The Mount Gilead Village Council opened the May 20 meeting with a report from the County Comprehensive Planning Project Committee by Tim Siegfried and Dixie Shinaberry.
Siegfried said the last county land use plan was made in 2005, and many goals from that plan have been met. It is their hope that this new plan will bring positive results in the future. Shinaberry and Siegfried asked the council to respond to their two-question survey.
For the first question on what in the community people love and value, the council named good schools, safe and clean community, good libraries, police and fire departments, agriculture, parks, Amish community, heritage and traditions.
On the second question of what our community is to become and hope for in the future, the council named more employment opportunities, higher education institution, and more recreation and education opportunities. Keeping more young people in the county as residents and workforce is a goal.
Following the committee, Mount Gilead Superintendent Zack Howard thanked the council for its partnership with the senior class banners and the school resource officer. He suggested another area where he and the schools could partner.
Howard proposed the school district pay for paving the parking lot by Cherry Stret School and the pool. He said the district has funds it can access for the project. He asked the village to redo the tennis courts and recreation area, and he suggested part of the tennis courts might be used for additional parking, since parking is in short supply for Park Avenue School.
Howard suggested the school district and village have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to have schools do paving and village redo tennis courts or have additional parking there.
Mayor Donna Carver said the repair and improvements on the tennis courts had been planned to do with the pool last year. However, costs had increased a great deal so only the pool could be completed. The tennis courts with possible pickleball court is being considered for the next year or two. After some discussion, council members were in agreement to have a MOU drafted by Howard and Carver.
In other business:
• Capt. Tom Cronenwett gave the police report. He said officers Gattshall and Lichtenberger are scheduled to take state certification exams on May 21. A suspect was arrested on May 18 by Officer Hinkle after he was observed by firefighters drawing menacing pictures (a gun shooting a pig) on the hoods of two parked police cruisers in the municipal parking lot. The drawings could be washed off. The suspect had prior violations.
For the period May 6-19, there were 67 calls for service (65 the same period in 2023), 71 traffic stops (49 in 2023), five offense reports (16 in 2023), one sex offense, one theft, one traffic offense, one unruly juvenile, and one criminal mischief/menacing.
He reported 37 charges were issued to 33 persons (33 in 2023): 21 speeding, three assured clear distance ahead, three stop sign, three registration violation, two license violation, two criminal mischief, one menacing, one loud exhaust and one traffic control device. There were eight traffic crashes (1 in 2023): six were non-injury and two with injury.
• Fire Chief Mark Carey reported that on June 8, the fire department will be offering assistance to the public in regard to Hyper Reach. Residents can sign up for weather radios. The public can stop by anytime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to get signed up or have questions answered. An additional day may be scheduled if there is sufficient interest.
• Village Administrator Derek Allen reported the pool staff has been hired. Robin Conrad will be coordinating on staff and sharing lifeguards with Lori Vance at the Cardington pool. Many lifeguards and concession stand staff are returning for the summer.
• The third reading of Ordinance 1959 was approved concerning village fire hydrants and keeping plantings away from the hydrants for access by the fire department.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].
