LORI CUNARD
March 27, 2022
Meeting Minutes (3-1-21)
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
MARCH 1, 2021
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield met in RegularSession on March 1, 2021.
I. Roll Call:
Present: Council Members Dale English, Tom Kirkland, Anthony McDaniel, Jamie Hill, Carol Hehr, and Ray Hughes. Fiscal Officer, Dustin Kirkland, Mayor Mike Ricer, Solicitor Bill Frank, and Administrator Kevin Brooks.
II. Pending Meeting Minutes Approval:
Jamie Hill made the motion to accept the February 15, 2021 meeting minutes. Dale English second. Ray Hughes and Anthony McDaniel abstain. Motion passed 4-0.
III. Registered Visitors/Guests:
Corey Jones: Chief Jones would like to request the motion to hire Officer Dawson Weekley as a part-time officer for the Police Department. He will be on a call-in basis, up to 30 hrs. per week, but not guaranteed 30 hrs. per week. Due to an increase in activity of Gas and oil traffic and bar’s re-opening in the Village another Officer would be of great help. Chief Jones asked how Council would feel about scheduling Officer Weekley on Friday and Saturday evenings or one or the other. Council agreed to this since normally the Village only has one Officer working on evening shift. The starting hourly pay rate would be $14.94. Anthony McDaniel made the motion to hire Officer Dawson Weekley as a part-time Police Officer for the Village of Woodsfield. Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0. Chief Jones also Thanked Council for approving the purchase of the new cruiser’s for the Police Department. He stated that all of the Officers are very appreciative of the new cruiser’s.
IV. Old Business:
None
V. Village Administrator Report:
Kevin Brooks asked if a decision had been made for the AMP Power Purchase Agreement. Tom Kirkland made the motion to pass Ordinance 1292-2021: To Authorize Execution of the Fixed Volume Energy Supply Schedule (2023-2027) with AMP by its first reading, Dale English second. Motion passed 6-0. Ray Hughes made the motion to suspend the rules and pass the Ordinance by its second reading as an emergency, Jamie Hill second. Motion passed 6-0. Anthony McDaniel made the motion to suspend the rules and pass the Ordinance by its third reading as an emergency, Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0. Ordinance 1292-2021 enacted.
Kevin Brooks stated that he was in touch with Tom Coyle with the Efficiency Smart Program. He asked him if he could clarify the benefits out-weighing the costs of the Program. Kevin is waiting on documentation to show the savings that is anticipated for both residential and business customers. When Kevin receives the documentation he will forward directly to Council members so a decision can be made later on regarding this Program.
Brooks stated that in Council packet is the Power Cost Adjustment Computation, there is no change for the next 6 months.
Also enclosed in the packet is a notification of a Community fund raiser by Gods Confident Sons & Daughters. The fund raiser will be held on March 20th from Noon to 4 p.m.
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
MARCH 1, 2021
Kevin Brooks said he has received a Letter of Retirement from Sherman Pyles. He is notifying Village Council that he is retiring as of June 1, 2021. Kevin would like the motion to accept theretirement of Sherman Pyles as of June 1st.Tom Kirkland made the motion to accept the retirement of Sherman Pyles as of June 1, 2021. Ray Hughes second. Motion passed 6-0.
Kevin Brooks then brought up the building fund. As Council is aware, the Village received a bonus check from Gulfport that was deposited into the Village account. He was in touch with Brianne from the Auditors office and she said that once the money is deposited we then can allocate it to a certain fund. Brooks would like Council to instruct the Fiscal Officer to create a new building fund to allocate the bonus and production royalties into it for the purpose of the construction of the new municipal building. This had been discussed at previous meetings. Dale English made the motion for the Fiscal Officer to create a new building fund to allocate all Gulfport bonus and production royalties into which will be earmarked for the construction of the new Municipal Building. Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0.
Brooks included in the packet a Schedule for FEMA. Included on the schedule is Wolfpen and Poplar projects. These should be started very soon.
Kevin Brooks wanted Council to know that there is one change for the revised Planning and Zoning Code. He is just adding a chart, which is the same one in the original version of the Planning and Zoning Code. The chart is established set backs of property lines; front yards, sides, and rear. This will just be an insert added to the Planning and Zoning Code. Ray Hughes spoke up and said that the reason that was left out was so if an existing home had a fire and was destroyed that the homeowner could re-build on the existing foundation or location. Kevin Brooks said that the Planning and Zoning Code has the mechanism for an appeal process if standards are not met but we need to make sure there are no buildings built on property lines or utilities.
Kevin is passing around to Council Thank you notes that were received by the Health Department. The Village has been helping them out for the vaccination clinics.
Brooks requested Executive Session for Personnel, will be no action taken.
Fiscal Officer Report:
Dustin Kirkland stated that year-end is complete and all the state filings have been done. The audit is set to start within the first few weeks of March.
Dustin said he has completed the budget and the budget meeting took place last Wednesday, February 24th. He was instructed to have Misty take a look at the budget so he sent her all the documentation and she sent back some questions on some of the funds. He made some adjustments and printed the amended budget for each Council member. One amendment was for the allocation set aside for the purchase of a new truck for the Street Department. This allocation was moved from General Fund to Street-Capital Outlay Fund. The second amendment was Cemetery Fund which he had budgeted for 2 new Cub Cadets but there will only be 1 purchased for Cemetery and the other will be purchased for Park so the funds were moved to Park Fund. The third was Property Maintenance Fund, Water Improvement Fund, Emergency Fund, and Sewer-Short-Lived Assets Fund, Dustin will be allocating more of the funds now at the beginning of the year to have them more available rather than do a Resolution if funds are needed later in the year. Dustin asked for approval of the numbers he has on the budget by Council. Kevin Brooks spoke up and said that he feels more review needs to be done on the budget with a lot more changes, he would like to table this for now. He said
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
MARCH 1, 2021
that a special meeting can be scheduled to approve the budget if it is ready before next Council meeting.
Dustin stated that Nikki Lude had sent him portfolios of the Brague Fund. She is suggesting that the money be moved to a less risky portfolio since we are not drawing from these funds but it will still increase in value. Dustin is asking for a motion to accept the changes to the Brague Fund portfolio as suggested by Nikki Lude. Jamie Hill made the motion to accept the restructuring of the Brague Fund to a less risky portfolio as suggested by Nikki Lude. CarolHehr second. Motion passed 6-0.
VII. Committee Chair/Council Reports:
Dale English – Nothing to report
Tom Kirkland – Nothing to report
Anthony McDaniel – Nothing to report
Jamie Hill – Nothing to report
Carol Hehr – Nothing to report
Ray Hughes – Nothing to report
VIII. Solicitor Report:
Bill Frank stated that item 1 in his report is a request for response to ORC to move forward with affidavit.
Bill Frank stated that item 2 in his report was already taken care of in Kevin Brooks report, the passing of Ordinance 1292-2021.
The 3rd item in Bill Frank’s report is Ordinance 1291-2021. The Ordinance is for the new Planning and Zoning Code. One reading has already been done for this Ordinance and before the second and third reading is done Council had discussed that all amendments need to be completed and in final format.
The last item is the Solicitor’s contract. Bill Frank would like to move the contract dates from January 1, 2021-January 1, 2022 to March 1, 2021-March 1, 2022 due to the budget not being complete. However, Mayor Ricer would rather stay on the calendar year. Kevin Brooks agreed to this also and he has no problem with the Village paying Bill for time he has put in for January and February. Council agreed and said that a legal services invoice should be turned in for the extra time Bill Frank has worked since January 1, 2021.
IX. Mayor Report:
The Mayor asked for a motion to approve the payment of bills. Anthony McDaniel made the motion, Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0
The Mayor asked for a motion to approve the Mayor’s Court Report, February, 2021. Dale English made the motion, Jamie Hill second. Motion passed 6-0.The Mayor reported that the Gaming Licenses are all paid. Lori Cunard will be working with Richie McConnell at the Cemetery the next couple of days helping him to get records in order and the Mayor also gave a report of progress on some of the property clean-up that he has been working on.
Jamie Hill made the motion to enter Executive Session regarding Personnel on discipline. Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0. Executive Session entered at 6:14 p.m.
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
MARCH 1, 2021
Motion was made to return to Regular Session by Anthony McDaniel. Carol Hehr second. Motion passed 6-0. Returned to Regular Session at 7:05 p.m.
The motion was made to allow Kevin Brooks supervisor assistance over Dustin Kirkland with recommendation after 30 day period, April 5, 2021. Motion was made by Anthony McDaniel, Jamie Hill second, Tom Kirkland abstain. Motion passed 5-0.
Dale English asked Bill Frank to remind everyone present about the confidentiality of Executive Session before adjournment which Bill Frank did do.
X. Adjourn:
Council member Dale English made the motion to Adjourn from Session. Carol Hehr second. Tom Kirkland abstain. Motion passed 5-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
ATTEST:
_________________________________ ________________________________
Michael Ricer, Mayor Dustin Kirkland, Clerk of Council