JACKSON CENTER — The Jackson Center Village Council met on Jan. 11, for a regular meeting.

The council read and passed an ordinance that will increase the cost of a bundle of five trash bags from $11.75 to $12 effective Feb. 1, 2016. It also establishes that the cost of a bundle of five bags will increase 50 cents on Feb. 1 of each year through 2020. Village Administrator Bruce Metz stated that the last time the village increased the cost of a bundle of bags was in April 2012. The village has tried to maintain the cost of a bundle of bags, but will have to increase with the rising costs of the contract with Republic Waste for disposal of residential trash.

They also suspended the three-reading rule and voted to re-employ Village Solicitor Mike Burton. The current contract the village has with Burton will expire on Feb. 29, 2016. The renewal contract is for $3,240 per year payable on a monthly basis for general legal counsel normally associated with municipal government functions.

In addition, the solicitor will be compensated at $130 per hour for legal work in the preparation of utility easements, utility rates and regulations, collection of delinquent accounts, prosecuting or defending civil action, legal work related to buying, selling, mortgaging, entering into land contracts and other related legal assistance. Legal work performed by the solicitor’s associate shall be compensated at a rate of $110 per hour.

The village also suspended the three-reading rule and passed an ordinance increases appropriations in the Capital Improvement Fund and the General Improvement Fund for the amount of the employer portion of Ohio Public Employees Retirement System contributions for the month of December. It also increases appropriations in the Capital Improvement fund by $20,000 in contractual services. This amount was actually included on the original spreadsheet, but did not get added into the spreadsheet total.

A resolution was also passed after suspending the three-reading rule. This Resolution approves the loan for construction of the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) Improvements in cooperation with the OWDA (Ohio Water Development Authority) under the provisions, terms and conditions set forth in the “Cooperative Agreement for State Planning Project” and authorizes the village administrator and the fiscal officer to execute the agreement with the OWDA.

This allows the village administrator to sign for the $950,000 WWTP Improvement project with a loan for $550,000 at 2.89 percent interest from the OWDA and a loan for $400,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission at a zero percent interest rate. This project will be completed in 2016. Metz stated that the village is currently waiting on the permit to install from the Ohio EPA. Once they receive that, it will be ready to go to bid, hopefully in January and open up bids in February.

Metz reported he is working on obtaining material quotes for State Route 274 West Project (Project Bambi). Metz stated that ODOT has said that they will put in $100,000, and Jobs Ohio will put in $250,000 towards the project. Metz said he is taking the engineer’s estimate to see the the material costs are and then have village crews do the labor to see if that will be a manageable cost.

Metz also reported he is working on gas aggregation pricing. Currently they are at $0.475 per ccf and the current contract goes through September 2016. They have signed up for a six month (April through September) contract and were able to get it down to $0.42 per ccf. Therefore, that will give six months to renegotiate with IGS or another supplier for the next term.

Metz said with the State Route 274 lighting project (changing to LED’s) they have saved 78.4 percent on street lighting.

Also at the meeting Burton administered the Oath of Office to the elected mayor and council members for their new terms. Mayor Scott Klopfenstein, Council Member Dr. Ken Gloyeske and Council Member Karen Woodruff were re-elected on Nov. 3, 2015. Their terms began on Jan. 1, 2016, and will expire on Dec. 31, 2019.

By ballot vote council members voted Dr. Ken Gloyeske to serve as council president pro-tem. When the mayor is absent from the village or is unable, for any cause, to perform his duties, the president pro tempore shall be the acting mayor, and shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the mayor.

Klopfenstein left the committees the same as they were last year. He contacted those whose terms had expired and asked them if they wanted to continue to serve in that position. Klopfenstein stated that there is one position left to fill, that of the citizen appointed by the mayor on the Planning Commission Board. The open position was left by Ed Maxwell.

In unfinished business at the end of the meeting, Klopfenstein read a letter of invitation to attend a community appreciation luncheon to be held on Feb. 10, 2016, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the small athletic complex (gym) at Jackson Center Local Schools. The FCCLA wishes to provide a warm meal to all of those who support the town in the many ways that they do; and feel that personnel in Jackson Center often go unnoticed for the time and effort that they put into not only the schooling system, but the village. The Jackson Center FCCLA, FFA, FCA and foods classes are preparing the meal for those in and around our community in recognition for things that they do for the town.

The next village council meeting will be held Jan. 25, 2016 at 7 p.m.