Mantua – At the last meeting, Mayor Linda Clark swore in Ms. Emily Hammonds, a new member of the Landmark Commission, as council members looked on.
Hammonds teaches Algebra at Crestwood High School and is a Red Devil graduate from 1995. She joins those appointed at the previous month’s meeting. Those include: Don Buchart, Ashlee Hawkins, Lisa Zamecnik, Scott Weaver and Marty Hura to the Parks Committee, with Ben Prescott serving as an alternate; Don Buchert, Cookie Vanek, and Marty Hura on the Shade Tree Committee, with Scott Weaver serving as alternate; Randy Usher to the Board of Zoning Appeals; and Nick Ehlert to the Landmark Commission. The Mayor noted that additional seats are still vacant on the Landmark Commission, but interviews are still being conducted.
Next, the Mayor noted that she had received a letter from Matthew Ristau, who rents an apartment on Walnut Street in the village. In his letter, Mr. Ristau noted that since he moved in in August 2018, the toilet has been running. Since the water/sewer bills he received from the village was consistent with the cost his landlord told him to anticipate, he paid them and was in good standing on his account for the remainder of 2018. In January, however, he was shocked to receive a water/sewer bill of over $1,200, with over $1,000 charged in sewer rates. Ristau noted that the landlord fixed the toilet, and the service department did a flow test and checked the meter at the property. He requested that Council consider a reduction to his sewer bill based on the Village Ordinance 2018-60, which states that residents may petition council for adjustments. After some discussion, Council agreed to reduce Ristau’s bill in the amount of $330.
At that time, resident Cookie Vanek noted a big discrepancy when she receives an estimated bill versus a water/sewer bill based on an actual reading. Village administrator John Trew explained that when service department staff is available, they read meters for half the village during one month, and read meters in the second half the following month, but that emergencies sometimes take precedence. He suggested that if Vanek or any resident who would prefer an actual reading each month, can call the service department to provide the monthly meter reading, or forward a photo, if they’re unsure of how to read the meter.
In legislation, council voted unanimously to suspend the rules and disapprove Ordinance 2019-04, related to solid waste management. Council was presented with the final draft of the solid waste management plan from the Portage County Solid Waste Management District, which, upon review of the Village’s Service Committee, recommended that council disapprove the county’s plan. According to the service committee, the PCSWMD charges one of the highest rate in the county and accepts limited types of recyclables.
In other legislation, council unanimously passed Ordinance 2019-05, which authorized adjustments to 2019 appropriations in the West Prospect Street Roadway Fund. It was noted by Fiscal Officer Jenny August that the fund must be increased to record the ‘pass-through’ payments that will be made by the Ohio Public Works Commission. She also noted that the Water Operating Fund (5101) and the Water Capital Improvements Fund (5761) must be increased for expenditures relating to the reservoir improvements and that the Sewer Capital Fund (5762) must be increased for capital improvements relating to the wastewater treatment plant.
In his Police Report, Chief Joe Urso noted that the department welcomed a new dispatcher, Joleen Clelland. Chief Urso received council’s approval to a purchase eleven cameras and one DVR to replace the department’s existing surveillance cameras and storage system, which he noted are seven years old and beginning to fail. The new system will also include six terabytes of storage and a new hard drive to store the data.
Next, Village Engineer Rich Iafelice presented council with bid a bid packet for the water & wastewater treatment pPlant. According to Iafelice, the packet contains an inventory of the village systems, agreements and service agreements with entities including the fire station, Ohio Turnpike Plaza, and Aurora Meadows. The documents also include outstanding debts and system maps. Upon council’s review and approval, the bid package will also be reviewed by an attorney specializing in public law prior to being released. The bid packet requests that potential bidders show their solutions for the water treatment plant and the wastewater plant individually for ease of comparison, but noted that the village would ideally like to award both projects to one entity. He noted that the current value of the village’s systems were approximately $3 million, including the land; he estimates that a $13 million dollar investment would be necessary over the next 20 – 25 years.
Lastly, the DMRC will be hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, April 6th, entitled A Night at the Races. Doors open at 5 pm with appetizers and an open bar; the dinner buffet begins at 6 pm. Tickets which includes one horse, are available for couples, at $110, while single tickets cost $50, and do not include a horse. The event takes place at the Sentinel Party Center on Route 44 in Mantua. For more information, contact the DMRC at (330 274-4040.
The next village council meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 19th at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
