FR council awards Butler project

A construction company has been selected for work along Butler Street.

Fort Recovery Village Council approved a $1.4 million contract Monday with Tom’s Construction of St. Henry for street construction.

Plans are to reconstruct Butler Street between Fort Site and Main streets within the next year. The project calls for an “improved aggregate base and asphalt” to handle heavy truck traffic daily, and the following: improved curbs and sidewalks, replacing the water main pipe, new service taps at adjoining properties including a tap for fire protection at Fort Recovery Morvilius Opera House; and a new traffic signal, pedestrian crossing equipment and fixtures at the intersection of Butler and Wayne streets.

In May, Ohio Public Works Commission awarded the village $499,000 through its Small Government Program grant for the reconstruction work.

M&T Excavating of Bradford and Shinn Brothers of Celina also submitted bids for the project estimated at just north of $1.6 million. Village administrator Randy Diller noted Tom’s Construction offered the lowest bid, which came in at $1,433,997.

Property owners along Butler Street were invited to attend an informational meeting shortly before council’s meeting Monday to ask questions and address concerns about the project.

Village administrator Randy Diller said construction is slated to be complete by September 2025, although he anticipates it should wrap up in the summer.

Also Monday, council learned about plans for Cooper Farms to expand its east mill located along Railroad Street. Fort Recovery Zoning Board approved a variance request Sept. 11 for the project, which calls for an additional three grain bins and a grain dump building. Diller explained the company will be re-routing traffic in the area. He talked about Cooper Farms acquiring an encroachment easement from the village for the feed load-out area, which has been on the property for more than 20 years and encroaches on the right-of-way of Railroad Street.

Also, Diller noted plans for annexing four properties along Wayne Street. They include a portion of Wendel Poultry, Miracle Lanes, Mercer Health Medical Group at Fort Recovery and a lot owned by Fred Westgerdes. He explained legislation for the matter is forthcoming.

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

•Approved an annual resolution authorizing village officials to authorize Mercer Savings Bank and St. Henry Bank as depositories for the village.

•Heard from police chief Jared Laux that his department’s new 2025 Dodge Durango Pursuit has been delivered. Its final cost — the village approved its purchase Sept. 3 — came in at $45,044. Plans are to decommission the village’s 2015 Dodge Charger for $880 at KE Rose of Huber Heights and sell it.

•Were informed Fort Recovery Police Department bought redaction software for its body cameras. Laux explained the software is used to blur faces, license plates or other information in videos that would not be legally sharable in the event of a public access request.

•Learned parking lots at Community Park have been resurfaced and concrete work is complete for the upgraded pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Center and Elm streets. Hopes are for the flashing beacon signs to be delivered and installed by the end of September.

•Heard about plans to replace a broken aerator at the wastewater lagoons.