FRESH FACE … New Delta Finance Director Joanne Clapp was in attendance at the latest meeting of the Delta Village Council. She will take over duties from Interim Finance Director Marlena Allwood.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Delta Village Council passed on first reading at its last meeting a trio of new ordinances setting regulations on mobile food vendors, electric vehicle charging stations, and public and private fire hydrants.
Under the proposed mobile food vendor law, operators would have to register with the zoning department and income tax division, be inspected by the fire department, and pay an annual $100 permit fee, among other requirements.
Council Member Robert Shirer abstained from voting on the proposed law on mobile food vendors, but shared his opinion as the owner of a food truck – The Coffee Depot – that the permitting fee and inspection requirement would be no issue for the roughly three food trucks based in Delta, but would deter trucks from Toledo and other areas from operating in the area due to the short notice they sometimes receive to show up to events.
The proposed fire hydrant law includes “standards for the placement, design, installation, and maintenance of fire hydrants,” including requirements for adequate water supply and distance from buildings.
It also includes regulations on private hydrants, including the requirement for “approved” shut-off valves, maintenance, inspection, and flow tests.
It also regulates private fire service water mains and includes standards for access streets, roads, and driveways.
The proposed electric vehicle charging station regulations – the most extensive of the three – includes the recommendation that parking spaces for the charging stations be a minimum of 10 feet wide by 20 feet long, that the charging station be protected by wheel stops and bollards, a ban on overhead canopies, that emergency instructions be “conspicuously posted,” and requirements for emergency shutoffs or disconnects.
It also specifies minimum distances from “dispensing devices for flammable or combustible liquids” and underground storage tanks, as well as a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail for violations of the ordinance.
Shirer asked for ordinances currently in place in other municipalities to be brought to council to compare to the proposed ordinance.
Unless passed on an emergency basis, all three ordinances will require two additional votes by council before they are enacted.
WATER TOWER PAINTING
Council members discussed the painting of the water tower located at Worthington Steel – or the funding of said painting.
According to Public Utilities Superintendent Jammie Flores, the work “needs to be done next year no matter what,” noting that part of the tower already sprang a leak once because it had not been repainted.
It was reported that representatives from Worthington Steel had considered paying or helping to pay for the painting, so long as their logo was painted on it. The tower primarily serves the business.
Bids for the work – which included the logo in the scope of work – were opened on October 20.
Council members asked that another conversation be had with Worthington representatives and a contract signed stating what they would be paying or that they provide a statement that they would not be paying for it at all before they voted to accept a bid.
Flores said she needed to know as soon as possible, as it is “going to play a major role in the 2026 water budget.”
BUDGET DISCUSSION
Following comments from Village Administrator Chris Frazer on preparations to complete the village’s 2026 budget, Shirer brought up several items he wanted to see considered in the calculations.
Shirer noted a grant opportunity for sewer expansion and repair, funding for the park and downtown areas, a stoplight on Main Street for which there is a grant available that could cover $180,000 of the roughly $200,000 cost, and the possibility of grants or matching funds for the upcoming three-year and five-year road improvement plans.
Council member Chad Johnson stated he would like the sidewalk program considered as well.
Frazer asked council members to each send him an email with their top five priorities for him to take into account as he prepares the budget with new Finance Director Joanne Clapp.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved on second reading an annual contract with the Public Defenders Commission of Fulton County to represent indigent defendants in “ordinance only” cases filed by the village.
Council members approved on an emergency basis a resolution accepting the amounts and rates of tax levies and certifying them to the county auditor, an action that was supposed to have been taken by the council by October 1.
Council members approved the sale as surplus property of an impounded and unclaimed 2020 pony scooter. Frazer reported that he authorized the street department to purchase a used bucket truck to replace their current vehicle, a Chevrolet Express van with a bucket on top.
Council members held an executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss an applicant for economic development, but no action was taken afterward.
The next regular meeting of the Delta Village Council will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, at 401 Main Street in Delta.