(Publisher’s Note: This article was written and published a little more than two years ago, but now that Councilman Ben Seidler has been re-elected to a second four-year term, he has explained his objectives and goals have not changed – he plans to continue fighting for his constituents and their property values no matter where they reside in Ward 2.)
It is this simple: He knows his role.
When the time arrives to cast his vote to allocate funds, Ward 2 Councilman Ben Seidler knows the specifics involved with the spending of taxpayer dollars because three of his Council colleagues, Dave Palmer, Ty Thorngate, and Chad Thalman, are the members of the city’s Finance Committee.
The same goes with potential economic growth because Mayor Glenn Elliott chairs the Development Committee and is joined by Thalman and Thorngate.
But when it comes to Public Works and Public Safety, Seidler is the co-chair and chair, respectively, and he intends to remain laser-focused on residential and commercial maintenance, code enforcement, law enforcement and fire safety, and health and recreation.
“I go about this role as if I am a member of a company that has people in charge of finances, the operations, the human resources, and so on,” Seidler explained. “As far as the City Council is concerned, I’m the ‘property and neighborhood, cleanup guy.’ That’s what I concentrate on daily because it was a big part of my platform when I ran for this position, and a lot of people really appreciate that concentration.
“As far as some of the other topics that we’re handling right now, I let the other members run with those issues on their committees until they are ready to come to the table to explain their work and what decisions they believe the Council should make collectively,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I always agree with them, and I do make my suggestions during those meetings, but as far as my focus, my number one goal is to find ways for property values to increase for the people in Ward 2 and in the rest of the city.”
Streamlined
While the City’s ordinances concerning property maintenance have not been changed, the process of enforcement soon will because of Seidler’s push to implement a new, technological system that will be utilized by employees of the Building Code Enforcement Department.
Once the inspectors are trained and the system is operational, complaints will be filed electronically and stored for future enforcement actions.
“There has been a lot of progress as far as code enforcement because of how the inspectors are going about their duties, and the software I have been promising and pushing for will be implemented next week, and that’s great news because of the way the system will work,” Seidler said. “If there is a problem that’s reported by a member of code enforcement, it goes directly into the system, a letter goes out to the property owner, and then the inspector will return to see either progress or the same situation.
“Hopefully in most cases, the problem will disappear because the property owner made the necessary improvements, and I believe that will be the case most of the time,” he said. “I also believe the property owners know about the concentration of the city concerning property maintenance and code enforcement because improvements have been made, and some property owners have decided to start selling properties instead of performing the upkeep on what they own. I see that as progress right there.”
Seidler also is pleased City Manager Bob Herron was receptive when approached about acquiring the new equipment and about all other inquiries the Council member has had.
“I believe we’re very lucky to have the city manager that we have because the guidance and recommendations that Bob Herron provides are always spot on,” Seidler said. “He does his job very well and always lays it all out for us so we can make the best possible decisions that can be made.
“That guy knows everything about this city like the back of his hand,” he continued. “For me, he’s been very, very helpful because I’m not a finance guy, and I do not have an accounting degree. But when I ask Bob a question about how the finances work, he knows the answer right then and there because of how well he does his job. I’ve never had a reason to question how he goes about the city manager’s position.”
Made His Mark
About a year ago, Seidler began developing a plan that would help with the clearing of alleyways on Wheeling Island that often did not allow throughway traffic because of the amount of trash tossed by residents and landlords.
Initially, the Ward 2 representative believed a one-day cleanup effort with about 10 volunteers and a few pickup trucks would be able to make a positive difference, but when Seidler began planning with city officials, he learned otherwise.
“That cleanup effort was much larger than I anticipated. I knew it was needed based on what I would see in the alleys, but when I went to the marina that very first morning, I was amazed. The pile of garbage I saw was as tall as my own house, and that was something I never expected,” Seidler admitted. “During the planning process for that cleanup, thank God for Bob Herron and (Public Works Director) Rusty Jebbia because initially, it was not my idea to use city resources in order to collect the debris.
“At first, I just wanted to place a few dumpsters at the marina so people could bring what they had to throw away, and I also thought getting a few volunteers to help clear the alleys would be enough,” he explained. “But when I explained that to Bob and Rusty, they told me right then and there that they would supply the necessary resources because the effort was going to be much bigger than what I anticipated. Thanks to Bob and Rusty, the cleanup was a great success.”
Because it lasted an entire week.
“In the very beginning, I was more worried the residents on Wheeling Island wouldn’t know about the cleanup, and that’s why I spent so much time telling people about it. I was really worried that people wouldn’t take it seriously,” Seidler said. “My biggest fear was that no one would go to throw anything away.
“That cleanup lasted all week long, too,” he added. “They hauled away hundreds of dumpsters, and I never expected that, and that’s why I want to make it an annual event, and my next two neighborhoods are North Wheeling and Fulton. As long as we keep it going, the cleanups won’t take as much effort and resources in the future.”
