Honeysuckle Dr. project to proceed as is

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GREENVILLE — During its Tuesday night meeting, the Greenville City Council declined to alter the city’s plans for fixing a residential street.

Homeowners on Honeysuckle Drive had requested that the city consider upgrades to its plan to mill and pave the street, hoping for a more thorough reconstruction and possibly the addition of new curbs and gutters, as had recently taken place on neighboring streets.

Safety/Service Director Curt Garrison asked council whether it wished to pursue the issue further or have the city administration proceed with its current plan.

While a number of council members have expressed it would be ideal to fully reconstruct all the streets in Greenville, they pointed to a lack of funding preventing the city from doing so.

Garrison also told council that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated the city address the presence of methane gas at the city’s old landfill.

“The methane is migrating across [U.S. Route] 127,” he said, explaining the methane likely poses no threat to residents at nearby Olwine Mobile Home Park.

“Geologically speaking, what the experts believe, there is a layer of sand at that 20-foot-or-greater level, which is allowing the methane gas to migrate from one side of 127 to the other. Above that sand is a hard layer of clay, and that clay is keeping the gas at that depth,” he said.

“The EPA would like for us to install what’s called a ‘fixed blower system.’ This blower will expel the methane gas from the ground to the atmosphere,” he added.

Last fall, the city had set up a temporary blower system in an attempt to release the gas for a 24-hour period, and saw “favorable results.”

Garrison said Hull & Associates Engineering has provided the city a total cost estimate of $66,300 for the project.

Though displeased with what Councilman Tracy Tryon characterized as an “unfunded mandate” by the state, council agreed to have legislation written for a vote at an upcoming meeting.

Regarding an earlier request to replace the city fire chief’s inoperable 2003 Ford Expedition command vehicle, council decided to not consider the purchase of a new vehicle until January 2017.

Councilman Clarence Godwin said, “It’s not in the budget to buy a $40,000 vehicle.”

As well, Garrison announced that Assistant Fire Chief Dave McDermitt will retire from the position effective June 30, 2016.

Council agreed to consider legislation at a future meeting regarding a request by Vectren that the city reduce its permit fee from $50 to $25 per property, and accept a flat bond amount of $100,000 as the energy company seeks to upgrade gas lines at 251 properties in the city.

In other business, council approved the transfer of funds toward the Marling Band Shell project, with $60,160 representing donations received from individuals and businesses and $25,000 from the Lucille Clark Estate.

Council approved ordinances allowing for at least two persons in the city’s IT Department and establishing salaries and wages for the same.

Another approved ordinance authorizes the city to enter into an agreement with the Miami Valley Communications Council for the provision of electric generation and transmission supply services to the city.

Council also approved resolutions authorizing the Safety/Service Director to advertise for bids for lime removal at the city’s water treatment plant; authorizing the Water Department to dispose of a 1994 Ford F-150 truck through GovDeals.com; approving the Safety/Service Director to file an application with the Darke County Board of Commissioners’ CDBG Allocation Program for the Bucoba Street Resurfacing Project; and authorizing the Safety/Service Director to accept a bid by the Darke County Aero Modelers Association for the lease of the city’s well field property along Chestnut Street.

The Greenville City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. The meetings are open to the public. For further information on city happenings, go online to www.cityofgreenville.org or visit the “City of Greenville, Ohio” Facebook page.

City to stick with original plan

By Erik Martin

[email protected]

The writer may be reached at 937-569-4314. Join the conversation and get updates on Facebook search Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com.

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