Mantua – At their last meeting, village council, representatives from the Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation (DMRC) presented the village with 12 metal bicycle racks to be installed at locations throughout the village in order to make the area more accessible to bikers on the Headwaters Trail. The US-made racks will be installed throughout the village at locations that have already agreed to host them. According to Steve Zabor, the DMRC will provide council with written agreements with the property-owners where signs will be placed, if council so chooses. Mayor Linda Clark gave the go-ahead for installation to the Village Service Department, stating, “If (the racks) are on private property, then have at it!”
In addition, the DMRC presented Police Chief Joe Urso with two portable pedestrian crosswalk signs, to be used during village festivals and events. Upcoming events where the signs and racks can be utilized include River Day in May, Art on the Hill in July, and the Potato Festival in September. The signs have a combined value of nearly $4,000.
In addition, the DMRC made council aware of the opportunity for the village to receive the designation as a ‘Buckeye Trail Town’, which they suggest would benefit local businesses that providing food, shopping, and lodging to visitors. The designation is granted through the Buckeye Trail Association; other Buckeye Trail Towns include Dayton, Loveland, Milford, Piqua, Troy, Xenia, Yellow Springs, and Zoar. The Village Parks Committee will discuss the opportunity.
In similar news, Village Engineer Rich Iafelice presented the village with a work authorization to proceed with the preparation of construction plans for the Buchert Park Walking Trail. The total cost of the project is estimated at nearly $45,000, nearly $32,500 of which will be funded through an ODNR grant.
In legislation, council approved an ordinance amending the codified ordinances in order to make Second Street one-way southbound. Prior to approving the ordinance, council heard from Chief Urso, who reported the findings of a traffic survey that his Department conducted at the request of several residents on Second Street. The survey was conducted from January 6th through January 14th, with special attention given during the hours of two-to-six pm. The report noted no excessive motorist speed or failure to observe stop signs as residents’ complaints had noted.
Lastly, Chief Urso announced that the department’s new School Resource Officer (SRO), Kaitlin Osborn, had already began work at the schools. Before graduating from the Police Academy, Ms. Osborn served as a dispatcher for the village. She is a resident of Mantua Township and a 2010 graduate of Crestwood Schools.
In other news, Village Administrator Bruce Rininger gave his notice to the village; he will be taking a job with the Portage County Water Department. Mr. Rininger will remain the operator of record at the water plant through June 2018. A hard copy of the Village Administrator job posting is available at the village office; the position can also be found at mantuavillage.com.
Moving forward, he discussed the results on a recent EPA report addressing issues with the village’s reservoir. Mr. Rininger noted that the EPA had reported a potential problem in 2002 and again in 2015; the EPA requested the village provide a firm date for repairs. As a side note, Rich Iafelice noted that in a 2004 assessment of the reservoir, they estimated that the roof had a 10-year life left. He noted that the Service Committee has asked him to research repair costs. On a positive note, he stated that the tanks are in good shape. In addition, the EPA requested that three test wells be capped. The wells are not currently in use and have been in place for approximately 20 years. Mr. Rininger estimates that capping the wells will cost roughly $5,000 per well, and recommends that the village proposes capping one per year until all three have been capped.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20th at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
