JACKSON CENTER — Trick or treat night in Jackson Center is just around the corner and the JC Village Council heard a report from Village Police Officer Zac Smith about preparations to insure a safe, fun-filled night for all who will be participating.

Smith said he will be visiting students in grades K-5 at the Jackson Center School to talk to them about things they need to do for safety’s sake.

“Basically this is a refresher we undertake every year to remind the children about what they need to do on trick or treat night. Things like being accompanied by an adult/parent and/or guardian, using crosswalks and carrying glow sticks and/or flashlights to make them more noticeable when interacting with traffic,” Smith said.

“We are also reminding parents to check the treats when the kids get home, one thing people often forget is allergic reactions to candy with nuts etc., not everyone has an issue with that but it’s easy to overlook and can be a problem for those with allergies. We just want everyone to have a good time and get through the evening without any problems so we are also reminding the public to keep the kids in mind when driving around town Sunday evening,” Smith said.

Trick or treat night in Jackson Center is slated for Sunday, Oct. 28, from 6 to 7 p.m.

In the reading of the financial report Councilman Larry Wahrer covered a number of fiscal statistics noting how the village resources were used.

“As noted in our report there were a lot of ups and downs, however, all in all we are doing fairly well. Our current incomes and expenditures are on target with our plans and we are in good shape,” Wahrer said.

In old business Mayor Scott Klopfenstein noted the proposed ordinance changing the zoning of 2.95 acres located at the 600 block of College and Pike streets from R-1 single-family residential to R-3 multi-family residential would remain tabled until such a time all the necessary preparations are in order to allow for passage of the ordinance.

“We are still waiting for all the paperwork to go through the proper channels, as soon as that is finished we will be able to proceed,” Klopfenstein said.

In other old business council approved an ordinance granting Vectren Energy a gas franchise in the village for a period of ten years automatically renewing the contract for additional periods of five years unless notice is given to do otherwise. Council heard the third reading of the ordinance and it will take effect thirty days from now.

In new business council declared an emergency and passed an ordinance authorizing certain adjustments in the annual appropriations of public funding for the village of Jackson Center during the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2018. The additional funding was necessary to cover costs associated with initiating street repairs on Jackson, Washington and College streets, paying Freytag and Associates for services rendered for the plans to construct a new office building at Pike and Main streets, putting in the asphalt base at the Westwood Estates Subdivision and payroll adjustments for the village electrical department.

Council then heard the first reading of the proposed budget for 2019. Village Administrator Bruce Metz noted the new budget was substantially lower than this year with the 2019 budget being about half of the $12 million budget for 2018.

“We still have a lot of things to consider so there may be a few changes and we will share them at a later meeting, “ Metz said.

Next council approved an emergency measure on where future income tax revenue would go. In the past income tax dollars were divided with approximately half going to the general fund and half to infrastructure maintenance primarily street reconstruction and repairs. From now on all the income tax will go directly into the general fund and be dispersed as needed so that all expenditures will be documented individually for auditing purposes later on.

Lastly in new business Council passed an emergency resolution creating a capital project fund for the Jackson, Washington and College Street project.

“The majority of the project will take place next year but it is necessary to get the ball rolling now so that all the required preparations such as engineering are in place to allow for grant applications to be carried out beforehand,” Metz said.

In the Administrators report Metz reported that a variety of projects were on track and overall things are going quite well.

“We are installing electric service and new lights on the Hamer Street extension and Tiger Trail, and the paving on Hamer Street extension will be finished soon. We are prepping for new concrete to be poured around the waste-water treatment plant building, hauling topsoil from the new electrical substation lot and sealing cracks in the streets before winter sets in. The media change-out for our water treatment plant is coming soon and we are wrapping up the mowing and other loose ends. All in all things are on track and our staff is working hard to get things done,” Metz said.

Before adjourning Klopfenstein noted the next scheduled meeting will take place in the council chambers on Nov. 12, 2018, at 7 p.m.