Mansfield City Council began with a changing of the guard on Tuesday night. Walden “Butch” Jefferson was sworn into office as the replacement for Councilman Sam Dunn, who resigned as 4th Ward council member to take the Community Development position vacated by now retired Donnie Mitchell.
Caucus opened with a detailed report on the city’s flooding problem presented by City Engineer Bob Bianchi. The Flood Hazard Mitigation Investigation has been completed after 10 months of research and Bianchi presented the findings to council. The study was conducted in response to the significant and repeated flooding of Mansfield’s Downtown and North End neighborhoods and business districts. After the area flooded twice last June, Mayor Tim Theaker formed a task force to investigate the problem and possible solutions.
Lt. John M. Wendling retired from the Mansfield Division of Police with the distinction of being the second longest serving officer. Wending served 46 years beginning as a patrol officer and continuing to become a member of Mansfield’s first SWAT team, a Certified Bomb Technician, as well as receiving various commendations and awards.
Members of council congratulated Wendling, many of them attempting to persuade him to stay long enough to hold the record for longest-serving officer, but he politely declined the offers.
In regular business, council accepted a grant in the amount of $4,200 from the Richland County Foundation as well as $200 from the Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission. Also, $15,292 was transferred within the METRICH grant fund from purchased services to capital outlay.
The mayor was authorized to submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development an annual plan to reallocate $75,087.38 in previously allocated but unused CDBG funds.
Council voted to demolish 154 Arthur Ave. and 192 Harker St. as the properties were deemed to be insecure, structurally defective, and unsafe to life and other property.
Mansfield City Council next meets in council chambers at 7 p.m. on June 17.
