The Wayne City Council is one member short following action taken at Tuesday's meeting.
Council member Yasuko Taoka, who represents Ward 2, submitted her resignation, effective immediately. She noted she will not be able to attend council meetings and therefore needed to resign. The city will now publish a notice of the vacancy for the position.
The majority of time during the meeting was spent discussing a request from the Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA) to have the city council forgive a current loan in the amount of $300,000.
Prior to open discussion, the council went into executive session for approximately one-half hour to discuss the potential purchase of property by the CRA.
After coming out of executive session Greg Ptacek, a member of the CRA committee, spoke to the council on work being done by the committee and listed several properties the group has already purchased and those they are planning to purchase.
In addition, he listed the potential uses for these properties and some of the needs for the city, especially in the downtown area. The purchase of these properties would require additional funds from the city.
Council members expressed concern with forgiving the $300,000 loan, which involves money taken from the Electric Fund.
Following discussion, council voted unanimously to grant the CRA a $200,000 line of credit with a one-half percent interest rate on the money used. The request for loan forgiveness was not approved and the loan will come due in April of 2024.
A public hearing was held on an application of a Class C Liquor License for Baha Inc., doing business as Raintree Liquor.
Jason Claussen and Doug Manz were present at the meeting and noted that the two have purchased the business and are currently going through the transition of ownership.
Manz will be in charge of management and it is anticipated that operations will remain the same.
Following the hearing council members voted to approve the application.
In other action, the council approved a resolution which accepts the bid and awards a contract to S&V Excavation LLC. The bid of $5,460.00 is for dirt work on the "Old City of Wayne Lagoon Berm."
Two other resolutions were approved for the purchase of equipment from Bobcat in Norfolk.
The first of these is for a Bobcat UW56 "tool cat" with a broom. The Parks and Recreation Department already owns one of these pieces of equipment and plans to use the second to assist with snow removal on the trail. The bid for this was $61,500.87 and was part of this year's budget.
The second purchase was for a S66 T4 Bobcat Skid Loader with attachments for $39,209.02. The new, slightly larger, skid loader will replace a 2012 unit that will be traded in.
A resolution was also approved to move forward with advertising for bids for a new fire truck for the Wayne Volunteer Fire Department.
Wayne Fire Chief Phil Monahan and department member Brent Doring, were present at the meeting and said that if the truck were ordered by December of this year, it could take 18-24 months to build.
A total of $450,000 has already been budgeted for the purchase, including $150,000 from reserves, $250,000 from Capital Projects and $50,000 from the fire department budget. Estimated cost for the truck is $530,000.
An application for Payment No. 3 in the amount of $102,061.01 to Meyers Construction, Inc. was approved. It is for work on the Pine Heights Road & Utility Improvements Project.
City Street & Planning Director Joel Hansen told the council that the project is moving forward and paving between 9th and 10th Street should take place this week.
The Wayne City Council will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers.
