FR awards 11 grants

FORT RECOVERY — Eleven businesses have been awarded grants. Three more may soon be added to the list.

Village administrator Randy Diller announced the grants at Monday’s Fort Recovery Village Council meeting.

Each of the 11 businesses will receive $5,000. Another $10,000 will likely be divided between three other businesses still finishing documentation.

Businesses selected include: Simple Touch Home Décor LLC, Be You Boutique, Brick Street Tavern LLC, Forget Me Not Florist / Purple Post, Fort Recovery Radio, Hastings Auto Sales Inc., Jeneration Fitness, Kelli’s Shoes, Lifestyles LLC, Nature’s Corner by Patricia LLC and Ted Homan Auto Repair LLC.

The village has about $45,000 more to spend on coronavirus-related expenses. Diller expects near half — about $15,000 to $20,000 — to go toward cleaning supplies and park and pool personnel. Roughly $25,000 to $30,000 will go back into the general fund for safety personnel, he added.

Fort Recovery Public Library had initially been on the list to receive some of the CARES Act funding, but it decided to apply for specific library COVID-19 grants instead.

Village council created the Small Business Relief Grant Program in September after the village received an influx of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds from the state. The grant offered Fort Recovery businesses help with expenses incurred because of COVID-19. It was available to businesses that: had a loss in revenue from 2019 to 2020, employed less than 50 full-time workers, had less than $2 million in annual revenues and were current on all real estate and tax payments while being in good standing with the Fort Recovery tax department.

Businesses were able to apply for up to $5,000, although each applicant had to prove they lost the requested amount because of the ongoing pandemic.

Also Monday, Diller said village hall may soon get a new generator. Discussion about installing a generator at the building has been ongoing for a while, even before COVID-19 hit the country, he noted.

It will cost about $8,600 to purchase and install. The cost also includes the first few years of maintenance. The generator would help in emergency situations such as floods, he explained. Village hall is the headquarters during such natural disasters, so it makes sense to have a back-up option in those situations, Diller said.

“It’s hard for us to operate if we don’t have computers,” he added.

Diller then asked council members for their opinion on the purchase.

“Isn’t this (building) in the flood zone?” asked council member Cliff Wendel.

The flood zone only reaches the back corner of the building, Diller explained.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” council member Eric Fiely said. “Like you said, everything’s on computer now.”

Mayor Dave Kaup asked if the facility would need to upgrade electric panels, but Diller noted the village wired its panel for a generator hookup.

Council member Scott Pearson said he wasn’t 100% for the idea, and he suggested the village purchase a mobile generator. Diller said the village has a mobile generator for the water plant — “a backup to the backup” — and it cost about $30,000 about 15 years ago. He didn’t know what a similar generator for the village would cost.

Diller noted he did not need council members’ approval for the purchase, but he wanted to hear their thoughts. He said the village will likely begin the process to buy a generator in the next few weeks.

Diller also shared other village updates. All funds have been raised to install the Monument Park lighting, he said, and he is hoping to get the final estimate for all the work this week. Monument Park will be receiving new LEDs that will reduce park lighting costs by $700 or $800.

The village’s planning commission met Oct. 28 to review potential changes to the zoning ordinance. Another meeting will be held in a few weeks to continue the discussion, Diller said.

A draft of the Fort Recovery mapping for the geographic information system has been received by the village as well. This winter, village workers will review the map and identify areas needing correction or additions and send those changes to Great Lakes Community Action Partnership in the spring. When completed, village workers will have a program that will share exact information about utility systems, including the ability to track maintenance and repair records.

The park board is adding insulation to Fort Recovery Community Park restrooms, Diller added.

He also reminded council members about the Christmas Open House hosted by the Fort Recovery Merchants Association scheduled for Nov. 12 through Nov. 15.