Meeting Minutes: March 16, 2021
Council called to order by Mayor Amy Joseph, Tuesday, March 16, 2021
at 7:30 pm also on Facebook live.
Invocation – The Lord’s Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance
Those present: Yoder, Young, Stephenson, Pontsler, Now, Heitkamp
Also attending: Robbie Peel, Srgt Stetler, Marge Gehle, Audrey Ford, MaKenzie Stephenson, Bev Rowan
Motion Young. Second Stephenson to accept the agenda as orders of the day.
Yoder called for the question. Young = y, Stephenson = y, Yoder = y, Pontsler = y, Now = y, Heitkamp = y . Passed 6 yes.
Motion Stephenson. Second Now to accept the minutes from the March 2, 2021 council meeting as presented. Heitkamp called for the question. Stephenson = y, Now = y, Heitkamp = y, Yoder = y, Young = y, Pontsler = y. Passed 6 yes.
Visitors to Address Council:
McKenzie Stephenson – Presented project plans for a Shanes Park Bus Stop shelter. This is for her Girl Scout Dove Award. She will be doing fundraising for the project. Shelter will have metal siding, no windows, and open towards the road. The estimated cost of the project is $2856.31. Discussions on placement at the park but nothing determined. Several of the council would like to go to the park for onsite visual of potential locations.
Motion Heitkamp, Second Pontsler. Stephenson called for the question to approve the project and work on figuring out the best location for placement once the project is ready to be built.. Heitkamp = y, Pontsler = y, Stephenson = y, Yoder = y , Young = y, Now = y. Passed 6 yes.
Audrey Ford – Presented project plans for a Shanes Park Free Little Library. She is also working on her Dove Award through Girl Scouts. This would be a library where people visiting the park can check out books and take home without having to return them. All books would be donated from the Rockford Library. The Rockford library would monitor the library at the park.
The little library would be located out of the weather elements and also weather proofed. Have estimates of $500. Audrey would be doing her own fundraising and has some ideas of several organizations to approach.
Motion Stephenson. Second Heitkamp. Now called for the question to approve the project and discuss the permanent placement of the Free Little Library at the park when the project is about done. Stephenson = y, Heitkamp = y, Now = y , Yoder = y, Young = y, Pontsler = y. Passed 6 yes.
The Village will help with press releases to bring awareness to the community that such projects are in need of support and donations.
Thank you MaKenzie and Audrey for coming to the meeting.
Mayor’s Report and Correspondence:
Mayor noted receipt and review of Mayors Court pay in,
bank reconciliation, and bank statement.
Community Announcements and events:
Friday – April 2nd – Village Office Closed – Good Friday
Saturday – April 3rd – Shanes Park Easter Egg Hunt – 1 pm
Tuesday – April 13 – Brush pick up
Thursday – April 15th – Tax deadline
Tuesday – April 20th – Arbor Day in the Village – Plant a tree !
Saturday – May 1st – Rockford Spring Fest – 9 am – 4 pm
Village Administrator’s Report – Aaron Temple
We met with Stolly Insurance last week regarding our health insurance. Glad to say there is no increase from last year and a vision plan was added.
Few complaints regarding Main street — we will need to deal with it for another year as the State has a project next summer to pave from Mercer through Rockford to the cemetery.
We have placed several signs and will be placing a couple more signs at the park – there is NO OVERNIGHT PARKING allowed.
Committee Reports
Finance Committee – Shane Young –
Motion Stepheson– to pay bills as submitted – $ 9782.98. Second Pontsler. Yoder called for the question. Stephenson = y, Pontsler = y, Yoder = y, Young = y, Now = y, Heitkamp = y. Passed 6 yes.
Motion Yoder to accept the Mayors Court pay in of – $296.00. Second Stephenson. Pontsler called for the question. Yoder = y, Stephenson = y, Pontsler = y, Young = y, Now = y, Heitkamp = y. Passed 6 yes.
Tuesday – March 9th at 1 pm – Finance meeting was held with guests Jared Ebbing of Mercer County Economic Development and Brice from Access Engineering. Discussion regarding water tower and the placement that makes the most financial sense for the village and also discussed options of how to partner and work towards a Business Park. Was a very good meeting. Brice will be working on some drawings to present to council. We are on track to apply for the grant funding for the water tower. There may be some options to use the additional Covid funds from the American Rescue Plan towards the water tower project.
Service Committee: Greg Pontsler –
Joyce Emans would like to care for the flowers at the park at $10.00 per hour – same as last year. April – September – 10 hours per week everything else that is done would be volunteer hours.
Motion – Pontsler. Second Heitkamp. Young called for the question. Pontsler = y, Heitkamp = y, Young = y, Yoder = y, Stephenson = y, Now = y. Passed 6 yes.
Community Days committee is paying to have the signs at Shanes Park redone – they were hard to read and the vinyl was coming off. Thank you !
Easter Egg Hunt at Shanes Park — April 3rd at 1 pm —– looking for volunteers to help fill baskets and hide eggs the day of the event.
Filled Easter baskets need to be dropped off at the Village Hall by April 1st – 4 pm. If you want to volunteer to fill a basket – let us know ! We have more !
Unable to approve the 2021 Rockford Rec Association Officers and members –
They don’t have a President or Secretary at this time.
Safety Committee: Chris Heitkamp – (Mr. President) –
There will be no Arbor Day assembly at Parkway School this year.
Several fire hydrant issues reported — we are aware of them. New hydrant arrived last week.
Economic Development Committee: Brad Now –
Shanes Crossing Subdivision – Lots for sale – 20% discount/ build through – December 2021.
Good feeling that we will sell a couple of lots this spring / summer.
WRKD – no updates at this time. Coming into baseball and softball season. Hoping the station can have a couple of the games on air.
Public Utilities Committee: Luke Stephenson –
Water meter replacement project – we had 21 residential meters changed and 3 business meters last week. We have 89 residential and 3 businesses to go. Hoping for nice weather to return and will get back at the project.
Question about meter placements — depends on the depth of service line off the main.
Rules Committee: Jessica Yoder
ORDINANCE 02-21
ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE INCORPORATED AREA OF ROCKFORD, OHIO, ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. REPEALING ANY AND ALL PREVIOUS ORDINANCES AND GIVING THIS ORDINANCE FULL FORCE AND EFFECT ON THE DAY OF PASSAGE.
** There will be new requirements regarding junk cars, rubbish, public and private parking restrictions, updated fees and applications.
1st reading – 03/16/2021
Old Business:
Pearl St cars parked in yard. This will be addressed once the zoning ordinance has passed into law.
No new information from Al Brandt regarding the retaining pond.
Once meter project is completed we will go back to the Subdivision – mail box and street lights.
New Business:
4 Council seats will be on the November ballot. The deadline for petition at the Board of Elections is August 4th at 4 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 8:16 pm
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Mayor Fiscal officer.
