Members of the West Unity Village Council met for their regular meeting on Thursday May 22 at 7:30 PM with council members Kirk Thompson, Randy Mahlman, Kevin Gray, and Don Leu present. Ron Hausch and Dave Short were both absent from the meeting. Following prayer and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Peggy Bernath welcomed members of the community that were on hand to address council. West Unity Chamber of Commerce President Alan Bennett spoke first and updated council on the upcoming Gathering in Unity festivities. The festivities are slated for June 6th and 7th and offer a little something for everyone. Bennett noted that, with 12 chamber directors, there has been a lot of help putting the Gathering together and that a lot of ideas have come forth. Notable among these events is the Life Flight fly-over of the parade, which will start at 11:00 AM on Saturday. A chicken BBQ will be held on Friday at 5:00 PM on Friday and the Rib Off at noon on Saturday. The Antique Tractor Pull and Show will also take place on Saturday. Returning this year will also be the Brady Township Fireman’s Tug-O-War, which will be held at the Volleyball court on Saturday at 2:00 PM. There is a 1000 pound maximum team weight and weigh in begins at 1:30 PM. Inflatables will be provided by both the Chamber and Just Add Kidz. Flyers and signs highlighting the festivities will be posted throughout the area, welcoming those from both West Unity and outlying areas to participate in the festivities. Following Bennett, Dave Chester took the floor to address council about concerns that he had about the proposed dismantling of the old water tower. Currently under legislative matters, council has not yet opened up the bidding for the dismantling of the tower. The third reading of that legislation was slated for the meeting but, due to the absence of both Hausch and Short, all legislative matters had been tabled for the evening. Chester thanked council for not addressing legislative matters with two of the councilors out and then shared his concerns regarding the dismantling of the tower. Chester’s concerns were not that West Unity needs the tower for the purpose of providing water but, rather, that the tower serves as part of the heritage and history of West Unity that he doesn’t want to see lost. He also noted that the tower, which is taller and less obscured by tree line than the new tower, is a long time and important landmark for West Unity. Concerning costs, original estimates for repairs and upkeep matched the cost of the tower. However, Chester noted that he believes simple upkeep of the tower would ultimately be less expensive than the dismantling of the tower, which could cost the Village in the neighborhood of $25,000. Chester urged council to reconsider the dismantling of the tower and thanked them for hearing his concerns. Council also heard from Village Administrator Ric Beals who reported on the upkeep of the Village. Due to the late start on cutting trees and stump removal, the village has had to put off planting trees until fall. The Village has planted 11 maples donated by Mayor Bernath, who noted that she has an additional 8 for the Village, and that 30 additional trees have been ordered for this fall. Beals also reported that a recent power outage apparently carried with it a power surge that burned up an electric motor for the water treatment plant aerator. The Village worked at repairs themselves, which came in at a total cost of $565. This was far less expensive than replacing the unit, which would have cost $1700. Also reported was that the first month of E-Coli testing at the sewer plant has been very encouraging. With improvements of geo-bags and replacing ultraviolet lights being made, all compliance issues seem to have put to rest. Also noted by Beals was that the water supply consumer confidence report (CCR) for 2013 has been completed and will be mailed with water bills and that the Little League fence around diamond #1 at Memorial Park is nearly completed. Also discussed at the meeting was whether or not it was more financially beneficial for the Village to continue mowing Village property or to hire it out. Some original estimates that Beals had received were around the $400-$500 per week mark to have it hired out while manpower studies show a cost of only around $200 per week for the Village to mow the properties themselves. Kirk Thompson also inquired about the status on flickering street lights. Beals explained that he is continuing to work with Toledo Edison to resolve the problem. Randy Mahlman also commented on semi trucks travelling non-truck route streets and asked if there was anything that could be done to alleviate the problem. The Streets Department will be working with the Police Department on the matter so that legislation can be drawn up. The next meeting of the West Unity Village Council will be held on June 12 at 7:30 PM in council chambers.
