COUNCIL Council and Mayor Barnhiser discuss questions presented to them by Brad Peebles regarding the proposed water rate increase and system as a whole
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Lyons Village Council held their meeting on Monday, February 5th. The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Discussions then took place regarding a mower that will be going to receive upgrades. Old business then followed with the topic of discussion being a new Dollar General in town.
Paperwork is still being worked on with hopes the chain store will close on the property sometime in mid-April. A representative was asked if everything was remaining on track with no response being received as of yet.
Discussion then shifted to the water tower project, with it being stated a wastewater grant is being worked on with Maumee Valley.
Council then heard from Brad Peebles, who wished to speak about the water tower project and water rate increase. Mr. Peebles asked if the new proposed 10% water rate increase would have any effect on the debt service for the proposed tower, or if there will be a separate increase later on down the line for that.
Council informed Mr. Peebles that, due to not knowing what grants would be available by the time the project started, revenue for the tower debt service would have to be separate.
Mr. Peebles then put forward the idea that the town could do without a water tower, and that it is his belief due to documentation he has seen that the town does not need one.
Administrator Tanya Lumbrezer then explained that a survey had been completed by a group of engineers and that the report does show the need for a tower. This need is more so for the south end of the supplied area and towards Sunny’s Campground.
Peebles also asked about the contract the village currently has with the City of Wauseon, where it currently receives its water from.
The contract is expected to expire within the next two years and Mr. Peebles asked if the village had looked at what the pricing would be when the contract is canceled. It was stated that, with the contract still having two years left, the conversation had not yet taken place.
Peebles informed council that, when he was administrator in Delta, the City of Wauseon had raised its rates significantly and that the pricing would have been around 6.50 per 1,000 gallons.
Peebles also stated that he is an advocate for using the regional water system through the county and Toledo and that, it was his belief that Lyons would not need a water tower.
He also stated that, if Lyons decided to go through the county, the village could always maintain the connection with Wauseon for the areas on the southern side and Sunny’s.
However, several members of council voiced their support for having a water tower, whether or not the village was to switch to the county or stay with Wauseon.
Councilwoman Julie Fenicle also stated that, due to having a connection with Wauseon, the village did not go without water for two days during the Lake Erie Algae Bloom as other locations did.
Peebles also stated that the line that supplies water from Wauseon to Lyons was only meant to last for 20 years, as far as the volume of water going through it.
He continued and stated the project was originally funded by the USDA, but that the pipe is a thin wall pipe and was only meant to be temporary.
It was stated by council that they were not aware that the pipe was only meant to last for 20 years but that it would be looked into.
Council also spoke about the water system as a whole, with councilman AJ Call stating that the 10% increase is a start, and that they do not have enough time to factor in the line or the tower, but that it will be a long road.
Mayor Nelson Barnhiser also stated that he was not opposed to tapping into the county water, but that either way it would be important to have a water tower.
Moving to new business, the Dunbar Weigh Station will have to be put out for bid before anything can be done with it.
The housing council currently has a company in Columbus looking for ways to get more housing in Fulton County. A new map will be obtained with updated zoning for the area where Dollar General will be going.
The topic of marijuana was then discussed. The village had previously enacted an ordinance banning the sale of growth of medical marijuana in Lyons, but with the legalization efforts for recreational marijuana that previously passed, an updated ordinance was called for.
A vote took place to pass the updated ordinance, under emergency provisions. The vote resulted in five for the measure and one against the measure.
Next, it was stated the spring letter will be going out soon, most likely around the third week of February. A second vote then took place regarding a ten percent increase in the water rates which was approved.
The sheriff’s report was then given before hearing from Fire Chief Matt Smithmyer. Smithmyer informed council that the fire department is looking for new applicants, that a free CPR class is being set up at the department, and that the department will be holding their reverse raffle. Council then moved to adjourn at 8:02 p.m.
