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Marietta City Council supports memorial restoration in 5-1 vote

By Gwen Sour 4 min read

MARIETTA -- Marietta City Council voted 5-1 Thursday evening to support efforts to restore and preserve the Start Westward memorial in East Muskingum Park, with Councilman Harley Noland opposing the resolution over concerns about the absence of a preservation plan.

Resolution 22, amended at council's previous meeting, acknowledges the Start Westward Memorial Society's efforts to preserve the original sandstone monument in place while requiring additional state review before restoration proceeds.

Councilors Jon Grimm, Davie Hendrickson, Jeff Schultheis, Jade Thompson and Ron Wesel voted in favor. Councilman Bill Gossett was absent.

The resolution supports the society working with Ohio History Connection and the State Historic Preservation Office to develop an approved preservation treatment before raising tax-deductible donations for the work. It also states the city will not contribute funding toward the restoration or any cost overruns.

According to the resolution, neither Ohio History Connection nor the State Historic Preservation Office has approved the restoration initiative.

Grimm said preservation of the original monument could proceed alongside the city's plans to install a bronze replica elsewhere in the park.

"This is a piece of legislation to show the council support for a group in the community that would like to restore and preserve the statue," he said.

He said the city and state had not adequately maintained the monument and urged council to recognize the society's efforts.

Noland said after the meeting he has worked for more than 15 years toward creating a bronze casting of the monument and wanted more information about the proposed restoration.

"The city chose that path, and we're going down that path, and now they're asking public support for a monument that I have not seen a plan for how to preserve, restore, and I would like to see a plan," he said.

Council also unanimously approved ordinances authorizing bids and contracts for up to 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 40,000 gallons of gasoline after removing emergency clauses from both measures.

The discussion began when Grimm moved to suspend only the second reading of the diesel ordinance, initially leaving a final vote for the Nov. 5 meeting.

Grimm said fuel for city and emergency vehicles justified an emergency clause, but he questioned using such clauses to accelerate routine legislation.

"The right to review and referendum is a constitutional right in the Ohio Constitution," Grimm said.

Safety-Service Director Steven Wetz said the administration had not requested the emergency clauses and could complete the bidding and award process before Jan. 1 without them.

Grimm then moved to remove the diesel ordinance's emergency clause and suspend its remaining reading so council could approve it Thursday. Council followed the same process for the gasoline ordinance.

Law Director Paul Bertram said after the meeting that adopting the ordinances without emergency clauses means they must wait 30 days before taking effect.

He said the measures would become effective Nov. 15, shifting the planned bidding schedule by about 10 days and pushing the contracting process into December. With emergency clauses and passage Nov. 5, the ordinances could have taken effect immediately that day, he said.

Council also approved appropriations and transfers that included $45,500 to clear a culvert on Leland Avenue, $2,200 from a donation for a park bench and $5,782.29 in insurance proceeds for water department damage from the April 1 hailstorm.

Other transfers included $1,350 for a community development department laptop, $400 for gasoline for the mayor's vehicle and money for vehicle maintenance. A separate ordinance approved a $200 transfer for Municipal Court vehicle maintenance.

Council left Ordinance 109 on its first reading while members consider where to direct $319,751.52 that Grimm said could not be added to the city's budget stabilization account because it had reached its allowable limit.

Grimm said the budget director and auditor recommended placing the money in the capital improvements account, but he wanted to explore reserving it specifically for infrastructure needs, including storm sewers.

"I do want to still pursue earmarking that money specifically for infrastructure or infrastructure projects," he said.

Wetz also reported that the city had contracted with TEC Engineering for a traffic study near the Boys & Girls Club on Lancaster Street. A speed trailer will collect data in each direction for three days, and those results will be provided to the engineering firm for recommendations.

An ordinance for the city's 2027 contract with the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley and a resolution continuing a tax incentive agreement with Perry & Associates Holdings LLC received second readings without further action.

Council's next regular meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5.

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