By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
The council meeting for the Village of Montpelier took place on Monday, July 8th. It commenced at 6:00 p.m. with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
During the meeting, council approved the agenda for the July 8th meeting, as well as the minutes from the previous meeting and the financial reports.
Next, Sandy Gordon presented her annual report, which highlighted the park’s upgraded security system back in March. The new system is now digital, has motion detection, and can record footage for up to two weeks. The video clips are now longer, and all recordings are in full color instead of black and white. Attendance at the pool has significantly improved compared to the previous year.
The village is gearing up for Bean Days, and this year the parade will be held in the evening. Sandy also discussed upcoming events throughout the summer and noted that larger themed events seem to attract more people compared to the weekly events.
Nick Ramos reported that additional work had been completed on the baseball fields and that the pool is in great condition. He also mentioned that it will cost $2,000 to replace the spring on a teeter-totter at the park. Council stated that it must be replaced or removed, leaving the decision up to the fair board.
A couple residents met with the council to discuss the possibility of rezoning their property on Mill Street in order to build storage units on it. This issue had been brought up in a previous meeting, but council wanted more information about the property.
They were particularly interested in whether the property would need to be zoned for commercial or industrial use to accommodate the storage units, as well as what the owner intended to do with the front half of the property. The owners explained that they planned to leave the front half of the property as it is while using the back for storage units, and they expressed their willingness to collaborate with the council to make the property suitable for this purpose.
In response, the council indicated their willingness to work with the owners to obtain the necessary zoning, provided that the owners could demonstrate a benefit to the community for the front half of the property.
Council moved on to the third reading and passage of Resolution 1401, which pertains to a 0.2% Fire and Police Tax Levy to go on the November ballot for the citizens of Montpelier to vote on. Before passing this resolution, the council fielded questions from the public.
The main concern raised was about how the money collected from this levy would be spent. Council clarified that the funds would be used to purchase a fire truck and police equipment.
When asked about the specific police equipment, council explained that the funds would be used to hire two new officers. “As it stands there are times when our officers are on their own on a shift” Councilman Chris Kannel explained. The levy will provide funding for Fire and Police only.
It is anticipated to generate $287,000 per year for 10 years. It is a strategy to replace capital infrastructure for the future of fire departments and add additional police personnel and equipment in the future for police departments. If the levy is approved in November, it will cost a household with an annual income of $48,000, $96 per year, or $8.00 per month.
Police Chief Dan McGee stated that the department reports violent crime to the FBI through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. He mentioned that Montpelier’s UCR is higher compared to other departments in the county. While their officers are not constantly responding to violent crimes, they do encounter a significant number of felony crimes. Police departments across the board have been impacted by personnel shortages and an increase in drug-related issues.
McGee added that it becomes stressful and straining for officers’ morale and well-being when officers leave for another department, leaving the department short-staffed and requiring others to pick up the slack. With the addition of more officers through this levy, the aim is to bring a sense of security to the department.
Next, council first heard an income tax report, followed by a Village Manager’s Report. The report included the announcement of the hiring of two new village employees. Additionally, the Police Department is still in the process of filling the School Resource Officer position before the upcoming school year.
With nothing else left to discuss the meeting was adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be held on July 22nd at 6:00 p.m.