With a full agenda to get through, the West Liberty village council started their regular meeting Monday night, Aug. 28, by hearing from Heather Chamberlain, West Liberty Business Association (WLBA) president and owner of Theresa’s Gingerbread House. And she had plenty to go over.
Chamberlain began by presenting the council with an updated list of the 67 businesses that are a part of the WLBA. She encouraged the council to consider what they do for the community when choosing nominees for Business of the Month.
“I asked them to nominate within our 67 members that really give back to the community,” Chamberlain said in a statement later. “Though,” she added, “not exclusively.”
Then, at the request of the council, Chamberlain went over plans for this fall’s Pink Out, which will start at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, at the village townhall.
“It’s basically a health fair,” Chamberlain said, noting the free and open-to-the-public event will include blood pressure checks, skin cancer screenings and a mobile mammogram clinic.
Representatives will be on-hand from Maze Hearing, Prescription Bliss, Peak Performance Holistic Health, Kayatin Chiropractic, Hickory Medical, Affiliated Dermatology, Fearless Strength and Conditioning, Homegrown Yoga and Pilates, Heaven’s Dew and Mary Rutan Health.
The evening will also include a meal at the firehouse for survivors. In addition, Little Tigers will have a chance to eat chips and hotdogs with West Liberty-Salem (WL-S) High School football players and cheerleaders from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. WLBA will provide the meal and all children are welcome.
Then, at 7:30 p.m., the program will move to the townhall gazebo on the north lawn for a ceremony, followed by a survivors’ lap of the downtown, which will have storefronts decorated pink in their honor.
But that’s not all. The Pink Out will continue at the WL-S vs. Mechanicsburg football game on October 6. The WLBA will provide t-shirts for the WL-S football and cheerleaders for both teams, the band, the flags and all the coaches. Not to feel left out, football players from both teams will receive a pink towel.
According to Chamberlain, the WLBA has, so far, received over $3,000 in donations for the Pink Out.
Finally, Chamberlain spoke briefly about this year’s Spooktacular, which is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. She said the committee has, so far, raised $1,900 in order to make this a free event for families.
In other council action:
- This weekend marks the 58th annual Labor Day Festival. West Liberty’s biggest event of the year will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, with the classic car cruise-in. For a complete schedule, visit westlibertylions.org.
- The cost of a concrete pad for the first responders building at Lions Park will be split between Liberty Township and West Liberty. The board approved paying the village’s share—$1,817.50.
- According to councilmember Trent Spriggs, they’re on-track to get new troop banners and brackets for downtown. He also said the cost for new American flag holders and poles to place downtown will be $99 each. The hope is to have them installed before the Sept. 28 Pink Out.
- September’s Business of the Month—Liberty Gathering Place—will be honored in a short ceremony this Friday, Sept. 1, at 3:30 p.m.
- As mandated by FEMA, the village will post the flood plain—ordinance 2023-14—publicly, and plan to “keep it as basic as possible.”
- The opt-in/opt-out phone number for the aggregate electric rate of $0.0651 is 866-636-3749. But, according to councilmember Jayne Griffith, the number won’t take calls until Sept. 15.
- A debate over whether to continue requiring those in supervisor positions to use time clocks came up. Griffith stated the info they gathered showed some employees went over their 40-hour work week while others did not. The council plans to consider this more at a later date.
- For reasons not readily apparent, the company the village hired to provide crosswalk striping increased the cost by $952, bringing the total to an even $15,000.
- Councilmember Patricia Kauffman expressed gratitude to employees with Civista Bank for the work they did at townhall during Community Care Day on Friday, Aug. 25.
- Clerk Cindee Boyd, who attended a safety council meeting on Aug. 17, said the Bellefontaine Police Department announced they will start issuing tickets for people caught driving while using a phone on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
- The council still hopes to get the funding they need to bring broadband to the village.
- In an update from the parks and recreation meeting on Aug. 16, Councilmember Trent Spriggs stated they’re looking at quotes for a pickleball court and discussions are underway to add a picnic area to Ricketts Park.
- The updated estimate for the old elementary school is now $367,658. That includes hot demolition, debris removal, backfill to match current grade, straw and seeding, removal of sidewalks and asphalt plus permits and disposal fees.
- Nominations for the October Business of the Month are Jennings Farley & Seeley Funeral Home, Heaven’s Dew and the Lions Club.
- September’s Business of the Month—Liberty Gathering Place—will be recognized on Friday, Sept. 1, at 3:30 p.m.
- Online voting for the beautification award ends this Thursday, Aug. 31.
The next West Liberty village council meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11.
Heather Chamberlain, West Liberty Business Association president, addresses several items affecting the village at the regular council meeting on Monday. ((EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)