THE VILLAGE REPORTER
After a 6:45 p.m. safety meeting, the West Unity Village Council held their June 8, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. starting with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance.
The minutes of the May 16, 2023 meeting were approved with one correction (someone listed present that was absent) before the recognition of visitors began with council recognizing Jason King.
King has been tasked with pricing and quality-checking holiday lights for the village to purchase, and after a comprehensive review, council voted to allow King to order lights with a 15-season lifespan.
Then read for the second time was resolution 5-2023-8, which -once passed- will submit tax rates and levies to be certified by the county auditor.
Administrator Josh Fritsch then presented council with the idea of dissolving fees associated with housing lot creation for the efforts of the WCPA (Williams County Port Authority) before Police Chief JR Jones shared that costs will soon be appropriated for the firearms training of an officer.
Mayor Don Leu updated council on various loose ends regarding village maintenance, hinted that council may benefit from agreeing on an earlier meeting time, and shared that the results for the water and wastewater grant should be coming in by the end of the week.
Sarah Higdon then gave the clerkâs report, sharing that West Unity is to benefit from a refund of funds that were paid for tax collection services to RITA.
Councilor Steve Marvin thanked administrators for how nice the village barn and the recycling and compost area have been, then thanked Jones for keeping the people complaint-free.
Mayor Leu thanked the community for the great turnout that the Gathering in Unity event saw, especially thanking the Chamber of Commerce and Mr. and Mrs. Heising.
Councilor David Short apologized for not joining the fun during the Gathering in Unity festivities seen Saturday, as he was busy getting acquainted with his new grandson, Cooper David Short, who had been born in Delaware, Ohio that Thursday morning.
Council agreed that there will be a safety meeting Thursday June 13, 2023, at 6:45 p.m. before there is a Tree Department meeting five minutes before their 7:30 p.m. scheduled regular council meeting.

The West Unity Village Council then voted to adjourn the meeting at 8:21 p.m.
Anna can be reached at anna@thevillagereporter.com
PHOTO BY ANNA WOZNIAK / THE VILLAGE REPORTER