Fort Recovery plans to renew deal

FORT RECOVERY — Streetlights in the village will continue to glow in the coming years.
Fort Recovery Village Council discussed Monday night a five-year contract with Miami Valley Lighting to provide energy and maintenance to 78 of the village’s overhead streetlights. It also approved on first reading an ordinance prohibiting truck traffic on a portion of Fort Site Street.
The village has been replacing the company’s lights with its own during various street projects, but Miami Valley still controls more than 70 streetlights while Fort Recovery maintains 172 of its own.
The contract will take effect Jan. 1 and sets no penalties or commitment amount for how many lights the village uses — a usual obligation in such contracts — and will allow the village to be in charge of taking them down when they are replaced.
An ordinance will be written for the agreement to be approved at the council’s next meeting Sept. 15.
In other business, the council approved on first reading an ordinance prohibiting truck traffic and parking on Fort Site Street, which runs between Ohio 49 to Ohio 119.
Village administrator Randy Diller told council members he’s received mixed feedback from local businesses about the ban.
The north end of the route isn’t bad, said Diller. It’s the south end that he’s worried about.
“What most people don’t realize is that street has a 22 and a half foot right of way,” said Diller. “You can’t drive a truck down that hardly and pass anybody.”
While he stood behind the ordinance, he asked council to pass it on first reading instead of emergency so he’d have another week to finish conversations and gather more feedback on the issue.
The legislation will go on to second reading at the council’s next meeting.
In other business, the council, including members Rod Thobe, Cliff Wendel, Dave Garman, Dave Kaup and Dave Bretz, absent Al Post:
•Heard an update about utility aggregation for the village. Fort Recovery accepted a bid of 5.99 cents per kilowatt-hour from AEP Energy for electric on a three-year contract. Letters will be sent to residents Sept. 22 for those who wish to opt-out of the program, with an end date of Oct. 13 in which to respond.
The village hasn’t received a bid on gas but will continue to look while electric is provided through the program.