LORI CUNARD
May 22, 2023
Meeting Minutes (4-17-23)
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
April 17, 2023
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield met in Regular Session on April 17, 2023.
I. Roll Call:
Present: Council Members; Dale English, Anthony McDaniel, Leann Harper, Tiffany Ramsay, Matt Schaber, Mayor Carol Hehr, Fiscal Officer Lori Cunard, Village Administrator Kevin Brooks, and Solicitor Ryan Regel (was not in attendance at the time of roll call).
Absent: Council member Tom Kirkland.
II. Pending Meeting Minutes Approval:
Leann Harper made a motion to accept the March 20, 2023 and April 3, 2023 meeting minutes as written. Tiffany Ramsay second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Motion passed 5-0.
III. Registered Visitors/Guest:
Patty Turner, Monroe County Library – Mrs. Turner attended Council meeting on behalf of the Monroe County Library to let Council know that they are in the planning process of the Summer Reading Program. They are doing their own theme this year which is “Celebrate everyday Hero’s”. Mrs. Turner’s main reason for attending was to ask permission to use the parking lot beside the tennis court. They will be kicking off the reading program on June 5th at 11:00 a.m. and they are inviting the Village Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department and Squad, and the Health Department in hopes that they would set up a space in the parking lot. They would like to walk the children down to the parking lot to then visit with the groups of people. Mayor Carol Hehr stated that the parking lot is actually owned by the County, Dale English agreed so Mrs. Turner would need to talk to the County Commissioners.
IV. Old Business:
DORA – Mayor Hehr said that she had some questions regarding DORA that she had sent to Solicitor Ryan Regel. Mayor Hehr said that there are some things on the application such as it stating the application is filed with the Office of the Clerk and she feels it should be changed to Fiscal Office since we don’t have a clerk anymore. Also, she is questioning the boundary map and some of the streets. Village Administrator Kevin Brooks said we do not intend for it to go down into the residential areas. We went further west on St. Rt. 78 because we are not sure we can get the 4 liquor license permits that are required for DORA within the original boundary. As of now there are 4 but one of them is questionable, so we could lose one and then we would have to pick up another which would be BP. He said when looking at the map the DORA boundary is a “T”. The top of the “T” is St. Rt. 78, and the base is Main Street, so we have no intentions of DORA spilling over to residential areas. Mayor Hehr also said the hours stated only says Thursday and Friday and that is not what we had talked about. Kevin Brooks said that the original hours talked about were going to be Thursday – Sunday, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Mayor Hehr had questioned whether we should include Sunday or not at a previous meeting, but we just needed a starting point so Council will still have to decide the days and times. Anthony McDaniel asked how hard it would be to change days or times once the application is submitted and approved, he asked if Sundays could be special permission only. Kevin Brooks said that is really a question for Solicitor Ryan Regel. Leann Harper asked if this was just going to be for special events or every weekend once it is implemented? Kevin Brooks said the application is applying for that time slot every weekend but if we are wanting to dial it back to special events, that would something to talk to Solicitor Ryan Regel about, but Mr. Books thinks we will have a lot of discretion regarding days and times. Matt Schaber asked if the Police Department has concerns about enforcement during the DORA time periods and Kevin Brooks said he has had conversations with Chief Corey Jones and he is not concerned about it. Mr. Brooks feels most people will be respectful and not cause issues, but he said in the beginning it will be more heavily patrolled by the Police Department to let people know that any trouble will not be tolerated. Anthony McDaniel asked if we needed a vote for the application this evening. Kevin Brooks said that everyone needs to go over the application and agree to the application first and then it will require a vote. Solicitor Ryan Regel entered the Council meeting at this time. Matt Schaber asked why the boundary doesn’t cross St. Rt. 78? Mr. Brooks stated that we did not want people crossing a major highway and if
they do cross St. Rt. 78, that puts them on County property at the Courthouse and on the other side of the street is the theater and the events held there at the time DORA was first discussed were not
conducive to alcohol and all of our liquor license are on this side of St. Rt. 78. Kevin Brooks asked Solicitor Ryan Regel if we can change days and times of DORA after the application has been approved and Solicitor Regel said the days and times can be modified but will probably have to go through the process of Council approval. Solicitor Ryan Regel also said the application is a five-year renewal. Mayor Hehr asked Solicitor Regel what he needed from Council to vote on the DORA application. Solicitor Regel replied that once the packet is complete it will be brought before Council but as far as completing the packet a decision will need to be made on cups, location of signs, how many signs, and trash receptacles. We can be as specific as we want, he feels it would be a good idea to put on the map where the trash receptacles are. Certain things are required in the application but for the most part we can create our own. Mayor Hehr has information on the cups that she is going to distribute to Council, she thinks there are some good ideas. Kevin Brooks stated that some trash receptacles have been ordered for the downtown square. Mr. Brooks said the signs would be similar to corporation signs, meaning they would be placed at the boundaries. Solicitor Ryan Regel said that we could just order stickers for cups that would be distributed to the establishments. Kevin Brooks agreed that would be the most cost effective, just get red solo cups and place a sticker on it. Mayor Hehr would like to have all of the information together for the next meeting because we would like to have DORA to be in effect for alumni weekend.
V. Administrator Report:
Kevin Brooks asked Lori Cunard about a Resolution that he had sent out to her, Brenda, and Ryan regarding the EPA loan application which was supposed to be in Council packets. The Resolution was found and was previously approved.
Leann Harper asked for a Shelley and Sands update. Kevin Brooks stated that because of the sidewalks being torn out, some of the businesses are upset but there is no way around it. Shelley and Sands is aware of the issues and are working on it. He said that Shelley and Sands hopes to be done and out of the Village by June 1st. Leann Harper asked if Shelley and Sands could repair the parking lot behind the pool when they move their equipment out. Because of the equipment moving in and out they have made a huge mud hole. Mr. Brooks said he would talk to them and it would be taken care of.
VI. Fiscal Officer Report:
Fiscal Officer Lori Cunard asked that everyone look over the March bank statement and if there are any questions let her know.
The auditors were in today and things went well.
Lori Cunard reported that she will be in Mayor’s Court training on April 26-28 in Columbus.
VII. Committee Chair/Council Reports:
Dale English – Nothing to report.
Tom Kirkland – absent.
Anthony McDaniel – Nothing to report.
Leann Harper – Leann Harper asked about the invoice for Snider Recreation, if it is for the trash receptacles? Mayor Hehr stated it was for trash receptacles, and a piece of exercise equipment and picnic table for the walking trail. Leann Harper asked if the exercise equipment and picnic table were grant money. Mayor Hehr stated that it is grant money, but we have to pay for it first and then we get reimbursed through NatureWorks and the grant is already approved. Leann Harper stated that she thinks the walking trail is very nice, but she is wondering if we should get a counter to monitor how many people are using the walking trail. She is worried it is not being used much. Mayor Hehr said she feels it needs to be promoted more but has not done it yet because of the construction and the future construction at the walking trail due to oil and gas pipeline. She is hoping to talk to Equitrans next week to see when they
will be finishing the repair on the walking trail. Leann Harper feels that before we spend more money on the walking trail, she would like to know how much it is really being used.
Anthony McDaniel asked Leann Harper if she has priced a counter because he agrees that it would be good data to have. Kevin Brooks stated that he also thinks it is a good idea, but he has not priced any as of now. He asked Council if they would like to look into getting a counter. Leann Harper stated again that she just hates to keep spending money if it is being underutilized. Mr. Brooks thinks it would be a good idea to have one in case we want to do more development at the walking trail area, and he doesn’t think a counter would be that costly. This will be the first summer since the walking trail has been completed with the exercise equipment so we should get a good idea of how much it will get used. Mayor Hehr stated that the Village owns over 100 acres up at the walking trail so it can be extended and there is a lot of potential there. Currently, Mayor Hehr said there are no bikes allowed on the walking trail, but Leann Harper suggested having certain days of the week to allow bikes. Anthony McDaniel asked if we own 100 acres why can’t we extend outside the walking trail for bikes? Mr. Brooks said there definitely is a lot of potential to put something there that Woodsfield doesn’t already have. Anthony McDaniel asked if someone could price the counters? Kevin Brooks said he would check into the price of counters and let Council know. Mayor Hehr also stated that the intention was to have the walking trail go down the hill to the school. Kevin Brooks, however, does not think the Village owns the property behind the elementary school to the walking trail. There is a gravel trail on the property that goes from the school to the main walking trail that the school has not maintained. Mayor Hehr disagrees, she thinks the Village does own the property.
Tiffany Ramsay – Tiffany Ramsay said she has agreed to be on Mayor Hehr’s event planning committee. There is a meeting on April 27th @ 5:30 p.m. at the City Building. It is open to the public and they are still looking for more members.
Mayor Hehr said she has been seeing people posting things on Facebook regarding the planning of events in the Village. Mayor Hehr said she is glad to see people planning special events, but they do need to come to Council to get permission.
Mayor Hehr asked about getting the dumpsters for clean-up in the Village as we have done in the last few years. Kevin Brooks said he was looking at bringing them in the first week of June, but he does not have a specific date yet. Mayor Hehr said when advertising the clean-up week, we need to include that for senior citizens or disabled we will pick up from the sidewalk if they have their stuff sitting out.
Tiffany Ramsay asked about the Farmers Market and the possibility of changing the day. Mayor Hehr explained that she suggested changing the day because the Health Department and senior citizens Farmers Market is on Wednesday and certain vendors would go to them and not the Village Farmers Market on Thursday. Kevin Brooks stated that we have about 6 other vendors that prefer Thursdays, so he hates to change the day. Mr. Brooks’ opinion is that the senior center Farmers Market will have a big reduction in participation because of where they are moving it to. Leann Harper asked if Farmer’s Market would be starting the first Thursday in May, Mr. Brooks replied that it would be. Mayor Hehr said she would check with the senior center about changing their Farmers Market to Thursday’s.
Matt Schaber – Nothing to report.
VIII: Solicitor’s Report:
Solicitor Ryan Regel did ask the previous Solicitor if he has the contract that has been in question, he said he would check but he highly doubts he has it.
Leann Harper asked if we should make the decisions needed for the DORA application and vote tonight. She is mainly talking about days and times; she said it doesn’t matter to her what kind of cups. Leann Harper said she is fine with using red solo cups and getting stickers for them and having DORA on Thursday – Sunday, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Anthony McDaniel agreed. Mayor Hehr said she has a problem with having it on Sunday, her opinion is that we will have more opposition having it on Sunday. Dale English also said he would rather not have it on Sunday. Council agreed that Thursday – Saturday, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. would be the days and times for DORA. Kevin Brooks explained the location of the signs and he will provide the locations for the trash receptacles. Leann Harper asked if there needs
to be a public meeting before we can vote on these items and yes there does need to be a public meeting so nothing will be voted on yet tonight.
IX: Mayor’s Report:
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve the payment of bills. Matt Schaber made the motion. Dale English second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Motion passed 5-0.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve the Mayor’s Court Report, March 2023, and mid-April 2023. Anthony McDaniel made the motion. Leann Harper second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Motion passed 5-0.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve the Income Tax Report, March 2023. Kevin Brooks stated that we are further ahead on income tax collections this year as compared to last and he feels RITA is doing an excellent job. Anthony McDaniel asked if RITA could make any projections for the rest of the year. Kevin Brooks said he doesn’t think they project but we get reports from them regularly. Tiffany Ramsay made the motion. Matt Schaber second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Motion passed 5-0.
Mayor Hehr reported that she attended a Landbank meeting today. They feel sure it will be funded again. If anyone has any houses needing torn down in the Village, they can contact Mayor Carol Hehr or houses in the County contact Taylor Abbott.
Mayor Hehr stated that tomorrow she will be attending an Appalachian Grant meeting at the Generations Building and will also be meeting with the Auditor.
Kevin Brooks said that due to the amount of the Snider Recreation invoice that it should be approved by Council. Anthony McDaniel made a motion to approve payment to Snider Recreation in the amount of $12,793.00 for trash receptacles, exercise equipment, and a picnic table. Leann Harper second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Motion passed 5-0. Leann Harper asked if the trash receptacles on the invoice is a part of the NatureWorks grant and they are not.
XI. Un-Registered Visitors:
None
XII. Adjourn:
The Mayor asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Dale English made the motion. Leann Harper second. Tom Kirkland – absent. Meeting adjourned at 6:42 p.m.
ATTEST:
______________________________ ____________________________
Carol Hehr, Mayor Lori Cunard, Fiscal Officer