Councilwoman Ruth Spaun said she had received multiple calls from citizens with questions about the second station. Spaun said some of the callers told her they would never support a fire levy of any kind again due to the way the current situation is being handled. Spaun has said there needed to be more discussion on the matter and she said she is concerned about the soil the new site will sit on which once housed a dye factory. Councilman Vic Young also voiced concern about the soil being filled with cinders, saying he ran into cinders when he built Water Works Park on Nye Ave. which is near the site for the fire station.
Young said he felt people were upset about the second fire station because of the poor economy and questions about if the village could afford it. Councilman Jackie Welker said he didn’t see how more fire protection was a problem.
Mayor John Musser suggested if there is opposition to the second station, there should be public meetings about it and he would discuss setting this up with Fire Chief Rick Blaettnar at a later date.
“If there is opposition to the second fire station, I’d like to hear them,” Musser said.
Young agreed, saying if people are seriously opposed to the station they need to show up but they also need a chance to show up.
Councilman Jim Sisson said he’d received no negative feedback about the second station. Sisson also said he felt the fire department was being condemned by some members on council. Both Spaun and Young said that wasn’t the case, with Young once again stressing: “I think the way the economy is, they (the public) want answers.”
At its June 28 meeting, council agreed to pay a $1,000 retainer to hold property the Pomeroy Fire Department is considering purchasing for the second station, though the vote was not unanimous. Spaun voted against paying the $1,000 retainer. The $1,000 will be deducted from the purchase price, if purchased, but if the property isn’t purchased, the village loses the $1,000 when that 30 days expires.
At that meeting, Blaettnar said the additional fire station would be paid for with money from income generated by existing fire levies within the village.
Also discussed at this week’s meeting:
Nancy and Dale Thoene of Union Ave. presented council with a tar-soaked trash can and landscaping rocks which they said were small pieces of the mess village workers made on their property when filling pot holes. The Thoenes said the tar was also splashed, and now baked onto their sidewalk.
Though Mrs. Thoene felt their homeowner’s policy should not have to pay out for the repair, Musser said the village has immunity in this case and is only required to pay the couple’s deductible as long as the repair work is covered within the Thoene’s homeowner’s policy, which it is. The village will pay the Thoene’s deductible for the policy which covers the damage and replacement of the sidewalk. Both Young and Councilman George Stewart remarked the village needed to be more careful about making these repairs and that doing better quality work saved money in the long run. Stewart also remarked about some of the pot hole patches in the village which are now sinking.
A resident complained about high grass on Fisher St. Resident Kenny Klein complained about trailers on Liberty Lane which were “snake harbors” and asked council to name an “unnamed” street near Liberty Lane where his family lives.
Young asked if the village could get estimates/bids on mowing the riverbank to cut back at least some of the brush and trees.
The monthly Mayor’s Report was approved with $13,311.50 collected in fines and forfeitures. There were 97 parking tickets issued, $2,415.16 collected from meters, $299 from tickets, $510 from permits for a total of $3,305.16 collected.
The 2011 Revenue Sharing Budget was approved at $1.8 million, the same as last year because, according to Clerk Treasurer Kathy Hysell, she couldn’t see any new income coming in to change that figure.
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