CENTERBURG—Speaking on behalf of his neighbors, South Hartford Avenue resident Don Wallace addressed the village council on Monday about speeding vehicles on South Hartford.
Wallace said the neighbors recommended council members do a cost analysis of installing speed bumps.
“They’re just a little concerned that someone’s going to speed and maybe lose control and cause a lot of damage,” he told the council.
Village Administrator Teri Wise recently attended a webinar on traffic calming devices hosted by the Local Technical Assistance Program. She then contacted Knox Public Health officials involved with the county’s active transportation plan.
“There is maybe some money to do some traffic-calming devices in that stretch of South Hartford,” Wise said. “I had given them data on how many cars go down that street, so we’re waiting to hear back.
“It would be great, even if we had to do some matching funds, if we could get something that calms that traffic down.”
Regarding streets, Wise said the paving program through the Ohio Public Works Commission on South Hartford and other streets is complete. Wise will hold a debriefing session on Friday. School, fire, and county officials and law enforcement will attend.
The village used six tons of cold patch and three tons of hot mix to repair potholes. Workers will complete as many as they can while the good weather holds.
Reports
Village administrator
Wise reported the Jerry Street stormwater pipe repair is delayed.
The initial survey did not show a gas line in the area where the village wants to put a storm drain.
“When the second survey came through, that showed the gas line,” she said.
The village is working with V3 to find a solution. Wise will place the notice to bid when she feels comfortable the village has a good plan to move forward.
The OPWC opened the application period for the next round of funding. Wise will present Landrum Street as a potential project to the village’s safety committee.
Because some village alleys do not have the population to justify an OPWC project, Wise is considering chip seal with a top overlay. She asked Small’s Asphalt & Paving to inspect Cherry and Washington streets’ alleys to see if that is feasible.
The village submitted 108 samples from the wastewater treatment plant with no compliance issues.
Workers will pull the I&I tracker to check the flow information during the dry season. They will replace the tracker between Hazel Heights and Croton lift station and leave it there for three to four months to determine flow during the wet season.
The village is a member of Ohio Rural Water, which offers various free services. One service is the I&I tracker. Wise signed up the village for a one-year free use of ORW’s GIS service. It will cost $1,000 annually after that.
The village sent 23 assessment letters with a pay-by date of Sept. 30. Eight paid; Wise will send the remaining 15, totaling just over $8,700, to assessment. Ten letters were sent with a pay-by date of Oct. 31; five of those have paid.
COJFD
An open house is slated for October 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The state awarded the department a $5,687 grant, and Ariel Foundation awarded it a $500 grant. Since 2020, the department has received nearly $580,500 in grant money.
Engine 321’s radiator has been repaired, and the loaner truck has been returned. Firefighters have installed 600 green address signs throughout the fire district.
Revitalization
Committee members discussed their mission statement and heard an update on the main street lighting project. The final sketches and drawings will come soon; the committee hopes it will be done for Christmas.
The committee also focuses on drugs and crime, a concern business owners noted. The Safety Committee will examine the number and type of calls and bring that information to the Revitalization Committee.
Area Development Foundation Vice President Sam Filkins told the committee that $40,000 is left in the Facade Improvement Grant program. The Knox County Board of Commissioners ($150,000) and the City of Mount Vernon ($100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money) funded the program in 2022. ARPA money has to be encumbered by Dec. 31.
Wise plans to submit another TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) grant for the downtown streetscape project. The committee is exploring using QR codes to provide information about the village.
Legislative action
Council members had two ordinances on the agenda for second reading:
•917.04: to ensure consistency throughout the ordinance with respect to wastewater billing, adjustments, and payment plans
•925: to remove references to water and increase sewer rates (section 925.03)
They waived the three readings and adopted legislation accepting the amounts and rates the Budget Commission recommended for the village’s levies:
•2.2-mill for the general fund will generate $103,800 (inside millage)
•3-mill for the general fund will generate $34,500 (outside millage, renewal)
•4.2-mill for the police fund will generate $95,700 (outside millage, continual, replace w/increase)
Council members waived the third reading and adopted a resolution revising the zoning administrator’s job description so Wise can post the position.
They held an executive session to discuss land acquisition.
