Mayor Brad Hudson, standing, right, swears in new councilmember Shannon Maier during the first West Liberty Village Council meeting of 2024 on Monday. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
New West Liberty Mayor Brad Hudson jumped right in at his first village council meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, with discussions about a number of items, including recycling, a water department improvement grant and getting rid of those pesky mosquitoes. But he started things off by swearing in Councilmember Shannon Maier.
The new year also called for various committee appointments, with members choosing to mix things up a little. Jeanette Zerkle will join Maier on the street committee, Jayne Griffith and Trent Spriggs offered to take over finances, and Jim Hoffman agreed to cover safety. Whoever fills the empty council seat will join Hoffman in that committee.
Members also voted to maintain Griffith as council president.
But the main topic of discussion Monday night was, once again, the recycling conundrum. Due to the small size of the village, they face a high price tag that would have to be covered by all residents.
After assuring the council his department doesn’t have the time to take up the project, Bill Detrick, street superintendent, said, “If people want recycling they need to pay the fee.”
Of course, therein lies the problem—it’s an all-or-nothing situation. As Detrick reminded the council, “Everybody would have to be in or out.”
One of the companies that provided a quote, Allied Waste, would charge $50,310 annually, which comes to $6.45 a month per 650 homes, and bears a 5 percent yearly increase.
“It’s not just ‘am I willing, but are my neighbors okay with it too,’ because it’s the whole village that has to pay that $50,000,” Hoffman stated.
Maier suggested it’s time to hear the community’s input through a survey. With that in mind, she and Hoffman will work together to find the right questions, realizing this isn’t just a fiscal issue, but an environmental one.
Cindee Boyd, village clerk, proposed putting the survey in the monthly newsletter, which residents can return with their utilities payment. Concerned with getting enough responses, Hudson said he’s open to various ways to get this feedback, adding, “Whatever we can do to make it easy.”
In other council action:
- Jeff Carr, municipal service manager with Environmental Design Group, informed the council on the next steps to obtain a grant for water line and manhole improvements, which will help with flood mitigation. But the application is due on Jan. 17, so time is short to prepare the paperwork. The council approved the first two steps of the project, which comes to $49,500.
“It’s imperative in today’s funding world to have your plans ready,” Carr said. “Communities that are ready to proceed are the ones that get the grants.”
Carr promised his company would walk through the process with the village, adding, “The best thing you can do is leverage your money to go as far as it can. - Council accepted the free offer from West Liberty resident Jake Vitt to beautify the area near the town gazebo. Vitt plans to install six flowering red bud bushes and four arborvitae in a triangular-shaped flower bed in the back corner of the north lawn at town hall. The landscaping would hide the air conditioning and HVAC units and, Vitt wrote the council, “create a pretty back drop behind the gazebo.”
“I would like to do this in memory of my mother, who had great interest in the investment and restoration of town hall,” he stated. Vitt also promised to work closely with Detrick to ensure the additions don’t cause problems with mowing. - Griffith recommended hiring Covington-based company Bug-A-Boo Pest Control to spray for insects, particularly mosquitoes. The company said they average four applications during the summer at a cost of $375 each time.
“I’m in favor of doing something,” Griffith concluded. Council decided to table the issue until they have additional information. - Installation of a new historical marker to commemorate the 1880 West Liberty fire along with making a decision regarding rehiring last year’s street-sweeping company were also tabled for a later date.
- In response to voters approving the sale of alcohol in West Liberty, downtown restaurant Liberty Gathering Place has applied for one of the two permits allowed. Though Hoffman made a motion to pass the request, it wasn’t seconded and, as a result, the motion died.
Nevertheless, the request will be automatically approved in 30 days. LGP is, so far, the first and only West Liberty business to apply. - Six people submitted their application to fill the empty councilmember seat. The council will review each one, then gather an hour before the next regular meeting on Jan. 22 to hear from the applicants and make a decision. Their options are Patty Kauffman, Alexandra Woodruff, Mike Woodruff, Brenda Coy, Alyssa Kauffman and Kirk Lawson.
- The cemetery had 39 burials and 27 plots in 2023.
- In new business, Hoffman asked if any councilmember was interested in pursuing additional training. He recommended the Mount Vernon Project, a free orientation video series for village officials, which is offered by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
The next West Liberty Village Council meeting will start at 7 p.m. Jan. 22.
Jeff Carr, municipal service manager with Environmental Design Group, speaks to the West Liberty Village Council at their meeting Monday night. He’s working with them to obtain a grant for water line and manhole improvements. The grant application is due Jan. 17. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)