NEW BREMEN — Appropriations for New Bremen village budget are down for 2019 and cost of living adjustments are being done in a unique way to hold down wage escalation.

The New Bremen Village Council address both issues during its recent meeting.

The council approved an appropriation of $22,230,900 to cover the village budget for next year. Mayor Jeff Pape said this is $152,000 less than the 2018 budget.

The village also approved a second reading of a 2019 cost of living adjustment (COLA) lump sum payment, rather than an increase in employees’ wages. The amount of the lump sum is being calculated by multiplying employees’ 2018 income by 3 percent and dividing by the number of employees. The village will pay out the lump sum in March and September.

A first reading was approved to set up a no-parking zone on both sides of W. Plum Street near the Crown Equipment driveway. This was deemed necessary to accommodate easier turns for semis going in and out of the Crown property.

In other business, second readings were approved for a 10 percent, three-year tax abatement to Safeway Packaging, to have Thomas Guillozet as magistrate for 2019, to allow conditional use of properties in the village at 314 E. Plum and 28 S. Herman and to accept a salt bid from Artesian Water of Pioneer, Ohio.

The board gave final approval to a measure to have the YMCA of Greater Dayton manage the village swimming pool in 2019.

In his report to the council, Pape thanked Crown Equipment for continued investment in the community by building its new expansion in New Bremen rather than another community.