Wooster annexes property for Wooster Innovation Industrial Park
WOOSTER The city grew by 134 acres overnight.
Wooster City Council on Monday approved the annexation of the former Five L Farms property. The city purchased four parcels totaling 134.215 acres last year with plans to develop the property into the Wooster Innovation Industrial Park.
“I think it will be a real boon for the city and we’ll start reaping the benefits sooner than later,” said Council President Mike Buytendyk.
The property stretches from Melrose Drive to Geyers Chapel Road, directly north of the industries on Old Airport Road and the Daisy Brand plant. Mayor Bob Breneman said in his state of the city address last month that the city has already met with several prospective businesses about building at the park.
WOOSTER In a brief meeting Tuesday night, council signed off on a number of the city charter changes voters approved in the November general election.
The first ordinance changed the charter to allow the mayor and the president of council to cancel one of the body’s meetings if there is no business on the agenda. Council passed the measure by a 6-0 vote. At-large Councilman Jon Ansel was absent.
The second charter change clarifies how the law director should be appointed by the mayor.
The third change swaps the term for Wooster Community Hospital’s administrator to chief executive officer, defines the role of the WCH vice president of fiscal services and exempts the hospital s Board of Governors appointees for term limits, in line with the other boards in the city. The change passed 5-1 with Ward 4 Councilman Scott Myers dissenting.
“We are hoping to get life back to normal by the end of spring and early summer,” he said. He praised city employees who “worked tirelessly” and whose quality of services never waivered so that life could continue as normally as possible under such trying circumstances, and said the city will look to rebuild in 2021.
Also Monday, the mayor recommended Gary Thompson be approved for another four-year term on the Wooster Community Hospital Board of Governors.
Breneman lauded Thompson as a “true believer in our city, and has given back tenfold on the amount of time he has served in our ranks.” The mayor noted there is still one other open seat on the board, and he said he would have another person to put forward before the next hospital board meeting on Jan. 27.