CARDINGTON — Three members of village council who were re-elected to their seats in November, were given the oath of office by Mayor Susie Peyton when council met Jan. 2.
Taking their positions for four years were Nancy Edwards, Heather Deskins and Jim Morris. John Nippert, the fourth member, was unable to be present and will be given the oath later.
Nippert was re-elected president pro tem for the term.
In other business:
• Council entered into the annual joint meeting with the Cardington Township trustees and Glendale Cemetery board members.
All three entities approved the cemetery appropriations in the amount of $187,235 as presented by the board’s fiscal officer Vickie Ullom.
Members of the Glendale Cemetery Board are Scott Carsner, Doug Heacock, representing the township and Jim Morris, representing the village. Cardington Township trustees are Michael Patterson, Loren Radel and Heacock. Darla Hardwick is the clerk.
• Following adjournment of the joint meeting, council reconvened and Fiscal Officer Deb Fry reviewed the financial report which included Dec. 18, 2017, when council did not meet.
Notable invoices from that date include $16,682.67 to the Bureau of Workers Compensation and $2,600 to the treasurer of the state of Ohio for the annual WWTP discharge fee. A total of $54,183.17 in bills was approved for payment for that date.
Current bills approved totaled $163,885.60 and included payment of $121,265.37 to Ohio Water Development Authority – WTP/WWTP loans ACH.
• Fry gave an update on HB 49 and noted the Ohio Auditor of State has created a financial health indicator for each village and municipality.
• Council members approved two ordinances related to transferring of funds, one from general fund to the Park Fund (for the purchase of the American Legion Park) and the other is a transfer from the income tax fund to the general fund.
• Two resolutions were approved, one establishing the number of deputy marshals to be authorized within the Cardington Police Department for the 2018 calendar year as one full-time officer serving as village marshal/police chief and four additional full time deputy marshals/patrolmen.
The village shall also have an auxiliary force in a number not to exceed 15 officers.
• The other resolution authorized the number of firefighters to be employed or serve as members of the Cardington Fire Department and includes the employment of a fire chief and an assistant fire chief on a part-time basis.
Authorized are not more than 35 volunteer fire department personnel to be paid for fire fighting duties.
Two resolutions approved included one that establishes rules for providing notice of meetings of the council and its committees and the other setting forth procedures with respect to the conduct of council.
Police Chief James Wallace reported the 54 calls received for service in December were down by 27 from the same time last year. “We finished the year down a total of 161 calls from last year,” he said.
Wallace said the child identification kits were a big hit at the Christmas in Cardngton event with a total of 202 kits distributed.
Council will meet next on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
