MINSTER – A new council member was named at the July 6 Minster Village Council meeting.
Craig Sherman will be filling the vacated seat of Paul Enneking who relocated to take a job outside the village. Sherman will serve the unfinished term, ending on Dec. 31, 2021. At that point he can choose to run for the seat. Village Administrator Don Harrod said Sherman, with his business background, seemed the most suitable candidate among the four people interviewed.
Additionally, Jacob Wuebker, representing the Minster Alumni Tournament, received council permission to use Four Seasons Park for their annual alumni softball tourney the second weekend of August. Council also gave permission for the group to host beer sales.
Police Chief David Friend introduced new part-time police officer Parker Maurer to council. Maurer, a recent graduate from the Wright State University Lake Campus Police Academy, will be paid $16.50 per hour.
The Fire and EMS 3 mill-3 year levy renewal is expected will go on the November 2021 ballot, once the Auglaize County Auditor calculates the expected income from the levy. In Minster the expected amount raised would be $289,000. Jackson Township and the village of New Bremen have similar resolutions. The Council Safety committee reported they will be developing signs and brochures supporting the levy renewal.
The Public Works Department will be allowed to purchase a new $83,822 Ford 550 dump truck following approval by council. This replaces an older truck.
Council also approved the St. Marys income tax report for June, which amounted to $520,694.12. The year to date total is $2,531,326.30, which the village administrator said is almost $550,000 higher than last year at the same time.
During his report to council, Harrod said the village successfully showed its ability to cope with a power emergency. He said on June 24, the village participated in CPower’s one-hour-long demand response test. Harrod said they were able to reduce power demand by operating two of the village generators (one at the administration building and one at the well field). Harrod said the village will receive approximately $5,000 for being able to reduce their load in either the yearly test or a power emergency.
The village administrator also said Public Works Department crews fixed a collapsed sanitary sewer line between Bud’s and Wagner’s IGA last week . Harrod also said the Ohio Street water tower has been repaired, chlorinated and been put back into operation.
He said the proper-sized diving boards have been installed at the pool and it is planned to put down the rubberized surface under Four Seasons Park playground equipment once they have a string of several days of dry weather.
Finally, June receipts for the village were $1,962,466.65 and invoices were $1,045,088.92.
