Water tower on shutdown during Thanksgiving

ST. HENRY - A problem inside the village's largest water tower is slated to be fixed during Thanksgiving weekend.

Officials recently discovered a leak in the fill pipe inside the tower about two-thirds of the way up. The repair is estimated to cost $16,930 and the funding is available in the town's budget, village administrator Don Hess told council members Monday night.

Although the 300,000-gallon tower along Kremer-Hoying Road must be drained before the work can be done, it won't leave residents high and dry, Hess explained.

"They (village residents) won't even know anything's going on," he said.

While the work is being done, the town will utilize the water supply from a smaller, yet adequate water tower near the police department, Hess said. Cooper Farms - which normally uses large quantities of water for production - will be closed during the holiday weekend, he added.

The work is scheduled to begin Nov. 24 and will take a few days, he said.

Leary Construction of Greenfield, Ind., which previously painted and did repair work on the water towers, will drain it, cut out the stand pipe and weld a new fill pipe before reapplying insulation and refilling the tower, Hess said. The corroded joint is not expanding and contracting as it should.

Also on Monday, village council members read and approved the third reading of a 40 percent tax abatement for a new business complex on North Eastern Avenue. The ordinance establishes a 5-year community investment act (tax abatement) for North Town, 391 N. Eastern Ave. and its four retail shops owned by Homer and Judy Stachler.

Council members also:

• Learned village solicitor George Moore will record a deed transferring former village land to Tim and Deb Knapke following approval of the sale last month. The approximately 3/4-acre of land - a portion of the town's former well field adjoining Knapke's home - was sold for $19,816.

• Learned a project to install new, automated water meters for village residents is about 70 percent complete. Officials hope to finish the ongoing project next year.

• Heard Mayor Jeff Mescher announce that the Ohio Department of Transportation is holding a "Build a Better Mousetrap" competition for government entities. The contest allows county engineers or city, township and village employees to enter any innovative tools they've designed or other improvisations to complete their work.

Deadline to enter the competition is Jan. 31.

• Learned village crews are removing the banners that line the streets in preparation for hanging Christmas decorations.

"Sounds like they're (village workers) going to have the weather on their side this week," councilman Bob "Rocket" Rengers noted.

• Learned the village's fund balance is $1,485,713.