FR to seek Safe Routes

Plans are in the works to apply for grant dollars to make students’ daily school transportation safer.

Fort Recovery Village Council heard Monday about plans to apply for Safe Routes to School Funding with Fort Recovery Local Schools for street work. Formal legislation on the matter will be presented at council’s next meeting Feb. 19. (The application is due at the beginning of March.)

To be eligible for Safe Routes to School Funding through Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), communities must develop School Travel Plans or Active Transportation Plans. The plans outline a community’s “intentions for enabling students to engage in active transportation (i.e. walking or bicycling) as they travel to and from school,” according to ODOT’s website.

Fort Recovery created its School Transportation Plan in July after a nine-month planning process. It started with a team of school, community, local government, health, public safety and other representatives. The plan identifies several construction projects and new programs as goals for increasing safe pedestrian and bike travel to school.

Diller noted plans discussed at a committee meeting last week, which included the recommendation to improve safety measures at the intersection of Elm and Center streets. (The total cost is anticipated at $60,000, with the school and village splitting the cost. The work — it involves installing flashing beacons and enhancing crosswalks — would be conducted separately from the grant.)

If approved, plans are apply for a grant for several infrastructure projects, including: building a crosswalk in front of Fort Recovery High School along First Street, improving visibility of markings at the five-point intersection of Butler, Boundary, William and Third streets, and constructing a sidewalk from Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School to Sharpsburg Road to match with the upcoming sidewalk project for the front of the school.

If awarded — Diller pointed out the whole process will likely take two to three years — the infrastructure projects would be 100% covered by the grant.

Fort Recovery Local Schools is also submitting a grant application to start programs encouraging students to walk and bike to school, noted Diller.

In other business, council members Luke Knapke, Erik Fiely, Greg Schmitz, Al Post and Scott Pearson, absent Cliff Wendel:

•Heard Mayor Dave Kaup will be organizing a meeting with state officials regarding increases in property tax. Diller noted the problem is in the way the system is set up, pointing to assessed value jumping by 40% to 50%. Kaup added that property taxes for adjoining parcels currently aren’t matching up. The meeting, which will be open to the public, will be held in March. More details will be available on the village’s website and social media closer to the date.

•Learned a company has offered an alternative solution to the village’s issues with meeting Environmental Protection Agency standards with testing at its wastewater lagoons. (Discussion has previously centered on the need for a mechanical plant.) The firm’s proposed $1 to 2 million dollar solution, noted Diller, would meet Environmental Protection Agency testing requirements for ammonia, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and other elements present in the water.

•OK’d a request from Psi Iota Xi to close the brick portion of Wayne Street from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27 for the annual Brick Street Market.

•Were informed reconstruction of portions of Gwendolyn and Wiggs streets will begin with utility work this month. PAB Construction of Coldwater should be finished with the project by May.

•Heard Fort Recovery Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual awards banquet at 6 p.m. March 10 in the auditeria at Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School. Tickets are $15 each, and the reservation deadline is March 1.

•Met David Penno, a Republican running in the May primary for a Mercer County Commissioner seat.