The Montpelier Village Council met on May 13, 2024 at 6 p.m. Present were councilors Heather Freese, Nathan Thompson, Melissa Ewers, Chris Kannel, and Don Schlosser.
After a prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the agenda for the meeting was approved after Mayor Yagelski asked to adjust agenda item number 15, a resolution for property and liability insurance, to follow after item 10.
After the agenda was approved as modified, the April 22, 2024 meeting minutes were approved as presented.
Everyone visiting from the school was thanked for coming, and First Presbyterian is hosting appreciation weeks in honor of different groups.
Discussion was held on continuing the farmers market, with the proper paperwork needing to be filed now that council voiced their support of the project.
Chief McGee then introduced council to a new hire to the police department. Annual reports were then discussed, with council being asked how they would like to receive the reports.
Summaries were suggested, and it was shared that there has been no word on the GRIP grant through AMP, whose application was submitted at the end of last month.
Conrad Beck from Beck Insurance presented the annual renewal for the village’s property and liability insurance, which was officially approved on its first reading as Resolution 1398.
Chief Fritsch shared the rising costs of apparatus for fire departments, with costs and waitlists already high, Fritsch is letting council know that they should soon expect to see requests to replace fire department needs.
After conversation on fire truck replacement costs, Chief McGee added that they are all faced with having to recruit and retain people that can be qualified to work in public safety.
He detailed the department’s deployment schedule and added that he would like to add another full-time officer to the rotation. These additional personnel would need more funds, with a cop hiring grant possibly able to cover 75% of salaries for three years.
The prevalence of domestic violence and mental health issues in the village were discussed, with the officers sharing that deployments find the officers less and less safe.
The bid for the storm sewer project of Cranberry Run’s two 300-blocks was approved, as was the bid for the 2024 Asphalt Program.
Resolution 1397 was passed on its first reading and allowed for the purchase of a sewer camera.
The robotic camera would be able to maneuver through changing angles in the pipes, and it was shared that it is “a nice piece of equipment.”
The funds for purchase are left over from a previous project, as the funds were able to be used on purchases related to the project.
The income tax report for the village was then approved as presented before the village manager’s report detailed how the sewer process is still ongoing, and shared that the properties at 419 W Wabash and 319 E Water were bid out by the landbank for renovation.
An open position in the electric department is going to be advertised, which has been vacant for the last two years, and a resignation from a water plant employee made room for that position to be posted as well.
Storage units were asked to be built off of Mill Street, with the request approved by the Zoning Committee and expected to come to council next month.
A complaint was made regarding air particulates made from construction, with the news being relayed to the constructing neighbor in question.
At 7:17 p.m., the Montpelier Village Council voted to enter into executive session, set to meet again on May 27th at 6 p.m.