The city of Shelby's water fund has been declining over the past few years and Monday night Shelby City Council approved an ordinance to address the issue that allows transferring a $5 customer charge from electric bills into the water fund.

"The base rates for utilites have not been adjusted so we want to divert the $5 charge from the electric fund to the water fund to help build it up," Mayor Marilyn John said.

"Customers will not see an increase in their utilitties. This is only a transfer of a charge from one fund to another fund," John said.

 In other business, council approved an ordinance that allows the city to accept a portion of fire insurance proceeds to cover the costs of removing, repairing or securing a fire damaged building or other structure in the city.

The measure is allowed under The Ohio Revised Code.

Mayor John said any proceeds left over from the clean up of a burned out structure will be returned back to the owner of the property.

"We have had a couple of buildings burn in the city and its been difficult trying to get the owners who live out of town to take care of the burned out structure," John said.

"The proceeds from the insurance company allows us to clean up any blighted properties that are the result of a fire. The city does not make any money from cleaning up the property," John said.