Village Administrator Derik Kaltenbaugh, right, discusses village maintenance at Malvern Village Council's Aug. 18 meeting. Mayor Bob DeLong and Administrative Assistant/Water Billing Clerk Teri Foster is also pictured.Thomas Clapper
Malvern Village Council was visited by Jackie Cole of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at its Aug. 18 meeting.
Cole, a federal on-scene coordinator for the EPA, briefed council on the progress of the Perfect Products Building cleanup.
“There were approximately 300 drums of materials. Some were empty but some had paint or latex products,” said Cole. “All were marked for disposal. The majority are latex products, but there are acids and oils that release ammonia into the building.”
She said there is a four-person team on cleanup that has years of experience doing this type of work and they are wearing upgraded levels of PPE for their protection. Air monitoring is being done as a normal precaution, but there is no issue for the neighborhood.
Cole said the project should be done by early September. The EPA is going to have a vac truck pull out solids and sedimentation outside the property. Soil tests were being taken.
She explained no one from the public is to go into the building because there are hazards, fumes and things have been moved around.
She is working with the Ohio EPA Brownfield program for funding to see if there is anything else the village needs in terms of the grounds.
The EPA will clean the building after the drums are gone and the building is cleared. This will be at no cost to the village; a Superfund excise tax covers that type of work.
There is a website with information about the meeting at Response.EPA.gov/perfectproducts.
In an unrelated matter, another person who rented a pavilion drove across the walking track. This is not allowed and is in the agreement when renting a pavilion.
Council agreed this is in violation and they will keep the $100 deposit. Village Administrator Derik Kaltenbaugh suggested establishing a walking track fund to put this money into.
Somebody once again drove across the walking track for a rental. The deposit is $100, and these individuals do not get it back. Do not drive on the walking track.
“Let’s put the money toward a walking track fund since they are damaging it,” said Kaltenbaugh. “If they drive across it, they help pay for it.”
Council liked the idea because this has been happening multiple times in the last month.
In other business, council:
— HEARD Nolan Champer address council about installing a crosswalk and signs the Malvern Community Development Fund purchased. The village will work on putting the signs up. Champer said it has a solar unit that powers the electronics. He said he would be more than happy to help set it up.
— APPROVED Resolution 2025-10 adopting the policy on virtual attendance at public meetings for the Village of Malvern.
— PAID the village bills of $18,264.74 approved by the Finance Committee Aug. 18, and $7,061.90 in biweekly payroll paid Aug. 14.
The next meeting will be held at a special date, Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. Village Hall will be closed Labor Day.
