MINSTER — During its meeting Dec. 3, the Minster Village Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to give village employees a 3 percent pay increase in 2019.
The council also approved a new fund to receive the income from the recently approved Fire and EMS levy. They also agreed to the purchase of a new fire truck.
Mayor Jon Kitzmiller said after council came out of executive session that they would work out any final details of the pay raise at the next council meeting.
Upon approval of an ordinance to establish a new Fire and Emergency Services fund, Councilwoman Nicole Clune, chairwoman of the Safety Committee, said her committee is working with the fire and the safety departments on how to use new funds from the new levy. The ordinance was passed as an emergency, which allowed the council to bypass the usual three readings.
In related news, a new $538,865 Sutphen fire truck will be be delivered in 2020, following approval of the purchase by village council. This replaces the fire department’s 13-year-old unit.
Another ordinance that received final approval was the Second Street improvement project, which would install a new sewer line, well as new curbs, sidewalks and pavement between Garfield Street and the Miami Erie Canal. This is part of the northwest sanitary sewer project, anticipated to cost $2.4 million dollars.
Also getting a third and final reading was an ordinance to install a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Hamilton and Fifth streets.
A second reading was approved to purchase the 2018 WAS tank mixer replacement from Peterson Construction for the sanitary treatment plant.
Council also approved payment of invoices over $3,000, including a $28,625 invoice from Roe Equipment for the annual grinding of yard waste.
Village Administrator Don Harrod submitted a written report on village activities.
He wrote that village crews will continue to pick up leaves throughout this week. Once the week is over, leaf pick-up will end for the year. Residents who still have leaves that they want to dispose of can do so by taking them to the composting facility.
He said the Route 66 Industrial Park continues, which includes completing electric installation at the lift station, moving the remaining piles of dirt that have been stockpiled on site, finish grading around the retention pond and seeding the areas. He reported that as soon as the ground either dries up or freezes, the electrical department will finish pulling wire to the lift station and will set the transformer and generator. The rest of the work will be finished next spring.
He reported that crews have begun building the pad for the northwest electrical substation. It was expected that this phase of the project should be done within the next week or so. He also said Parks Drilling should be in over the holidays to begin drilling for the foundations. Also, the steel bid package is expected be finished within the next couple of weeks. Once completed, it is planned to ask council for their approval to seek bids at the next meeting.
Finally, Harrod said that, in conjunction with the Stallo Library, the Parks Department would be welcoming Santa to the Gazebo on Dec. 8.
In end-of-the year actions, the council dispensed of the usual three readings and passed as emergencies ordinances that allowed moving unspent funds from the public works fund to six other funds, adopting interim appropriations for 2019, and a resolution increasing the appropriations for designated funds. They also approved payment of $939,027 of invoices.
