With summer just around the corner, the West Liberty Village Council spent their Monday night eating ice cream and discussing plans. One of those plans involves a special grand re-opening of the Splash Pad at Lions Park this Saturday, May 28, from 10 a.m. until noon. The event will also include:
• Goodie bags to the first 50 children.
• Snow cones and hotdogs while supplies last.
• Members of the fire and police departments, as well as a K9 unit in attendance.
• Live broadcast on Rise FM.
• Splash Pad T-shirts available for $15.
The Splash Pad will be open daily from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. through Labor Day weekend, though it will close to the public at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays for private parties. For more information, call (937) 465-2716.
Memorial Day activities in West Liberty offer another taste of summer. And this year’s festivities include recognizing eight more West Liberty Purple Heart veterans. A service to honor them will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the opera house. Afterward, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., these servicemen and/or their families will be available to interact with the public one-on-one.
The annual American Legion Memorial Day parade, which travels from the old high school to Town Hall, starts at 2 p.m.
Other action Monday night:
• The council passed ordinance 2022-06 on its third and final reading. This ordinance— to make West Liberty into a Community Reinvestment Area — means they will move forward with submitting an application to the state.
• Now that the old elementary school has been officially condemned by the Logan County Health Department as a nuisance property, the council can take steps to have it torn down. Besides the evaluation showing asbestos, lead paint and mold, there are numerous wildlife issues to deal with. The severely rundown building has become the home to raccoons, rats, bats and black vultures. But because the vultures are considered migratory birds, they’re protected under a 1918 migratory bird treaty, so a special permit is needed to remove them.
With everything involved, it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to demolish and remove the building. As they make decisions in that respect, the council voted to pay $700 to secure the property properly so children and young people will no longer be able to break into this dangerous, disintegrating structure.
• The council declared Thoman’s IGA as the June Business of the Month, and, as an ode to summer, they nominated Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor, Marie’s Candies and Hillside Greenhouse for the July honor. That winner will be announced at the June 27 meeting. Criteria for business of the month: Demonstrate outstanding support to the community; Provide superior customer service and products; and be considered a successful and professional business by peers.
• Council member Patricia Kauffman expressed the council’s shared concern over rising costs as they approved the bills. “We’re paying a lot for gas, like everyone,” she said. “Bills are going up for everything.”
• Two events will take place at the Sherman Ricketts Park on Wednesday, June 29 — a dedication ceremony for the new shelter house in recognition of Marshal Ricketts at 3:30 p.m. followed by Put a Lid On It, part of the bike helmet safety awareness campaign, from 4 to 7 p.m.
• West Liberty resident Jeff Stillings addressed the council with a request to allow chickens within the city limits. “With everything going on, it’s a viable option,” he said. “It would behoove people to be able to raise their own meat and have access to fresh eggs.” His proposal included limiting the number of chickens per household, no roosters and requiring the animals be kept in a pen with a fence.
• Phase 2 of the OPWC small government grant process for west Columbus Street will begin with a meeting Thursday, May 26, in order to “figure out the bid process” to pave from Reynolds Street to the Columbus Street bridge.
• Member Jeanette Zerkle presented several issues for the council to consider, including changing the ordinance to limit what parades are held in the village—something she and fellow member Trent Spriggs will look into, and hiring an outside auditor to find out why the police department’s budget is so high. “We can’t ask for more levies until we make sure we’re spending the money wisely,” she concluded. She has been in conversations with attorneys about both matters.
• Zerkle also expressed “grave concerns” with regard to the addition of two more crosswalks on US 68. Besides the fact there have been zero accidents in either location, Zerkle has discussed the issue with first responders who, she said, think it’s a “horrible idea.” She added, “They are 100 percent certain it will cause accidents.”
Her main concern centers around the possibility that pedestrians won’t be as careful when there’s a crosswalk, even though some drivers won’t necessarily slow down or pay attention.
Mayor Jill McKelvey pointed out the crosswalks are being paid for with ODOT money. “If we say no we’re not getting it again,” McKelvey said, adding that could mean the village is on the hook for the funds that have already gone into preparing for the crosswalks.
“I just want to be on record I’m opposed to this,” Zerkle said. “I want us to make a wise decision about something that might cause people to get hurt. The first responders are all opposed to it, and we should hear why.”
• A Growing the Village meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at the West Liberty opera house.
The next West Liberty Village Council meeting will take place 7 p.m. Monday, June 13.