The city of Bellefontaine has a new prosecuting attorney following action taken Tuesday in a regular city council meeting.
An ordinance was approved hiring Crystal K. Welsh as the next Bellefontaine City Prosecutor. She replaces outgoing city prosecutor Daniel Carey, who resigned to pursue other interests.
Welsh has a background and experience in social work and departments job and family services, prior to going to law school. Most recently, she was a supervising attorney for juvenile division of the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office in Painesville.
The ordinance was passed on first-and-final reading due to the immediate need to fill that vacancy, Bellefontaine Law Director Josh Stolly said. Carey will help Welsh train for a two-week period, effective Monday, Oct. 28.
A separate ordinance that was also passed on first-reading only creates for an additional full-time victim’s assistant position at Bellefontaine Municipal Court to be paid at a rate of $15.50 per hour for 40 hours per week.
In other council business, an ordinance was adopted to officially annex a tract of land near the area of State Route 540, east of U.S. Route 33 at the request of Tokio Investments LLC.
Also approved were resolutions requesting matching grant funds as part of the Ohio Airport Grant Projects, and to approve investments and expenditures related to the Dr. Sloan Endowment Fund.
The Federal Aviation Administration is paying $346,973 towards paving work at the Bellefontaine Regional Airport. The Ohio Department of Transportation is also contributing about $19,270.
The city is responsible for only $19,277 toward a $385,000 project, Service-Safety Director David Henry said during a finance committee meeting prior to the regular meeting.
Dr. Sloan Endowment funds provide 22 local students with $75 grants to provide school fees and/or clothing.
Rates are ambulance services are set to increase. The charge for a standard ambulance ride is going up $50, according to the ordinance.
Fire Chief Andy Fissell said the increase puts the Bellefontaine right in the middle of the pack for municipalities of similar size.
The next regular meeting is 7:30 p.m., Nov. 12.