By JONATHAN SNYDER
It was an ordinance outburst for Bluffton’s Common Council as three were approved Tuesday.
After the first reading on the Wells County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance amendments in its Jan. 2 meeting, the council officially approved the changes on the second hearing. The only changes to the ordinance involve cleaning up the wording surrounding the standards for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles in special flood hazard areas.
The council also approved of a rezoning ordinance for Life Community Church’s parking lot on South Street west of Jersey Street. The rezoning request was given a do-pass recommendation by the Wells County Area Plan Commission on Jan. 4. The parking lot is now an industrial zone, where equipment and landscaping materials will be stored by Dubach Landscaping, who was given permission from the church to use the lot.
“It does fit the area,” said council member Josh Hunt, a sentiment echoed by his peers on the council — Sarah Reed, Chandler Gerber, Rick Elwell, Scott Mentzer, Janella Stronczek and Blake Fiechter. Hunt further clarified that a screen will be put up to shield off the line of sight from the residential areas next to the site, in accordance with Wells County ordinances.
The council’s final ordinance approval of the day involved approving additional funds from the Community Crossings Grant Fund. $1,973,365.92 from the fund will be added to the Paving/ADA Curb Line Item. Half of those funds will be paid for by the Community Crossings Grant.
The council also unanimously elected to keep Mentzer as the council president and approved their appointments for other city bodies in 2024.
The appointments made by the council are as follows:
• Board of Public Works and Safety — Mentzer and Hunt
• Economic Development Council — Elwell
• Bluffton Redevelopment Commission — Gerber, Hunt, Stronczek, Mentzer and Elwell
• Wells Economic Development Commission — John Emshwiller
• Wells County Area Plan Commission — Gerber
• 911 Board — Hunt and Elwell
• ABC Board — Ron Bleving
• Bluffton NOW — Stronczek
• Wells County Convention and Visitors Commission — Brandy Fiechter
• Bluffton Fire Territory — Mentzer
• Wells County Solid Waste District — Mentzer
• Wells County Trails — Stronczek
jonathan@news-banner.com
