Citizens spoke out against the removal of traffic lights at Monday night's city council meeting.
The city has recently removed traffic lights from the intersection of Glenn and Melmore streets and the intersection at Perry and Elmer streets.
Tiffin citizens Dawn Iannantuno, Roland Zimmerman and Randy Schwartz all told council they disagree with removal of the lights.
Zimmerman asked the city to at least delay the removal.
Councilmen Mark Hayes and Jim Roberts said they would like to see the lights be used until the end of the school year because of the lack of crossing guards.
"It's stupid to take both of these things out of service at the same time," Roberts said. "Once again I'm flabbergasted that government would allow something like this, and then I look that I'm a part of that government and I'm not very happy. We've got to do something; we got to do it now."
Councilman Rich Cline is to have a Street, Sidewalks and Sewers committee meeting in the first week of January to discuss the situation.
The city said it will take no further action with the lights until after that meeting.
In other business, Mayor Aaron Montz said that earlier in the month he had a meeting with the Northern Ohio Mayors and Managers Association to discuss House Bill 601, a bill that would reform the way cities collect taxes.
The bill is estimated to cost Tiffin nearly $270,000. Montz said NOMMA "is strongly opposing the legislation" and is considering hiring a lobbyist to "work the rooms down in Columbus."
He said NOMMA agrees changes need to be made on how income taxes are collected, but it needs to be a "revenue neutral" agreement.
He said no decisions are to be made on the bill until the new year.
Montz also met with the parks board to discuss fireworks and the city pool.
He said it would take about $13,000 in donations to have fireworks next year. The fireworks themselves are to cost about $10,000 and it would cost the city about $3,000 to pay fire, police and parks staff to work the event.
Montz said John Bing, president of the park board, is "very eager" to begin raising funds.
He said he and park director Steve Dryfuse are trying to estimate how much money is needed to reopen the pool. He said Dryfuse is looking at scaling back how many days the pool would be open and hours of operation, as potential ways to lower the operating cost.
Kevin Carrigan, of Tiffin, said the city should look for options other than asking local businesses for money. He suggested the city bid pool operation out to a private company, so the pool could be open this year.
Council President Paul Elchert said the city actually loses money every year when it opens the pool because the cost of admission is low to encourage more people to attend.
He said running the pool is done as a service to the community.
Montz said he met with the police and fire departments to figure out the primary and secondary routes that the city will be plowing this winter.
Snow fall that is 5 inches or less will only be plowed during normal work hours.
Also during the meeting, Law Director Brent Howard said American Fine Sinter needs a 30-foot restriction on a lot owned by the city.
Council voted down the proposed ordinance to increase the city income tax one-quarter of a percent, by a vote of 6-0, as per the voters' request. The income tax increase appeared on the Nov. 6 ballot, and was voted down by an official count of 3,871 against the increase and 3,269 for the increase.
By a 5-1 vote, council also agreed to delete a section of a proposed ordinance that would allow administration to choose from three candidates that are up for a promotion in the fire department.
Council has debated the topic for several meetings, and the Fire Chief Bill Ennis spoke about several reasons the section should remain in the legislation.
Mike Steyer, chair of the civil service committee for the Firefighters Local 322, and Tyler Shuff, chair of personnel and labor relations committee were among those who spoke against picking from three candidates.
In new business, council approved:
An annual ordinance appropriating certain sums from all city funds for current and other expenditures of the city of Tiffin for fiscal year beginning Jan. 1, 2013 and ending Dec. 31, 2013, by a vote of 6-0.
An ordinance amending and restating ordinance No. 11-69, the city pay ordinance, to comply with the state of Ohio minimum wage law effective Jan. 1, 2013, and declaring an emergency, by a vote of 6-0.
An ordinance amending section 191.14 of the Tiffin Codified Ordinances establishing a new allocation for the use of earned income tax revenues and declaring an emergency, by a vote of 6-0.
An ordinance amending budget ordinance 11-68 to make year-end adjustments, by a vote 6-0.
