Continental Village Council met in regular session on January 30, 2024 with Mayor Miller presiding. Members present were Smith, Williamson, Armey, Streicher and Sullivan. Also, present were Mayor Miller, Administrator Prowant, Police Chief Hardy and Fiscal Officer Darby. Councilman Varner was absent. Visitors: George Davis, Jordan Pughsley, Reed Warnement, Craig Recker, Danielle Manlove, Michael DeVelbiss, Toby Sullivan, Rick Berner, Toby Atkinson and Grant Schroeder. The meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance.
Mayor Miller administered the Oath of Office to newly elected Trevor Williamson and welcomed him to the table.
Streicher made a motion and Armey seconded to approve minutes of previous meeting, five yeas, motion carried. Streicher made a motion to pay all the bills and Smith seconded, five yeas, motion carried. Streicher made a motion and Sullivan seconded to approve the receipts since the last meeting, five yeas, motion carried. Then & Now Purchase Orders over $3,000: None.
Old Business
(Scott Welch entered)
Contractor Bill Reimbursement: Last meeting the village received a request to reimburse a resident for a contractor bill for a water leak. The resident had a leak last summer and then their water meter quit working. At the last read, it showed high consumption so they were told that they might have a leak and they hired a contractor to fix it. However, the contractor could not find a leak. Upon a meter recheck, it was found that the meter was manually mis-read and the resident did not think they should be responsible for the $180 charge. Council tabled it until they could get a copy of the bill. Streicher moved to give the resident a $180 credit on their water bill and Armey seconded. 5 yeas, motion carried.
JJC Contract: Mayor Miller presented a renewal contract with the consulting firm we used last year for some of the required paperwork for the water licensing for $5,000 for the year with $2,500 upfront. Armey moved to enter in to contract and Smith seconded, five yeas motion carried.
Solar Eclipse: Police Chief Hardy attended a county-wide planning meeting for the upcoming total solar eclipse and relayed some concerns for the village parks. Currently there is not any signage at Buckeye Park stating that overnight camping and swimming are prohibited. We don’t know how much traffic we could have in the Village, but these are things that should be addressed anyway. The school board will be deciding soon if school will be session and the Police and Fire Departments are determining manpower availability for the days leading up to and after the eclipse. More information to follow.
Request to combine lots into one parcel: Three parcels are up for sale along State Route 613 and the potential buyer would like to combine all three into one parcel. Council reviewed if there were easements and street and alley right-of-way to preserve. Sullivan gave permission to the Mayor to sign the request and Streicher seconded. Five yeas, motion carried.
Review Board: The Review Board met prior to the today’s meeting. The Village has received a letter from the Third District Appeals Court siding with the Village in the litigation case. This is a big win for the Village because we now know the Ordinance will stand up in court. Letters will be drafted giving the owner of the property 30-days to take the foundation out on the demolished building and bring it up the Ordinance specifications. Other letters will be sent to property owners to notify them of violations to the Ordinance and to inform them of the grant money available through the County to demolish blighted properties.
New Business:
Building Permits: None
State of the Village: Mayor Miller briefly reviewed the past year, reiterating how helpful it has been to have a lot of the debt cleared and the freeing up of Village funds. He also pointed out some of the wins for the Village this year, including winning our court case over the validity of the Village’s Ordinance that regulates the condition of buildings within the village. He stated again that the County has money to help residents to get rid of blighted buildings on their property and hopes they will take advantage of it. In looking forward to 2024, Miller stated that the Lakeland Project will be completed this year by using OPWC loans that will include street, curbing and storm sewer work. The Village will also be trying again to be included fin the Bi-annual Capital Budget for upgrades to Buckeye Park. The Village was mistakenly notified in 2022 that we would receive funding for handicap assessible parking, sidewalks and a walking path around the top perimeter of the large pond. We are trying again and hope we will be funded so we can improve a great asset to the community. The Village continues to look for funding for more water system upgrades and will be getting a street paving plan for this year after the infrastructure committee meets. He ended his address stating his motivation for being in the position of mayor is to make our Village a great place to live and raise families.
The next meeting will be February 13, 2024.
Streicher made a motion to adjourn with no further business; Williamson seconded it. Five yeas. Meeting adjourned.
