NEW BREMEN – The New Bremen council learned at their Monday night meeting that the new leaf collection machinery had arrived and sludge removal work had begun. In addition, plans moved forward in preparation for a new subdivision.
Village administrator Brent Richter said that training for the Xtreme Vac Freightliner M-2 106 Dual Chassis leaf collection unit had been done this week. The cost for the unit was $195,000 with the trade-in of their 1993 model. Malfunctions with the old model had compelled the village to request the use of Minster leaf collection in the fall of 2021.
Richter reported the contractor Synagrow Central had begun a $572,200 project to dredge out 580 tons of dry sludge from the village’s wastewater treatment ponds. The project will help meet the EPA’s limits for unacceptable level of toxic metals in its outflow. He said the contractor has until Jan. 2, 2023 to finish.
Council approved a resolution to apply for an Ohio Public Works grant to rebuild sections of Plum Street, (between Walnut and Eastmoor), Eastmoor Drive, and Park Street. Richter said the timeline would be submission of the application in October, a notification of the award in May and work possibly beginning in July, 2023. He said no dollar amount attached to the grant application at this time. The village administrator said the project was being set up because of pending development of a new subdivision in the location.
In related news, the mayor said an Aug. 25 planning commission meeting had been set up to approve the plan for the new subdivision at Plum on former school property. Crown Equipment, the developer of the project, obtained the property in a land swap with the school. The mayor said the lots were anticipated to be approximately one-third of an acre and the homes be similar to the subdivision along Front Street. The new 21 lot residential subdivision is bordered by Plum Street, Park Street and Eastmoor Drive in the village.
In other action, council approved an ordinance to vacate a section of Kuenning Street running east and west from Franklin Street to an alley at the east line of lots six and seven in the Highland subdivision. The village administrator said there were no village utilities in the area.
Council also approved a third and final reading accepting a low bid from Maharg Trash Services of Celina for a three year trash removal contract. The cost of the bags will be $1.65, an increase by 10 cents over the course of the contract.
The mayor said July income from fines, fees and forfeitures amounted to $2786.
