City Council - Regular Meeting

repair at their own expense. So if you've got such a notice that says you have a repair that needs to be made, unless Ohio Edison comes to knocks on your door and tells you you have to cover the cost or you have to hire your own contractor, don't do it because they will do it at their expense. They'll make the repair at their expense. Number two, in a world of the aggregation programs where we have our electric aggregation program that you can opt in or opt out, the gas program you can opt in or opt out. This program also has an optin or opt out option, but what you need to know is if you opt out, you will be charged an additional $28 and some cents per month because the ten the attendant will still have to come out and read yours eyeball place their eyeballs on your meter. So, this is certainly a program that it would probably be of decent savings for all of us if we opt in. And there's a lot more information available on this website. It has a frequently asked question section and it should take care of any concerns people have.

Great. They've already been to my house. Yes. Uh first of all, he didn't mention anything about Ohio Edison. He said he was from First Energy that he was replacing all the meters. Yes. That they would go from analog to digital which would result in energy savings for us because of a more accurate readings. Yes. Uh but my was one that he said needed repaired before he could replace it. The ground had settled since the electric line had been installed. So it's putting strain on a socket of some sort. Yes, we saw

and so he did not feel safe replacing the meter until that had been that socket had been repaired. But he did say it would cost nothing for us. It's all upon First Energy and Ohio Edison. They would take care of all the cost. We don't have to do anything. Good. And they do come to the door to make sure, but if there's no one home, they go ahead and do the repair anyway. I had received multiple letters on this. I assumed everyone else had too.

And they should have. Every homeowner, every person who pays an electric bill should have received it. Now, I do realize there could be some people that are leasing an apartment or leasing a house and perhaps they don't pay all the utility bills directly. They simply pay a a certain amount each month for rent. They may not have received a letter, but their property owner should have received a letter or the account owner should have seen received a letter. And not just one. I think we received multiple, didn't we? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes. I have not received any.

Okay. Okay. All right. One thing they did encourage me to remind people is if you get something from First Energy, you may think that it is junk mail and not read it. And I can easily see where that would happen because the day I received it, if I had not somehow I think I read a news story that that was going to be coming up somewhere I saw on a commercial or something that they were going to be replacing meters. So I did a double take and it's what it was. But it would look like junk mail. I hate to say that, but it would look Are they going in sections? So maybe it's not our section yet. Maybe they haven't.

Yeah, it could be. You're right. Because here's here's here's some of the things he said. Approximately two weeks prior to the installation, residents will receive a letter outlining the program, including contact information and opt out details. Okay, that makes sense. So maybe they aren't in your neighborhood. I think some might be assuming too it's one of those things where you could buy insurance on your electric line for the meter to all that kind of stuff and they throw that away. I literally shared that with the guy from Ohio Edison and and you said first energy. Well, First Energy is the parent company of Ohio Edison, so that's There may have been a postcript on the bottom of mine that said, "Don't tell Angela." Yes, I understand. I think it was. I think it was. Thanks. So, anyhow, still again though,

and I confess, I just threw mine away. Yes. Yes. Yes. But they have been to your house, right? Yes. But again, it's not a city program, so we can't probably answer all the questions you might have. you need to contact Ohio Edison or First Energy if you've got specific questions because we are not in charge and it's not our staff that are going out to homes. Very good. So, well, that's very clear, mayor. I appreciate your effort. Thanks for the heads up. That's good because I'm sure more will have questions.

All right. Well, we are going to go down through this list pretty quickly, but if you haven't noticed, the last couple of city council meetings, we've had light agendas, which is not uncommon for this particular time of the year, but don't get used to it because in the coming meetings, we have quite a few items coming up. First off, I wanted to give you an update on the fire training facility out at the corner of Mifflin and 42.

All of the containers that are part of that construction are starting to arrive. So, you may have even seen them. You and Dan may have seen them here recently. So, construction will begin here shortly and uh we'll of course um make it known when that project is complete and who knows, there might even be a demonstration in an open house. So, we'll get the word out about that. Our CDBG contract, we do this every two years. This year, we've decided that we're going to allocate the funds to the Lincoln Park Playground project. You can expect to see a contract come to probably the next meeting or the meeting after so that project can move forward. Incidentally, we've teamed up with the Rotary Club of Ashlin and that park is going to be pretty spectacular once it's done. There's going to be not only a beautiful new playground, but there will be a pavilion, a dog park, and even some benches and other amenities. So, that's very exciting. and that'll be a great uh central gathering place in the northeast side of our city. Other projects that are going to be coming to you here in the next several meetings, we are going to be bringing a proposal to you to purchase a new street sweeper. Our street sweeper is pretty much dead.

Uh it's used quite frequently when it's running, but at this point it's pretty much on its last leg. So, we're going to ask you to consider buying a new street sweeper. Also, with all of these power outages, and this is something I do want to mention because I know in the world of social media, more and more people are thinking that the fact that we're building new apartments and that we're experiencing business development, that is why our electric is going out more frequently. It is not connected. It is absolutely not connected. We have had three or four power outages so far this year in the city of Ashland and they were right on top of each other there over a month period of time. They were related to weather. The first one was the high wind gusts of 70 or 80 miles per hour or more that took out a whole line that the pole actually snapped and the lines were down. And according to our friends at First Energy, that requires more than just a maintenance crew. And so that's why it took, I think, two days for them to get that reinstalled and everything put back in its place. That was the first major outage. The second major outage was a big tree fell on a line. That's what knocked it out the second time. And the third time, a major line on one of the transformers. I don't know all the technical aspects, but it snapped loose. and they believe the reason why it snapped was because it had been compromised in the severe winds and in the previous thunderstorm. But they got it fixed as well. But they assure me it has nothing to do with the grid. It has nothing to do with us overt taxing our local electric supply. It was simply weather related. So I think that's important for people to know. The in the context though of those power outages, what we discovered was that our generator that powered several outlets

throughout this building was not reliable. So right now we are going to get a quote to install a new generator that will power the entire city hall in the event of a power outage. And the reality is in this day and age, this building has to be able to be in operation even during a crisis situation. And so a lot of people were actually shocked to find out that we didn't have a system that powered the whole building. But we'll be bringing that to you in the near future when we get the quote. And that won't be inexpensive. I have a feeling that'll be several hundred,000. But we think that as you go forward,

when you have this meeting room here that could often be used in a in a as a command center,

Yeah. We need to be able to make sure that computers and everything are still accessible and usable during a power outage. Also, we will likely be bringing to you here soon once it's negotiated a land acquisition proposal for our new equalization basin out at the wastewater treatment center. As you know, the EPA is requiring that we build this new facility, and we are just starting the conversations with a property owner who has property adjacent to our wastewater treatment center. So, you'll be getting that here in the near future. Also, I wanted to let you know that if you hadn't already seen it, we did get $230,000 through the state demolition grant. I know one of our media outlets have already reported it, but we had seven properties that were addressed through this money, but two are still standing. And the one is the farm. It's no longer a farm, but it used to be part of the farm out by the industrial park. Uh there's some trailers and stuff there. that is we've signed the paperwork to acquire that property and we the folks have until December to vacate the property. Upon their vacation that will be cleaned up with these funds. Then the second one is out here on Sanduski Street by our arborist office and that's where the economic development office used to be years ago. that particular property, while it doesn't look bad from the outside, its sex septic system has failed. And so the health department wants it cleaned up. And so we're going to remove all of that here with those funds. So good news is that's all paid for by a grant, $230,000. And you know, I wish I would have had

time to gather it, but we are well over, I think, 125 properties we've cleaned up in the last several years here in the city. And by cleaned up, I mean demoed and turned into either green space or sold for redevelopment. So that's a big what do I know when we first did it, we called it the great cleanup

and it involved not just the pump house but all these other properties around the city. There's still more to do. We'll be hearing about Arthur Street School, I'm sure, here soon. Also, our street resurfacing program. We received bids from two companies. Our estimate was for 2.5 million. One came in right at 2.5 million. The other came in significantly higher. So I'm I wasn't sure I'm allowed to announce the winning bidder, but the good news is we have a bidder that that fits in line with our budget that we had proposed. Then the other items are activities. The firefighter memorial service will be May 15 at 7 pm at the Ashen Cemetery. May 15, 700 p.m. at the Ashen Cemetery. It's a short service, but it's a very meaningful service. It's for all of those who lost their lives while fighting fires or serving in that role. And then if there's harsh weather or inclement weather, it'll be moved to Calvary Baptist indoors. But May 15th, 7 p.m. the public is invited. Also, I wanted to let people know because what we're finding is that folks don't know this. This year, the Miss Ohio program will be hosted right here in the city of Ashland. Normally, it takes place at the Renaissance Theater in Mansfield. The theater will be getting new seats during this summer months. So, as a result, the program board for Miss Ohio met with myself and uh Melanie and they've decided to move it here. The contest will be held the week of June 14th through the 20th at Archer Auditorium. Uh the young women will be staying at Ashen University in their dorms and their crowning ball and all the parts and pieces that go along with it will

take place here in Ashlin. So, we're excited about that. But that's June 14th through the 20th with the crowning ceremony on June 20th. Saturday, June 20th. And so, certainly, you're all welcome. Archer Auditorium. Archer.

Archer Auditorium. And uh we were it was wonderful. I reached out to several local organizations and asked if they would cover the sponsorship of the the program and they did. So, we're very excited about that. And then finally, as you know, our 250th celebration is coming up here quickly. We're now less than two months away until we celebrate America's 250th birthday. Most people are well aware of the fact that we're going to have a full day of events on July 4th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with our America's 250th birthday bash parade on Main Street. And it will be very much in the format of our Christmas parade only. It will be red, white, and blue. And so you want to be there. There's 75 spaces for people to be in the parade. It's $25 for nonprofits, $50 for businesses. And of course, you may not realize it, but there's a lot of expenses that go along with the parade. Uh the Ashen County Community Foundation made a generous gift to help sponsor and underwrite the parade, but that'll take place on the morning of July 4th. Then in the evening at 5:00 pm, we'll gather together at Frier Field for America's 250th birthday party and we'll have live bands and food trailers. The Rotary Club is putting on planning to put on a fireworks show that will be the largest in our county's history. They're doubling the size of our usual July 4th fireworks display. So, that'll be quite a spectacle to see and that should be quite a lively atmosphere. We'll have lots of giveaways and we'll certainly have to sing happy birthday to the country and there may even be birthday cake involved. Then finally, and this is what I am probably most looking forward to at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, if all goes as planned, we will have a dedication ceremony for our brand new

Freedom Park located in the heart of the Pump House District on one acre of green space. And the cornerstone of that park will be the installation of a giant monument to freedom. Not just freedom, but to the military, the branches of our US military. And tonight, what I want to ask is if any Ashlin County veteran, any Ashlin County veteran or active duty service man or woman would be willing to participate in our ceremony. We need you. We are trying to gather 250 veterans and military men and women from our county and we have a role for you to play during that ceremony. Quite honestly, you'll be making history because this monument will be unlike anything we have in our community. And uh all we will be asking of you is basically to stand in formation and we'll provide all the rest. But we would love to have you and it will be um we talk in house about the fact that this will be something that does go down in history and will be one of those pictures that's in the history books about Ashen for years to come. The way you can register to be one of our 250th 250 veterans is by visiting the city of Ashlin website starting next week. Starting next week. And we're going to put out more information on social media. But if you know anyone who fits that criteria, a US veteran of any branch of the US military or the Coast Guard or the Space Force, we want you to uh be a part of the celebration and you'll get more instructions in the future. But uh that's very important and we um uh don't be afraid about filling out the form because it will be a simple form. We're just going to need your name, branch,

and contact information so that we can coordinate with you that day because it it'll be quite a powerful ceremony. Excellent. All right. So, that's longer than I normally share, but I appreciate you listening. May I ask you a question? Yes. Now that we're accessing the vast resources of your knowledge, I've seen multiple social media posts about a new proposed roundabout on Main Street and

Bainy. Well, let me tell you, we had this discussion this morning because we all were surprised to see that. We did not know that was coming and we did not and we being the city or the city engineers staff and street department, we were not involved in that plan. That plan actually emanated out of the Ashlin County Engineers Office under the leadership of Ed Mner. And uh we were I don't want to say shocked but we were shocked to see that announcement and uh certainly the engineer um should be pleased that he is getting the project funded because $3 million is no small price tag. You are seeing roundabouts being built more and more at intersections to help facilitate the movement of traffic without accidents, but we weren't expecting that at that particular location. So,

kudos to the county engineer. A state 96 is a state highway, but that's on north of that. So, that surprised me. Well, that again, any questions about that project would have to be directed to the county engineer because that was not one that we've participated in any of the dis planning discussions about. So, I appreciate you bringing that up. Anything else? Is that outside of our It is outside of our city. Yes. All right. Okay. Thank you, mayor. With that, we'll uh move to comments and questions from our audience. If anyone here would like to address council, please step up to the podium.

Oops. Good evening, sir. Good evening. I'm Dave Plymire. I'm in the fourth ward. Uh, I had a oh, storm drain that was being plugged by debris and leaves and whatever. Uh, I made comments to the uh, street department uh, several times. They said, "I'll get to it." That was in Good Friday of uh, of last month and still nothing's been done. I don't know what's going on. Uh, I don't seem to get an answer from anybody. Uh, I don't know if you can look into it or what.

And where is it located? This is located on the East 7th Street on the 800 block. Okay. All right. And I assume it just means it's collected on top of the correct

grid. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Uh, also we uh inherited a uh traffic uh sign from the oh the Marlo uh water line replacements and it's been there since of course last year. Uh now it's moved over to where the property where I work on our own on that property. I'd like to know if if anything are they coming back and uh replace get it or what? And what do you mean you inherited it? So it must have fallen over.

This this came this was sitting there at Marlo and Electric Avenue. What is it? A speed limit or stop sign? That was a road road work ahead. Oh, I see. And it was there since uh well they did the water line replacement. Okay, that's probably the contractor left it behind. So, okay. And where is it now? Now, it's at the uh it's on the northwest corner of It's still standing or it's just laying still standing. Oh, okay. All right. Well, the sign's down. Okay. But the stand is that still standing.

Okay. I bet that was just an oversight of the contractor because that was quite a project. Yeah, it was still I don't know. Yes, it was a long project. Been there since last year. Yep. And that would be okay. Thank you. Thank you for signage. Very good. Anyone else? Okay. And it's good if people let us know those things because we don't get to every street every day, so we may not know. All right. Seeing no other takers on comments or questions, uh, council has nothing else. I'll ask for a motion to adjurnn. Move to adjurnn. Second.

Thank you. I I All right, we are journed. Thank you all.