By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
The third quarter tax revenues are in and the news made for pleasant listening for the New Washington Village Council. This year’s collection so far is $311,251.51, which surpasses the $303,490 collected all of last year.
While the employer withholdings are down, business and individual collections are up, resulting in the overall increase of revenue. The final quarter will not see much more in the way of collections but Krebs said there will be a little more to track down.
Members of council set in motion a petition that will see them acquire a vacant property on Scharf Street. The former Johnny Greathouse property, which has been vacant for around five years now, has failed twice to sell at a tax sale. The village has outstanding taxes on the house for mowing, water, and sewer expenses. When this happens, local government is offered a chance by the State of Ohio to file a petition to acquire the property. If the Village does not file within a specified time span then it would go to the State.
In other property news, council finalized the purchase of the vacant lot at the northwest corner of Mansfield and Kibler streets. The ordinance allowing for this purchase, at a sum of $25,000, was passed on its third and final reading.
Joe Blum has been in contact with the Verdant Clock Company about possible repairs to the street clock in front of the Village Library. The clock has been slowly losing time and has become a bit wobbly in the wind. The initial goal was to have this company inspect the clock when they come to tune up the bells at St. Bernard Church. However, Blum reported back that this will not be taking place until next July. This would have saved the village a little money, as representatives of the company would already be in town, but Blum was against waiting that long. Council agreed and approved contacting them for an inspection visit, which will cost around $450.
In the mayor’s report Ben Lash informed council that he has been in contact with the Ohio Department of Transportation about the proposed Chief Scott Robertson Memorial Way, which would extend the length of Mansfield Street in the village limits. ODOT reported back that this allowable and completely within the purview of the council.
Lash also received information about touching up the stop bars at the intersections of Mansfield and Kibler, and Mansfield and Main. They need to be two-feet wide and four feet from the crosswalk. These stop bars have faded and the hope is that by reinvigorating them the intersections will be safer. This is a project that will not take place until 2015.
Former Police Captain Robert Stanley’s tombstone has been installed. The village sponsored the purchase of this stone when he died over the summer.