PORT JEFFERSON — Port Jefferson Trick or Treat festivities will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Mayor Steve Butterfield said he received a call from one resident suggesting the time for the event be moved to late afternoon hours during daylight so as to make it safer for those participating; Butterfield then asked for input from council. Overall, most council members seemed to agree with the more traditional time right after sunset with council members Krystal Cox and Joan Mader both suggesting the village continue as in the past. Council then set the time and date which will coincide with several other villages in the area.
In other business, resident Rosalie Patterson asked council about the possibility of lowering the speed limit on Canal Street from 20 mph to 15 mph.
“People fly up and down through there like there is no speed limit and the road is so narrow cars have to drive into the edge of everyone’s yards to pass each other making it dangerous for those living there,” said. Patterson.
She asked if it might be possible to designate the street or alley as “one way.”
“I would also like to know if Canal is really a street or just an alley, it has a street-type sign but it’s just one lane like an alley and usually something like that is one way traffic only,” said Patterson.
Butterfield said the “street” is marked as 16.5 feet wide on the village map and said before any changes could be made it would have to be determined if it was actually a street or an alley. Councilman David Clem said they would have to see what the ordinance book said to make sure any changes would not be in violation of existing codes. Butterfield asked the street committee — Joan Mader, Hazel Reeves and Loretta Cook — to look into the issue and present a report of their findings at the next council meeting.
Council approved a resolution which will initiate the creation of Port Jefferson Building Department for the purpose of establishing and updating zoning regulations as there seems to be a lot of confusion at present which hampers the decision making process concerning issues with building permits and code enforcement. Butterfield said ultimately all future decisions for building permits will be handled by Miami Valley County Development Deptartment in Sidney, based on information provided by the village of Port Jefferson.
Butterfield reported that the village made nine traffic citations totaling $1,213 in the month of September. Of that amount, $781 went to the village of Port Jefferson, $351 to the state of Ohio, $27 to the village computer fund and $54 to the village police fund.
Council heard a report by Butterfield concerning the current contract with Rumpke Waste and Recycling which is about up, noting the village needed to consider a new contract. Rumpke noted the best value is a five-year contract. No immediate action will be taken until the issue is put up for bid.
The mayor shared information on the progress of scheduled street repairs that will begin in the spring of next year; portions of Spring Street and Wall Street will be replaced including all new curbs and gutters. The project has been approved and grant monies secured to cover most of the cost of materials and labor.
In similar business council approved a resolution permitting Butterfield to apply for grant money to resurface East Canal Street from Spring Street to Broad Street. Butterfield will apply for grant dollars from the OPWC (Ohio Public Works Commission) for the $40,000 project and hopes to receive all but $6,200 which the village will pay for costs not covered by the grant.
Butterfield reported he had be contacted by the Sidney postmaster about eliminating all mailboxes on village streets to eliminate confusion pertaining to those living in the village with Sidney addresses. Discussion revealed the issue was dealt with in years past but the village never enforced the regulations. Besides making mail delivery difficult it adds an element of confusion to local fire and rescue and police departments who sometimes have difficulty determining if a call originates from Sidney or Port Jefferson based on address information.
Councilman David Clem said an example where a local rescue service responded to the wrong place not understanding the issue at hand and who lives where.
“Both Sidney and Port Jefferson have a “Main Street” and both towns share “Main Street, Sidney” addresses leaving fire, recue, and police departments wondering where to go which hampers response times; something needs to be done to correct this.” Butterfield noted at present there are still mail boxes on Rick Way, Pasco-Montra Road and Main Street that are in the village corporation and need to be removed for the sake of eliminating confusion. Butterfield indicated he will work with the Sidney Postmaster to see what actions should be taken to remedy the problem.
Matt Bertsch with the Port Jefferson Fire Department requested the village look into whether there would be any zoning issues related to the proposed building of a new Fire Department building on land zoned as R-1 Residential. Bertsch said the recent chicken dinner fundraising was going very well and the fire department was wondering if the Community Center would be available for use every other month for this activity.
Butterfield said the Community Center will no longer be available for rent after the end of this year but that there was a good possibility the building would be available free of charge as the proceeds were a benefit to the entire community and surrounding area. Bertsch also said under the present contract with the village the Fire Department is allowed to use the facility at least five times a year and he just wanted to confirm the building would be available if needed.
Council’s next meeting will be Nov. 6.
