FREDERICKTOWN — Fredericktown Village Council voted to pass two emergency resolutions regarding street improvement at Monday night’s meeting.
In addition, council moved to raise wages and submit the 2022 village budget.
One of the resolutions, awarding the East First Street parking lot improvements project to Ambrose Asphalt, Inc., allows construction to start immediately. Village administrator Bruce Snell said the project could begin Tuesday morning.
The construction estimate for paving the parking lot is $36,000, Snell said, and Ambrose Asphalt submitted the lowest bid of $34,096.50.
“We want to get it done before all the contractors get real busy,” Fredericktown mayor Jerry Day said.
The other resolution, awarding the 2021 street improvement project to Kokosing Construction, cannot be finalized until July 1 when the village receives funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission.
The estimate for that project is $200,000 Snell said, and Kokosing Construction submitted the lowest bid of $200,430.40.
Additionally, council approved a 2.5-percent wage increase for all pay categories, with the exception of elected officials and the zoning inspector.
In other business:
Council passed an ordinance to submit the proposed 2022 village budget to the Knox County auditor. Both of the aforementioned ordinances passed on the third reading with no discussion.
— Ordinances to amend the 2021 certificate of estimated resources for the village and to make supplemental appropriations passed on first reading, again with no discussion.
— Council discussed plans to modernize its website, and approved a motion to look into companies to assist with website design. It is also weighing if it should merge its website with the police department’s website to centralize information.
— Council heard continued citizen complaints about street parking.
Citizen speaker Rita Fenton raised concern about cars parking close to the intersection at West 5th and Chestnut Street, stating that it limits visibility.
“So I guess my question is, and I’m not trying to be ugly or rude, are we just going to say, well, that’s the way it is? If you get hit, you get hit?” Fenton questioned.
Chief of Police Kyle Johnson said there is nothing law enforcement can do to solve the visibility issue, as no ordinances or laws bar parking near intersections.
“I hope you can respect and understand that as a law enforcement officer if I’m going to enforce a law or an ordinance, I have to have that law or ordinance in place,” Johnson said. “It would be inappropriate for me to say, ‘hey, go move your car.’”
Council nor Johnson had a solution. Johnson noted that he has seen other municipalities with street parking face similar visibility issues.
“I’m certainly, and the council is certainly, open to any ideas or suggestions you may have but just know we have to apply those throughout the entire village,” Johnson said.
— Fenton also voiced complaints that the bike trails in the village do not connect to other towns and that additional garbage cans are needed around the village so people can discard their dogs’ feces.
— Council will meet again on June 21, before switching to meeting once a month on the third Monday of the month.
