Fort Recovery to add an officer

Fort Recovery will get another police officer in the spring.
At its meeting Monday evening Fort Recovery Village Council approved hiring Bill Westgerdes as a part-time officer. He is expected to start in April after retiring from the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, where he is a lieutenant.
The department has had an open part-time position for years, Laux said. By filling it, the department will be able to have someone on the clock more often.
“The more hours we can cover, the more crime we can possibly prevent,” police chief Jared Laux said. “That’s the whole idea of patrolling, You never know how much crime you’re stopping by doing active patrolling.”
Westgerdes’ strengths include being familiar with the village and not needing training, Laux said.
Council will determine pay and number of hours per week at a later meeting.
Dave Bretz voted against hiring Westgerdes, saying while he had no doubts about Westgerdes’ abilities, he has heard from residents who do not feel another officer is necessary.
In other business, council members Dave Garman, Scott Pearson, Allen Post, Cliff Wendel and Bretz:
•Heard from village solicitor and grants administrator Erin Minor that the Mercer County Commissioners approved 2-1 Fort Recovery’s petition to annex part of Gibson Township, with Jerry Laffin and Rick Muhlenkamp voting for it and Greg Homan voting against it.
Gibson Township or affected property owners have until Jan. 30 to appeal the decision. If no appeal is filed, the annexation could be effective by early April, Minor said.
•Learned Minor is applying for an equipment grant for self-contained breathing apparatus for the Southwest Mercer Fire District.
•Decided Williams Street should be the village’s 2016 street reconstruction project.
•Heard from village administrator Randy Diller the wastewater treatment plant will proceed with getting curtains for its sewage lagoons. The curtains will direct flow so wastewater passes through the entire lagoon instead of taking a direct path from the entrance to exit.
•Agreed to wait until the Jan. 18 meeting to select someone to fill the open seat on council.
•Selected Bretz as village council president.
•Approved appointments made by Kaup: Park Board — Tom Staugler; Zoning Board — Pearson; Planning Commission — Pearson; Design Review Board — Ken Romer, Jill Andrews and Wendel; Tree Commission — Ron Koppelman and Garman (advisory member); and Income Tax Review Board — Pat Wendel, Angie McAbee and Tom Remaklus.
Council’s finance committee will be Bretz, Garman and Post. Its research committee will be Wendel, Pearson and the newcomer selected to fill the vacant seat.
•Approved Garman as Diller’s appointment to the Income Tax Review Board.
•Passed the annual resolution that allows the village to sell unwanted municipal property in online auctions.