(Photo by Gwen Sour) Mayor Josh Schlicher, center, gives updates on the repairs being made to the sinkhole at Fourth and Marion streets in Marietta.

Marietta City Council convened Thursday evening to cover various topics, including progress on critical infrastructure projects, tax budget developments, and continued public concern over the city’s response to homelessness.

Mayor Josh Schlicher updated council on the sinkhole on Fourth and Marion streets. Utility work has cleared the area, and reinforced concrete placement will begin next week. However, due to material delays, full completion is expected to take longer than initially projected.

Schlicher announced a May 9 groundbreaking ceremony for the city’s levee project, scheduled for 2 p.m.

Councilman Mike Scales praised city staff for preparing the tax budget a month ahead of schedule, with a public hearing slated for May 15 at 7 p.m. Final passage is targeted for June 18, well ahead of the July 10 deadline to submit the budget to the Washington County Auditor. City Auditor Heather Scales and other officials were commended for their efficiency, saving the city an estimated $1,000 in avoided special meeting costs.

“This is the first time since I’ve been on council that we didn’t need extra meetings to get the budget ready,” said Scales.

During the public forum, residents expressed gratitude for the recent closure of an encampment near Douglas Avenue on Harmar Hill, but raised new objections to a proposed homeless resource center at 315 Third St. Speakers warned that placing such a facility in the downtown district, particularly so close to local cultural venues like the theater, would discourage tourism and harm businesses.

“The integrity of our community must not be compromised,” said Steve Parlin. “Supporting the vulnerable is essential, but not at the expense of the whole.”

Another speaker, Daniel Harrison, described the 315 Third St. location as “absolutely wrong,” citing concerns about safety and downtown aesthetics.

He referenced statements by a city official suggesting the shelter would prioritize services for individuals with active drug use or criminal histories, leaving others to be served elsewhere. This, he argued, was a misguided approach that failed both residents and the homeless population.

“There are better, more suitable locations that wouldn’t risk harming our city’s only vibrant draw: our downtown,” Harrison said.

Council passed several ordinances and resolutions Thursday evening, including:

¯ Ordinance 187 allows the Director of Public Safety and Service to install GPS tracking devices on city service vehicles. The move is intended to improve oversight and accountability of the city’s vehicle fleet.

Safety and Service Director Steve Wetz emphasized the urgency of passing the ordinance, sharing a recent incident in which a service truck was stolen from a cemetery and not noticed until several days later, after it was found in Pennsylvania.

¯ Resolution 57 approves the purchase of property located in the City of Marietta from Floyd David Keerps, a one-third interest; Daniel Charles Keerps, a one-third interest; and Bonnie K. Rake, a one-third interest, for the purchase price of $14,000. The land is currently being used as a city street, despite remaining under private ownership.

¯ Ordinance 182 declaring that two contiguous parcels of city-owned property in Marietta — one approximately 139 feet in length and the other approximately 184 feet in length, both located between Gilman Avenue and the Muskingum River — are not needed for municipal purposes; authorizing and directing the director of public safety and service to advertise for bids and enter into a lease agreement for the properties; and requiring the director to return all bids, along with a recommendation for acceptance, to council within 15 days of the bid opening.

¯ Ordinance 188 reallocates a $62,114.74 backlog grant to cover personnel-related expenses in the city, including $40,162.50 in salaries and wages, along with appropriations for Medicare, health and life insurance, and OPERS (Ohio Public Employees Retirement System). The ordinance was passed unanimously after suspending the second and third readings.

¯ Ordinance 189 includes $442,820 in capital upgrades for the city’s water facilities, along with $74,003 earmarked for charitable services under the water fund and $24,870 for a community development recapture initiative.

The next regularly scheduled Marietta City Council meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Armory.