Area communities are in talks in forming a joint fire rescue district.
Gary Loar of the fire department updated the Metamora Village Council. The next step is finding the money for a a feasibility study.
Karon Lane was elected council president for 2017 by a majority vote.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. the first Monday the month and at 8 p.m. the third Monday of the month with committee meetings beginning one hour before.
Exceptions include:
Monday, Jan. 23 at p.m., instead of Jan. 16 due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
7 p.m. Feb. 13instead of Feb. 6 to allow for the return of council member Justin Kreischer from training.
8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 instead of Feb. 20 (President’s Day.)
July meetings will be changed to 7 p.m. July 10 and July 24th due to Independence Day falling on the first Monday of the month.
7 p.m. Sept. 11 due to Labor Day.
Year-end council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27.
Council members who miss four meetings without approval will have their wages deducted by $75. This comes as council approved a revision of Ordinance 950, Establishing Elected Officials compensation for 2017.
Council member Richard Sauerlender suggested adding language so the deduction will occur after a council member has four unapproved absences; this will not penalize council members in the military during times of deployment and training. Council agreed.
John Pupos moved to approve the second reading of Ordinance 950, including agreed upon revisions. Second of motion by and approved by all council.
Council reviewed an email from Todd Dixon offering to lease the village park. Council is not in favor of this but would entertain additional specifics to review at a later date.
Todd coaches a U13 Evergreen School District boys only baseball team. It is no longer associated with the EYA and would like to use the village fields for home games as well as practices.
The team is willing to pay for field use. Both L&B and P&F committees will look into costs associated with maintaining the ball fields to come up with a cost to charge for field use.
Mayor Ken Wysong announced council members will remain on the same committee for 2017. A Park-O-Rama opening meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the village office.
Wysong agreed to remain on the Regional Planning Commission Board for another year.
Metamora Council met in regular session Monday, January 9, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Village Offices.
Council member Justin Kreischer absent to do deployment/training with the National Guard.
James Pruitt may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com