CENTERBURG — Centerburg Village Council members again accepted a bid for the Main Street lighting project, this time from Greenwich Electric.

The contract is for 12 new lights. The cost is not to exceed $204,000.

In August 2024, council members approved a bid from V3 Companies for 15 lights for $215,000 (Ordinance 2024-09). The cost included $184,000 for construction costs and $31,000 for engineering services.

The village revised its project scope and rebid it early this year with an engineer’s estimated cost of $185,000.

Greenwich Electric’s bid was $203,479, within the allowed 20% variance from the engineer’s estimate.

The Knox County Foundation contributed $127,500 to the project, and the Heart of Ohio Business Association contributed $5,000.

At this point, the village is responsible for the remaining cost.

Village Administrator Teri Wise said that since the project involves sidewalks, the village can use money from the sidewalk fund.

Wise continues to look for additional funding.

Councilman Daniel Hardwick questioned the need for underground electricity as that comprises a large part of the cost.

“We already have lights out there that have electric,” he said. “Is it possible to stay with overhead electric and spruce them up? Most of these costs are underground.”

Wise said most new electric wiring is underground and noted it would eliminate the ugly poles and wires on Main Street.

“If we don’t do something with this, we’re going to lose the $127,500,” Mayor Greg Sands said. “We’ve fiddled with this long enough. That’s the real bottom-line decision for us.”

Council members unanimously approved suspending the rules and taking the ordinance to its third reading. By a 4 to 1 vote, council members passed the ordinance.

Hardwick voted no. Councilman Greg Meyers was on vacation.

Annexations and demolition

Council members waived the three readings and passed two emergency resolutions annexing parcels into the village.

The first was parcel 17-01177.000, AMVETS Post #59. The village agreed to provide sewer, police and fire services to the property.

The 2.03-acre parcel will remain in the township and retain its Community Commercial District zoning.

The property’s rental residence is a non-conforming use under the village’s code. If it ceases to be rented for more than six months or is destroyed or damaged more than 50%, the owner cannot rebuild it, and the rental use terminates.

Additionally, the owner cannot expand the building’s use without prior approval from Centerburg’s planning commission.

The agreement is an Expedited Type 2 annexation.

Council members also waived the three readings and passed as an emergency a resolution to annex parcel 17-50009.000 known as Community Memorial Park.

The Hilliar Township trustees approved conveying the park to the village for $1, with the proviso that it always remains a park.

previous reporting

Centerburg formally accepts donation of Community Memorial Park

by Cheryl SplainFebruary 13, 2025

Centerburg signals intent to accept Memorial Park from Hilliar Township

by Cheryl SplainFebruary 4, 2025

Hilliar Township considers transferring Memorial Park to Centerburg village

by Cheryl SplainJanuary 10, 2025

Council also approved legislation authorizing demolishing the house at 52 N. Clayton St.

The village bought the parcel in July 2024.

United Aggregates’ quote of $24,292.50 includes removing the foundation, footers, and basement floor; backfilling the basement with compacted material; and adding topsoil, seed and straw when the company completes the job.

General Manager Jeff Wintermute estimates United Aggregates will complete the demolition in three days.

If asbestos removal is necessary, it must be done before demolition. The village is responsible for arranging asbestos inspection and removal.

Reports

Wise reported that no large trees fell during the recent rain, but crews are busy clearing many small branches.

Her main concern is North Clayton, a consistent stormwater problem. As workers pumped one sewer grate, water in the nearby ditch receded, showing obvious stormwater infiltration into the sewer.

Wise will do further research.

Village officials met with members of the Common Apartments about water in the parking lot. It is not the village’s responsibility.

The owner will need to have someone research it further.

A survey for the Jerry Street stormwater project showed the right-of-way line is not where everyone thought it was. Officials are working to get the necessary easements.

Contractor B.K. Layer still believes the company will finish the project by Oct. 15. A tree at 10 Jerry St. needs to be removed.

Wise hired Grayson Reynolds as a summer employee and offered a job to an applicant for the open wastewater treatment plant position.

The village contracted with former administrator Joe Hardin to serve as the EPA contractor of record. Hardin will spend 20 hours a week in the plant.

Several years ago, a letter from the insurance carrier to Hilliar Township allegedly recommended removing the old playground equipment. After reading the letter, Wise did not have that impression.

She removed the crawl-through tunnel, and the carrier asked her to move the baby swings away from the adult swings.

A survey and stormwater engineering work are needed before the village can install the new playground equipment. The village can use some of the $17,000 the township transferred to the village with the park to help cover engineering costs.

“I’m hoping after we meet with the engineer we can put together a timeline,” Wise said.

COJFD

Fire Chief Mark McCann said the spaghetti dinner, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Central Ohio Joint Fire District, went well.

The station will host CPR/AED training on April 26, and personnel have started cyber security classes.

Ohio Means Jobs awarded the department a $9,450 grant. An Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant for $17,670.15 for radio replacements is on hold.

The Knox County Foundation denied a $120,000 grant for heart monitors, which the manufacturer no longer sells but need replaced.

Fire officials inspected the new fire truck, which McCann expects to formally accept on April 15. It will then be outfitted with shelves and other accessories.

He anticipates the new truck will finally arrive sometime in June.

McCann said for the first time in his COJFD tenure, this is the first year the district has no firefighters on probation, which means they’ve been here for at least a year.

“What does that mean?” McCann asked. “Our retention programs I call a success for the past year.

“It increases both your safety and the safety of our firefighters because they train and work regular hours.”

To emphasize the importance of retention, McCann cited a double-fatal fire in which the two firefighters had a combined fire experience of two hours on a fire truck.

The station will serve as a drop-off site for Guitars for Vets, a program that teaches veterans with PTSD and other traumas how to play the guitar.

When the veterans reach a certain level, the organization will give them a guitar.

by Cheryl Splain April 8, 2025