percent expected to be $10,130,940 and a total budget of a 3.33 percent increase totaling $28,673,155.
In other business, Chief Brandon Standley announced that from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 19, the police department will host a free senior health and safety event at Friendly Senior Center, 934 S. Main St. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.
Standley said there are already 25 local area community partners set up to help senior citizens in attendance. Anyone ages 55 and older are urged to attend.
Speakers will present between 1 and 2 p.m. and the rest of the time is to be spent with guests having the opportunity to visit vendors.