New monument set for Maple St.

wants to save

brick street

By BECKY BROOKS

Enterprise Editor

clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com

The Clyde Firefighters Association returned to the City Council meeting on Aug. 20 to receive approval to place a firefighters monument near the gazebo on West Maple Street.

After a short discussion, the council approved the location change.

"We came back to update you on it," firefighter Perry Hill told council members during visitor comments. With him was Larry Dick from the fire department.

The original plan proposed to council earlier this summer called for the monument to be installed along Railroad Street near the Veterans Memorial.

"We've moved this thing several different times," Hill said. "It was suggested we move it to the city lot across the street across from the Veterans Memorial," he said, noting that the Veterans Memorial would be too crowded with another monument in that small park area.

"It would be 44 feet off of the sidewalk," he said about current plans to have the new memorial sit away from Maple, but face the street. "We're going to have three flag poles there, and we don't want to be under the power polls."

Hill presented a drawing of a half circle sidewalk leading to the proposed memorial and landscaping around it.

"We're still at the same cost for the monument," he said, but pointed out that the cost of the landscaping at $3,200 plus the new sidewalk will increase the cost of the project overall.

"We would like to see the concrete work done by winter time," Hill added. "We were hoping to get the city to help us to have it installed."

City manager Dan Weaver told the firefighters to get an estimate as to the cost of the sidewalk and monument base and then meet with him.

"You should look to the professional people," Weaver pointed out about getting the sidewalk estimate for the colored and stamped concrete the firefighters association wanted.

"You might want to look at a concrete company who does that kind of work."

Hill said it would take three months to get the stone delivered, and they wanted to get the stone delivered before winter. With the council's approval of the site, the association could now order the monument.

Councilman Ken Dick, who previously worked for a monument company, advised the firefighters that the concrete had to be in place before frost.

"If you don't get it in, it's going to be May before they can set it," he added.

In other business, the council approved the newest change to the recreation department schedule of fees. The new schedule added co-ed softball and its fees to the schedule.

City council also approved Art Lester as a new member of the Clyde Planning Commission, finishing a term vacated by Jack Trainor.

The last resolution of the night was approved and allowed the city manager to make adjustments to sidewalk assessments for property owners in the 2006 sidewalk program. The city manager investigated the costs of the seeding and mulching costs for the program that year. It cost $2.83 per linear foot. Council reduced the amount to 66 cents per linear foot.

Weaver said that residents who paid the assessment would be reimbursed the amount of the adjustment, and bills sent to the county auditor to be placed on the tax duplicate also would be adjusted.

The council accepted the resignation of six-year council clerk Tami Steinbauer, who will be taking a position with the Clyde-Green Springs Exempted Village School District.

The council held interviews at a work session Tuesday, Aug. 26, to review candidates who had applied for the assistant deputy clerk's position.

Under remarks at the regular meeting, Councilman Steve Keegan supported dredging the pond in Community Park with city workers.

Weaver said he was pretty confident that General Services superintendent Rick Harrah could operate any kind of equipment needed for the dredging project.

Councilman Ken Dick asked the city manager and council to consider an effort to preserve a small section of the city's history.

"Is there anyway we can look at creating a historical landmark thing for the small piece of brick road in Clyde between Maple and Buckeye and get it restored," he asked about a small section of George Street.

Weaver said the council could pass an ordinance.

"It's the only section in town that still has the brick in it," Dick said. "Can it be restored?"

Weaver admitted, "It's in a condition that it needs to be reconstructed. It's going to be expensive, but it may be worth it."

He also commented that the local historical society was once a part of the city's operations, but now the Heritage League is a separate entity with no connection to the city government.

"I think that as a council, they ought to be involved in that loop," Weaver said about the need for the city to preserve its history.

"If we can get some legislation done, I would like to see it myself," Dick said about saving the last section of Clyde's brick streets.