FR signs agreement with Kainos

FORT RECOVERY — The village has signed an agreement with its lagoon treatment supplier.

Moving forward, it will need to come up with a long-term plan.

Fort Recovery Village Council heard about an update to the village’s agreement with Kainos Ag during its meeting Monday.

Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller explained he signed a six-month agreement with the business at $3,995 per month. He noted the company had been set to get about $50,000 per a contract signed nearly a year ago, but the agreement stipulated Kainos Ag would be paid based on how many inches of sludge are reduced from the wastewater lagoons.

Although its product has appeared to improve the lagoons, Diller said, it hasn’t proved a reduction in sludge yet.

The village agreed to work with the company in September 2022. Kainos Ag has been feeding product to the lagoons for about nine months. (Product amount fluctuates depending on the season and weather.) Currently, Kainos Ag puts about two gallons of its product — the organic compound is meant to break down nutrients and convert waste into biodegradable materials — into the lagoons daily. It recently set a price for its product at about $72 per gallon.

Diller noted the company has conducted several tests, which should yield results within the next week.

Testing should provide a base line to compare results in six months.

He added that the village’s contract from last year with Kainos Ag wasn’t meant to last as long as it has, but they haven’t been able to effectively measure the sludge reduction. Kainos Ag hasn’t been paid for its work in Fort Recovery since it started. Diller noted the company recently sent an invoice to the village.

A few council members noted the company’s product has helped with odor coming from the lagoons.

“I personally think that, yeah, what they’ve done (has) definitely made a difference,” added Diller.

He pointed out the village can’t pay the company more than $50,000 per the purchase order.

Diller reminded council members they will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 for a work session with Marvin Gnagy and Rob Shoaf of PMG Consulting to discuss their findings with the water plant study. (As explained by Diller in previous months, the proposal from PMG suggests changing to the ion exchange method or the reverse osmosis method.)

Also Monday, village council agreed to move forward with installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Elm and Butler streets. Diller noted engineering for the work should be completed soon, with the project going up for bid in the next month. Delivery for the device is expected to take nearly a year.

Council members Greg Schmitz, Scott Pearson, Al Post, Luke Knapke, Erik Fiely and Wendel also:

•Learned gas supplier Dominion Energy Ohio has sent a letter informing the village its rates have increased. A resident utilizing the basic service, noted Diller, will see a $13 increase (16.8%).

•Heard overlay and drainage work on the driveway at Fort Site Park will be completed sometime in the next few months.