Fort Jennings writes final check for storm sewer project

By Nancy Spencer, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Thursday, December 17, 2009 (2 months, 3 weeks ago)
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FORT JENNINGS — Village officials tied up the loose ends on the Fifth Street Storm Sewer Relief project in Fort Jennings Tuesday evening when approving the village’s final payment to Dave’s Excavating for nearly $8,500.
Council had been waiting on some final work including seeding at Fort Jennings Local Schools where a new 48-inch line extends from the detention pond at the school and comes behind the homes on Fourth Street down to St. Joseph Street, turns at Charles Street, turns at Fifth Street and then runs out to the river.
Mayor Jim Smith announced he had signed the contracts for an Issue 2 Grant for grinding and paving work on all of St. Joseph and Park streets and portions of Charles and Fifth streets, as well as catch basin and tile work. Village solicitor Bill Wildenhaus has the contracts and they will be returned to Smith for the clerk to sign and then the bid package can be prepared. The project is estimated at  $140,610 with a 100-percent village match of $70,805. Smith said he hopes bids can be opened and awarded in January.
Council passed two ordinances on third reading.
Ordinance 2009-005 deals with regulation of animals. Smith said that over the summer, he had received more calls about dogs doing their business in other people’s yards than any other complaint. The ordinance allows for a warning for the first offense and a $100 fine for the second offense.
Ordinance 2009-006 concerns snowmobiles and other off-highway vehicles and amends a former ordinance to include language to allow the Ohio Revised Code to override any village ordinance concerning operation and safety rules of the vehicles.
Councilman Randy Wieging was elected president pro-tem to sign the ordinances as sitting president Steve Schroeder was unable to attend the meeting and his term expires Dec. 31. Councilmen Mike Metzger and Drew Fields will also be leaving at the end of the year. Replacements for the three have yet to be announced.
Four estimates were received to remove three trees at Fort Jennings Park. Our Tree Service of Delphos won the bid for $1,080. Bill Sowers Tree Service of Sycamore submitted a bid of $1,700; Tree Tech of Columbus Grove,  $1,275; and Moore Tree Service of Spencerville, $1,420. One of the trees is an Ash and will be checked for the ash borer.
Police Chief Ethel Vaughn and Maintenance Supervisor Paul Kramer received a raise following an annual employee review in executive session. Both saw their pay raised from $10.50 per hour to $10.75.
Kramer reported the seminar he attended earlier in the month at Bowling Green State University was very beneficial and he would be applying several techniques he learned to the village’s lagoon system to help regulate readings.
He added that a pump at the lagoon had stopped working and was talking with the manufacturer to see if it was still under warranty. A sensor on the equipment at the lagoon is also faulty and will have to be watched to make sure it is working properly.