By: Bill O’Connell
Emergency Ordinance 2020-10, Declaring a State of Emergency within the Village of Swanton due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, was unanimously passed at the April 27 Council meeting.
The Ordinance was based on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Executive Order 2020-011D among other orders, declaring a state of emergency in Ohio limiting or prohibiting contact with other persons to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The Village Ordinance allows the Village Administrator to take such action as necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus including but not limited to matters involving employees to help limit their contact with each other such as offering paid administrative leave among other things that may be necessary for the health and safety of employees and the residents of the Village of Swanton.
In a related issue, the decision on the 2020 Swanton Fireworks Display was delayed to allow Village Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle time to negotiate a new down payment forfeiture deadline with the company contracted to put on the show, American Fireworks.
The Village had placed a 50% down payment, or $12,500 of the total $25,000, with the stipulation that a cancellation after April 28, 2020 would result in the forfeiture of the all the down payment or $6,250 if cancelled before the deadline.
Several days after the Council meeting, American Fireworks agreed to extend the deadline to an unspecified date which will allow the Village to consider other options. Currently, the annual display, generally regarded as one of the best in Northwest Ohio, is scheduled for June 27, 2020.
The Council discussed several project options for a Nature Works grant application which is due on June 1, 2020. Ms. Hoelzle explained that each county in the state is allocated a set amount of money and the county decides which application(s) receives funding.
The process basically places all Fulton County municipalities in competition with each other for the money. Given that the amount given to Fulton County was just over $30,000, Ms. Hoelzle recommended the project most likely to secure the grant.
That project would sealcoat the upper parking areas between the softball diamond and the tennis courts at Memorial Park and line 77 parking spots and four handicap spots. The total cost estimate was $13,000 with 75% ($9,750) being funded by the grant and the balance of $3,250 contributed by the Village. The Council asked Ms. Hoelzle to submit the application.
Project 8 & 9 Sewer Separation with road improvements was discussed. The preliminary construction estimates from 2017 was $1,188,528 but will likely increase from three years of normal inflation and the extent of the road improvements.
The Mettabrook portion of the project will require a complete road reconstruction. On West Garfield, curbs which exist from main Street to Browning Road may be extended from Browning Road to Munson Road which would be another added expense.
In September 2019, Village Council approved an agreement with FES (Energy Harbor), to provide electric generation (supplier) for the Village of Swanton residential government aggregation program.
The contract begins in May 2020 meter read dates through May 2023 meter read dates at a rate of $0.0484 per kilowatt hour. If a resident or small business received the opt-out letter, it is legitimate.
In personnel news, Steve Slawinski, Richard Maynhart and Wayne Blosser have all been hired as Part-Time Public Service Seasonal help. They will all be paid $10.00 per hour up to 20 hours a week beginning May 3, 2020. Mr. Blosser will work until August 28, 2020 and Mr. Slawinski and Mr. Maynhart will be employed until October 31, 2020.
In a 2020 Census update, the Village of Swanton’s response as of April 22 is 58.8%. The total response for 2010 was 76.6%. Door to door phase is expected to begin in either July or August depending on the status of the pandemic.
Bill can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
