Other Action from May 3 Wooster City Council Meeting
Council discussed and tabled a 10-year 75% tax abatement for E-Pak Manufacturing LLC, which plans to expand its existing facility with a 13,200 square foot building. Projected construction is between $950,000 to $1.25 million. The company of 120 employees expects to hire a minimum of 15 employees with this expansion.
A bill to pay for the budgeted new City Hall parking lot lights was unanimously passed by council. The materials were delivered early and for less than was expected at $18,055.33, said Councilman Jon Ansel, at large.
A petition for liquor control at the Wayne Center for the Arts was passed.
For Tom and Mary Joy Lynch, Wooster was an idyllic place for their retirement.
Freshly moved from Parma, they opened Lynch s Irish Imports and Gifts and the Market Street Inn bed and breakfast in 2017.
For three years business boomed. Imports from Ireland arrived on time and guests regularly checked in.
Then in 2020, COVID-19 struck, forcing them to close along with all other nonessential businesses. We flatlined, Tom Lynch said.
Wooster s tourism scene that relies on agriculture, city and college events came to a halt in 2020 with the pandemic. This new reality forced many restaurants, stores and hotels to temporarily close or lay off employees.
Election 2021: Wayne, Holmes see no challengers in May primary races
WOOSTER Taking a step back from the wild ride of last year’s election, Wayne County is set to hold only a special election this May. Holmes County will sit out this election.
Candidates running for office in Orrville and Wooster are all unopposed in their primary after the Feb. 3 deadline. Write-in candidates have until Feb. 22 to file. All candidates officially certified on Feb.11 will advance to the general election on Nov. 2.
Here s how the Wayne County ballot is shaping up
In Orrville, Republicans Rick Aspiras Jr. and Lisa Widmer will run for re-election for their at-large seats on City Council. No Democrat challengers filed in the primary. Independent candidates have until May 3 to file for the general election.
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.
WOOSTER It s been a difficult year for businesses.
Despite the challenges, economic development agencies have worked nonstop to encourage shopping local and supporting the business community in Wooster and Wayne County.
Wooster City Council passed a resolution Monday night to assist with funding for three agencies Main Street Wooster, the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wayne County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The agencies rely on bed tax for a large portion of their budgets.
The stay-at-home order and the cancelation of events throughout the year resulted in less people traveling and staying in hotels. With fewer hotel says, bed tax was significantly down for 2020.