Council considers additional cleanup day
NEW BREMEN — During a brief meeting on Monday night, New Bremen Village councilors declared the village cleanup day that was held on Saturday a success and discussed the possibility of holding multiple throughout the year moving forward.
“I think it was very wellreceived based on the line that I waited in for an hour,” said Mayor Bob Parker.
The cleanup day is typically held once a year in the spring, but the village canceled that this year because of the pandemic.
Councilor Brent Richter brought up the idea of holding two cleanup days because the line was so long on Saturday.
“It’s only three hours a year. St. Marys has multiple,” said Richter. “It seems like a lot of people to run through in three hours.”
Parker noted that the line might have been long because residents had been holding onto stuff for 18 months rather than the usual 12 months as the last one was held in the spring of 2019.
Village Administrator Chris Dicke added that there were no garage sales this year either so that might have contributed to the longer wait times.
Councilor Don Kuck asked if the village’s contract with Maharg Trash Services would have to be revised to include a second day.
Dicke said she believes the contract is through next year but said it wouldn’t be an issue and Maharg’s would allow it. She also suggested that maybe they extend the hours of the cleanup instead of just holding it for three hours.
“It’s definitely a popular day. It’s something to consider,” said Parker.
In other business, council:
• Was informed by Dicke that she, Parker, Richter and fiscal officer Amy Speelman sat in on a utility meeting with John Courtney of AEP regarding solar companies that were going around the
village and offering solar panels to residents. “We’re going to need to get a policy together because it can harm the electric system and there’s going to have to be some different things that are going to be put in before anybody would do something like that. We’re working on a policy and we won’t be able to permit anything until we get that policy in.”
• Heard Dicke announce that because of the weather cooling down that the village will close the splash pad this week.
• Heard the financial report from councilman Jacob
Larger. August receipts were $1,575,843.15 and September expenses were $1,298,435.37.
• Suspended the rules and passed Ordinance 2020-09-15 by emergency that amended the 2020 appropriations in lieu of receiving more funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Speelman said the village received $43,425.12 which brings the total to $130,275.36 for money from the CARES act.
• Held a first reading on Resolution 2020-09-09 that authorizes Dicke to sell two vehicles that are not needed for municipal purposes.
• Suspended the rules and passed Resolution 2020-09-08 to submit an application for the Ohio Public Works Commission 2021 paving program.
• Passed Resolution 2020-0806 that adopts an early retirement incentive plan for village employees.
• Completed a third reading on Resolution 2020-08-07 to accept the amounts and rates of $65,487.93 determined by the budget commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies in certifying them to the county auditor.
• Completed a third reading and passed Ordinance 2020-0814 that approved the purchase of 139.45 acres of property located in Van Buren Township in Shelby County from Komminsk Estate.