LORI CUNARD
May 22, 2023
Meeting Minutes (5-1-23)
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield
May 1, 2023
The Council of the Village of Woodsfield met in Regular Session on May 1, 2023.
I. Roll Call:
Present: Council Members; Dale English, Tom Kirkland, Anthony McDaniel, Leann Harper, Tiffany Ramsay, Matt Schaber, Mayor Carol Hehr, Fiscal Officer Lori Cunard, Village Administrator Kevin Brooks, and Solicitor Ryan Regel.
II. Pending Meeting Minutes Approval:
Tiffany Ramsay made the motion to accept the April 17, 2023 meeting minutes with corrections. Matt Schaber second. Tom Kirkland – abstain. Motion passed 5-0.
III. Registered Visitors/Guest:
Chief Corey Jones – Chief Jones wanted to take a minute to recognize Pastor Dave Cottrell, Police Chaplain. Pastor Cottrell has just attended the International Conference of Police Chaplains in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He attended the conference March 19th – 22nd, he attends the Conference annually. While there he successfully completed and was certified in critical injury first aid and basic life support. Chief Jones congratulated Pastor Cottrell for his certifications and expressed his appreciation for all he does for the Police Department. Council also appreciates and thanked Pastor Dave Cottrell. Mayor Hehr asked Chief Jones to get the information from Pastor Cottrell so the Fiscal Office can reimburse him for the conference.
Chief Corey Jones also attended the meeting to have Executive Session regarding contracts at the end of the meeting.
IV. Old Business:
DORA – Solicitor Ryan Regel had an updated packet that he had sent out to Council members, however, none of the Council members received it due to email issues. Solicitor Ryan Regel will re-send the packet. He said the packet was an update based on the conversation we had at the last meeting regarding DORA. Village Administrator Kevin Brooks said he had just read in the Akron paper that the stickers were no longer accepted, cups are now mandated. Solicitor Regel said he would check into it to make sure. He has not read that, but it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Mayor Carol Hehr said if that is true, she wonders if we could get MACO to make the cups.
Matt Schaber asked if a letter had ever been sent to Landefeld yet? Solicitor Regel said it is ready to go but he was just waiting for official action from Council. Kevin Brooks said he believes, if not mistaken, that 2 weeks ago it was agreed by Council to review the letter and let Solicitor Regel know if they are good with it. So, Kevin Brooks asked Council to review the letter and Solicitor Regel would like a response from everyone to let him know if they are good with it.
V. Administrator Report:
Kevin Brooks met with Shelley and Sands and ODOT last week. They talked about the sidewalk on Eastern Ave. besides Subway as well as the St. Rt. 78 side at Marden Rehab. The cost to do those sections is very high. From Subway down it would be $9,800.00 and Marden down it would be about $6,200.00. After looking at them, Kevin Brooks doesn’t feel either one is in need of much repair, so he is thinking we don’t need to redo those sidewalks. He also has a price for running the conduit for electric to both the islands which is $3,009.34. He and Mayor Hehr met with Ponzani’s regarding landscaping the 4 boxes in the bulb outs. He would rather see us spend the money on the landscaping rather than replacing the sidewalks since they aren’t bad. Mr. Brooks said it is Council’s discretion on whether to do the sidewalks or not, but he feels we are getting a much better value by doing the landscaping. Leann Harper asked what the estimate is for the landscaping and Mayor Hehr replied it is $6,435.00. Mayor Hehr was at a meeting last Monday and spoke with Amy from Equitrans. She is going to submit all the information to her but is not sure if they will pay anything for it or not. Kevin Brooks said the money would come from Capital Projects Fund. Kevin Brooks said they told Ponzani’s they would like to have everything done for alumni weekend, but Mayor Hehr said they couldn’t promise it would be done. Kevin Brooks said it is a deal breaker if it cannot be done for alumni weekend. Mr. Brooks said the
greenery in the boxes of the bulb-outs at Marden and the Theater would be the same and the boxes at the Courthouse and Subway would be the same. Mayor Hehr also stated that Ponzani’s would leave enough space in the boxes to plant some flowers for color if we want. Kevin Brooks thinks that having it done professionally is a good idea, this way we don’t have to worry about User Agreements, at least at the immediate end of the project, and it will look a lot better to end the project. Anthony McDaniel made a motion to have landscaping done in the downtown area by Ponzani’s in the amount of $6,435.00 and approve the conduit to the islands for electric in the amount of $3,009.34. Matt Schaber second. Motion passed 6-0. Kevin Brooks reminded Council that Mayor Hehr will work with Equitrans to get some of the money back.
Kevin Brooks asked Council to approve the resignation of Claudia Baker as Utility Office Supervisor as of April 25, 2023. Leann Harper made a motion to accept the resignation of Claudia Baker as Utility Office Supervisor, effective April 25, 2023. Anthony McDaniel asked to see the resignation letter and he then second the motion. Motion passed 6-0.
Kevin Brooks asked for Executive Session regarding Personnel/Compensation at the end of the meeting.
VI. Fiscal Officer Report:
Fiscal Officer Lori Cunard said that Mayor’s Court training went well. They toured the Supreme Courthouse. Leann Harper asked how many trainings per year she does and if she gets Certifications. Lori Cunard stated that she does get certifications each time and she has attended 5 different training courses so far.
VII. Committee Chair/Council Reports:
Dale English – Nothing to report.
Tom Kirkland – Tom Kirkland reported there is a Finance Committee Meeting tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.
Anthony McDaniel – Anthony McDaniel reported that he would get an email out to Property Maintenance Committee regarding days and times for a meeting requested by Mayor Hehr. Kevin Brooks spoke up to let Anthony McDaniel know that P.D. has been ramping up the non-compliance issues on Property Maintenance. Tiffany Ramsay asked who owns the property beside Rite-Aid and also Advance Auto because the grass is very high. Chief Corey Jones said he would find out, the weather has had some to do with it, but he would check into it and get it taken care of. Dale English said he had 2 people ask him who is responsible for mowing at the old high school and there are bricks falling from the building. Chief Corey Jones said they put up caution tape around the building due to the falling bricks.
Leann Harper – Nothing to report.
Tiffany Ramsay – Nothing to report.
Matt Schaber – Nothing to report.
VIII: Solicitor’s Report:
Nothing more to report.
IX: Mayor’s Report:
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve the payment of bills. Anthony McDaniel made the motion. Tiffany Ramsay second. Motion passed 6-0.
Mayor Hehr stated that she had her first Mayor’s Court session on Monday afternoon. It went well and she appreciated Officer Zane Love being in attendance with her. She asked for a motion to approve
the Mayor’s Court report, April 2023. Dale English made the motion. Tom Kirkland second. Motion passed 6-0.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve the Income Tax Report, April 2023. Anthony McDaniel made the motion. Leann Harper second. Motion passed 6-0.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve Resolution #2023-01, A Resolution by the Council of the Village of Woodsfield, Ohio in the Matter of the Approval of the Solid Waste Management Plan for the Southeastern Ohio Joint Solid Waste Management District. Leann Harper asked if this was to bring the recycling bins to the Village. Mayor Hehr replied no, it is to approve their plan with the Solid Waste Management District. Kevin Brooks said we are a part of Southeastern Ohio District, and they have to have a plan, it is a formality. Mayor Hehr said their Plan is quite in depth but anyone in their District has to approve the Plan. Mayor Hehr read to Council that it is a format change per the EPA structural and technical changes such as projections, calculations, and detailed analysis of the district program and services. Mayor Hehr also explained that the Commissioners are also a part of the Waste District, she said at one time one Commissioner from every County makes up the Committee and they have to have the Plan approved to send to the EPA, she assumes it is still the same. Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to pass Resolution #2023-01. Anthony McDaniel made the motion. Tom Kirkland second. Motion passed 6-0.
Kevin Brooks said he forgot to mention he has scheduled the dumpsters for June 5-9 for clean-up week.
Mayor Hehr reported they had an Event Planning Committee meeting with 6 in attendance. Their discussions included having a first Friday event in June, July, and August and doing something during the fireworks but they are on Monday, July 3rd, a workday, so it would be hard to get things set up. They are hoping to do something at the Park 3 or 4 hours before the start of the fireworks but they will have to discuss this further. They will be having another meeting on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m., anyone who would like to come is welcome. They also discussed having community days and doing an event with vendors such as artists on a Saturday in August and having music on the second Thursday of the month on the open lot next door. OR&W Days were discussed but Matt Schaber said that when Woodsfield gave it up someone else took over OR&W Days trademark so we cannot do an event as OR&W Days. Mayor Hehr said she would have to check into this, but if we can do OR&W Days it would not be until next year.
The Farmer’s Market has always been on Thursdays, Mayor Hehr would like to change it to Wednesdays because of a produce vendor who can come on Wednesday’s because she will already be in town for the Senior Citizens Farmers Market. She cannot come back into town on Thursdays for our Farmer’s Market. Mayor Hehr will be contacting the other vendors from our Farmers Market to see if they can change from Thursday to Wednesday. The Event Planning Committee also discussed ways to raise money, Mayor Hehr asked Village Administrator Kevin Brooks if this committee is under the umbrella of the Village. Mr. Brooks replied that if they are meeting on Village property then yes, they would.
Leann Harper just wanted to let Council and Kevin Brooks know that she agrees with not doing the sidewalks talked about earlier in the meeting during the Administrators report. Dale English and Tom Kirkland also agreed.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to go into Executive Session regarding Personnel/Compensation and Contracts. Dale English made the motion. Leann Harper second. Motion passed 6-0. Executive Session entered at 6:15p.m.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to go back into Regular Session. Leann Harper made the motion. Matt Schaber second. Regular Session entered at 7:10 p.m.
Mayor Hehr asked for a motion to approve signing into a contract with Axon for the Police Department. Tom Kirkland made the motion. Dale English second. Motion passed 6-0.
XI. Un-Registered Visitors:
None
XII. Adjourn:
The Mayor asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Leann Harper made the motion. Matt Schaber second. Motion passed 6-0.
ATTEST:
______________________________ ____________________________
Carol Hehr, Mayor Lori Cunard, Fiscal Officer