FAIRMONT– At the start of the Fairmont City Council Meeting on Monday, Council Member Randy Lubenow asked to remove an item, authorizing the purchase of two sets of tools for the mechanic shop, off of the consent agenda.

When it came time to discuss the matter, City Engineer Troy Nemmers explained that the mechanics at the street shop work on all equipment that the city owns and in the past, they’ve been required to bring in and use their own personal tools.

He said several years back a tool allowance was granted to the union contract that allowed them to collect some money each month for tools.

“At the last union negotiations we talked about trying to eliminate this $65 tool allowance… and with the new facility looked at purchasing two new sets of tools that would be city-owned and stay on city property and could be used by streets and parks guys,” Nemmers explained.

Lubenow asked why they would spend $32,000 when the current system has already been working.

Council Member Michele Miller pointed out that if they get a new employee who can’t afford the tools required to do the job, a system like this would prove beneficial.

“It’s part of the budget for the Public Works building, it’s already taken out of the union contract, we might as well move forward with it,” Miller said.

Council Member Britney Kawecki asked if the mechanics currently employed have asked for new tools, as she said she was under the impression they were okay with still using their own tools.

“If we get to a point where both mechanics are going to retire, we can come back and say ‘now is the time,'” Kawecki said.

City Administrator Cathy Reynolds explained that making the switch was discussed back in 2020 and included as part of the Public Works building budget.

“It’s budgeted right now. Say… our guys walk out and leave in 2023, if we don’t have $32,000 budgeted and our new employee doesn’t have their own set of tools, we don’t just turn around and buy. There’s a budgeting process,” Reynolds said.

The council authorized the purchase of the tools with a 3-2 vote with Lubenow and Kawecki voting no.

Moving to other matters, the council considered approving proposed ordinance 2022-09– Rural and Urban Service District. The two service districts are taxed at different rates due to the different demands on municipal services generated by the parcels in each district.

Reynolds said a public hearing on the ordinance was held at the last council meeting and that it was back on the agenda for further discussion and approval.

Kawecki said she thought it was a matter of fairness.

“We’re determining what properties in the city of Fairmont are deemed rural while realistically there are properties… what’s the difference between deeming someone rural and a vacant lot in the city where they have access to the same municipal services,” Kawecki said.

She said she thought it was important for the council to make more definitive criteria so that they have bright and clear lines to more effectively evaluate the parcels.

“There are people who are actually farming or considered hobby farms in the city of Fairmont and they are deemed urban while there are people who live on a regular home and they’re deemed rural,” Kawecki said.

Lubenow asked what the benefit is for taking a property from rural to urban. Reynolds said that the tax structure is different.

“We have looked at it and one of the things to note is our guidance is not benefited to the same degree as other land by municipal services financed by general taxation,” Reynolds said.

Miller asked how much money they’d be generating by making the changes. Reynolds said she hadn’t asked the assessor what the number would be if all of the properties were switched to urban.

Council Member Bruce Peters said he thought it sounded like a waste of staff time to go through all of the properties.

In a roll call vote, the ordinance failed 4-1.

Reynolds said the ordinance is due to the county so it will need to be brought back to the council at some point. She asked the council what changes it would like to be made to the ordinance. The council decided to revisit the ordinance at a future meeting

In other news, the council:

— Approved vegetation management plans for wetland bank and Dutch Creek habitat sites.

— Authorized advertising for bids for project 2022-C for modification of screens at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.