Minster gets a $500K federal park grant

MINSTER - The village has been approved for a $500,000 federal grant to help fund a $1.03 million playground project in town, council members learned at their meeting Tuesday.

Village administrator Don Harrod said state officials advised him the grant is from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The grant, $250,000 in local matching village funds and money generated by a local group spearheaded by local mothers will be used to finance the construction of Stallostown at Paris Street Park. The park, which would include a splash pad, will be designed for children ages 2-12.

Plans call for the park to have a number features, such as a wooden shoe slide, paying tribute to Minster's German heritage.

A local group organized to help make the park a reality has been raising money to help generate the local matching funds for the project. The effort is spearheaded by Jamie Mummey, Kim Wiford and Jandie Steele.

"We are extremely ecstatic and grateful that we have received this grant," Mummey said Tuesday. "We are raising as much money as we can to make this park possible."

She said the group so far has raised $105,000 "and we have more money coming in." The group sent out 2,500 fliers illustrating plans for the park to local residents and business seeking donations.

Mummey said the group appreciates the outpouring of local support for the park project.

The village also has received an $86,097 Nature Works Grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be used for the village's share of the matching funds.

Harrod said planning for the project can begin soon, but the grant funds won't be received until this fall. Construction is expected to start next year.

In other business, Harrod advised council members that a needs assessment survey created by Miami University Center for Public Management students in conjunction with the council branding committee, will soon be sent to local households.

The survey will give residents an opportunity to give input on improvements they would like to see the village make in coming years. Harrod said the last survey was conducted in 2008.

The university will compile the results and prepare a summary.

Councilors also,

• approved paying $12,975 to Washington, D.C., law firm of Duncan and Allen for legal services in defending the village in a $10.5 million lawsuit by Empower Solar in a solar energy contract dispute. The suit was filed by the Alabama energy company in August 2020 in U.S. District Court in Toledo. The village has paid the law firm a total of $411,213 for its services. The case is set to go to trial Aug. 2.

• approved the February income tax report showing receipts of $256,301, bringing the year's total to $612,973.

• learned the village is accepting applications for part-time summer employees at the swimming pool and parks department. Applications are available at the village office and are due by the end of April.

• heard Harrod report the village had a brief power outage on Thursday while employees were switching the feed from one substation to another.

• were advised by Harrod the village will complete the sale on Thursday of .75 of an acre to Thieman Land Holdings for an expansion planned by Fox Supply. The tract is being sold for $15,000.

• approved a $32,400 purchase of wire for the electric department.

• approved paying $30,201 to Minster Concrete Coatings for a pour-in-place rubber surface for the playground at Four Seasons Park.

• authorized Harrod to file a request with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for an exemption for the four railroad crossings in the village since the railroad is no longer used. If the exemption is approved, school buses and trucks carrying hazardous cargo would no longer have to stop at the crossings.

• authorized advertising for bids on the estimated $3.75 million North Ohio Street water tower replacement project. Bids are expected to be opened on April 13. The village has received a $2.5 million grant to be used to finance the 1.25 million gallon water tower.

• heard Harrod report the village continues to work on obtaining easements for the estimated $1 million Dues Ditch project to alleviate flooding in the West Seventh Street-Diamond Estates subdivision area. He said after the easements are obtained, the village will seek bids on the project.

• approved payment of up to $42,500 to National Water Services for conducting well tests to find a well to produce enough water to comply with a mandate that the village wastewater treatment plant meet an EPA total dissolved solids requirement.

• went into a 60-minute executive session to discuss pending litigation and hiring of a public employee. No action was taken after the session.

The next council meeting is 6:30 p.m. April 5 in council chambers.