Village to set aside surcharge funds

FORT RECOVERY — The village will be setting aside more funding each year for future projects.

Fort Recovery Village Council agreed to begin putting 100% of income from industrial surcharges into a surplus fund for village improvements Monday. Previously it allocated 20% of those monies into the fund and used the rest for operating expenses.

Per the industrial surcharge ordinance, village administrator Randy Diller explained, the village tests the amount of waste each industry produces. If over a certain limit, the industry pays a surcharge fee to treat the additional waste.

Diller said it was not a lot of funding to set aside. (He said last year’s total was about $3,600.) He noted the village can afford to save the extra money at the moment and does not need it for operating expenses.

Also Monday, council approved updates to the sidewalk maintenance policy on its final reading. (Changes are mainly for clarity.) It will take effect in 30 days, and construction for removing trip hazards along sidewalks will begin in 2022 on the west side of the village.

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

•Heard advertising bids for the 13 acres of farmable ground just south of the village lagoons has been published, with the bid opening scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 7. The five-year lease will begin Jan. 1, 2022. Mitch Hemmelgarn has farmed the plot for the last 15 to 20 years.

•Tabled resolutions to transfer $67,774 from the loan reserve fund to the sewer user fund and $3,000 from the loan reserve fund to the sewer revenue fund. (The village must get authorization from Mercer County officials before doing the transfers.)

•Heard from Diller the department heads will be doing a five-year review of the mitigation plan Wednesday with Mike Robbins from Mercer County Emergency Management Agency.