BOTKINS — Josh Meyer has resigned from Botkins Village Council.
The five-year veteran council member tendered his resignation during the council’s regular meeting Tuesday. Mayor Steve Woodruff accepted it with regret.
Meyer had been appointed to the council in 2012 to fill the unexpired term of Andy Meyer and was elected in his own right in November 2015. His current term would end in December 2019.
Following the meeting, he talked with the Sidney Daily News about his decision to resign.
“I got on the (Botkins Local Schools Athletic) Boosters. I coach my son’s T-ball team. And I work at nights. Things are just closing in,” Meyer said.
Botkins residents who are interested in filling Meyer’s unexpired term should file an application form. Forms are available at the village office, 210 S. Mill St.
In other action, Woodruff informed the council that within the next month, the village will begin to issue tickets to drivers who violate parking regulations in Botkins. The most frequent offenders are people who park in fire lanes at Botkins Local School. Other fines might be levied against people who remain in timed parking spaces too long. The fine for each violation will be $25.
The village has ordered tickets and as soon as they arrive from the printer, police officers will begin to issue them.
On a motion by Councilman Lance Symonds, the second reading of a resolution to permit beer sales and consumption during an upcoming Athletic Boosters event in Botkins Community Park was removed from Tuesday’s agenda. Symonds told the newspaper that the village Safety Committee wants more information before the council addresses the Boosters Club request.
Village Administrator Randy Purdy reported that a contract with Miami Valley Lighting for maintenance of street lights will end May 31. The company has proposed a new, five-year contract with no price increase until 2020, when a 5 percent hike would be implemented. Councilman Steve Heuker questioned whether the current mercury vapor lights could be replaced with LEDs. Purdy noted that the new contract says the change-over would be complete within five years. Council requested that he find out when already-installed lights on Huber Road in a new subdivision will be turned on.
Purdy reported that maintenance crews have requested a skid loader and that the village of Anna has one for sale for $12,700. Purdy will furnish equipment specifications and a purchase agreement to the Service Committee for review.
In January, village workers called DP&L because there were problems at the Robin Hood lift station. While DP&L looked at the meter, it exploded and caught fire, causing damage to the meter and to the structure it was housed in. DP&L billed the village for damages. Purdy reported Tuesday that he is in discussions with DP&L about whether the meter was defective and caused the fire or whether the explosion caused the meter to be defective.
Purdy reported that the village had not yet received its February share of lodging tax from the Budget Host Inn. In response to an ordinance that went into effect in January, the hotel collects lodging taxes from customers and remits them to the village. Botkins received the January taxes on Feb. 13, but it has not received a second payment yet.
The administrator announced that the village had completed its annual review of community reinvestment agreements for tax incentives for Brown Industrial and Buckeye Electric and that both were recommended for tax abatements. He also announced that he needs one more map to complete the application to add the Woodland subdivision to the community reinvestment area that comprises the rest of the village.
Before he resigned, Meyer reported that concrete for a new batting cage in the park is scheduled to be poured in late April.
Symonds reported that six firefighters have completed training and the fire department chicken fry will be April 22. Members of the police department will complete training in Sidney at no cost to the village.
Woodruff reported that he gets calls on a regular basis asking whether the village’s ongoing scrap metal drive accepts refrigerators. It does not accept anything that uses freon. However, Woodruff noted, DP&L will pay $50 for certain old refrigerators and freezers. He advised residents to check the DP&L website for information.
The only other action taken Tuesday was a unanimous vote to approve liquor licenses for various businesses in Botkins.
