Hiram – At the last meeting, Council heard from former Councilman Chris Cobb, a long-time member of the village’s July 4th committee. Cobb notified Council of the need for new volunteers to help ensure that the village’s annual festivities can once again take place. He noted that after many years of service to the community, both he and Dr. Willard Greenwood have stepped down, and were looking for volunteers to insure that the family-friendly event would continue. Cobb shared that deadlines for grant applications, which make the annual fireworks display possible, would soon be approaching and offered his assistance in helping a new committee forge ahead with planning for the 2020 event. After some discussion, Fire Chief Bill Byers noted that he’d bring the fireworks portion of the festivities to the attention of the Firefighters Association, since the department is involved in the safety aspect of the event already. He noted that the Association would be holding a meeting soon, and would let council know the outcome. Any residents interested in helping the village continue the annual July 4th festivities can express their interest to info@hiram4th.com or call the Municipal office at (330) 569-7677.
Next, Dan Brokos, Chairman of the Hiram Beautification Commission, presented a proposed Tree Plan to Council. In his presentation, Brokos shared that the committee was inspired by the village’s Sidewalk project. He noted that the group identified five potential tree lawn areas within the village that could benefit from tree planting, including portions of Hayden, Dean, Peckham, and Hinsdale. The group also identified several native species of trees that would be suitable for those sites, including crab apple, sugar maple, bald cypress, and Burr Oak. He noted that the proposed plan was the result of participation in the Tree Commission Academy through the Ohio Division of Forestry, and that once actual locations and tree species were approved by council, land owner, and the village administrator, planting would be staggered over several years to accommodate budget constraints. Village Administrator James McGee noted that once trees were planted, property owners would be responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the trees.
In other news, Phil Changet from the U.S. Census Bureau attended the meeting to publicize the 2020 Census. He noted that a national census is conducted every 10 years, the results of which are used to determine how many seats each state receives in the House of Representatives. He noted that census data also determines how more than $675 billion are spent in state, county, and local programs, making participation in the census vital to all residents. He also noted that door-to-door workers were needed, with flexible, short-term, hourly positions ($16 per hour) are open for individuals aged 18 and up. For more information, contact the Akron office at (330) 867-8300 or visit www.2020census.gov.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, immediately following an agricultural hearing scheduled at 6:30 pm.
