(PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
RISK ASSESSMENT … Hylant Administrative Services Director of Risk Management Travis Thompson addresses the Delta Village Council regarding best practices for addressing liability related to the village’s baseball fields during the council’s meeting Monday evening.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The higher-than-anticipated cost of Delta’s bulk trash pickup service through contractor Archbold Refuse Services (ARS) drew discussion during Monday’s Delta Village Council meeting.
Village Administrator Christopher Frazer said one option to cover the service’s cost in its entirety would be to add a monthly surcharge to residents’ water/sewer bills.
After some quick calculation between Frazer and the council, it was determined that a $1.25 monthly fee for a total of $15 per year per resident would raise just under $20,000 annually, enough to fund the pick-up.
Discussion on the subject was eventually tabled so more details could be gathered to present to the council prior to approving the final 2025 budget.
Frazer also reported the village’s offering of trash tag trade-ins for residents who still have tags from the previous garbage collection contractor was ending that evening after hours for the trades had been extended to 8 p.m.
That extension was made in order to allow residents who could not make it in during normal business hours the chance to take advantage of the opportunity.
The early end to the trade-in option – which was originally set to be allowed until April 5 – was reportedly advertised through multiple outlets including on social media.
2025 BUDGET
The draft of the final village budget for 2025 was sent to council members shortly before the meeting. Frazer said the village’s finance director had already reviewed it.
A finance committee meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, for that body to review the budget. A special council meeting to approve the budget on an emergency basis was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 24, so that it can be submitted as required before the end of the month.
LOVE’S TRAVEL STOP UPDATE
Frazer gave the council an update on the upcoming Love’s Travel Stop construction along the toll road next to State Route 109; while also responding to posts he had seen on social media.
According to Frazer, people had posted online that he was intentionally stonewalling or trying to impede the project, a notion he said was inaccurate.
“Before January 31st, it was under the assumption that Love’s was going to pay for all the repairs and all the infrastructure needed for this project.”
“The Fulton County Engineer’s Office had come in and requested that Love’s make the upgrades needed to County Road H and they came back with an estimate that Love’s did not want to pay for.”
“And there was an implication that they wanted public funds to go toward the project. I made clear to them since the day I got here that we were not going to give out any sort of any public funds and Fulton County agreed,” Frazer said.
He said they have since been working together with Love’s to put together a deal that they have agreed to in order to move forward with the project in Delta.
“I have not been trying to prevent Love’s from coming in, I have no quarrels with Love’s, I have no vendetta against Love’s – the company or the family that runs this company,” Frazer said, adding that he wanted to ensure only that the project “was not going to hinder the village, but, if anything, help the village move to a future where it wanted to be.”
Frazer said they have since made “extensive strides” in the project and he believes Love’s will be moving forward and breaking ground soon.
WATER TREATMENT PLANT REPAIRS
The council voted on an emergency basis to authorize roughly $77,000 to replace one of the four filtration units in the village’s water treatment plant.
Water Superintendent Jammie Flores told the council water plant staff were told by an outside consultant that they should have started replacing the units around year 15, while they are now on year 20.
Flores said they plan to replace the remaining units at a rate of one per year, and that replacement of the remaining three will all be included in their normal annual budget proposals for the department.
PARK LEVY AND LIABILITY
The council heard a brief presentation from and asked questions of Hylant Administrative Services Director of Risk Management Travis Thompson regarding the village’s liability with regard to outside entities’ use of its baseball fields.
The presentation was set up following a previous discussion on the issue regarding dragging of the fields. Thompson discussed the differences between hold harmless agreements and when the village should be requesting a certificate of insurance from the user and that the village be included as an insured party under that certificate – the latter being the preferred option when the use case involved the fields being taken out of public use, such as during a tournament or games being held by sports associations.
Law Director Kevin Heban also asked the council for directions to be provided at a future date regarding the existing park levy, which will soon expire.
The levy, whether it is pursued as a renewal or replacement levy, must be on the November ballot if the council would like it to continue, which requires a series of steps to be taken by the beginning of August.
Council Member Chad Johnson said the park board, of which he is a member, has already begun discussions on the levy for that purpose.
OTHER BUSINESS
The council voted to approve on final reading a memorandum of understanding authorizing the participation of officers with the Delta Police Department in the Fulton County Special Response Team.
Police Chief Samuel Chappell will be the first participant from the department.
The council approved on second reading a resolution in support of renewal of the state’s capital improvement program – a program from which Delta has received some funding in the past – in an upcoming election, joining with the Strong Ohio Communities Coalition. A final vote will be held at the council’s next regular meeting.
The next regular meeting of the Delta Village Council will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2025, at 401 Main Street in Delta.