JACKSON CENTER — Jackson Center Council approved the purchase of a new snow plow truck for the village at their regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 11.

Council passed a resolution authorizing the village administrator Bruce Metz to enter into a contract for the purchase of a 2019 Freightliner plow truck, to be purchased from Stoops Freightliner, of Lima, for $158,444.

“We are replacing a truck we purchased in 1979,” Metz said. “The replacement will ensure we are able to keep up with ever-increasing demands and that we have reliable equipment to get the job done.

“Though the truck is costing about $10,000 more than the last one purchased, it features a stainless-steel bed that will provide a lot more years of service than conventional steel beds, making it more cost-effective in the long run and a better deal for the village overall.”

Metz also noted he recommends financing the truck purchase through a local bank, as there wasn’t much of an advantage, if any, in financing the vehicle through Freightliner, and he supports prioritizing local business when possible.

In other new business, council passed an ordinance “For the issuance of, not to exceed $1,200,000, notes by the village of Jackson Center, Ohio, in the anticipation of the issuance of bonds for the purpose of paying the cost of acquiring certain real estate in the village.”

The village will be paying $100,000 plus interest on the original note of $1.3 million dollars for the first year after purchasing land annexed to the west side of the village where the new Airstream Inc. manufacturing facility is being built. The ordinance received unanimous approval.

Council heard a report from Metz on the upcoming improvements outlined for the village library and the Family Life Center.

Metz recommended the village contribute $750 for the lighting improvement project at the library and $2,000 for the new heating system that will be installed in the Family Life Center.

Metz noted there were extra funds available for both projects and that contributing to the improvements was an

investment in the community, something that that could be beneficial for everyone living there.

Council approved the amounts Metz suggested and the contributions will be handled by the Community Improvement Corporation.

“The Family Life Center is a genuine asset to our community,” Metz said. “It is a nice, clean facility with a kitchen and restrooms and it is available to rent for parties, reunions, and other activities and public meetings; it would be a great loss to let it fall into disrepair and possibly close the doors. The new heating system will help ensure maintaining the integrity of the structure, and hopefully we will be able to use it for many years to come.

“As for the library, the new lighting system will be less expensive to operate and provide better service. There may be some additional funding available for the project through grants and we are looking into

that at present.” Metz said.

In the administrator’s report, Metz shared updates on a variety of on-going projects and the progress being made.

“The recent weather conditions have slowed things down a little,” he said. “We tried to install the new electrical switch gear at the new power distribution substation on Jerry Drive, but were unable to do so due to the ground being too soft and muddy, so the equipment had to go back to Columbus until we can try it again this coming Thursday.

“The same can be said for the delays in progress at the new Airstream manufacturing plant — west of town — where, despite set-backs from recent weather conditions, we are still making progress, although it is slow at times; the wires are up and things are going as planned but not as quickly as we’d like to see it.”

Metz also shared a bullet point list of other projects associated with normal operations at the water plants, street department, electric department, and parks division, sharing updates on the associated activities in each department.

He noted the village will be holding its annual table-top emergency procedures practice on April 5, as outlined,

with the State of Ohio and the Shelby County Emergency Management Association.

“This is a routine annual meeting where we walk through several simulated circumstances outlined on a PowerPoint presentation,” Metz said. “Each situation is presented and we respond with the actions we would recommend, and then compare our actions with those advocated by the authorities.

We hope to be prepared in the event of an actual emergency and this is a tool used by all municipalities to train for those challenges.”

Council then moved to go into an executive session for the purpose of discussing the purchase or sale of real estate.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting will take place, in the JC Council Chambers, on Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.