Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

Street work to start in spring

Council members learn about savings on sledding hill

By Jeff Elking
NEW BREMEN - Village street improvements are set to start this spring.
Council members approved awarding the Front Street and Eastmoor Drive project to Shinn Brothers Inc. of Celina, one of nine bidders. Work on the $1.56 million reconstruction job is tentatively set to start in late April and be completed in October.
As a part of this discussion, Jerry McClannan of Mote & Associates shared preliminary drawings of a proposed sledding hill at the Bremenfest Park. Under the plan, dirt from the Front Street project would be taken directly to the park to construct the hill rather than paying for a storage site. The savings for this would be close to $26,000, McClannan said.
Council members passed after third reading an ordinance to hire magistrate Thomas Guillozet and village solicitor Jason E. This, each with a one-year contract. This takes the place of Steve Smith, who recently retired as solicitor after having served for 32 years. Also approved after final reading was renewing the contract with the city of St. Marys to collect village income taxes. The contract is for three years and the rate to be paid to St. Marys remains unchanged at 1.75 percent.
With the recent cold and snowy conditions and anticipated thawing, administrator Chris Dicke asked capable village residents to "help shovel off the catch basins and downspout outlets near their residences to help ease the chance of clogged gutters. Little things like that help and make a difference," she said.
In other action,
• council members approved allowing the Western Ohio Rail Authority to sell various sections of WORA property along the railroad tracks to Crown Equipment Corp.
• Dicke noted the village will accept applications for seasonal workers. Openings include pool managers, lifeguards and public works employees. Those interested should contact the village.
• officials congratulated recently re-elected council members Don Kuck, Dennis Burnell, Jim Kronenberger and Bob Parker, who were sworn in to their new four-year terms prior to the regular council meeting.
Additional online story on this date
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry Booster Club so far has raised about $1 million for a proposed new athletic building and members expect more donations to help reach the $1.5 million goal. [More]
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Walkway project payment OK'd
CELINA - City council members will again pay off a portion of debt on the West Bank walkway project and refinance the rest.
Mayor Jeff Hazel called the move standard procedure, saying it was a way for the city to help reduce the debt each year.
COLDWATER - Village council members on Monday passed under suspension of rules an emergency ordinance authorizing village administrator/engineer Eric Thomas to apply for a grant through the Clean Ohio Fund.
ST. MARYS - The city received the Auditor of State Award on Monday from James Darden, liaison of State Auditor Dave Yost's office, for being one of very few entities audited by the state to have a clean audit report.
Water, wastewater plant study planned
ST. HENRY - Village council members on Monday welcomed two new members.
Allan Bruns, an engineer with Celina Tent, and Troy Flenar, a manufacturing unit manager with Crown Equipment Corp., were sworn in by mayor Steve Koesters.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local High School students will be required to take a course focusing on future careers.
Superintendent Mike Pohlman said he and high school principal Tim Goodwin had met previously with guidance counselor Jenny Dippold to discuss the possibility.
CELINA - School board members at Monday's organizational meeting elected Matt Gilmore as board president and Bill Sell as vice president for 2018, superintendent Ken Schmiesing said this morning.