GETTING BACK TO “NORMAL” … Montpelier Village Council, which has been held in the large room at the Fire Station for quite a few months, was moved back to Council Chambers at the Police Station for the May 24, 2021 Council meeting. From left to right around the table are Council members Dan Willis, Don Schlosser, and Nathan Thompson, Village Manager Jason Rockey, Law Director Chris Walker, Mayor Steve Yagelski, Clerk of Council Jessica Apple, Council member Chris Kannel and Director of Finance Nikki Uribes. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
NORTA, Northwest Ohio Rails to Trails, has donated a portion of the Wabash Cannonball Trail, between County Roads 13 and 17, to Montpelier.
During the May 24, 2021 Montpelier Village Council meeting, council had the Third Reading and Passage of an ordinance accepting the gifted land.
Village Manager Jason Rockey reported that A Pre-Construction meeting was held recently for joining the gifted land and the Main Street trail, with a representative from Martin Sprocket and others present and it went very well.
They talked about the changing grade that will need to be done and everyone is on the same page for that. Bryan Excavating said they will be able to begin in the coming week (first week of June) and it should be about a two week project.
In other business, they voted to approve the minutes of the May 10 council meeting and of the May 20 Emergency meeting, as well as the agenda for the present meeting.
Councilman Dan Willis asked if there isn’t something that can be done to have a home owner take down “vulgar signs” that he has posted. “He just keeps adding more vulgar stuff to it. Even if there is a sign ordinance, there has to be something we can do,” Willis said.
Mayor Steve Yagelski said that it falls under freedom of speech and Willis pointed out that he doesn’t mind him having signs if they don’t have such vulgar language that children are able to see.
Councilman Chris Kannel announced that on June 26, they will be holding the first of Mission Montpelier Cleanup 2021.
It went really well last year and they are looking forward to doing the clean up together again. It will run from 9 a.m. to noon and lunch will be provided.
Mayor Yagelski reminded everyone to attend the breakfast at the Fire Department on Monday and to participate in the Memorial Day parade, which starts at 10, and the ceremony.
He also thanked all the families who have lost loved ones in the military as we remember them on Memorial Day.
They commended all who showed up to put flags on the graves at the cemetery, saying that so many came to participate that it only took 20 minutes to do the whole cemetery.
In his Managers Report, Jason Rockey informed council that they had posted internally to fill a job position and are moving Devon Niemeyer from Electric Department to Water Distribution. That will leave a vacancy in electric and they have posted for that internally.
Rockey has been working with the Bureau of Workmen’s Comp about some supervisor training and some other human resource contacts.
In January, they began working with MVPO and Poggemeyer on resubmitting the Neighborhood Revitalization Grant. It is for around $750,000 for a number of projects and they were not granted that money.
It requires a higher Low to Moderate Income number than Montpelier has as a whole village, and they are not allowed to calculate it based on specific sections, so they will not be able to reapply.
If the numbers which are coming in June are conducive to them getting the grant, they will be able to reapply in 2023.
Over the years, there has been a set up for people to get their pools filled, but it was mentioned that without a Full time Fire Chief now, that might need to be changed. Someone mentioned that with the chlorine shortage maybe fewer people will be filling their pools.
With no further business, council went into Executive session to discuss personnel – employment of a public employee and acquisition of property. There was no action taken.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com