Members of the West Unity Village Council convened for their regular meeting on Thursday, June 26 to address a rather full agenda. Present for the meeting were Mayor Peg Bernath; Village Administrator Ric Beals; Village Solicitor Ryan Thompson; Police Chief J.R. Jones; Fiscal Officer Kim Grime; Council President Kirk Thompson; and Councilors Kevin Gray, Donavon Leu, Randay Mahlman, and Dave Short. Councilor Ron Hausch was not present for the meeting.
After the approval of the previous meeting’s minutes and the bills as presented, council went on to address a total of six different legislative matters that were brought before them.
Gaining approval after one reading, but without emergency language, due to its nature, was Resolution 06-2014-15, which declares the village’s intent to appropriate the NORTA (Northwestern Ohio Rails to Trails Association) property between the eastern and western boundaries of the village at a cost of $2.00 to the village. As part of the resolution and purchase the village agrees to become a partner of the Wabash Cannonball Corridor Coordinating Committee (WCCC) and to be subject to its operating procedures. With this, any transfer of trail property must be approved by WCCC. The covered bridge over Liberty Street, formally named Stoner’s Crossing by NORTA to honor Jack and Dortha Stoner for their contributions to the bridge’s improvements, will maintain that name.
Resolution 06-20146-6 gained unanimous approval under emergency language. The resolution approves the enrollment and subscription to the EverBridge mass notification system and approves the annual subscriptions cost as well as authorizes the Village Administrator to enroll the village into the system. It is hoped that the county-wide alert system will be fully operational by the end of July.
Resolution 06-2014-08 also passed unanimously and under emergency language. The resolution approves the village police department’s enrollment in the Spillman Technologies Integrated Public Safety Software System and declares a memorandum of understanding with the Williams County Board of Commissioners in accordance with cost and billing of the system. The quoted cost of the system is $7000 for enrollment and the first year of use and $1150 for the second year of use. It is the hope of Police Chief Jones that enrollment in the system will help to continue to streamline efforts between departments within the county and the prosecutors’ offices and courts.
Also passing under emergency language was Ordinance 2014-07, which adopts the new section of 505.16, titled “Harboring Bees; Abatement” to Chapter 505 of the Codified Ordinances. The ordinance declares that is “a nuisance for any person to keep or harbor bees which cause annoyance to another person or damage the property of others”, that “upon complaint being made, the Village Administrator or his/her designee is authorized and directed to notify the owner or keeper of such bees to abate such nuisance and to remove hives or other contrivances, where such bees are kept or harbored, within ten days of being notified,” and that “whoever fails to comply with such order is guilty of a minor misdemeanor”. Village Solicitor Ryan Thomspon commented that many other neighboring villages have had such an ordinance in place for years. Mayor Peg Bernath also commented on the importance of such an ordinance to protect any residents whom might be allergic to bees.
Also gaining approval was Resolution 06-2014-07, which accepts the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission and authorizes the necessary tax levies and certifies them to the County Auditor, and Ordinance 2014-08, the revised 2014 appropriations.
In his report, Village Administrator Ric Beals updated council on the progress of the EverBridge alert system. He also noted that that the siren that the village purchased from the City of Bryan won’t be able to be installed until the end of July. Beals noted that he will be working with both Randy Borton and Chief Jones should an emergency weather situation come up before either system is installed.
Beals also informed council that he has accepted quotes for the work needed on the old water tower. Work will be done to eliminate rain-born contaminates, the tower will be cleaned, and a wax coating will be in on the inside. The total quote is $17, 800. Beals is waiting to hear when work will begin but is hopeful that all work will be cone by the end of the summer.
Additionally, Brady Township Trustees have requested that “slow – children playing” signs be put up on South Liberty Street and construction has begun on the extension of the building Kamco leases on Linden Street.
Beals is also discussing the painting of fire hydrants with Jon Master of CCNO. The village, hopes to be able to use the CCNO as it has done so in the past, to assist with the painting of the hydrants in town before fall.
The next meeting of the West Unity Village Council will be held on Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 PM in council chambers.