Jason Stanford from the LUC (Logan, Union and Champaign) Regional Planning Commission sought approval of a tax abatement for the Richwood Banking Company at Monday night’s Richwood Village Council meeting.
The first approval was in 2013, when the bank had purchased additional property and exceeded its expectations in support to the village. Council approved the abatement.
The first order of business at the meeting was to swear in a new police officer.
Mayor Scott Jerew swore in officer Sebastian Walker as a full-time officer of the Richwood Police Department. Walker is a 2013 Harding High School graduate and graduated this year in law enforcement from the Marion Technical College this past June. This is his first commission as a police officer.
Tim Suiter of First Energy, spoke to council about a new transmission project that will begin in June 2018 and is expected to be complete by December, 2018. They will rehab the Richwood (Kirby) 69kV circuit and assume a complete rebuild of the line to increase the conductor size. They will also be installing OPGW to add communications along with one motor operated switch. Currently there are two switches on the line that will be relocated to gain switching functionality with the substation. The area of work will take place from North Union High School, down Landon Road to Prospect and Radnor.
Tom McCarthy, a volunteer promoting the support of the sales tax issue that will be on the Nov. 7 ballot, explained to council about the sales tax accomplishments. The money generated from this sales tax is split evenly between the Union County Engineer’s Department for better roads and safer bridges and for Union County Senior Services. Since 2008, when the issue was brought up for a vote, each entity has received over $1 million to their programs each year.
Council approved a contract with Anderzack-Pitzen Construction from Metamora, Ohio, to begin work on the Lake Baccarat Preservation and Pedestrian Trail Project. There had been seven bids received for the project and Anderzack-Pitzen Construction won the bid of $1,168,475.00. Work will begin soon.
In other business, council:
-Heard from resident Becky Penix, who owns property on Race Street and currently has the property for sale. It was found that the garage was built on the right-of-way to the Ash Run ditch that runs around the Richwood Fairgrounds and the Penix property. She asked council for approval so that she may be able to sell the house and garage.
-Approved a bid of $2,800 to seal and stripe the village administration parking lot, hopefully before the end of the year.
-Village administrator Monte Asher asked if residents on E. Ottawa Street would mow the grass on their property that is hanging over the newly installed curbs;
-Announced that a survey would be sent to village residents asking their opinions on the possibility of one trash pick-up. The survey will be mailed Jan. 12 and by the Feb. 12 council meeting, a report on the results will be given. There will also be five winners who will receive a gift card if their survey was selected.
-Asher mentioned that the police vehicle donated by the Union County Commissioners to replace the current canine unit, is in service.
-Also heard from Asher that when residents see something suspicious or witnesses a crime, to call 9-1-1 and not to post it on Facebook or other social media. There is no one on the force that monitors social media for crime reports.
-Heard there are vendors pricing roofing repairs on the opera house and also looking to remove poison ivy from the side of the building.
Council has three more meetings through the end of the year. The dates are Nov. 13, Nov. 27 and Dec. 11. The meetings are open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. at 153 N. Franklin St.