BRADFORD — The Bradford Council heard from its engineer on two big village projects during its meeting on Thursday evening, including the approaching conclusion of the water treatment plant project and the beginning of the Harrison Avenue reconstruction project.
The council approved a change order in the amount of approximately $48,315 to Shinn Brothers, the general contractor for the construction of the new water treatment plant. Brice Schmitmeyer, president of Access Engineering, explained that the change order, which was included in the village’s contingency budget for the project, paid for additional work for fencing, seeding, pavement replacement, the addition of a turnaround drive, regrading, the addition of a storm drain and the addition of a bulk chlorine tank.
“It’s definitely within the budget we projected,” Schmitmeyer said.
He noted that the village came in under $100,000 of its maximum budget for the project.
“I believe it was a successful project,” he added.
The total cost of the project was under approximately $2.1 million, which will be paid for with a 30-year, zero percent interest loan from the Ohio Public Works Commission and a 30-year, 1 percent interest loan from the Ohio Water Development Authority. The village is expected to pay approximately $40,592 each year.
In regard to the Harrison Avenue reconstruction project, Schmitmeyer and the village received notice that the village will be receiving $750,000 in OPWC grant funding for the project. The project also is expected to utilize a 0 percent interest OPWC loan of $420,000 and approximately $330,000 in local funds. According to Village Administrator Rick Looker, the village has approximately $460,000 in local funds already budgeted for the project.
In addition to reconstructing Harrison Avenue and replacing sanitary sewer and water lines on Harrison Avenue, there are additional funds to overlay some of the side streets off of Harrison Avenue.
“It will be a brand-new street,” Schmitmeyer said.
Looker and Schmitmeyer reminded the council about the possibility of the council passing a resolution of necessity to require property owners to replace sidewalks in those areas. Looker advised that, if the council wanted to pass this resolution, it should approve it by the spring of 2019. Property owners then could seek cost estimates from the contractor of the reconstruction project.
The council then approved accepting a contract of $125,000 from Access Engineering for the engineering and design work for the project.
Also during the meeting, two local residents returned before the council with concerns about a dangerous dog within the village in the area of Smithfield Street and Staunton Avenue. One said that she was seeking to put up a fence to guard herself and her dogs from the alleged dangerous dog, saying that both she and a postal worker were bitten by the dog in April.
The residents did not name the dog or its owners, but one local resident has received multiple citations from the Miami County Health Board in regard to allegations of a biting dog, according to Miami County Municipal Court records. Christopher Rue, 19, of Bradford, was cited with five minor misdemeanor citations of “biting animal to be confined” in connection with incidents on the 200 block of Staunton Avenue on April 28, April 29, April 30, May 1 and May 2. In each of those cases, a waiver was signed and Rue received fines and court costs totaling nearly $100 for each citation, according court records.
Rue also received fines earlier in April from the Miami County Animal Shelter after being cited for fourth-degree misdemeanor failure to confine.
At the end of its meeting, the council returned to a topic about lawn mowers being driven on public roadways. At its last meeting, two residents expressed concerns about a juvenile getting stopped by a sheriff’s deputy while riding a lawn mower on village streets. A different sheriff’s deputy present during the meeting advised that any motorized vehicle in the public roadway needs to have a license plate and be operated by someone of age with a driver’s license unless it is for agricultural purposes, to which lawn mowing does not apply.
While that is state law, the village could choose to pass a local ordinance to override that law and allow people to drive lawn mowers on village streets.
During Thursday’s meeting, Looker advised, instead of seeking legal advice from its solicitor, to allow sheriff’s deputies to use their discretion when it comes to stopping and possibly citing drivers on lawn mowers on public roadways. The council agreed. Miami County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Underwood advised the council that it could seek a directive from Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak on how the sheriff would prefer his deputies to handle people riding lawn mowers on public roadways in Bradford. The council indicated that it did not think that would be necessary.
Council member Deb Warner reminded the council that village garage sales will be held June 7-10.
Mayor Don Stump and council member Sandra Miller were absent.
