Richwood Village Council members suspended the three-reading rule, due to time constraints, to approve a resolution which allows them to authorize Access Engineering to apply an application to the Ohio Public Works Commission for funding the water plant replacement project in the village.
Council knows that it will have to replace the current water plant to keep with guidelines with the Ohio EPA. With an estimated cost of over $1.2 million to replace the plant, the village will to secure grant money to help pay for the project.
Access Engineering is seeking an application with The Ohio Public Works Commission for a grant of $500,000. Council will also seek other funds through grants that can be applied to the project.
Mayor Scott Jerew mentioned that with Election Day coming up, there has been some theft of political signs within the village. Jerew said it is against the law to go onto private property to steal from others. The police department will be watching properties as they cruise around town.
Jerew also gave some price quotes regarding the opera house and costs to stabilize the roof of the structure.
A rough estimate of $108,255 would cover putting in a beam that would hold up two sections of the roof where trusses have failed. Another estimate of $189,000 would involve putting up scaffolding inside the building to fix decaying beams and rebuild trusses that would support the whole ceiling, not just one area.
Council heard that there is about $70,000 in the opera house fund, which is not enough to help fix the problem. They are hoping to receive a bid for the cost of replacing the whole roof of the building and have more information before they make a decision on the outcome of the town icon. They discussed possibly have an open town meeting to get more public input. More information will be announced.
The village received eight inches of rain last week, but officials were pleased to see that very little flood damage was reported. Due to the rainfall, the lift station at Pearl and Hastings Streets was jetted out and cleaned and the catch basins at Herbert and Pearl were also jetted out.
Village Administrator Monte Asher stated that the Gill Street lift pump was replaced and that two lift station pumps have been taken to be rebuilt. The lift station on Beatty Avenue was also repaired. Village crews were continually watching out for any signs of trouble from the heavy rainfall.
Village Clerk Sarah Sellers announced to council at Monday night’s regular meeting that the new online PayStar payments of water and sewer bills is going very well. She has received 146 online payments for the recent bills that were mailed to residents. She has taken 24 in person or by telephone for a total of 170 transactions so far. The new system has limited many phone calls.
Asher also said that the village chipper is getting repaired. He hopes to get it back to the village in working order so that crews will continue to chip downed branches. He also stated that the backhoe quit working and in repairs and the salt spreader will be replaced as it was budgeted for replacement this year.
In other business, council:
•Stated that no trespassing signs were installed around the pond in the Industrial Park, since TCI now owns the property.
•Heard that state representative Tracy Richardson said that, with COVID-19, there was no money available, but that she would submit the village’s request for picnic tables, a composting toilet for the new shelter house and an additional dock for the 2021 Capitol Budget.
•Part-time officer Tannery Hinkle left the police department and one new reserve officer, Shawn Watson was sworn into the police department.
Council’s next regular meeting will be Monday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. at the village administration building, 153 N. Franklin St.