CENTERBURG — Village Administrator Teri Wise reported an offbeat event, although one perhaps appropriate on April Fool’s Day, to village council members on Monday: A sinkhole developed at the corner of Preston and Union streets.
The sinkhole is about 7 feet to 11 feet deep. This morning, a contractor secured the area with steel plates and fencing.
Wise said an additional problem is an American Electric Power pole is starting to tilt.
On Tuesday, after school is in session, the contractor will try to camera the area to determine the size and scope of the problem.
If a camera is unsuccessful, the contractor will run a robot into the system.
A dye test this morning did not reveal the source of the sinkhole. Wise thinks it is in the storm sewer, but the village does not have good maps for that area.
Wise requested council’s approval to get cell phones for village workers rather than paying them a monthly stipend for using their personal phones. When personal phones are also used for business, they are subject to being used in court cases.
The cell phones cost about $100 more a month. However, the equipment agreement includes two iPads at no charge.
“We need to get our maps onto an iPad so when they are in the field, they will be able to bring up the map and focus on the area they’re working on,” Wise said.
She noted that the maps and iPads are the first steps in a GIS system, where workers can look up information such as when a pipe was last worked on and what was done.
The iPads will also help with zoning enforcement, enabling the enforcement officer to enter violation data in real time.
USA Days canceled
Councilman Daniel Hardwick, president of the USA Days Committee, said the committee suspended the festival and parade for 2024.
“We have a few thousand in the bank; we don’t have any sponsors,” he told council. “There weren’t very many people in the parade last year. We can’t justify it.”
Hardwick said the committee would “be happy to start it up again next year if there is interest and funding for it.”
Trail counter
Village workers, with help from Mount Vernon engineers Brian Ball and Quentin Platt, installed a trail counter on the Heart of Ohio Trail.
Councilwoman Saundra Dove reported that the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) bought counters a year ago and gave them to Centerburg and three other villages along the Ohio to Erie Trail/HOOT.
“They’re actually going to be able to tell who is walking and who is riding,” Dove said.
“The information we get from those counters will help us get grants,” Wise said. “We did submit a grant to MORPC for a connector trail to the downtown.”
COJFD
Fire Chief Mark McCann reported the department signed a four-year contract with Medicount to handle EMS billing. The department reviewed a firefighters’ wellness program with Knox Community Hospital, replaced one vehicle, and learned the cost to repair an engine is around $12,000. The fire board hired a new clerk, and six new hydrants are going in at Reynolds and Eckard roads.
Legislative session
Council members had a light legislative session with only one ordinance on the agenda. They suspended the three readings and adopted legislation honoring sick leave from a previous employer for a new village worker.
Council went into executive session at 7:05 to discuss land acquisition.
Miscellaneous
•The village sent out 16 assessment letters to property owners for delinquent taxes; seven paid, bringing in $2,587. Enforcement will continue on the remaining nine.
•Residents will soon see a new feature on the village website and Facebook page. Wise is introducing a “Do You Know” section that will answer questions such as do you know how your water bill is calculated?
•The Knox County Land Bank is coordinating asbestos testing on the South Hartford Street garage. A timeline is not yet set for the land bank’s demolition of the former Inn Town Restaurant.
