NEW BREMEN – At their meeting Monday night, New Bremen Council moved forward plans for a new auto service center and new baseball signs.
A proposed Platinum Auto Service Center in the village’s Bunker Hill Industrial Park was one step closer with the first reading of an ordinance to allow Platinum to change the setback on the lot from 75 feet to 55 feet. This change was requested to allow more room at the back of the lot for vehicle service, said Village Administrator Brent Richter. He added that approval of the entire construction plan still needed to come from the Community Improvement Commission.
Council also had a second reading of a resolution to accept the donation of signs commemorating two New Bremen natives who were part of professional baseball history in the early 1900’s. The signs are being donated by Jay McCollum on behalf of the families of Theodore W. Guese and Albert Huenke, who played both professional and semi-professional baseball.
Richter updated the group on the upcoming $1.5 million Jefferson Street reconstruction project, located between state Route 274 and the municipal pool. In preparation, he said they are working on drive approaches in the project area, and in mid-May the contractor expected to begin the work to replace the entire infrastructure of the street, from the utility services lines to new sidewalks, gutters, and curbs and street surface. Work is expected to be done by October 2022. He reminded council the stretch of Jefferson between the pool and Klee will simply be resurfaced.
There was a brief discussion of adding another pedestrian crossing on state Route 66 at Second Street. Mayor Bob Parker reported that council member Jessica Lomakin (who was unable to attend the Monday meeting) had been contacted by some residents about their interest in adding another crossing in addition to the current one at state Route 66 and First Street. Although no action was taken, police chief Mike Skinner said the Second Street-state Route 66 intersection was much more accident prone.
Financial committee chair Jacob Larger reported that the village’s February receipts were $1,316,191.70 and March expenses were $888,111.41. Parker said fines, fees and forfeitures for January were $522 and in February were $1,210.
In other action, council heard a first reading of an ordinance adding a clothing policy amendment to the employee handbook. They also heard second readings on ordinances to purchase health insurance for village employees that covers a period from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023, and to adopt the ordinances and codes for the village, which are entitled American Legal Publishing Ohio Basic Code. Finally, the group approved a third and final reading of an ordinance correcting the spelling on a street sign. The sign now reads Streine Street.
