Council discusses grants, quorum delay at meeting

The monthly Adena council meeting began unofficially because the body was one member short of a quorum, prompting members to exchange ideas until council member Marla Bechtel arrived. Mayor Brenda Roski discussed possible committee assignments in advance of the meeting formally beginning.

Council member RJ Konkoleski told Roski he planned to ask for permission to pursue grants once the meeting was official, a request that was later approved. He said the grants would require matching funds and that higher awards would require larger local contributions.

“So, I think there’s a lot of ways to slice it, but as we move through that process, I want to ask tonight to be authorized to apply for four or five grants that I have identified,” Konkoleski said. “But there’s no sense in applying if we can’t meet the match criteria.”

Konkoleski said he was uncertain what could be counted as incentives toward the required match, adding that a 20% match would require the village to contribute $25,000.

“And I know the park fund doesn’t have that kind of revenue in a year’s time,” he said.

Village Treasurer Denise Geanangel said most of the village’s available funds are currently in water and sewer accounts. It was clarified that those funds cannot be transferred for other uses. Roski also discussed plans to install fencing around the village’s water tank once weather conditions improve.

“It’s supposed to be fenced in,” Roski told council. “We have a gate, but it needs fenced in.”

Roski said Police Chief Casey Robinson was absent because he was participating in Shop With a Cop night. During correspondence, Roski said a resident had expressed interest in purchasing village-owned property extending to the creek. She said the property could not be sold directly and would instead need to be offered through a public auction.