By: James Pruitt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
The six-month moratorium on the cultivation, processing and sales of medical marijuana has been approved by the Swanton Village Council.
The emergency ordinance, 2016-42, was approved Aug. 8.
The ordinance will allow the council and Planning Commission ample time to decide if any additional restrictions (over what the state law will dictate) should be placed on locations and numbers of medical marijuana dispensaries.
In other news:
As more organizations begin to use the Community Center the village may have to review the use policy, Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle stated in her report.
The Senior Center, Lions Club, and Rotary Club have been using the center on a regular basis. Dealing with this development has become a matter of trial and error for the staff as far as maintaining the site.
With this is mind, the administrator is reevaluating the Community Use Policy to edit some areas. This will be presented at a later date.
Engineers from Taco Bell have reached out to Hoelzle about the property at 14255 Airport Hwy. The site is currently occupied by Fessenden’s car wash.
There are preliminary discussions but the intent is to present a site plan this year, Hoelzle said.
The council took the following actions:
Third Reading: Ordinance 2016-25: Amending Title V Section 52.05, Disconnection Fees
Third Reading: Ordinance 2016-26: Amending Title V Section 51.168 Initial Filling of Swimming Pools
Inflatable pools which are temporary should be included in the ordinance.
Third Reading: Ordinance 2016-28: Policy and Procedure for Utility Bill Adjustment.
Administrator is recommending this ordinance per findings from the recent State of Ohio Audit.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-37: Proceed with assessments for street lighting and declaring an emergency.
Annual ordinance to proceed with assessing properties for street lighting costs.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-38: Proceed with assessments for leaf collection and declaring an emergency.
Annual ordinance to proceed with assessing properties for leaf collection costs.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-39: Establishing final assessments for street lighting and declaring an emergency.
Annual ordinance to finalize assessing properties for street lighting costs.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-40: Establishing final assessments for leaf collection and declaring an emergency.
Annual ordinance to finalize assessing properties for leaf collection costs.
Emergency Ordinance 2016- 41 Issuance of notes in anticipation of the issuance of bonds and declaring an emergency.
Note of $845,000 came due. The village needed to pay down a portion of it; $23,000 will be paid leaving $842,000 remaining. Annual Ordinance to issue note.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-43: Amending Zoning Fees and Declaring an Emergency Planning Commission has spent the last three months reviewing fees from various communities and are recommending to council zoning fees be increased.
These fees have not been updated since 2008 and there are certain items that do not have a fee. Site plan reviews which take a tremendous amount of time to review for compliance currently does not have a fee.
Emergency Ordinance 2016-44: Amending Ordinance 2016-30Declaring a nuisance and authorizing abatement at 401 Lincoln. Administrative typo on Ordinance 2016-30; technically the address is 401 Lincoln.
Public Service
Meter Pit
Currently there is a fee for water and sewer taps but no fee for installing meter pits.
OPWC
Administrator worked with Jim Reckner and Poggemeyer Design Group to narrow down projects which would be suitable for an OPWC application.
Church Street and Hallett Avenue are the two biggest contenders.
Hallett Avenue is eligible for a larger pot of money as the village can apply for grants through the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments. The downside is applications are every two years.
June 2018 is more than likely the next round
The Church Street project can be divided into two phases:
Phase 1: Lincoln to curve
Phase 2: curve to Hallett
This phase also includes sewer separation
Applying for Phase 1 is recommended as a 50 percent local match will make the village competitive.
Public Safety Committee
Police
Transaction Safety Zones
This is a venture geared toward those who may buy and/or sell items on Craigslist or online garage sale sites. It reserves two spaces near the Police Department to be used as a safe space for a meet up to exchange items
The only direct costs involved are the signs
The Village Council approved three people for continuing employment with the Police and Fire departments.
Each received a 4 percent raise of their starting pay:
Mitchell Martin- Full Time Police (wage $14.82 effective Aug. 8)
Kyle Woods- FF I/EMT (wage $9.39 effective Aug. 8)
James Zywocki- FF I/FR (wage $9.29 effective Aug. 8)
The council extended the probation for Kaitlyn Cleland, who had been hired as a part-time firefighter in 2015.
At the time the minutes should have clarified Cleland was being hired probationary in the Fire Department as she did not have any credentials yet. Since then, Cleland has passed her EMT exam and now will be eligible to begin her probationary period as a part-time employee for the village.
Council approved Cleland’s probationary year effective Aug. 8, 2016, to Aug. 7, 2017, with a starting pay of $9 an hour as a EMT Basic.
The council approved the hiring of Chad Branum for the position of Firefighter II/Paramedic effective Sept. 5 at a rate of $12.65. The hiring is contingent upon a background check, drug testing, and is subject to one year probationary period.
This probationary period is from Sept. 5, 2016 to Sept. 4, 2017 and is subject to periodic evaluations. Branum will accrue 2.7 hours of sick leave for 80 hours of work and is entitled to personal time prorated for the remainder of calendar year 2016 based upon first day worked.
The council approved the hiring of Jeremy Chesser for the position of Firefighter II/Paramedic effective Sept. 5 at a rate of $12.90. The hiring is contingent upon a background check, drug testing, and is subject to one year probationary period.
This probationary period is from Sept. 5, 2016, to Sept. 4, 2017, and is subject to periodic evaluations.
Chesser will accrue 2.7 hours of sick leave for 80 hours of work and is entitled to personal time prorated for the remainder of calendar year 2016 based upon first day worked.
The council approved the hiring of Nicholas Daunhauer for the position of Class I Water Operator effective Aug. 15, 2016, at a rate of $16 an hour.
The hiring is contingent upon a background check, drug testing, and is subject to a one-year probationary period. This probationary period is from Aug. 15, 2016, to Aug. 14, 2017, and is subject to periodic evaluations.
Daunhauer will accrue 4.6 hours of sick leave for 80 hours of work and is entitled to personal time prorated for the remainder of calendar year 2016 based upon first day worked.
The council was presented with a new set of job titles.
The current handbook list job positions which led to the new list.
Some changes are the result of conversation with the respective department heads, Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle said.
Administration
Administrative Assistants I & II for employees Amy Miller and Kari Rowe.
Miller doesn’t currently have a specific title or job description and Rowe is doing more than just utility billing.
Public Service
Jim Reckner is currently street superintendent. This title does not adequately convey what this position does. The new proposed title is Superintendent of Public Service Operations.
Currently there are not distinctions within the Public Service Department for the employees.
It would be beneficial to classify these positions so future candidates can be evaluated on specific job qualifications, Hoelzle said.
Public Service Streets
Main tasks: Street and roadside maintenance as well as equipment maintenance. Would also focus on alleys (which are technically streets)
Public Service Public Works
Main tasks: water and sewer lines, read meters
Public Service Parks and Grounds
Main tasks: Maintenance of park, grounds, and buildings
Police Department
Chief Adam Berg has recommended the positions of:
Patrolman-Firearms Instructor
Patrolman-Property Room Manager
Each of these positions are patrolman with added responsibilities
Hoelzle recommended approval and new specific job descriptions will be drafted
The Zoning Approval Application has been updated. It was a collaborative effort between the Planning Commission and the administrator to streamline.
The Village Council approved a lease agreement for the Corn Festival. The agreement is for use of Memorial Park. The festival will be Aug. 20.
James Pruitt may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
