City Council

December 16, 2024 The Fredericktown Village Council met in regular session on December 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fredericktown Municipal Building. PRESENT: Council Members Brewer, de Rojas, Hobson, Lanuzza, McKnight and Shoemaker; Administrator Snell; Chief Myers; Fiscal Officer Graves. President Pro-Tempore Rick Lanuzza called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. INVOCATION: Chief Myers, Fredericktown Police Department MINUTES: • Hobson made a motion to approve the December 2, 2024 council meeting minutes. Seconded by Shoemaker. All Yea. VISITOR COMMENTS: None LEGISLATION: (Second Reading) RESOLUTION NO. 2024-32 - A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNOX COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (Emergency) ORDINANCE NO. 2024-34 - AN ORDINANCE MAKING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS McKnight made a motion to waive the three readings of Ordinance 2024-34. Seconded by Brewer. All Yea. Brewer made a motion to pass Ordinance 2024-34. Seconded by McKnight. All Yea. (Emergency) ORDINANCE NO. 2024-35 - AN ORDINANCE IMPOSING AN INDEFINITE MORATORIUM ON THE ACCEPTANCE, CONSIDERATION, AND/OR GRANTING OF ANY APPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL LICENSING APPROVAL, AND/OR ANY ZONING, OCCUPANCY, OR OTHER PERMITS RELATING TO CULTIVATORS, PROCESSORS, OR RETAIL DISPENSARIES OF MARIJUANA PRODUCTS WITHIN THE VILLAGE OF FREDERICKTOWN CORPORATION LIMITS Shoemaker made a motion to waive the three readings of Ordinance 2024-35. Seconded by Brewer. All Yea. Shoemaker made a motion to pass Ordinance 2024-35. Seconded by McKnight. All Yea. OLD BUSINESS: • Water Improvements Project –Engineering still in process. • Generator – Miller Electric is searching for a used one for the Village. • Sewer Plant Project – Working on finalizing cost due to destruction cost of old plant. • Marijuana Moratorium. NEW BUSINESS: None VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: See Report. FISCAL OFFICER'S REPORT: • Council reviewed the bills, financial reports and bank reconciliation statement for the month of November 2024. Hobson made a motion to approve the financial reports, bills and bank statement for November 2024. Seconded by McKnight. All Yea. POLICE CHIEF REPORT: • Presented the 2024 Yearly Report to the Safety Committee. SOLICITOR’S REPORT: None COMMITTEE REPORTS: • Safety, Public Works & Finance Committees – next meeting January 21st • Planning Commission – next meeting January 27th • Miscellaneous Committee Reports ADJOURNMENT: Hobson made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by McKnight. All Yea. Meeting Adjourned at 7:09 p.m. _____________________________________ Jerry Day, Mayor ___________________________ Suzan Graves, Fiscal Officer TO: MAYOR & COUNCIL FROM: BRUCE SNELL, VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR DATE: DECEMBER 16, 2024 SUBJECT: ADMINISTRATOR’S UPDATE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS The Board of Zoning Appeals did not meet in November as there was no business to discuss and we do not anticipate a BZA Meeting being scheduled this month. CHRISTMAS WALK The Christmas Walk was held in the Village on December 7th, from 4 to 7PM. Prior to the event, there was a Knox County Chamber Ribbon Cutting at the patio fireplace on 4 S. Main Street, next to the Brickhouse Grind. In addition to these events, there was an auction in the Council Chambers and proceeds of approximately $1,400 went to the Interchurch. All three events were well attended. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Fredericktown Community Development Foundation (FCDF) met December 12th at 7:30 AM at the Old High School to discuss economic development in the community. The group is now meeting on the second Thursday of the month, so FCDF will meet again next month on January 10th. OHIO PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION This year, we applied for funding for the proposed 2025 Street Improvements, which were essentially the same as the proposed 2024 Street Improvements – replacing curb and gutter and paving East College Street and overlaying the north half of Taylor Street. I’m told that our odds of getting funding are better this year than in previous years. We have requested funding for this estimated $275,890 project, with $132,428 being requested in the form of a grant, which is less grant funding than any other Knox County agencies asked for. The Village will also request $71,731 in a zero-interest loan and the Village has agreed to contribute $71,731 out of pocket toward the project. We should know in late January or early February whether we will get the requested state funding. PLANNING COMMISSION The Planning Commission will not meet this month, due to the fourth week of the month being the week of Christmas. The Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on January 27th, at 5 PM. SERVICE DEPARTMENT We recently purchased a white 2016 Ford Transit Van for the Service Department. When we sold our red half-ton Chevrolet Silverado several years ago, we never replaced it. Since then, we had gotten by with the John Deere Gator and the 1981 green Chevrolet dump truck, but we really need to minimize using our forty-four-year-old dump truck as a daily driver, as it is much needed in water breaks when the other two dump trucks are being used for snow and ice control. It would simply cost far too much to replace a dump truck at this point, so we added the work van for a lower than book value price of $6,000 instead. We also replaced the worn out 2007 Ferris zero-turn mower with a new 2024 Toro clearance model from Holmos Rental. We received a trade-in of $2,000 for the Ferris and paid a balance of $12,000 for the Toro. This mower should last at least until 2039. 1/2 We are currently waiting on the 2025 For 550 dump truck to be built but the truck will not likely be delivered to us until late winter or early spring 2025. The 2007 Ford F-550 will be auctioned online upon the delivery of the new truck. W. SANDUSKY SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS (2027) We are currently working with KE McCartney on engineering and designing the West Sandusky/Bollinger Sidewalk Improvements. There will be no local match required for the sidewalk work. This (estimated) $800,000 federally funded project will begin roughly across from Carol Drive, on West Sandusky. The new sidewalk will run west on Sandusky Street to Forest Cemetery, then cross the street around FCNB. The sidewalk will continue west to Bollinger Drive, then go north to the existing sidewalk near Bollinger Drive and Malibu Court. Several safe crossings will also be added for pedestrians to cross State Route 95 within the scope of the project. Construction of this project will likely take place in 2027. STREETSCAPE We are currently waiting for one more park bench and several bench memorial plaques to be delivered so they can be installed on the remaining benches. We will eventually be ordering two more trash receptacles to install in the downtown area. S. MAIN STREET/COLUMBUS RD. SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS (2028) With Council approval, we anticipate applied for TAP Funding for the replacement of sidewalks on both sides of S. Main Street, from Sandusky Street to Columbus Road (estimated cost is $1 million). If funding allows, the proposed new sidewalk will continue down Columbus Road to Mohican Drive (estimated cost is $600,000). The deadline for this year’s TAP funding was Oct 30th. ODOT seemed enthusiastic about the possibility of continuing the Streetscape endeavor south on Main Street. We plan to ask for funding to cover Main Street and Columbus Road, but we have offered to do this project in two separate phases, if that better suits ODOT’s funding plans. UTILITIES 2025 Water Infrastructure Improvements: Staff has met with KEM on the scope of this project and we have moved forward on the engineering and design of this preliminary estimated $1.815 million project and construction should begin in the spring of 2025. The Village has agreed to provide a local share of approximately $181,000 toward the total cost of this endeavor, which will be used primarily toward the engineering and design. The Fiscal Officer has indicated that we are in a cash position with Water Fund reserves to provide this match funding out of pocket. WWTP Improvements: We have entered into a consulting agreement with AVETIN, Engineering, Ltd. For the negotiation of a purchase price, along with the design, engineering, and installation of the new screw-press and dryer for biosolids (sludge) at the WWTP. We expect to spend a total of just under $1.63 million (engineering, design, demolition, new press and dryer, and installation) to have both the belt press and the microwave replaced. We had not expected demolition of the old microwave and press to cost as much as it appears that it will, and this drove us the estimated cost about $30,000 beyond what we had anticipated. We are working with USDA in obtaining a low- interest loan and possible grant monies toward this improvement. 2/2