PEMBERVILLE — Village council tried and failed three times Tuesday night to fill a
vacancy in its ranks.
Council recorded a trio of 3-2 votes on different residents who had
indicated their interest in filling a vacancy created by the June 8
resignation of Ryan Fuerst.
Village Solicitor Michael Marsh told council four affirmative votes were needed.
If council can’t come up with a replacement by July 9, the job of naming a
replacement falls to Mayor Gordon Bowman.
Council could call a special meeting to try to break the deadlock or consider other
candidates.
Michelle Hesselbart, William Long and Howard Shirling had all indicated
an interest in the vacancy and were in attendance at a special meeting a
week ago where council learned about their interests. All three
attended Tuesday’s council meeting but made no comments.
Council did:
• Approve an ordinance that agrees to allow the Ohio Department of
Transportation to wait until fiscal year 2014 to pave Ohio 105 through
the village. Bowman told council ODOT now plans to pave Route 105 west
of the village to Ohio 199 in the spring of 2013. Council briefly
discussed steps the village might want to take to address downtown
streetscape work before the paving project.
• Heard Bowman read into the record a letter from the mayor of
Rodinghausen, Germany, Pemberville’s sister village, expressing regrets
in the recent death of former Pemberville Mayor Gustava Oberhouse. She
was the person who drafted the sister village agreement.
• Discussed street sweeping and problems caused by residents who blow
grass clippings into the street. The clippings also often become a
problem when it rains, clogging catch basins and slowing drainage.
• Went into executive session to discuss a personnel issue and then adjourned without
taking any action.