Mantua – At their last meeting, Mayor Linda Clark shared that she and Village Solicitor Michele Stuck are reviewing information from NOPEC and First Energy relating to gas and electric aggregation and potential cost savings to residents. They will be presenting their findings to council in the near future.
In his report, Village Administrator Bruce Rininger shared that his team has been cleaning out the plugged sewer line and storm sewers along State Route 44 near McDonald’s that resulted from torrential rains. After some discussion about a similar incident that occurred in the same location in 2013, Mr. Rininger stated that upon inspection of video of the 2013 event, an on-site inspection would take place as soon as time and weather allows. In other news, Mr. Rininger shared that while the village did not qualify for a diesel emissions grant this year, he plans to investigate the potential of forming a consortium with other localities in order to improve the village’s chance of receiving the grant in 2018.
Moving forward, Village Engineer Rich Iafelice shared that his firm has prepared a proposal for preliminary grading for the relocation of a ball field at the Village Park. He noted that he is waiting for assistance from the County Engineer for hydraulic analysis information. Once that information is received, they will investigate if the move is feasible based on regulatory and topographical information.
In other news, Mayor Clark shared that Portage Parks Director Chris Craycroft asked if the village would entertain relinquishing control of maintenance of the west end of Headwaters Trail to the Park District. After some discussion, the Mayor and Council agreed that research into this matter is necessary before a decision can be made.
Lastly, Fiscal Officer Jenny August shared that Hiram College Accounting students were once again providing free tax assistance. This assistance is available for families with an adjusted gross income of $95,000 or less. Appointments are available on Saturdays throughout tax season from 9 am to 5 pm at Hiram College’s Kennedy Center on Garfield Road. Residents interested in making an appointment can call (207) 653-0674 or contact Abbey Dean at deanap@hiram.edu.
The next regularly scheduled Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 21st at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
