By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Delta Village Council heard several complaints from residents during its meeting Monday evening.
First was Carolyn Nolte, a West Main Street resident who was fed up with the sudden speed limit drop from 50 miles per hour to 25 in front of her home, which results in constant noise – particularly from semis – slamming on their brakes to reduce their speed.
Nolte said she can’t have her windows down, can’t take important phone calls, and struggles with other issues stemming from the ongoing problem.
Law Director Kevin Heban said the village can’t do anything directly, as it is a state highway and thus the speed limits are set by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“They look at the number of driveways or cuts onto the state route and they determine the speed limit based on those cuts. We don’t have any jurisdiction over that speed limit,” Heban said.
He did offer to reach out to a contact person at ODOT, as the Village of Whitehouse approached them about a similar issue about five years ago when he was working there. “I can ask them if they can come in and talk to council,” Heban said.
Next up was Martha McKillip, who lives just a few doors down from Nolte. McKillip said her neighbor has moved a cargo container onto their property to use as a shed, and that when they did so, they struck her husband’s truck and damaged their driveway.
She has already filed a police report – confirmed by Interim Police Chief Sgt. Drew Walker – regarding the damage but wanted to know if any kind of permit was required for it or whether the village could address the fact that it looked “like crap.”
“We got upset because it was very frustrating, and they just told us to get off their property,” McKillip said, later adding that it “diminishes the quality of our neighborhood” and that “I don’t feel it should be allowed.”
Interim Village Administrator Edward Ciecka said the residents called about the container before putting it in but never submitted a zoning permit request, which is required.
“We’ll take a look at the property tomorrow, and if there is an accessory building or structure on the property, we’ll notify the person to remove it,” Ciecka said.
He pointed out that the appearance of the container is not dealt with in the village code.
Tessa Allard of Archbold then addressed the council to advocate for tenants of Oakview Apartments, a property managed by PK Management. “Delta residents are too scared to come talk to you,” Allard said.
She said the same property manager was causing the same issues in Archbold and that the management company had similar issues across multiple states, noting that the Department of Housing and Urban Development “just took them to court for half a million dollars because PK was receiving HUD funds for tenants that no longer live there.”
“She’s intimidating people, she’s holding on to paperwork until it’s too late and they lose their rental assistance,” Allard said.
Allard claimed residents of a complex in Poughkeepsie, New York, had to “embarrass them” to get anything fixed.
“Wauseon’s going through it, Delta’s going through it. Anywhere PK owns property this is how they’re treating people,” she said.
Heban said he would not defend the management’s actions, but he didn’t see how the village had any jurisdiction, a sentiment echoed by several council members.
“Those are civil actions between a tenant and a landlord,” Heban said. Speaking to another individual on the same topic after Allard was cut off for time, Heban recommended affected residents put their rent in escrow with the court, at which point the court would assign an investigator and determine whether rent should go to the landlord or directly to cover repairs.
“If they’re not going to stand up for themselves by putting it in escrow, there’s nothing that can be done,” Heban said. “This is a civil action up to a judge.”
2025 BUDGET
Ciecka gave the council an update on preparations for the fiscal year 2025 budget. He said even if the council moves all department funding under the single general fund line, expenses are set to outstrip revenues, with the wastewater treatment plant alone set to see a near-$400,000 deficit.
According to Ciecka, there are a small handful of options to address the issue, including increasing sewer rates. He added that there are other funds in the red as well.
“We believe there is sufficient cash balance that will be available in the year end to balance out those red figures – which is not a good thing overall, we shouldn’t be living on cash balances,” Ciecka said.
Council members pushed back on any rate increases without first completing a rate study.
“I would love to have rate studies in place before we decide to tinker with the rate charges,” Councilman Robert Shirer said.
Councilwoman Lynn Frank asked whether or not a study was already budgeted for, to which Ciecka responded that “we would probably lean on the water fund to do that, we’d have to squeeze some more out,” and that he doesn’t currently have an estimate of the cost of such a study.
“We are working under the belief that we will present to you a temporary budget for 2025 to be at either the first or second meeting in December, will ask it be passed on an emergency basis.”
“We’d like to take a look at the cash balances at the year end and then come back and do your final budget,” Ciecka said.
He said he hoped a final budget would be ready to bring before the council by the end of January or beginning of February.
NEW TRASH COLLECTION CONTRACT
The council voted to award a trash collection contract to A.R.S. to provide a base residential tag program at the cost of $2.50 per tag as well as recycling collection every other week not exceeding twice monthly for residents using a provided container.
Additional residential trash tags cost $2.75 each, while small and large appliance tags cost $5.50 and $10.50 each, respectively.
An option to rent a 65-gallon container for trash to use instead of a per bag charge will be available at a cost of $24 per month.
A second container at no additional charge is mandatory for those residents wishing to participate in the recycling program.
Stevens Disposal and Recycling and Klumm Brothers also submitted bids, which were opened on November 8 along with the A.R.S. bid.
ANDY GLENN LAWSUIT
Ciecka reported the village has been served with a summons regarding the lawsuit filed by former administrator Andrew Glenn, who was terminated by the council in May.
OTHER BUSINESS
The council approved on an emergency basis a temporary parking ban on Main Street between Wood Street and Adrian Street, with parking temporarily allowed on the east side of Wood Street between Fernwood Street and Palmwood Street and on the east side of Adrian Street between Palmwood Street and Oakview Drive on Saturday, December 7 for Winterfest and the associated parade, put on by the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ciecka reported the village received a check for $2,500 from the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust for improvements to sidewalks from the police department parking lots to the adjacent sports fields.
He said Street Department Superintendent Neil Tedrow will be meeting with the park board to discuss its possible use. The council voted to accept the donation on the terms provided.
The council approved on first reading the annexation of a property belonging to Hidi, Roger, Amy, and Cody Bowman and to provide sewer and/or water utilities and police protection to the property at the earliest opportunity permitted.
The council approved on final reading an annual agreement with Fulton County to provide court representation to indigent defendants.
The council approved on first reading an ordinance authorizing the sale of a 2007 Toyota Prius abandoned at the village impound lot as surplus property on GovDeals.
The council meeting ended with an executive session “to consider the employment of a public employee.”
After the session, the council reconvened and voted to set a special meeting for November 21 at 5:30 p.m. to interview applicants for the village administrator position.
The next regular meeting of the Delta Village Council will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 2, at 401 Main Street in Delta.
