By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

VERSAILLES — The Versailles Village Council met Wednesday to discuss Klipstine Road and police cruisers.

Mike Busse’s report stated he is asking the Council to approve the bidding of the Klipstine Road Improvement project. If approved, advertisement for the project would be intended for Nov. 16 and 23, and the bids for the project will be concluded on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. The current project budget is $1,100,000, and depending on how the bids come in, there may need to be amended appropriations for the project.

Bids for the project will be received at the office of the Village of Versailles, 177 N. Center Street. The bids will be opened publicly and read aloud at 10 a.m. Bids received after 10 will be returned unopened.

There were discussions about what will soon be “the extra cruiser” according to Mayor Jeff Subler about whether to keep it or get rid of it. Versailles Police Chief Josh Bowlin brought forth a few different ideas to the council.

“As you know, we are waiting on a car that is supposed to be here in January or February of next year,” Bowlin said. “This in turn will take one out of service.”

He said in years past, they have given it to the village or they have stripped and sold it. Bowlin said the one going out of service is a 2015 with 134,000 miles on it, so they can either “strip it completely down and try to sell it or put it in service as a fleet vehicle for the village.”

Bowlin also advised the council, Ford is canceling their police cars, and it was advised it would be at least a half a year before another car would be received if anything would happen to the other one. The council decided with the way the supply chain is, and the fact the village put in a new $6,000 transmission at the first of the year, it would be a good idea to keep the vehicle and give it to the school resource officer in order to allow a cruiser to be out there.

With this additional cruiser, the village will then have five cruisers, “which is a good point,” Mayor Subler added. The school cruiser will be stripped of its radar and camera, but will still have the cage and could still be considered an emergency vehicle. The cruiser will also still be able to be used for patrols.

By keeping the cruiser in use at the school, the village will get another five years out of the vehicle before replacement will need to be reconsidered.

“I like the idea of one being across from the school,” Council Member Todd Dammeyer said. “Plus if we just put six grand into it, we won’t get that much for selling plus we have to pay to strip it down then it doesn’t make sense to do that either.”

Council Member Ralph Gigandet agreed it would be a good idea to keep the cruiser and give it to the school resource officer saying, “I’m ok with that”.

“I don’t see a problem especially with insurance,” Council Member Lance Steinbrunner added.

Busse continued his report stating they are still waiting on the approval for the CDBG ED Grant for the raw water line project. He said they hope to hear back by the end of the week. The project design is still under way, and they intend to be ready to submit a project PTI application to the Ohio EPA in December.

“We would like to bid this in February, but some of this depends on this economic development grant. If we get awarded this grant, there are some things we have to do before we move forward with the project,” Busse said.

They are still pushing to move forward, but they need answers before too much can be done. The grant is around $470,000 in total if it is awarded. The North Central Water Line Replacement Project is also awaiting the completion of an application to the OPWC.

The application will be requesting a $249,000 grant and a $249,000 zero percent 30-year loan to complete the North Central Waterline Replacement Project. This is planned to be a fall 2023 project. The Village was previously awarded a $470,000 CGBG Grant for the project, but are waiting to hear about the OPWC grant.

“We should know all of this OPWC money tentatively by March, and then we will actually be awarded it in July,” Busse said. “We wouldn’t be able to start this project before July first assuming we get this money. We are hopeful.”

A public hearing for the presentation of the village’s Five Year Capital Improvement Plan will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 6:45 p.m. The next Versailles Council meeting will take place immediately after at 7 p.m., in EMS Building, 320 Baker Road, Versailles.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].