Hiram – At the last Village Council meeting, Chris Szell from the Park Board shared that his group would be co-hosting an event in conjunction with the Village Police Department. At this event, the Hiram Police will be hosting their annual ‘Fill-a-Police-Car’ food drive and pet adoption event on July 23rd from 9 am until 2 pm on the lawn at the Municipal Center. Help your friends and neighbors collect non-perishable food items for the 4Cs Food Cupboard and the ‘Fill a Cruiser’ or bring dog or cat food for the People Care Pet Pantry, which supports the pets of families in need. And as in previous years, the event will have a multitude of animal rescue organizations with dogs and cats available for adoption and K9 demonstrations.
This year’s event will be even bigger, however, since the Village Parks and Recreation board will be hosting a community yard sale to help raise funds for community parks. Residents can donate items for the sale, or contact the Park Board to rent a table at the event or to set up a sale at a village residence. If interested, act quickly, since space must be reserved by July 15th. Call Chris at (330) 357-7634 or email park.board2.hvoh@gmail.com for more information.
In his report, Police Chief Ed Samec shared that the department was awarded a Step Outside grant from the ODNR to support the Department’s Cops and Kids Fishing Day, which will be held on August 13th at Camp Asbury. The chief also reported that the new cruiser, which replaces the one taken out of service earlier this year, is now in service. The new cruiser is added to the department’s fleet of a 2015 and 2016 Ford Explorer and a 2010 Ford Crown Vic sedan. Lastly, Chief Samec shared that Brian Gregory was promoted to full time Sergeant. Due to a medical issue, Sergeant Gregory will serve as acting Chief until such time that Samec can return to the post. Chief Samec’s last day in the office will be Tuesday, July 5th.
In his Fire report, Chief Bill Byers reported that preventative maintenance is in progress. He noted that the proposed contract for dispatching services is currently on hold as they wait for revisions to the agreement. He noted that Squad Two is out of service due to issues with the vehicles front end. The vehicle is currently being repaired, and he’ll inform council when Squad Two is back in service.
Next, Village Administrator James McGee shared that the village has been awarded a 2017 Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) grant for improvements and repairs to the water line loop and repair sewer lines, at a cost of $96,000. The village’s share of the project is $48,000. A second OPWC grant, if awarded, will pay for a road project that includes Bancroft, Dean and Brown Streets. The grant has a value of $80,000 total, which includes $30,000 in matching funds from the village. Lastly, Mr. McGee shared findings on the village’s lost water issue. Based on monthly reports from April of this year, Mr. McGee worked with engineers from CT Consulting to determine that due to the 7% water loss the village is experiencing, which is well under the 15% threshold, they do not recommend spending additional funds to investigate the areas of potential loss. While Mr. McGee intends to review that number monthly, he noted that the current grant work includes an additional water meter, which will provide additional monitoring potential of water loss within the village’s water system.
The next Village Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 12th at 7 pm, and residents are encouraged to attend.
