PEMBERVILLE — During a marathon village council meeting, much of the time was spent discussing the Bridge Street bridge replacement project.
“There is a lot of misinformation going on about (the project),” Mayor Carol Bailey said.
Bridge Street is currently closed east of the village’s downtown area, between Water Street and Pemberville Road. The bridge was closed following a state inspection last November, during which the bridge was found to be unsafe,
“We were approved by a federal Build Back Better grant for over $1.5 million to replace the bridge. If we don’t follow through with (the project). we’ll never have another chance (to get another grant),” the mayor explained.
If the project is not completed, the funds approved for the grant would be distributed elsewhere, Bailey said.
The mayor said not having the bridge goes beyond a matter of inconvenience.
“It’s a safety issue for the fire department, the school students and buses, the farmers, the village businesses, and others.”
The mayor said the disinformation is being spread primarily through social media.
“People are saying the (bridge) project is somehow connected to other projects we have gong on in the village, including the water tower project. They are not. Each one is separate and we can’t (co-mingle) the funds. That would not be legal,” Bailey said.
The mayor said the village will pay 5% of the project and will pay for the engineering costs. Those costs, totaling $242,000, are already appropriated from the Permanent Improvements fund, Bailey noted.
The village has chosen Tetra Tech, Inc. to perform the engineering portion of the project. An ordinance to enter into a contract with Tetra Tech was given its second reading during the council meeting, which was held Oct. 3.
The discussion surrounding the bridge project was the reason the village council meeting took as long as it did, Bailey said.
“Otherwise, we would have been done in about 45 minutes,” the mayor said.
In other action, council:
• Gave a third reading to an ordinance establishing a credit card policy for the use of village credit cards. Following that reading, council members voted to approve the ordinance by a five to one vote. Council member Susan Rahe cast the sole “no” vote on the ordinance.
• Gave a third reading to a resolution pertaining to an application for a grant from the Wood County Parks District. It passed unanimously.
• Gave a second reading to a resolution accepting the tax rates as determined by the county’s Budget Commission.
• Heard Roberta Reiter, coordinator of a project that hopes to have a mural painted on a grain elevator in the village, give an update. She reported she has collected about $17,000, or nearly half, of the $35,000 target for the project.
The mural, to be painted on grain silos of the Countyline Co-op, is said to be of a local theme.
• Learned a Meet the Candidates night for those positions to be decided by the Nov. 7 election is slated for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 220 Cedar St.
• Learned the Harvest Gathering is scheduled for Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Halloween activities will be conducted in the village on Oct. 31, with Trick-or-Treat slated for 5:30 to 7 p.m.
