April 2017 Administrator’s Report

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

APRIL 2017

 

PLANNING COMMISSIONS MET TO REVIEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES PROHIBITION:

This writer scheduled a public hearing and advertised the same for April 5, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. at town hall.  Unfortunately this writer forgot this scheduled public hearing.  I spoke to a local resident who had gone up to town hall about the medical marijuana dispensaries prohibition.  He was in favor of having the dispensaries and felt council didn’t want new business in town.  I apologized for forgetting this public hearing and would ask for direction from council on whether we should reschedule a public hearing.  I informed the resident that I would forward his feelings onto council on how he felt.  There was only one resident who had stopped at town hall.  Again I apologize for missing this meeting.

 

COMPOST SITE OPEN AS OF APRIL 1, 2017:

I have attached schedule of the days and hours that the compost site will be open to the public.  Please note if the weather causes too wet of a condition at the site, such as it did for this Thursday, 4/6/17, we will post the closed sign at the plant.

 

RESOLUTION AGAINST CENTRALIZED INCOME TAX COLLECTION:

I forwarded this resolution on to the Ohio Municipal League and also spoke to the director on the subject.  He stated that there was not one municipality who had shown favor in the centralized income tax collection idea proposed by Governor Kasich.  OML felt that this proposal should not be included in the state’s budget and felt that it would be removed at this time.  He did feel that legislation would be forthcoming down the road but felt it would be more appropriate to be discussed by all of legislature and that OML would keep its membership up-to-date and would continue to strongly oppose this change on behalf of the many municipalities they represent.

 

OSWALT LOTS ADVERTISED:

There has been quite an interest in the Oswalt lots this advertisement.  I have personally supplied surveys and appraisal information to 4 different individuals.   Bid opening for the lots will be April 25, 2017, at noon.  Sealed bids should be taken to the Fiscal Officer’s Office in town hall.

 

UPDATE OF SANITARY SEWER GRANT APPLICATION & PROPOSED SEWER RATE INCREASE TO MEET THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

The village is working with Maumee Valley Planning Organization who is preparing a $134,169.00  grant application for the final piece of financing for the sanitary sewer project to be constructed this summer.  At the present time the total project cost is estimated to be $660,846.00.  To-date the financing in place is a grant from OPWC of $199,999.00, an EPA loan of $295,846.00 and this CDBG grant of $134,169.  This would require a re-payment of $16,315.60 for 20 years.

Without the CDBG grant our EPA loan would increase to $460,846.00 and require a repayment of $23,042.30 for 20 years.

The CDBG grant requires that the Village combined water/sewer rates average $68.00 per month per resident.  We are currently at $59.91 per resident per month.  The $68.00 figure is a median water/sewer rate.  We are proposing to raise the sewer minimum $4.00 per month per 690 customers starting in January , 2018 and another $4.09 per month starting in January 2019.

I have attached a sheet that will show the additional amount these rate increases will bring in for 2018 and 2019.  Please note they will bring in more than the loan repayment of $16,315.60 but as noted during budget meetings we are only carrying approximately $35,000.00 over in the sewer revenue line.  We are now expending more for the chlorination and de-chlorination of the sewer lagoons, will be adding phosphorus reducing chemicals after the project is completed.  We need to build the sewer revenue for these expenses and also any unknown expenses and projects that will come about with a 40 year old plant.

As of this writing, I am waiting to hear from the State to see if the passage of these rates to meet the minimum and the improvements outlined in our project will get our application to the 55 points we need to be funded.  I may not know until late Friday.  If we can’t meet the requirements of the grant, we will not pass the proposed ordinance as it is written now.  But even if we don’t, we will need to look at sewer rate increases in the next year.

I will provide as much information on this increase as I can at Monday’s meeting.  EPA is urging us to bid this project and get it underway.  So the ordinance as presented will need to be passed by emergency in order to finish the financing on this project.  Again, if the rate change will guarantee grant approval.

 

8TH GRADE STUDENT COUNCIL WANTS TO PERFORM A SERVICE PROJECT:

8th grade student council president, Madison Ruen, contacted the undersigned stating they would like to plan an around-town service day for Tuesday, May 9, 2017.  I have contacted the Chamber of Commerce to see if we could plan a downtown clean-up day and clean up around tennis court park and utilize student council.  We will be providing assistance to the students and will request assistance from downtown building business owners to supply cleaning supplies.  Sounds like a great day.