×

Marietta City Council passes Start Westward Monument resolutions

Marietta City Council passed two resolutions furthering the work of the Start Westward Monument Thursday.

The resolutions implore the U.S. federal government to honor a 1935 joint resolution of the 75th U.S. Congress recognizing the monument as a national landmark.

Resolution 93 asks the National Park Service to honor the Governor’s Deed of 1937 which states that the sculpture is a national monument established and funded by the federal government through the Northwest Territory Commission and led by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“We would like to have this resolution so that the National Park Service can assist with some of our financial needs,” explained Councilwoman Cindy Oxender.

Council’s vote on the resolution was unanimous and witnessed by the Start Westward Committee Chairman Jean Yost.

“I just want to say thank you,” Yost told the legislative body, before leaving the room.

Other business

– Council abolished outdated ordinances regulating the use of parking meters within the downtown. Council recognized Monday that all parking meters barring the one behind the Armory collecting donations from the electronic car charging station have been sold off.

– Council also received hard copies of the first “bare-bones” pass-through of the city’s budget for 2020.

The budget again became a point of contention between council members Thursday, with Oxender again stating that public attendance for at least the city streets budget discussion and the city’s fire department budget discussion needs be held after 5:30 p.m.

Councilman Mike Scales, finance chairman, said he would provide the Times today with a detailed schedule of department budget hearing times (which begin Tuesday).

The budgeting hearings will also be the first point of exploration between the incoming council members including President-elect Susan Vessels, Councilman-elect Bill Gossett and Councilman-elect Bill Farnsworth.

Gossett and Vessels were present Thursday for the meeting and also received copies of the city’s proposed budget.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today