Village councilors hear updates
The Minster Village Council held their bi-monthly meeting on Oct. 6. The council passed a few ordinances and received an update on the solar field from village administrator Don Harrod.
First, the village council heard the first reading of the ordinance amending the village’s construction standards and design criteria for all projects coming into the community moving forward.
“New subdivisions that come into town have to base it off of utilities,” said Harrod, giving the Community Post an example of such a project. “Water, sanitary, and storm. It gives them the guidelines of what they need to have to put in. A lot of (the ordinance) deals with new technology. It’s been since 2007 since we updated it last. There’s a lot of new technology we use and that’s what we put in the standards.”
Next, the council passed the ordinance awarding small businesses in Minster financial aid through the CARES Act funding, the COVID 19 business relief grant program.
This program provides small business with the funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits. The funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent and utilizes.
“We put together a set of criteria,” said Harrod. “Had to have under 50 employees, less than $2 million profit for a year, had to be impacted by COVID 19, either shut down or reduced services. We awarded 15 grants, ranging from $4,000 to $2,000.”
Finally, the council heard the first reading of the ordinance authorizing a mutual aid contract with the Loramie fire district.
For the last 20 or so years, Harrod said that Minster had been in a mutual aid contract with Fort Loramie to cover the north side of the lake in McLane township. Minster receives $14,975 per year for being part of the mutual aid contract.
In his administrators report, Harrod gave the council an update on the solar field.
“Basically, the solar field is continuing to move forward,” said Harrod. “That’s the second phase for the solar field, they have set all the racking and panels so it should be here within the next month or two. We should be finishing all the wiring soon to get that online.”