Dressed in Christmas sweaters and festive lights, the West Liberty village council conducted their last meeting of the year with a bit of a celebration. But that didn’t keep them from getting a few things done Monday, Dec. 9.
It wasn’t until the meeting came to a close, though, that they embraced that Christmas spirit when Jayne Griffith, council president, presented two special requests: to acknowledge the work and accomplishments of the West Liberty-Salem High School cheerleaders and sports teams.
“The cheerleaders have done a lot for us,” Griffith pointed out. “From the Pink Out to cookies with Santa … everything we ask, they do.”
She suggested the council show their gratitude by throwing a pizza party for the squad. The motion was passed, and they plan to make that happen in January.
On a related note, Griffith mentioned not only the high school football team’s success in placing fourth in their district, but similar strong season finishes for the cross country runners as well as the track team.
Wanting to show the council’s support, Griffith asked for ideas, adding, “It says a lot about our kids and their commitment to excellence.
“We don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money,” she concluded, “but we should just do something to recognize them.”
Bill Detrick, street superintendent, started his report with a recycling update and a recommendation. According to Detrick, 169 residents participated in cardboard recycling this week, while over 200 put out glass and plastic items.
Moving forward, though, Detrick suggested they disregard their usual schedule of not picking up recycling on the last Monday of the month.
“The Monday after Christmas is a huge day for people throwing stuff away,” he said. “And people might forget and set it out anyway.”
With that in mind, Detrick requested they not only pick up recycling on Dec. 30 but do it every week from now on. He also recommended moving recycling day from Mondays to Thursdays. The council agreed, which means West Liberty residents will see that change go into effect starting Jan. 2.
Detrick said the department could use a sub employee for trash day at $20 an hour, and the council approved that as well.
On a related note, Detrick expressed the need to do something about the truck they use.
“It’s not a recycling truck,” he stated. “We need a solution.”
He ended his report with a request for an ordinance regarding tree removal. Last month, a tree fell down on McClellan Street while the residents were away. Since trees belong to the homeowners, Detrick wondered if they could create an ordinance giving him authority to take care of fallen trees in similar circumstances.
“The village may have to pay,” he said, “but we need something for if the resident isn’t home and we run into a situation like that again.”
Police Chief Shane Oelker informed the council the department is down to one vehicle because their 2016 Ford Explorer is “undriveable.” He asked them to approve a $3,500 estimated repair bill to replace the water pump and timing chain.
“We have one patrol car and our new one won’t be on the road until May or June,” Oelker told them, pointing out it takes about five months to outfit a new service vehicle.
Another concern for the police department was being out of money to pay salaries. The council approved taking $9,000 out of medical insurance to go toward staff pay.
Levy
Village clerk Cindee Boyd stated she received a letter from county auditor Jack Reser last week about West Liberty’s .80 mil levy, which will be up for renewal once the 2024 tax year ends.
This levy generates about $21,000 for the village annually. West Liberty Mayor Brad Hudson said that works out to about $26 a year per household. The money goes into the village’s general fund.
“It may not seem like a lot, but we don’t want to lose $21,000,” Griffith admitted. Still, she expressed her concern about making sure residents know what the money is used for.
The issue will go on the spring ballot, and the council had to decide whether they wanted to make it a permanent levy or one that has to be renewed every five years. The council voted to go with the latter.
Other Board Action
During public participation, resident James Burkhamer asked if there were plans to put electric aggregation on the ballot. Boyd said it’s not a ballot issue, adding Logan County joined that aggregation and residents can opt in, if they want.
Village solicitor Chris Moell said he spoke with the county treasurer’s office about obtaining the property next to the Shell gas station. It has passed the approval stage and now goes to the county for the next step.
The council discussed the purchase of flooring for the town library, choosing sheet vinyl for $1,643 over vinyl wood, which would have cost about $600 more.
To celebrate the holidays, the village employee Christmas potluck is Thursday, Dec. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The next West Liberty Village Council meeting will take place on Monday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.