MINSTER — Bids will be sought for 2020 road programs following approval at the Minster Village Council at their meeting Tuesday night. Also, it was announced that the Ohio Water Environment Association will be in town in March to discuss village water treatment.

Council agreed to move forward in seeking bids for the estimated $230,069 2020 Minor Street Resurfacing Program. The streets the project would cover are 3rd Street from Main to Paris, 5th Street from Main to Garfield, and Bensman Road from St Rt 66 to the east corporation line.

In his report to Council, Village Administrator Don Harrod announced the Northwest Section of the Ohio Water Environment Association will be hosting their quarterly meeting in the village of Minster on March 18.

Harrod said the group will be touring both the village’s Waste Water Treatment Plant and Dannon’s pre-treatment plant as well as having technical training during a number of different sessions during the day. He added this will be the first time the village has hosted an event of this type.

The Ohio Water Environment Association is a non-profit, wastewater related organization with over 2000 members dedicated to the education, preservation, and enhancement of water supplies.

Harrod also said plans have been submitted into the Ohio EPA for a permit to install a water line which will serve the properties on Minster-Fort Recovery Road just west of the pattern shop. He said they expect to receive the PTI from the Ohio EPA in the next few weeks and will begin making plans to install the water line.

Also, the village administrator said representatives from McGrath Consulting will be back in the village the week of March 17 to continue a study of the feasibility of combining the Minster and New Bremen emergency services. They will be meeting with fire departments from both villages to gather additional information on their operations. He said it is their goal to have a draft report to review by the end of April.

Arrangements are being made with Liquid Engineering to come to the village and complete cleaning and inspection of the interior of both of the elevated water tanks. He said this is a procedure done every four years.

Also, Harrod reported that once weather permits, crews from the Public Works Department will begin cutting in the alley south of Fourth street between Paris Street and Webster Street, laying down a gravel surface.

Finally, he said Renoysis, the firm that is replacing the pool liner, said they should be in the village sometime later this month to begin removing the existing liner. Once the old liner has been removed and the weather warms up, they will then be back and install the new liner. The work is expected to be done by pool season this summer.

In other action, Council agreed to a motion to purchase a 2020 Ford F-150 truck from the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program for $28,733.

Also, final approval was given of the garbage rates for the next five years. The rates will be $15 per month in 2020, $15.75 in 2021, $16.07 in 2022, $16.54 in 2023 and $17.03 in 2024.

Before the vote, Minster resident Peggy Bensman asked the council why they had not approved a bag collection method rather than unlimited trash collection. She felt the unlimited trash option would not encourage people to recycle nor be more judicious about trash disposal. Council explained to her that the majority of residents polled said they preferred the unlimited option which includes large pieces of refuse such as furniture and appliances.

Harrod did remind the group that the Energy Smart program can offer $50 for functioning refrigerators and that the group can come and pick the appliance up. The Energy Smart link can be found at the village web site.

Council adjourned to executive session. No action was taken when they reconvened.