(PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
IN SESSION … Council member Nathan Thompson (far left), Village Manager Jason Rockey (left), council member Don Schlosser (second right), and Clerk of Council Molly Collert (far right) approve the agenda at Monday’s Montpelier Village Council meeting.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
A light agenda highlighted the Montpelier Village Council meeting on Monday, July 28, at the Montpelier Police Department, with the meeting starting at 6:00 p.m.
Four of the five council members were in attendance, including Melissa Ewers, Chris Kannel, Nathan Thompson, and Don Schlosser, with Kevin Motter being absent from the meeting.
Also in attendance were Jason Rockey (village manager), Justin Houk (deputy manager), Molly Collert (clerk of council), along with local residents, Rich Word, Sherry Word, Sharon Simon, and Rev. Kevin Doseck of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Montpelier.
Following the roll call, Doseck gave the prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Schlosser was appointed to serve as acting council president for the meeting. Council then approved the agenda for the meeting and the minutes from the July 14 meeting.
Approval was given of Ordinance 2282 in regards to vacating of an alley located on 115 West Washington Street.
Following the recommendation by Rockey, Ewers made a motion to suspend the rules, with Kannel seconding the motion, and the council unanimously passed the ordinance.
Rockey updated council members that OHM Advisors had performed a drone survey of the Wabash Cannonball Trail.
“I went out and saw it and was really cool to see them operate the drone,” said Rockey.
“They flew it and have that work done, I think currently last week and this week, they have the people doing on-the-ground surveying work.”
He added that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) had a scoping meeting with the village two weeks ago.
“The only concern is over the right-of-way that starts at County Road 13 and goes east about a half mile with the active rail that is still there,” said Rockey.
“That property is owned by Norfolk Southern, not by the village. So, once the survey work is done and the surveyors will be able to see and recommend whether or not there is enough room to do construction on the trail.”
“If not, we might have to get a little bit more right-of-way assigned to that. I don’t think it’s anything that would end up jeopardizing the project, but they built an extra six months into that preparation time just in case we have to talk to the railroad about making it bigger.”
Thompson spoke on the recent Bean Days celebration, saying he heard many positive comments from residents about this year’s event, in which many of them said that it reminded them of Bean Days from the past.
Motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 6:16 p.m.