CENTERBURG — Centerburg Village Council members have approved up to $7,000 for the village’s tree-planting program.
Councilman Daniel Hardwick said $7,000 will cover the purchase cost. He and other volunteers will plant the trees, saving the village about one-third the cost of hiring a company to do so.
He anticipates planting the trees in the fall and requested that council give the legislation three readings to allow him time to get a quote for actual trees and determine actual locations.
“Right now we’re going to target Hartford Avenue because that is a main route through the village and will have the greatest visibility to the trees, and that is the road that is currently the most done with construction,” Hardwick said.
“Other main routes through we have a lot of construction planned, and that’s kind of the only street that we can plant in there without being ripped up this spring.”
Hardwick will seek recommendations from a nursery on the type and size of trees to plant. Most lots will receive one tree; some of the larger lots might receive two.
Zoning map changes
Council members conducted a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday to discuss the proposed zoning map changes. There was no public comment.
During their legislative session, council members waived the required three readings and amended the village’s zoning map.
The 13 changes included:
•Five changes from R-2 to P-I
•One P-I parcel annexed into the village
•One parcel each rezoned from P-I to CC, R-1 to P-1, ER to CC, and VC to CC
•Two parcels rezoned from RO to R-2
(Below is a PDF showing the zoning map changes)
Recycling
Five companies responded to Wise’s request for information about potential rates for single-source trash hauling. The Safety and Service Committee will review them later this month.
Shawn Schwartz of Mount Vernon Dumpsters offered to place a Dumpster at Memorial Park one day for village residents to dispose of recyclables they collected since the school removed the bins.
Wise said if it goes well, the village would consider having a Dumpster once or twice a month for one day.
Schwartz is donating the Dumpster on Wednesday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents must bring a copy of their sewer bill to verify they are a Centerburg resident.
TAP grant
The council waived the three readings and passed an ordinance to accept a $1.781 million Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant.
The project includes signal improvements at the intersections of Main Street and Clayton and Preston streets and Hartford Avenue. Crews will remove and replace existing curb, aprons, and walk.
The $1.979 million project also includes an 8-foot-wide multi-use path from the Heart of Ohio Trail to Main Street via Clayton Street.
The village’s local match is $197,900, which Fiscal Officer Mike Ullom has encumbered in the general fund.
The grant is for Fiscal Year 2028.
Solicitors in the village
Council members discussed the process solicitors must follow before being permitted to go door-to-door in the village.
Currently, the only requirement is to obtain a permit, which Wise said many are not doing. If a question arises about the legitimacy of the solicitor, a sheriff’s deputy will follow up with the individual.
Currently, there is nothing to identify a legitimate solicitor. Council members voted to amend the village ordinance to add the requirement of an ID issued by the village office.
“Anything we can do within our legal right to … protect people I like,” said Hardwick.
Mayor Greg Sands said informing the citizens that they have the right to request identification or not open the door is important, too.
Central Ohio Joint Fire District
The fire board approved a budget that includes a reduction of three firefighters.
COJFD completed hydrant flushing and inspection and installed new HVAC in the living quarters of the station.
Personnel taught CPR to 32 students at Knox County Ohio Means Jobs, helped serve the Father’s Day dinner at Centerburg Senior Services, and participated in Coffee with a Firefighter.
Two personnel completed the paramedic program, and the department will hold a push-in ceremony for the new fire truck on July 16 at 7 p.m. Community members are invited to participate.
Brick project
The Downtown Revitalization Committee is selling bricks as a fundraiser for the green space on East Main Street.
Plans call for installing a 10-foot-by-40-foot brick patio extending along the sidewalk as a base for picnic tables. The committee will use sale proceeds for downtown improvements such as banners or a stage.
Playground equipment
Because the new playground surface is a permeable rather than hard surface, designers have to find a way to drain the water that passes through.
Wise said she preferred a permanent solution rather than a temporary solution such as placing a temporary reservoir at the bottom of the hill.
She will hold a meeting on Thursday, July 16, at 9 a.m. for the public to ask questions about the playground.
“I really truly believe before we move forward we have to address this storm water issue,” she said.
“I don’t want to address it next year at this time, and there’s no sense in putting the money toward a temporary fix when we really need a permanent fix, especially with the drainage.”
Master park plan
Wise plans to meet with festival committee members and baseball and softball officials after the farming festival to discuss a park master plan.
Once the village decides what it wants to do at the park, Wise will work on getting an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant.
Councilman Dave Beck suggested the group consider the area behind Park Street when the village creates its master park plan.
Miscellaneous
•Fiscal Officer Ullom anticipates a $3 million carryover for 2026. “It’s all allocated, we just won’t spend it all,” he said.
•Council gave a first reading to legislation prohibiting dogs in certain parks in the village. Sands said the long-range plan is to create a dog area at Memorial Park.
•The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency notified the village that it will conduct environmental checks more frequently than in the past.
•Pelotonia will come through the village on Aug. 3.
•Giving Hope Charity will be at Thursday’s farmers market.
•Hannah Yeoman of Connections Fitness reviewed the center’s hours of operation, workshops and classes offered, and membership options during public participation.
•Catch basins for the Jerry Street project through the Ohio Public Works Commission are 68 weeks out for production. Manholes are four weeks out. Workers should start the project by the end of August and complete it by the end of October.
•Crews will start pouring concrete and pulling wires next week for the Main Street lighting project. The village is waiting for a Canadian company to ship the lights and poles.
•Councilman Hardwick presented a formal request for the village to consider allowing residents to keep chickens.
