For the sake of safety, parking in Milford Center is going to be harder to do once October rolls around.
In a village meeting held Monday night, the Milford Center Village Council unanimously voted to accept an ordinance that would designate various streets in the village as no parking zones. The council also unanimously voted to waive the second and third reading, declaring a threat to public safety as the reasoning.
“What brought this ahead was we had a complaint from the fire department because they couldn’t get their squad through because they had to wait for oncoming traffic that wouldn’t stop,” Mayor Virgil Reisinger said. “We had a little girl run out (on East State Street) and almost got hit by a car.”
The new ordinance, which is effective early October, prohibits any cars from parking in an area that is marked by a “no parking” sign at all times. Signs have been placed throughout town since the last few weeks, and council member Dan Johnson said this was to “start getting people into that mindset.”
The ordinance also states anyone caught parking in these areas will be “guilty of a minor misdemeanor,” and will pay a fine of $150.
The ordinance allows some exceptions, with vehicles “loading or unloading,” which would cover delivery vehicles, and construction vehicles, but only when a service or repair is being done.
Council members talked about the various intricacies of the ordinance, such as wording on where parking is restricted and how the village could collect money on any fines issued. At the meeting, the ordinance was changed to reflect what was discussed by removing parts naming specific streets in favor of all-encompassing language about signs.
Also at the meeting, council member Don Jones brought up how to deal with Reed Street and how tax money is collected.
Council members highlighted an issue involving where the village’s ownership of Reed Street ends and where the township’s begins. This will help determine how services, like snow plowing, can be paid. Then, it could be determined how to collect taxes from properties on that land.
“If we have an ordinance accepting that the county or township trustees are letting us have Reed Street, we shouldn’t do anything to that if it’s only half of it or whatever,” Jones said.
Solicitor Alison Boggs said no entity has any legislation to show the township ever gave it to the village. She said the easiest way to make the matter consistent with the county engineers is to “go ahead and get that done,” and bill for services.
She said council could consider one of two things: pass an excise tax for road services on those residents because “they’re not in the village,” consider annexing them into the village to collect a share of their income taxes.
“We need to go across the street and have them agree they’re relinquishing that area… to the village,” Boggs said. “Then, the village accepts it, we pass a resolution accepting it to have it become us and then you decide what to do with the services people are receiving who aren’t paying for it. They aren’t paying for it the way everyone else is paying for it.”
The council expressed this should be done relatively soon.
Also at the meeting:
-The village will soon be in possession of the old VFW building on 15 W. Center St. After moving to the recommendation to purchase it for $30,000 last month, the village is waiting on the sellers to close the sale. Afterward, work can be done on it.
-Village Administrator Chris Kise floated the idea of getting a plate compactor to assist with filling in potholes. He said renting one could go for around $250 a week, and suggested a possible purchase in the future. He said this machine would work in tandem with the asphalt mixer.
-Kise said he is spraying for mosquitoes in the village in response to the threat of West Nile Virus.
-Christmas lights and decorations are being considered for acquisition by the village.
-Terri Kean, chairperson for water, utilities and sewer, is looking for all of the documents from the water treatment plant to help with redoing the water and sewer ordinance concerning payment agreements. She said the next water and sewer committee meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 19.
-The village approved of an ordinance amending the duties of the village’s fiscal officer, and approved to waive the second and third readings. The new wording will now cover occasional word processing, which covers preparing letters for village officials.
-Council members approved of an ordinance to make sure public records are charged for appropriately and for how long public records should be kept.
-The village approved of appropriating money that was already spent for various repairs, council member salaries and other expenditures.
-The next meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8.