By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Versailles Village Council met Wednesday to discuss bids and revised codes.

Village Administrator Mike Busse advised the council will have to vote to allow fiscal officer, Kathy Ording, to go out for bids for the Greenlawn Cemetery Care due to inflation costs. Busse advised that with the rising cost of care to the Greenlawn Cemetery approaching their $50,000 budget annually, he recommends the council advertise for bids for the 2023 Cemetery Care Program.

“It was 48 and some change last year, and I don’t suspect us under 50 this year,” Busse said.

Ording will draft legislation for bidding. She also reported to the council about the December fund report and the year-end income tax return.

“I will have much more in depth year-end totals for you in a couple of weeks once I get the annual year end statement done,” Ording said.

She summarized by saying the year end total was reported at $3,055,166.07, and for reference, she went back to look at the totals from the 2021 income tax collection. Ording reported a total of $2,645,115 was brought back via income tax for 2021.

“So we had some nice growth in the income tax which is good because we know we have some great expenses going out this year,” Ording said.

The planning commission met on Monday, Feb. 6 to discuss a proposed text amendment to sections 901 and 902 of the Versailles Zoning Code. The intent of the off-street parking and loading regulations in the downtown B-2 business district is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by ensuring that all land uses have adequate amounts of off-street parking and loading areas in order to not create traffic hazards on public streets.

“One thing we will do to simplify it is now, even after the planning commissioner reviews it – because it sometimes doesn’t meet our regulations, has to go to the board of zoning and appeals,” Busse said.

Busse advised if there is no change of use, the review does not have to go to the board of zoning and appeals, but if there is a substantial change of use, then it has to go back to the planning commission.

“If it was a bar restaurant, and it still is a bar restaurant just with a new owner, then it doesn’t trigger these requirements,” Busse said.

Busse said this is the way they have always done it, but the text now says it too. The commission issued a written recommendation to the Village Council to consider amending the zoning text, and a public hearing was set for Wednesday, March 22 at 6:45 p.m. to consider the recommendation.

During the Planning Commissioner meeting, they also had some preliminary discussions about potential annexations along Reed and Baker Roads. Busse reported these preliminary discussions were a result of some property owners requesting access to Village Utilities.

“We are currently contacting property owners in the area to determine who is interested in participating and we will report back to the planning commission and council,” Busse said.

There will be a public hearing before the Regular Meeting at 6:55 p.m. to present an application for the Current Agricultural Use Valuation for one parcel of land owned by Rapid Real Estate LLC. The meeting will be conducted Feb. 22 in the Emergency Services Facility, 320 Baker Road.

The next Versailles Council meeting will take place Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m., in EMS Building, 320 Baker Road, Versailles.

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