FR will see rate increases

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FORT RECOVERY — Water and sewer rates will go up April 1.

Fort Recovery Village Council on Monday finalized plans for gradual rate increases, beginning next month and continuing through 2022, as they approved new ordinances on third and final reading.

Also Monday, village administrator Randy Diller provided council with updates on a series of local projects.

Following council’s vote Monday, sewer rates will go up 6.7 percent and water rates will go up 5.7 percent April 1 to $8 and $18.50 per month, respectively. Overall, both rates are slated to increase by 20 percent by 2021. (Rates are based on the first 2,000 gallons of water used and are also dependent on the diameter of the service line.)

The new ordinances call for 50-cent sewer rate increases again in 2019 and 2021 while water rates will go up $1 in 2019 and $1.50 in 2021. There will also be a 50-cent increase to the sewer improve fund rate — to $1.50 per month from the current $1 — in 2021 in addition to setting new water rates for a utility deposit for the mobile home part at $75, the shut off/turn on fee at $20 and the minimum fee for bulk water at $20.

Diller suggested the increases in February, noting that both rates have been frozen since 2010 and that the village needs to bring in more money to keep up with increasing costs.

Diller also updated council members Dave Bretz, Scott Pearson, Dave Garman, Al Post, Erik Fiely and Cliff Wendel on a series of projects, including the purchase of signs for the recreational trail at Community Park. Designs have been finalized and signs were ordered Monday.

Also for Community Park, plans for tennis/basketball courts are being finalized with a goal of going to bid soon and expression swings have been delivered.

Sewer lines have been installed along the newly annexed portion of Sharpsburg Road and water lines are slated for this week, field work is complete for a similar project in an area that is being annexed on First Street near Wabash Road and plans to pave and widen William Street are nearing completion.

In other business, council:

•Heard from police chief Jared Laux that the department’s new stun guns came in. He and is staff will be trained Wednesday before putting the new equipment into use.

•Extended three enterprise zone agreements with J&M Manufacturing for another year on the recommendation of tax incentive review council.

•Approved a request to close the brick area of Wayne Street the evening of June 14 for Taste of Fort Recovery, which will become the kickoff to the village’s Jubilee. The event this year will include a beer and wine tasting.

•Heard Bretz, who ran the meeting in Mayor Dave Kaup’s absence, ask about damage to bricks on Wayne Street, indicating he feels the village should put more pressure of supplier Reading Rock for compensation. Diller said he is in agreement and that he and village employees will assess the street as the weather improves.