By Megan Lewis
For the Sidney Daily News
JACKSON CENTER — Jackson Center Village Council passes a resolution to partner with Access Engineering Solutions, LLC in Celina to start accepting bids for the upcoming Water Treatment Facility Project. The action was taken during the Monday council meeting.
The new facility will replace the existing one and will have an Ion Exchange Water Softening System. It is estimated to cost the village $7 million, with $1.2 million coming from grants. There are two more grants that they applied for, but it hasn’t been decided yet if the village will be receiving them. To increase chances of getting them, the village decided to get the project started while waiting to hear back from those organizations. The bidding phase will take three to four months while the actual construction will take up to a year to complete.
Assistant Village Administrator Drew Sosby was talking to Field Source and Jackson Center Youth Sports Organization about putting in four new fields, two baseball and two softball, on South Main and East Pike Street. Sosby suggested to make two fields to start with, as it will reduce the stress on the developers, as well as the village’s finances.
All four fields will cost $1.5 million to build, and that does not include structures like a 40-foot by 40-foot utility storage building, concession stand, and bathrooms. After much discussion, it was decided to start with one youth baseball and one youth softball field while Sosby looks into funding for the other fields and structures. The fields will be completed by spring 2025.
The village agreed to renew all Class C and D alcohol permits regarding retail sells within Jackson Center. It will take effective after June 2024 when the previous one expires. Police Chief Chuck Warwick endorsed the approval as the businesses who have one have received no violations of any kind, particularly sells to minors. There are a minimum of five businesses in town that have such permits.
Pavement Analysis did an inspection on the roads in Jackson Center. They gave it an 80 rating. In order to receive an approval rating, a village needs to meet a minimum of 70. The village thanked the street maintenance department for getting such a high score.
The Sewage Department has begun getting the community pool ready for the upcoming swim season.
The Jackson Center Subway opened on April 24 under the ownership of the Hina Family. Mama J’s is planning to add an ice cream trailer on the east side of the building, hopefully by Memorial Day Weekend. Sip and Stream had to push their plans back because of personal reasons. While they work through that, they rented out the building to AutoShot Paintless Dent Repair. Since they do not use paint or chemicals, it will not affect the area, still making it safe for food prep. They plan on having a soft opening by April 26.
The village attended a meeting with Small Nation of Bellefontaine to discuss business needs for the village. After the meeting, they signed a Consultation Agreement with them to discuss business concepts, advice on renovating old buildings, and strategic collaborative opportunities. The village will put together a 10-15 person panel consisting of members of Small Nation, The Growth Association, Community Improvement Corporations (CIC) representatives, and local businesses owners to discuss how to develop much-needed businesses in Jackson Center.
