'Scouting still alive'

TIFFIN—Local Boy Scout troops continue serving the community. After Boy Scout Troop 444 led the Pledge of Allegiance at Monday evening's city council meeting, Brook Edwards, district chairman for Hancock and Seneca counties, discussed the program, which has four units in the Tiffin area. "They are engaged in community service, eagle projects; all kinds of activities here in the community," Edwards said. "We rely on the support of not only you as council members and city administration but also in the citizens of the community to help support our program." He then explained that the Boy Scouts have been wanting to give back to the community and have made efforts to do that. "We have recently been engaged with the local park district at the county level and done some assistance to them. We have eagle projects that have been done in the community." The local Boy Scouts are looking to highlight the service component of the organization. "Scouting is alive and well and we want to be in the community and more active," Edwards continued. "Scouting is trying to build leaders of tomorrow. Not just leadership, but good citizenship." Some ways citizens can help the Boy Scouts locally are through volunteering and participating in popcorn sales and the Friends of Scouting campaign. Edwards announced that the Boy Scouts are in the process of putting together a girls' troop with a hopeful launch date early next year. During the mayor's report, Jim and Kathy Oliver discussed Max's Miles, a local suicide prevention and awareness walk in honor of their son Max who died by suicide in 2016. Tiffin's Max's Miles event took place last weekend. The final portion of the mayor's report was an update by Brant McCaffey of Omnifiber, who provided an update on the business's progress. "Tiffin has been one of the more challenging cities for us, not because of the city relationship or Omnifiber," McCaffey said. "It has to do with our ability to gain access to telephone poles and the utility provider is not easy to deal with in your market." The business is investing more than $10 million into the city by deploying a "world-class network infrastructure" to expand broadband capabilities. "In Tiffin, almost everything on the west side of the river is complete," he said. One portion of the west side is nearly complete which will finish that half of the city. Nearly all of the east side of the river is staged with one section pending. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2025. Law Director Zach Fowler then gave his report in which he discussed the new requirement that AEDs (automated external defibrillators) be placed in certain places like at parks with a playing field or swimming pool. The effective date for this legislation is Oct. 24. He shared that when the model plan at the state level is finalized, the model can be adopted by the Parks Department. However, he said that it is unknown where the AEDs must be placed. Fowler also discussed that local marijuana dispensary Thrive has obtained a dual license, meaning it can sell both recreational and medicinal marijuana. Council has 120 days after the dispensary obtained the license to take action to block the license if wanted. As Thrive begins to sell recreational marijuana, those sales are taxed at 10%. Thirty-six percent of that 10% then comes back to the city. Fowler explained that it is not yet known how the funds can be used or what body can make those decisions. Council then passed the following resolution and ordinances. Resolution 24-40: Approve the Mayor's reappointment of Kade Rowe to serve a term on the Thomas Connor Memorial Commission from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2027. Ordinances 24-66: responding to Petition No. 2024-03 vacating the alley off of Front Street running East/West between Lot No. 285 of Heming's Resurvey and Lot No. 409 of the Western Addition to the City of Tiffin in the Fourth Ward of the City of Tiffin, Ohio. 24-72: to amend Section 143.05 of the Codified Ordinances. 24-73: to amend Section 135.14 of the Codified Ordinances. 24-76: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the Street Budget. 24-77: authorizing and directing the City Administrator to prepare plans and specifications, advertise for and receive bids, recommend and execute a contract for the 2025 Street Paving Program and declaring an emergency. 24-78: to amend the firefighter's civil service entrance and promotion requirements by amending Sections 143.02 and 143.03 and Chapter 149 of the Codified Ordinances. 24-81: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the Street Maintenance Budget. 24-82: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the Police Budget. 24-83: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the General Administration Budget. 24-84: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the Park Capital Budget. 24-85: amending the 2024 Budget Ordinance 23-94 to appropriate funds into the WPCC Budget. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at City Hall, 51 E. Market St., in council chambers.