Bolivar hires new fiscal officer

The Village of Bolivar hired Barb Kline as its new fiscal officer in a special meeting on July 18. Mayor Tim Lang said at the Aug. 1 meeting of village council that Kline was chosen from 18 applicants vying for the position.

In other personnel issues, council held the first reading of proposed legislation to increase village employee salaries. Lang said the increases are being proposed because the village has found it difficult to keep employees at their current wages, which he said are lower than almost every other town or village in the area.

The new proposed wages per hour are as follows:

—Chief of police at $28.08, a $5 increase.

—Patrolman at $18, a $1.50 increase.

—Income tax administrator at $16.89, a $1.50 increase.

—Street superintendent at $21.88, a $1.50 increase.

—Fiscal officer at $20, a $1 increase after six months.

—Village administrator at $19.86, a $1 increase after recent 50 cent increase.

—Part-time water at $16.35, a $1.50 increase.

—Part-time street help at $12.

—Water operator at $765 monthly, a new position.

In other business

Council voted to expend up to $15,118 for storm drain jetting based on a quote received from Chempure. Finance chair Will Bellinger said he is working on getting another estimate as Chempure’s was the only one received. If the service can be obtained for a lesser amount, council agreed to use that bidder for the work.

Also approved was the purchase of a metal carport-type structure from Behrs Buildings in Dalton at a cost of $4,833, which includes installation. Purchasing the carport at this time will secure a sale price, saving nearly $2,000, according to Bellinger. The structure will be used to protect village equipment outdoors.

Council approved hiring Mark Porter for sidewalk work at a rate of $30 per hour, with a maximum expenditure of $240, as well as the use of a cement-mixing truck. Lang said the cement work had been attempted by Street Superintendent Kyle Porter, himself and Bellinger but needed Mark Porter to complete it properly. Mark Porter is the father of Kyle Porter. No other bids were sought.

Council also agreed to increase hours for the part-time summer worker to 40 per week for the concrete work.

New street names

Council voted to rename three streets and alleys, based on suggestions and votes from residents. An unnamed alley running east to west between Poplar Street and Beucler Avenue will be named Fort, an unnamed alley between Grand and Wilson will be named Simon and the section of Johnson running east to west will be renamed Kathryn Place.

Reports to council

Bruce Lawver, safety committee chair, said the police department received in July and asked for a meeting to plan the police budget for 2023.

Bellinger, reporting for finance, said the village received a $6,500 grant from Zimmerman Surgical to build a small park where a sculpture will be installed as part of the LoveTusc Sculpture Tour. The money is earmarked only for the park, not the sculpture itself.

Porter said flashing speed-limit signs were purchased and will be placed on Park Street and Poplar Street to remind drivers to slow down.

Lang said the Bolivar car show that was canceled on July 23 due to inclement weather has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10 from 4-7 p.m. A section of Canal Street and some side streets will be closed from noon that day until the show ends.

Lang also reported receiving several complaints from residents about dog owners not picking up droppings when walking their pets. He asked pet owners to carry a bag for that purpose.

Public comments

Resident Dick Harvey asked council to consider repairing the tennis courts at the Bolivar Intermediate School. Lang said the school owns the tennis courts, and the last time he checked into repairing them, the cost would be $15,000. It's believed the school will not repair them because the school is scheduled for demolition sometime after the new Tusky Valley school campus is complete in 2023.

Councilman Dan Oberlin said it was always customary for the village to contribute funds toward maintaining them, and he will check into past policies and possible funding for making the repairs.

Other legislation

Council proposed amending income tax allocation as follows:

—76% to general fund, currently at 85%.

—14% to street fund, no change.

—10% to capital fund, currently at 1%.

Council voted to do the following:

—Amend village water rules and regulations after a reading by title only to change the shut-off/reconnection fee from $25-$40 with Oberlin voting no. The full language of the ordinance was not made available by press time. Bellinger said the new regulations will be accessible to the public on the village website soon.

—Pass zoning changes regarding parking of RVs, trailers, boats and similar vehicles in driveways or on village property after a reading by title only. The changes include a fine structure: a written warning upon first violation with fines to be assessed every three days after the warning at $50, then $150, then $250 for a total fine of $1,500. The full language of the ordinance was not made available by press time.

—Rescind an ordinance and replace it with a resolution to put a 2-mill replacement levy with an increase to 4 mills for police protection on the November ballot.

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Village Hall.