By JONATHAN SNYDER
The Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety officially hired an Ordinance Compliance Officer Position on Tuesday.
Melissa Zirkle will be taking the position, which has been vacant since August 2021. Any complaints would go to the building department, which has seen them backlogged with these issues. Zirkle’s hire will take some pressure off the building department, which thrilled Council member Josh Hunt and Police Chief Kyle Randall.
“This position has been vacant for too long,” said Hunt.
Randall hopes that Zirkle will be able to get up to speed around mid-March, just in time for spring, when more ordinance compliance issues are likely. Zirkle previously served as a 911 dispatcher for both Bluffton and the Wells County Sheriff’s Office.
Utility Director Jon Oman then presented three bids for land surveying. The outlined area will eventually be the site of transmission and distribution lines for the electric substation project on Cherry Street. Miller Land Surveying had the low bid at $15,950, with DLZ coming in at $22,590 and Apex Consulting and Surveying’s bid reaching over $28,000.
The board approved MLS’s bid, with Oman approving partnering with the local company and its reputation with the city. Oman expects to start the survey to begin sometime in early spring.
Additionally, the board reduced the fine for Super-Pufft Snacks USA down to $15,295.03, an issue discussed in their Feb. 6 meeting. The fine was itemized as $2,500 for five days of non-compliance, plus $2,795.03 for additional expenses to the wastewater treatment plant.
“The biggest thing is they did (was) make the investment to remediate for next time,” said Hunt.
Furthermore, the board also voided unused checks given to other organizations from mid-March 2021 to mid-December 2021. These voided checks totaled $3,037.78.
Council member Scott Mentzer and Mayor John Whicker were also present.
The bids for street materials, approved on Jan. 30, detailed various sizes and types of stone used for packing roads, with Rock Creek Stone Quarry the apparent low bid compared to IMI Irving Materials. However, due to the nature of the city’s usage, the board approved both contracts to order material as needed. A total cost was not available, but all prices are guaranteed throughout the year.
jonathan@news-banner.com
