More FR streets to be paved

Fort Recovery will tackle another round of street maintenance next year.
Village administrator Randy Diller presented a draft of 2016 appropriations, including those for paving and street reconstruction, to Fort Recovery Village Council on Monday night.
The meeting was the last for village solicitor Dave Bruns, council president Rod Thobe and Mayor Roger Broerman. Thobe and Broerman are retiring at the end of the month, while Erin Minor will begin working full-time in place of Bruns as the village’s lawyer and grants administrator.
While changes to the plan are expected, Diller said, the draft appropriates $75,000 to asphalt overlays and $250,000 to street reconstruction.
John Street and “some of those peripheral streets right off of John Street” are up for paving, Diller said, while a reconstruction project hasn’t been chosen. Williams, South Main, West Wiggs and Gwendolyn streets are possibilities, but they will not all be done in one year.
“My recommendation is Williams Street just because of the use it gets along the school going back to the football field,” Diller said.
Other major proposed appropriations include $185,000 to extend utilities along Sharpsburg Road, if the village is allowed to annex land in the area; $135,000 to install curtains to improve flow in the wastewater treatment lagoon; $100,000 for a lime sludge dewatering system at the wastewater treatment plant; $40,000 for renovations to the restrooms at Community Park and $35,000 for street light replacements.
Final amounts will be approved early in 2016.
At the end of the meeting, Bruns, Thobe and Broerman were presented with plaques and thanked for their service to the village.
Diller noted Bruns came on as village solicitor at the same time as he became village administrator on Jan. 1, 1995.
“It’s been a good 21 years,” Diller said. “Certainly we want to recognize and give you our sincere appreciation for what you’ve done. We’ve went through a lot of changes, a lot of growth in that time and you helped us along the way.”
Also around for all of Diller’s first 21 years has been Thobe, who is retiring after nearly 36 years on council.
“Your commitment and leadership will be evident for many years with the improvements and guidance provided during your decades of service to the Fort Recovery community,” Diller said, reading from the plaque’s inscription.
After four years on council and 12 years as mayor, Broerman is also retiring.
“The one thing about Roger is nobody can doubt his passion for Fort Recovery. That’s where his legacy will be, that nobody cares more about what’s going on in Fort Recovery than Roger,” Diller said.
In other business, council members Dave Bretz, Dave Garman, Al Post, Cliff Wendel and Thobe, absent Dave Kaup:
•Heard from Minor that the Mercer County Commissioners have not made a decision on the village’s annexation request. She expects it next week.
•Were reminded by Diller they will interview four candidates Jan. 4 for the seat Thobe’s retirement leaves open.
•Learned from police chief Jared Laux that while his department’s speed trailer is displaying accurate speeds to drivers who pass it, but the sensor that is supposed to record the data isn’t working. He expects a replacement this week.