By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]

SIDNEY — The Sidney City Council was introduced to five ordinances and discussed township fire and EMS contracts and a liquor permit transfer at a meeting on Oct. 9.

The introduced ordinances included the following:

• Authorize spending for charter amendment awareness. The city will send out a full-color 6.5×9 mailer to anyone in zip code 45365 besides businesses. The estimated cost will be $4,447.57;

• Establish an industry/innovation/manufacturing zone for the annexation area where the Sidney Ohio Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is located;

• Assess certain property owners the cost of weed mowing or junk removal that the city paid for. A total of 58 properties will be assessed $17,383.40 for weed mowing and eight properties will be assessed $1,836.60 for junk removal;

• Assess certain property owners the cost of inspection chambers, fittings and/or Lateral Transfer Agreement filing fees related to the city’s I&I Reduction Program. A total of 41 properties will be assessed $5,117;

• Amend portions of the city’s codified ordinance pertaining to municipal income tax to comply with the Ohio Revised Code. The changes will include: anyone under 18 is exempt from paying city income tax — this was previously 16. Those under 18 who pay city income tax can request a refund; and the late filing fee is changing to a flat fee of $25 when it was previously $25 a month up to $150. The city must now also abate the taxpayer’s first late filing fee. The changes to the Ohio Revised Code were effective Oct. 3, 2023.

Fire Chief Chad Hollinger discussed the annual township fire and EMS contracts with the council and said each township’s contract amounts will increase by $6,000 except Washington Township which won’t increase. City Manager Andrew Bowsher said the amount is the lowest increase the city was willing to go to try to keep up with the costs of providing services to the townships.

“There was one township that thought it was fair; there were two that were not very pleased. They would obviously like to keep the costs as low as possible. They’re working in a fixed budget with what they’re collecting in their levies, and for their taxpayers and their citizens they’re trying to get the absolute best deal that they can. From my position, I think that they’ve had the best deal out there for a long time, and it’s time for us to begin collecting on some of that,” Hollinger said.

The city also received a request to transfer a liquor permit from Al’s Pizza Inc. to KYBEC LLC for Al’s Pizza at 1315 Wapakoneta Ave. The permit allows beer sales for on and off-premises consumption until 1 a.m. The council approved the transfer.

K-9 Police Officer Joseph Kennedy with K-9 Jett were also in attendance at the meeting and introduced to the council.

During staff comments, Hollinger mentioned the fire department did not receive the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to hire six firefighters. He said the fire department is short one member, and Police Chief Mark McDonough said the police department is short four members.

Bowsher said Sidney’s trick-or-treat will be held on Oct. 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The next City Council meeting will be held on Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall’s council chambers.

Photo submitted by Sidney City Clerk Kari Egbert