Year-round sign display approved

6/12/2003
BY JANE SCHMUCKER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

SWANTON -Displays of political and ideological signs will be allowed year-round in Swanton, businesses will be allowed to build closer to Airport Highway, and insurance requirements will be reduced for owners of “dangerous or vicious” dogs, village council decided this week.

The village's rules that allowed political signs to be displayed only 30 days before an election were modified last year to allow display up to 60 days before elections. But solicitor Alan Lehenbauer recommended that council not limit when residents display signs. A limit on the size of such signs - 12 square feet - remains in the new ordinance.

Another new ordinance calls for buildings on Airport Highway to be at least 120 feet from the road's center line, instead of 160 feet as the village now requires. The 120-foot setback is the standard on the highway in Lucas County.

Council also lowered the required liability insurance coverage for owners of dogs deemed vicious or dangerous to $100,000. The village has required $250,000 liability coverage, but officials found that few Ohio insurance companies will write such policies for more than $100,000. The ordinances were approved 5-0. Councilman Richard Ueberroth was absent.

Also this week, council heard:

w A meeting to study creating a fire district with the village of Delta and perhaps surrounding townships instead of operating a village fire department is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Thursday in Swanton village hall. Village administrator Jon Gochenour estimated that a study of the pros and cons of creating a fire district would cost $5,000.

Council has not formally considered such an expense.

w Lights will be installed in Swanton Memorial Park's Main Street pedestrian entrance next spring with a matching grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The $10,642 NatureWorks grant announced last week, is one of 19 grants to northwest Ohio recipients for parks and recreation improvements.