August 5, 2019 - Meeting Minutes

MINUTES

BREWSTER VILLAGE COUNCIL

August 5, 2019

7:00 P.M.

Brewster Village Council met in regular session with Mayor Mike Schwab presiding.

7:00 P.M. – CALL TO ORDER

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to excuse Councilman Godwin from this evenings meeting. The vote: All yes.

Council Members bowed their heads for the invocation provided by Clerk-Treasurer

Kris King followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Mike Schwab, Mayor

Dale Fox, Council Member Chuck Hawk, Council Member

Andrew Hess, Council Member Thomas Hilliard, Council Member

Sydney Radich, Council Member

VILLAGE OFFICIALS:

John Anthony, Solicitor Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer

Michael L Miller, Village Administrator

MINUTES FROM THE JULY 15, 2019 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING:

Mayor Mike Schwab asked if there were any additions or deletions to the July 15, 2019 Council meeting minutes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HESS and motion carried to accept the minutes as presented. The vote: All yes.

PRESENTATION OF BILLS:

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HESS and motion carried to accept the bills in the amount of $ 489,121.92. The vote: All yes.

AUDIENCE:

Fire Chief Chris Colucy, Ray Heitger, and Joshua Bowen of the Independent Newspaper were in attendance.

PRESENTATION OF GUESTS:

None

CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES: Titles of each read by Solicitor John Anthony

ORDINANCE 56-2019: An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 27-2016 with the Addition of a Sale of Bulk Water with Fire Department Delivery Policy was given third reading.

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to bring the legislation forward for passage.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HESS and motion carried to amend Section 3 – Delivery Charge of the ordinance to set the delivery charge for bulk water delivered by Brewster Fire Department at $125 per load charge. The vote: All yes.

Council Member Fox asked Chief Colucy how much of a pain this was going to be? Chief Colucy stated after the first two requests people will start to call and expect it to be delivered when they want it not when the firemen have the time to deliver it. People will be blowing up the phones and Facebook. If residents don’t get it fast enough, they will call someone else. The employee and equipment costs were discussed along with who paid for the tanker.

The vote on the legislation as amended: All yes.

ORDINANCE 57-2019: An Ordinance Authorizing a School Resource Officer Agreement w/Fairless for 2019-2020 School Year (Renewal of 2018-2019 Agreement; no changes in scope) was given third reading.

COUNCIL MEMBER HAWK MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD and motion carried to approve the legislation as read. The vote: All yes.

Second Reading: A Resolution Authorizing an Application to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District for a Debris Removal Grant.

Second Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing the Adoption of Chapter 117 - Solid Waste Regulations to the Brewster Code of Ordinances.

Second Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing Quarterly Fund Transfers from General Fund & from the 1% Municipal Income Tax.

Second Reading: Authorize a Reimbursement to Elected Village Officials for Use of their Cell Phones

(Removal of language pertaining to Officials assuming office in 2020 is suggested)

Second Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing an Agreement with Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities to Provide Services for Individuals with developmental disabilities.

First Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing the Adoption of a Village Petty Cash Policy.

First Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing the Adoption of a Village Cash Drawer Policy.

First Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing the Establishment of Village Petty Cash Accounts.

First Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing the Establishment of Village Cash Drawer Accounts.

Intro by Mayor - First Reading: An Ordinance Authorizing a Contract for the Installation of Material and Equipment for the Southside Substation Upgrade Project (Bids to be opened on August 15, 2019).

Intro by Mayor - First Reading: An Ordinance Approving Three-Year Extension of the current Alternative Method for Apportioning the Stark County Undivided Local Government Fund (LGF) (thru 2022) (Suggested by Stark Council of Governments; SCOG requests a Vote by August 30, 2019).

Mayor Schwab asked if there was any discussion of the pending legislation.

Council Member Hilliard would like to drop the cell phone reimbursement legislation. Solicitor Anthony stated he could table it or change it to affect those elected in 2022.

Council Member Fox asked Council Member Hilliard why he voted no on the trash aggregation legislation at the last meeting. Councilman Hilliard stated he is having trouble with Republic right now and wants residents to be able to choose which hauler they want. VA Miller explained that this legislation does not restrict residents to any particular hauler. It limits the days the haulers can pick up the trash, the time frame in which trash containers can be put out and taken in, and requires hard containers to keep the varmits from getting into the trash and distributing it around the neighborhoods.

Council Member Fox discussed the petty cash and cash drawer legislation and the wording used. He would rather see the custodians listed by their job titles in the legislation. VA Miller stated the policy is general but when the accounts are set up it will have the job titles.

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

A. FIRE DEPARTMENT: Chief Chris Colucy

RED Center – through July 2019 = 487 calls (in 2018 = 448).
Probationary Firefighters Cody Henry and Logan Gainey will begin their required 36-hour Firefighter Training at Erie Valley Fire over five separate sessions beginning on September 14^th at a cost of $630 each.
Chief met with the Wheeling and Lake Erie CEO Parsons concerning the acquisition/use of railway property on First Street SE. Before the meeting was over the original cost of $1.2 million over 99 years was down to $260,000 over 99 years. The Mayor and Chief met with Ed McCall of Springfield. They surveyed the property and there is a big drop off that may be an issue. Chief Colucy also discussed purchasing 18.5 acres of property from Buzz Belloni. Chief Colucy stated that Mr. McCall says he can design and build a 11,000 square foot station with radiant heat for $1.9 million dollars. Mr. McCall stated that if you give him a budget, he will work within that budget. The Chief stated waiting to discuss this until the September 16^th meeting is going to be too late. In his opinion, the Village needs to hire someone that builds Fire Stations, not a general contractor. The Chief went on to state that he is confident that the department will receive the air pack grant and that this will save $110,000. VA Miller stated if we switch architects, there is a legal process that needs to be followed that will add time. We have to open up the process to anyone that wants to bid on the project. Chief Colucy said he needs direction from Council on which direction they want him to go.

B. POLICE DEPARTMENT: Chief Creter (Excused)

July Activity Report emailed to Council.
A Full-time Police Officer was injured and will be off for an extended period.
RED Center: 1664 Calls thru July (in 2018 = 1319)

VILLAGE SOLICITOR: John Anthony

Stark County Health Department – House /property at 287 Wabash Ave N. If the owner doesn’t follow the order of the court, the Village will abate the nuisance and access the owner’s taxes for the cost. Council Member Hilliard asked if the Village could do anything with this property. VA Miller stated not as long as the taxes are paid on it. Council Member Hilliard wanted to know if anyone has checked to see if he was willing to sell it. He stated he is amazed that some one would pay the taxes on it and leave it sit like this.
Annexation of the Solar Field is complete. Council needs to initiate zoning of the property and notify the Secretary of State. FEMA must be notified of the changes to the Village boundaries.

COMMUNICATIONS:

Stark Council of Governments – Allocation of Local Government Funds; SCOG recommends approval current alternative formula for three additional years (First Reading of applicable legislation tonight). The letter advises that the statutory method is considered out dated and hasn’t been used since 1989 and the alternative formula is considered to be fairer to Ohio’s communities.
Fairless Alumni Association/Fairless Helping Fairless: Donation Request for two events – Back to the Nest Fest and a School Supply Giveaway (Council copy of correspondence).

VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR: Mike Miller

Administrator’s report for period 7/15/2019 thru 8/5/2019:

7th Street – Curb and Gutter. Central Allied began the installation of curb and gutter on the north side of 7th Between Park Drive and Amherst Saturday July 13^th and completed their work on Thursday July 18^th.

There were three (3) drives that were affected for a short period. They couldn’t be plated, because since we are adding 2 ½ inches of asphalt for strength, the curb and gutter is higher than the road and existing drives. The one concrete drive approach had to be partially replaced – about 4 foot in from back of curb, also due to the higher curb and gutter. This will be included in a change order. We moved one mailbox the week of July 15^th, and the remaining two were moved the week of July 22^nd (the two that were moved later had to wait to let the ground dry out).

I requested an updated quote from Central Allied for handicapped ramps – the price was $2000 each. Due to the fact that it made sense to have the new school crossing/crosswalk be “complete” once 7th Street is paved, I authorized 2 handicapped ramps at Amherst and 7^th; 1 on the north side and 1 on the south side.

The Village has already purchased the rapid flashing beacon lighting for the school crossing/crosswalk. The Electric Department will install those in the near future. The signage will also be moved to correspond to the new location. Once 7^th Street is paved, we will add the pavement markings as well.

7th Street – Repair at Levee Gate. The US Army Corps of Engineers has been in contact with me over the past weeks working to get an arrangement in place to repair the levee gate where 7^th Street crosses. The objective is to make the repairs while the Stark County Engineer has 7th Street shut down. We are still jointly exploring with the US Army Corps of Engineers having our paving contractor, Superior Paving, perform the work as part of the 7th Street Paving and Rehabilitation Project.

OPWC Grant – East Main Street Paving & Rehabilitation Project. Bids were opened for the East Main Street Paving & Rehabilitation Project on July 29^th, 2019 at Noon. We only received two (2) bids. The apparent low bidder was Central Allied Enterprises at $165,358.25. The second bidder was within $300 at $165,637.75.

The Engineer’s Estimate was $108,956. That means the low bid was 52% higher than the Engineer’s Estimate. As neither one of the bids was within 10% of the engineer‘s estimate, the Village cannot award a contract.

My recommendation to Council is to reject all bids and rebid for a Spring 2020 start for the project.

The increase in bid prices is a phenomenon that is common at some point during the construction season. Contractors have so many projects scheduled, that IF they are going to take on additional work they either “overprice” their bid (knowing that likely they would have to pay overtime to get the project completed) OR they decline to bid. We had five (5) bidders last month for the 2019 Paving Project; now just got just two (2). Our timing was better for the 2019 Paving Project, which came in WELL under the Engineer’s Estimate. It was hoped we could continue getting favorable bids.

I did a “post mortem”. I forwarded the bid tab, and you can see what happened on the large cost items over the last three bids with the Engineer’s estimate included:

Major Bid Items Cost Comparison RE East Main Street Paving & Rehabilitation Project

	Unit	7^th Street	2019 Paving	Engineer’s Estimate	East Main (low regardless of bidder)
Pavement Planning	Square Yard	$3.50	$1.71	$4.00	$6.05
Asphalt Surface	Cubic Yard	$148.00	$137.70	$200.00	$270.00
Curb & Gutter	Lineal Foot	$42.00	N/A	$25.00	$49.00
Curb Ramps	Square foot	$33.00	N/A	$12.00	$20.00

The good news is that we didn’t/don’t have to award a contract yet this year. Knowing that since we couldn’t bid or award a contract before July 1^st, 2019, we anticipated potentially getting “closed out” in 2019. So, our application to and our contract with OPWC both have construction start of May 15^th, 2020 and completion June 15, 2020. What I recommend is to bid out East Main Street in December, with a bid award in January for a Spring start in 2020 that complies with the OPWC requirements.

Storm Sewers. The Street Department continues to do storm sewer work. Based on the elevation and location of the new school crosswalk on 7^th Street west of Amherst, a catch basin was installed on the south side of 7^th Street west of the new ramp.

We are back completing the work at 7^th and Jefferson and extending the collection system to the east.

2019 Paving Program. As Council is aware, our 2019 Paving Program bid came in approximately 17% under budget. That means there is approximately $23,000 that could be used to pave an additional street or streets. We also will not be moving forward on East Main Street Project this year, where we had $54,000 set aside. The worst streets that have not yet been scheduled to be addressed are:

50	future	Chestnut	West of Tusc	Muffley	Chip and seal or pave
52	future	5^th Street/Jefferson	268 5^th	7^th Street	Rebuild with Jefferson Sanitary Project
55	future	6^thStreet SW	McKinley	Washington	mill & pave 1 ½ inch
56	future	6^th Street SE	Wabash	Cleveland	fabric; mill & pave 1 ½ inch
56	future	Main Street East	Park	East terminus	Overlay 1 ½ inches
57	future	Glick NW	Wabash	Tuscarawas	Fabric; mill & pave 1 ½ inch
57	future	Harmon NW	Scioto	264	Fabric; mill & pave 1 ½ inch
60	future	Main Street	Wabash	Cleveland	mill & pave 1 ½ inch
60	*2020*	Church	Harmon	North terminus	Possible rebuild
60	future	Barber NE	Mohican	East terminus	mill & pave 1 ½ inch install drainage to address sump pump

I recommend waiting on 5th Street/Jefferson (it will be addressed with the Jefferson Ave Sanitary Sewer Project), 6th Street SW from McKinley to Washington, 6th Street SE from Wabash to Cleveland (cost), Glick NW from Wabash to Tuscarawas (can wait a year), Main Street from Wabash to Cleveland (future OPWC Project in 2020 application), and Barber NE from Mohican to the east terminus (because of low traffic and the need to install drainage to address sump pump issue).

We need to maintain reserve funding for contingency, but I would recommend that we add the following work:

Church from Harmon to the north terminus – full depth spot depth repair only. As I discussed with Council previously, this has turned from a mill and pave to a potential rebuild, so waiting to see if it can just mill and pave is prudent. (cost +/- $5000)
Harmon NW from Scioto to 264 Harmon (current change in pavement just east of Tuscarawas) as it is nearly as bad a Scioto, which we are milling and paving. (cost +/- $13,500)
Chestnut. Not the entire length but take advantage of the full depth repair price and strategically select the worst portions to either perform full depth repair and/or spot pave. Obviously, the budget won’t allow all of Chestnut to be addressed, BUT with some strategic repairs, trying to add Chestnut back onto the MRF list and apply for funding, Chestnut could be ready to chip and seal over repaired portions in the future. (cost between $10,000 and $12,000)

7th Street Road Closures/Detour.

Full closure of 7^th Street at the culvert immediately east of the levee gate began on July 8^th. It is still scheduled to be completely shut down for approximately two (2) months while the Stark County Engineer begins and completes replacement of their culvert.

Additional current and future activity on 7^this:

Fairless continues their work on replacing the football field with a new turf football field
US Army Corps of Engineers repairs to the levee gate
7th Street Paving and Rehabilitation. We are still working to coordinate, if possible, for Superior Paving to begin and complete the repairs to 7^thStreetduring or at the conclusion of the Stark County Engineer closure/detour, and then begin and complete milling and paving. HOWEVER, it may have to be a separate closure.

I remain in contact with all the entities to try to make the scheduling (staging) come together

7^th Street – Shared Use Path. I met with representatives of Stark County Parks Wednesday July 24^th to review whether they can possibly fit the Shared Use Path (SUP) on the north side of 7^th Street from Park Drive to Amherst in during the current closure, prior to paving.

The cost we received to have concrete sidewalk installed was nearly $40,000. By installing a SUP similar to what the Stark County Parks installs, that cost drops to approximately $15,000. Stark County Parks would supply the labor and equipment, while the Village would supply the material, cutting the Village’s cost to $7,500. That is $32,500 less than the concrete option.

Installing the SUP now would save both labor and material duplication, because if a SUP is not installed now, we will have to fill in behind the curb and gutter with topsoil, as well as seed, much of which would have to be removed at the point a SUP is installed in the future.

I will continue to pursue this option and keep Council informed.

Jefferson Ave Sanitary Sewer Main Replacement Project. We have received the final bid documents for the Jefferson Ave Sanitary Sewer Main Replacement Project. We have also received the Engineer’s estimate of construction, which is $864,244. The $864,244 includes a 10% contingency of $87,659. I am in the process of preparing the documentation for Village’s application for OPWC funding, as well as completing the application. In addition, the Stark County Regional Planning Commission has set August 28, 2019 at 9:00 am as the date for a workshop for FY 2020 - FY 2022 CDBG Application Workshop. I will be attending the workshop.

The GOAL is to obtain 49% of the funding for the Jefferson Ave Sanitary Sewer Main Replacement Project from OPWC and the remainder of the funding from CDBG.

Tree City. Brewster was one of 3,606 communities nationwide that the Arbor Day Foundation awarded Tree City USA recognition. It is the 26^th year Brewster has been recognized as a Tree City.
Zoning Variance Application. The variance submitted for the Zoning Board of Appeals on July 18^th, 2019 was denied. The variance request was in advance of a request to split a lot on the east side of Jefferson, from 1^st Street running south to the alley. The lot split would have created two (2) 7000 square foot lots, which meet zoning code, but one of the two (2) lots created would have a fenced in area with no structure. Fences are set out in our ordinances as essentially an accessory structure, so without a structure the fence couldn’t remain.

Efficiency Smart – Refrigerator Rebate.Efficiency Smart will be temporarily increasing the reward for recycling a fridge or freezer to $60 between July 1 – August 31. Any customer who schedules a pickup of a fridge or freezer between July 1- August 31 will receive the $60 reward for recycling their unit, even if it is picked up after August 31. In addition, we will also honor the $60 increased reward for any units picked up during the timeframe, so those customers who scheduled their pick up right before the start of the promotion don’t miss out on the increased reward.
Efficiency Smart – LED Light Bulbs. There are still standard and dimmable specialty LED lightbulbs are available for a limited time for $0.99 each at Belloni Foods. Discount pricing courtesy of Efficiency Smart and Brewster Municipal Electric. Questions? Call Efficiency Smart at 877-889-3777 or visit www.efficiencysmart.org/brewster-ohio for more information.

Sidewalk Hazard Removal. Precision Concrete Cutting Inc. Ohio (SafeSidewalks) has completed grinding/leveling of the sidewalks on Wabash north of the underpass, both the east side and west side of Wabashto eliminate potential trip hazards. The plan is to replace sidewalk panels that could not be ground/leveled where the trees lifted them.

Mosquito Spraying. The mosquito spraying scheduled for July 15^th had to be rescheduled for July 18, 2019, which was the back-up rain date. The spraying scheduled for July 31^st was completed. The remaining tentative dates for 2019 mosquito spraying in the Village of Brewster by the Stark County Health Department are:

August 20, 2019
September 4, 2019

The dates are tentative and are subject to change due to weather such as wind or rain, just as it was when the Village was spraying. Every effort will be made to reschedule a cancelled date as soon as possible.

NatureWorks Grant – Bimeler Exercise Area. The equipment for the Bimeler Exercise Area has been delivered. We continue to coordinate so that the area prepped, the equipment installed, the cement poured, and the rubberized surface installed.

Electric –Substation Upgrade/Expansion. The advertisement forConstruction Bid was in the Canton Repository on July 17^th and July 24^th. The bid opening is set for Thursday August 15^th at noon. A preliminary recommendation to Council would be available for the Council meeting on Monday August 19^th, which will be more of a bid tabulation of the received bids. GPD would have their final bid evaluation and recommendation by Friday August 23^rd for Council’s Meeting on September 3^rd, including the completeness or accuracy of the apparent low bidder’s bid, at which time Council can award a contract(s). Council also obviously has the option to wait to review GPD’s recommendation and pass the legislation at a subsequent meeting. GPD does not anticipate that this revision in the bid advertisement dates and bidding schedule will delay the construction start date.

The bid is being put out with a primary and an alternate. The primary bid is to do the “last” portion of the work, tying in the expanded portion of the substation to our 69 MW feed “hot”, meaning there would be no outage for the Village and its businesses. That is our preferred approach.

Financing Plan: We are now finalizing the paperwork on the Line of Credit with AMP, as we are ready to make our first drawdown. AMP has to draw down in $100,000 increments, so it didn’t make sense to borrow $100,000 in May and pay interest on that amount, as we only needed $37,000. We plan to pay that cost out of our capital funds and reimburse the fund at a later date (if necessary).

Demolition: The Electric Department and Sanitary Sewer Department have completed demolition and filling the abandoned equipment from the old pump stations at the substation site. Some removal is still required.

Site Preparation: We still plan to utilize grindings from the 7^th Street project as a base prior to bringing gravel in.

Rate Study: Complete.

I will continue to keep Council informed as to developments. Please feel free, as always, to contact me if you have any questions or need me to obtain any additional information.

Efficiency Smart – Replacement of Lighting on East Main and 7^th Street. We are in the final stages of applying for a rebate for the replacement of street lighting on East Main Street and 7^th Street. We replaced the old lighting with LED lighting, which provides more light and at the same time reduces the cost.

The estimated cost of the improvements was $14,912. The estimated first year’s savings is $2,904. If we receive the proposed rebate of $1,010, that will mean the new lighting will pay for itself in approximately 5.5 years. The new LED lighting has a life expectancy of 25 years, so the savings will go well beyond the initial payback.

In addition, the new LED lighting accomplishes two (2) of the tasks listed in the Safe Routes to Schools Plan.

AMP – Annual Power Supply Update. Representatives of AMP are scheduled to provide the annual power supply update on August 8, 2019 at Village Hall. I will share their presentation with Council once it is received/presented.

Repair of Subsidence on Field #3.T & E Excavating & Hydroseeding has reviewed the condition of Field #3 and plans to present options and costs to the Village in the near future.

Rate Study – Water. Courtney & Associates have completed their review of the Water Department and our current rates and have indicated that no action beyond what the Village currently has in place needs to be taken at this time.

Rate Study – Wastewater. Courtney & Associates have completed their review of the Wastewater Department and our current rates and have recommended that action needs to be taken with regard to wastewater rates to keep the fund in a healthy condition.

I request that Council set a Public Utilities meeting for September 3^rd at 6:00 pm to have Courtney & Associates present their findings.

Facebook and Village Issues. It came to my attention last week that there was a posting(s) by residents on one of the local Facebook pages, where they were complaining about Village issues and where all the facts weren’t communicated. The individual knew why a specific action was taken but didn’t communicate all the facts in the posting.

Another incident occurred within the last few months where a resident was complaining about a street light being out for a few weeks and was upset the Village hadn’t fixed it after they first complained about it on a Facebook page.

I would like to point out, not so much for Council who knows, but for the public who may not know, that Village employees do not monitor Facebook pages, as those pages are not Official Village sites.

Residents who have concerns, complaints, or questions who want the Village an answer or to respond should choose to communicate by:

Calling Village Hall or the Utility Office
E-mailing Village Hall, the Utility Office, or the employee or Department if they have a Village e-mail address.
Stop in Village Hall during office hours – 7:00 am through 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday
Send a letter
Place a written message in Utility bill or in the drop box
Stop an employee and speak to them

Putting complaints or comments on Facebook may make a resident feel better by getting something off their chest, but it won’t get the problem addressed, nor will it get an answer that includes all the facts from the Village.

The Stark County Commissioners approved the agreement between the Stark County Metropolitan Sewer District and the Village of Brewster for the Justus Sanitary Sewer Project.

Council Member Hilliard asked about the three streets being added to this year’s paving project. VA Miller stated Chestnut, Church, and Harmon NW. VA Miller is going to bring out the contractor and have them evaluate to see where we need full depth repair and where we can just spot pave. Chestnut is a possibility for chip and sealing.

Council Member Hilliard said the hole needs looked at on Field #3.

Council Member Hilliard discussed the need for a large amount of fill dirt needed to back fill where the crosswalk is being installed on 7^th Street SW.

VILLAGE MAYOR: Mike Schwab

1. SRO Agreement with Fairless for 2019-2020

Village Clerk-Treasurer provided the requested cost breakdown spreadsheet to Fairless that shows costs to Fairless for SRO #2 for 2019-2020 School Year will be around $ 46,129.26
With Council’s passage of the authorization of 2019-2020 SRO Agreement with Fairless earlier in tonight’s meeting the Agreement will be signed and submitted to Fairless for their signatures

2. Planning Commission Hearing scheduled for September 19^th at 7 pm

Continue Review of Village Zoning Code
Consider sample of language for electronic message signage
Consider sample of language for installation of walls
Consider updating the “Definitions” in Section 153.002 of Village Zoning Code
Review & recommend a Zoning District designation for the Solar Field property recently annexed and recorded

Village Income Tax Commissioner Report – Steve Hartman

On May 27, 2019 Outstanding Balance for Village Income Tax = $ 11,044.38
Current Outstanding Balance for Village Income Tax = $ 3,477.09
Through letters, persistence, and working with people involved Steve was able to reduce the outstanding balance by $ 7567.29 in the last several months. GOOD WORK !

4. ODOT District 4 – 2019 Paving of State Route 93 – Rescheduled for 2020

Advisory from ODOT District 4 when contacted about the 2019 paving of SR 93 through Brewster:

“The project was originally locked into the June 20, 2019 sale date. However, due to some personnel issues at Central Office’s Office of Estimating, the project was pushed to the July 11th sale date. When the bids were opened on July 11, there were only two bidders, and none were local Stark County contractors. The district had the project budgeted at $ 2,120,000 and the low bid came in at $ 2,911,373.05, a difference of 37.33%. District 4 does not have the financial wherewithal to absorb this overage of almost $800,000. As a result, the project will be re-bid on August 15, and the low bidder will only resurface two segments this season. (SR-93 North of Beach City and SR-212 East of Beach City). These sections will be resurfaced this year because they have the worst pavement condition ratings (these ratings are in the 50’s, whereas the section of SR 93 in Brewster is in the low 70’s).

The rest of the project will be completed next year with a completion date of July 31, 2020.”

Opinion: By waiting until late in paving season to Bid and Award a Contract all area contractors had scheduled their 2019 projects which leads to a premium cost for this project. ODOT dropped the ball. Mayor has had a conversation with the ODOT project managerin which our dissatisfaction was voiced. State Representative Roemer & State Senator Roegner were advised and asked to contact ODOT on the Village’s behalf which both did. Both were provided with the same answer shown above

Village Elected Offices Candidate List – as of August 5, 2019 (from Stark BOE web page)

For Mayor Dave Godwin - Filed

Charles Hawk - Filed

For Village Clerk-Treasurer Kris King - Filed
For Council (Two Seats) Brett Long - Petition

Mike Schwab - Filed

Jerry Weaver - Petition

6. Fire/EMS Operations Upgrades – (via new January 1, 2020 0.5% Municipal Income Tax)

REHASH - Some Options being explored:

a). An Expansion & reconfiguration of existing fire building on the current property; very

preliminary architectural drawings & an estimate for construction were completed in 2018

b). Acquisition of property on Main Street E. adjacent to existing fire building to expand existing

fire building to the East

c). Build a new dedicated EMS/Community Center building on Sturm’s lot on Wabash S.

d). Build a new Fire/EMS/Community Center building on First Street if property can be acquired

UPDATE:

Chief Colucy met with W & LE CEO on July 16^th to revisit the proposed use of W & LE property with a follow up call with Jeff Davis Jr. in the W & LE Real Estate

a). W & LE officials most recent 99-year lease options:

a. 99-year lease for 2.3 acres at $ 1700 per year w/1% escalator per year which

translates into $ 285,265.69 to use the property over the 99 years

b). On July 30^th Chief Colucy and Mayor met with an Architect from Springfield, Ohio who specialty is Fire Buildings. He made a presentation of his work and of his approach to constructing fire facilities. The Mayor was impressed with how knowledgeable the architect was.
c). Mayor will attend a USDA/RCAP presentation to explore funding opportunities (Grants & low interest Loans) for community facilities later in August

A Council of the Whole Meeting is scheduled on September 16^th at 6:30 pm to review and get Council’s input on Options

7. REHASH - An AMP Partners Electric Project

Village Officials met with AMP representatives on June 27th concerning a proposed electric project; Village consultants from GPD & Courtney and Associates as well as Solicitor also participated
To provide guidance the Village Solicitor and Village consultants from GPD Engineering as well as Courtney and Associates have weighed in and continue to be central to the mix
We continue to work toward implementing this project but are doing so in a manner to ensure that all questions are answered, all consequences are considered, and that the proposal fully benefits Brewster as the research of this initiative plays out.

A Council of the Whole Meeting is scheduled on September 16^th at 6 pm to review and get Council’s input on Options

Show and Tell – Eastern Cicada Killer Wasps

The infield of Village Field #6 is currently inhabited by a colony of Eastern Cicada Killer Wasps
These wasps are attracted by the loose sandy soil in which the female digs a two-foot deep burrow to lay eggs. The female then finds and paralyzes a cicada which she deposits in the burrow for the larva hatched from the eggs to feed
The Male wasps, that lack a stinger, patrol the colony to intimidate intruders
These wasps are not considered to be a danger to humans as the males do not sting and the unaggressive female cares for the eggs and would sting only by accident

VILLAGE CLERK-TREASURER: Kris King

August 5, 2019:

July Financials and Year-to-Date financials were placed in Councils’ boxes.

Fire Pay for 07/07/19-07/20/2019 = $ 2,295.46

Fire Pay for 07/21/19-08/03/2019 = $ 3,697.55

Paychex has been terminated. We are back on the Government Accounting Solutions software and loving it. I have entered all the information off the Paychex system, and it is running smoothly.

Charles E. Harris and Associates has our files to review the reconciliations since we started Paychex. Anne Spicer is the CPA working on it. Since we are a small village, she wasn’t expecting it to be so complicated. I will be working with her as she progresses.

I have begun working on the 2020 Alternative Tax Budget. I will be asking that the resolution be passed under emergency at the next meeting as it cannot be prepared until the month of July is closed and it is due on August 20^th, 2019.

Council Member Hilliard asked how much was donated to the Fairless Alumni last year. I couldn’t remember off the top of my head.

I received a nice note about our parks and employees from a Proud Brewster Resident.

COMMITTEES or COUNCIL REPORTS: The Goal of any committee meeting is to discuss an issue or proposal and to provide, by a consensus of the committee members, ONE recommendation to Council

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REMINDERS:

September 3^rd at 6:30 pm - Council of the Whole: Welty Cemetery Proposal Review

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EXPENDITURE REQUESTS FROM PAST MEETINGS:
1. Fairless Soccer Club has requested that the Village sponsor a team for the 2019 Soccer Season

PENDING PROPOSALS FROM PAST MEETINGS:

Welty Cemetery Proposal from Welty Cemetery Board: Council met w/Welty Reps on July 1^st; have scheduled a Council of the Whole for September 3^rd at 6:30 pm.
Councilmember Godwin: Donation Policy – Council of Whole met June 17^th to consider a policy.
Fire Chief: Suggests that volunteer Fire/EMS personnel be paid per Call rather the current by the hour compensation structure (Council provided current FD pay structure & compensation policies).

OLD or NEW BUSINESS:

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FOX and motion carried to donate $500 to the Fairless Soccer Club. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HESS and motion carried to permit the Village Administrator to add areas of Chestnut, Church, and Harmon NW to the 2019 Paving Project for a cost of $25 – 30,000. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to schedule a Utility Committee meeting on September 3^rd at 6:00 pm to meet with Courtney and Associates. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FOX and motion carried to schedule a Council of the Whole meeting on August 19^th at 6:00 pm to discuss the building of a Fire Station. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to donate $250 to the Fairless Alumni Association for the Fairless Helping Fairless Program. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to pay the Fire Pay of 07/07/19-07/20/2019 at a cost of $ 2,295.46 from the Fire Equipment Fund. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER FOX MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to pay the Fire Pay of 07/21/19-08/03/2019 at a cost of $ 3,697.55 from the Fire Equipment Fund. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HESS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD and motion carried to reject all bids and rebid for the spring 2020 start for the project. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to create a resolution for the 2020 Alternative Tax Budget and declare it an emergency. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to refer the rezoning of the solar field to the Planning Commission. The vote: All yes.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HESS and motion carried to amend the proposed ordinance for the reimbursement of $50.00 per month for elected officials’ cell phones to begin with offices that the term begins in 2022. The vote: All yes.

VILLAGE SPEAKS: Communications Received by Council members from Village residents

AUDIENCE TIME:

Joshua Bowen, correspondent for the Independent Newspaper asked the Village Administrator for a printout of the roads that are being paved and patched.

COUNCIL MEMBER HILLIARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RADICH and motion carried to adjourn the meeting at 8:32 PM. The vote: All yes.

Respectfully submitted,

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Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer

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Mike Schwab, Mayor