Whitehall Service Director Ray Ogden presented City Council Aug. 21 with an ordinance that that would require hotels and motels within the city to obtain a permit to operate and to establish safety and sanitation regulations.
The hotels and motels operating within the city are not regulated with respect to certain safety and sanitation procedures and requirements as other hospitality establishments in the city.
This will give the city the means to monitor and enforce certain safety and sanitation measures, according to Ogden.
"We will be able to go in and inspect the premises to assure they are following the correct sanitation and safety procedures," stated Ogden.
Paul Wenning, of the Franklin County Board of Health will be at the Sept. 11 committee meetings to further explain the legislation. He has been able to help implement the same permit in Grove City and Hilliard.
In other business, following a public hearing, Justino DeLeon, owner of J & E Electronics, was given the green light to move his existing business from 4133 E. Main Street to 4252 E. Main Street.
The company sells and installs alarm and audio systems in cars. He said that his current location is too small, and has forced him to work outside on the vehicles. There is only room for one car in that garage’s bay.
DeLeon also mentioned that he had once been robbed there, because the door has to be open when they are working. The new location is about 5,000 square feet, allowing for a much larger bay, as well as his showroom.
He assured council that there would be no work outside at the new site, and that the tests he does with the sound systems and alarms last less than 60 seconds.
Council President Brent Howard told DeLeon that he appreciated that he did not move his business out of Whitehall.
DeLeon responded, "We love Whitehall, and we want to stay here."
Council approved making an appropriation in the sum of $12,940 from previously unappropriated monies in the Jag/Byrne Memorial-YVTF Fund to the YVTF Jag/Bryne Memorial Account.
This is a grant received for the Youth Violence Task Force operations in 2006. Mayor Lynn Ochsendorf announced that she just found out that the city will be receiving $23,000 for 2007.
Council also approved the mayor to enter into a group plan via a third-party administrator for obtaining a significant discount on workers’ compensation costs.
The next meeting will be Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
