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Ottoville probes gas odor
OTTOVILLE — The Village of Ottoville continues to investigate a gasoline odor in the east-west alley between Niedecken Insurance Agency and Millie’s Bar on Main Street.
The Environmental Protection Agency sent workers to the village to take bore samples in the alleyway. After boring 20 holes, workers found no concentration of contaminates that would cause the strong gasoline odor.
Mayor Ron Miller told council the workers are looking at an area of fairly new concrete behind Niedecken Insurance as the next place to look. All adjacent areas to the alleyway have also been tested for possible contamination.
The EPA has now suggested the village completely tear up the alley to the storm sewer lines approximately 15 feet underground and tie into the main storm sewer. Miller said a Coast Guard grant was available due to the possibility of the pollution of water.
A manhole has been installed at the intersection of the east-west alley and the north-south alley. A fan inside the manhole pulls the odor out into the air, alleviating nearly all the smell from inside the neighboring businesses, according to Miller.
The issue was first brought to council in September when the odor was so strong it adversely affected the businesses in the area. The village ran a camera through the storm sewers in the area and also performed air tests. No cause for the odor was found.
The EPA was alerted when village officials were unable to determine the origin of the odor and contacted the Putnam County Emergency Management Agency.
So far, all the work done will be billed to the village. If the cause of the odor is found to be from a resident or business property, the cost of the work will be assessed to the that residence or business, according to Miller.
There is no cost estimate at this time.
Porter Sanitation will receive a three-year contract for residential and commercial refuse pickup. Porter was the only bidder for the contract. The monthly rate for residential pickup will be $12.95. Commercial dumpster pickup will be $40.84 for a 2-yard dumpster; $51.52 for a 3-yard; $68.69 for a 4-yard; and $103.03 for a 6-yard. These fees are for weekly pickup.
Owner Randy Porter attended the meeting and said the rates were a little lower than the last contract due to some strides his company has made and lower gas prices.
Miller recently received word the village’s application for Issue I funds for the Church Street Project looks good. The nearly $400,000 project will be split $180,000 from the grant and $200,000 from the village. The work includes the replacement of water lines, storm sewer lines and the reconstruction of the roadway along U.S. 224 inside the village to just west of the park entrance.
Grants will be awarded by the end of the year with the mandates the work be completed by the end of 2010.
Council changed next month’s meeting to 7 p.m. Dec. 22 with the holiday party to follow.
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