Bluffton council heard updates on several bike-related topics on Monday.
Bluffton’s council streets and alleys committee, meeting Aug. 4, reported that bike racks will soon appear in several Main Street locations, encouraging the use of bicycles in the village.
Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Allen County Health Department’s "Creating Healthy Communities,” bike riders will have 17 places to park on Main Street.
Bluffton council is looking at a projected $4.1 million 2021 village budget. Discussed at the July 27 council meeting, the budget must be approved and sent to the Allen County commissioners by the end of July.
Then, in December, council takes the budget and it becomes 2021 allocations. Several changes could take place in the village financial document between now and the end of the year.
Here are some of the specific budget category expenditures anticipated for 2021:
Jesse Blackburn, village administrator reported plans for a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant to go into the former Burger King restaurant at 499 State Route 103.
The announcement was part of the administrator’s report during the July 27 Bluffton council meeting. The new owners plan to raze the Burger King building beginning Aug. 3 and replace it with a new structure by mid-November. Watch the Icon developments on this project.
Although it is mid-summer, a time Bluffton traditionally slows to a halt, that’s not the case this year.
Several village projects are underway or will begin soon. Jesse Blackburn, village administrator, updated Bluffton council on several of these at the July 13 council session.
At the top of the list is legislation affecting storage of inoperative motor vehicles.
The issue concerns the definition of the word “building.” A change was made to clear up that definition to disallow car ports without walls and tarps as vague descriptions of “buildings.”
Here are July Bluffton council committee meetings scheduled:
• Joint Parks & Recreation and Streets, Alleys, Lights, and Sidewalk Committee – Thursday, 7/8 at 7 p.m.
• Council Meeting – Monday, 7/13 at 7 p.m.
• Public Hearing for Alley Vacation – Monday, 7/13 at 7:15 p.m.
