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BELPRE -- The business community in Belpre is continuing to grow, the city's mayor reported to Belpre City Council during its Monday meeting.
In his mayor's report, Mayor Mike Lorentz said he attended two ribbon cuttings for businesses in Belpre since the last council meeting in July.
On Aug. 3, he attended the ceremony for the UPS Store in the Belpre Shopping Center and on Aug. 9 for PARS on Main Street.
"Belpre is blessed with the number of medical facilities deciding to land here, remodel and or stay in Belpre," he said, adding the UPS Store is "quite an addition" to the shopping center along Washington Boulevard.
Lorentz said he and Belpre Senior Center manager Bonnie McGowen visited the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley to receive a $6,500 donation for the Senior Center.
The mayor asked for council input on several issues. He said the Belpre Area Veterans group wants to add more to its memorial in Howes Grove Park.
This needs to be assigned so that an agreement can be made to protect all parties going forward, he said.
A realtor is waiting on the city to make an offer on property on Hill Street and Lorentz asked council for approval to make an offer on the city's behalf and what the limits are. He has also received a proposal from Kendall Communications asking to place a tower on city property at the old water tower site and asked council to review the proposal.
In other business, council approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement for management of the Belpre Senior Center with the O'Neill Senior Center in Marietta. Two additional readings will be held at future council meetings.
Council also approved all three readings of an ordinance adopting Ohio Administrative Code requiring low pressure cutoffs for consumers having water booster pumps.
Council's Police and Fire Committee will hold a meeting at 6:45 p.m. Aug. 28 prior to the next regular council meeting to discuss proposed updates to the city's panhandling ordinance.
Wayne Towner can be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com