Council presents lighting contest awards

“Our judges usually spend about a week on this by the time they get through driving around all the streets,” shared Councilwoman Jennifer Romano. “We had some great competition this year. We saw some houses that hadn’t been decorated before, and making our decisions was sometimes difficult.”

Overall winner this year was Chris Cook. The northwest district winner was Bryan and Sarah Graham. The southeast district winner was Gary, Heather and Jordan Parrett. The southwest district winner was Jack and Pamela Nicodemus. The northeast district winner was Mike Christie.

During the council meeting, council members approved appointing Walt Crowder as the Common Council president.

In other council news, the council approved on second and final reading an ordinance establishing restricted and unrestricted funds for incoming state dollars.

These dollars are part of a settlement with many opioid manufacturers around the country. From that settlement, certain dollar amounts are being distributed to counties and cities across the state.

In order to receive those dollars, these government entities must establish funds to appropriate them once they are received at a later time.

The city will receive these dollars over the next several years. What they will go to, it was decided, will be a later discussion.

The hope, as highlighted by Mayor Ryan Daniel, is to use these funds for rehabilitation and recovery services.

Councilwoman Jennifer Romano, announced the first meeting of the Arts Commission, which occurred at the start of the year, went well. Romano was appointed as the commission president.

The Arts Commission was created by the council as a way to promote arts and its many mediums in the community.

During the Board of Works and Safety meeting, Connor Busick, with Chapman’s restaurant, appeared with a unique request.

He was seeking a solution for use of a smoker for the restaurant.

Chapman’s had been made aware by the fire department the smoker would need to be 10 feet away from combustibles. To do this behind the restaurant, it was explained, would put the smoke in someone else’s property.

The best solution to this problem, as it was presented, would be to locate the smoker on the sidewalk along Van Buren Street, almost directly in front of the restaurant.

Busick explained people would still be able to walk around it and would be constantly attended to while flames were lit.

The smoker, he said, was helpful to the business and increasing business by providing smoked brisket, pork and chicken to its menu. It was explained the smoker would be located there once a week, likely Wednesdays, for 15 hours.

He also explained this would be temporary, as the smoker will be moved to Electric Works likely some time in June.

The board expressed no opposition as long as safety measures were taken and the smoker would be well-monitored while in use.