Coldwater council gets plans for amphitheater

COLDWATER - Plans for an amphitheater in Memorial Park were unveiled during Monday's village council meeting.

The 1,600-square-foot pavilion will be located in the northeast section of the park between the gazebo and shelter house No. 3, said village administrator/engineer Eric Thomas.

The project has a $200,000 budget. A $150,000 recreational enhancement grant was received through the office of former Sen. Keith Faber, he said. The Community Picnic Association will cover the remaining $50,000 cost.

No restroom facilities are included in the plan since they are available at the nearby shelter house, Thomas noted. The stage area will be similar to that of the pavilion in St. Henry. The main function will be to provide a stage during the community picnic.

"We are hoping to have it done by the picnic," he said, adding his goal is to have plans approved by the state by May 1 with constructing beginning soon after.
   Thomas also reported the sanitary sewer overflow correction project is moving along rapidly.

He said the holding tank on Eighth Street has been completed and the one behind the village office should be finished next week. The tanks have "quite a bit of storage." One holds just less than 200,000 gallons and the larger one about 250,000 gallons.
   Shinn Brothers Inc. of Celina was hired for the $1.6 million project. The village received an Ohio Public Works small governments grant for $500,000 and a $510,000 no-interest loan. The remainder of the funding will come from the sanitary sewer fund.
   Officials are under Ohio Environmental Protection Agency orders to separate the storm sewers from the sanitary sewer system to prevent raw sewage from being washed into Coldwater and Hardin creeks. This needs to be completed by the end of the year. Thomas said the project is ahead of schedule.
   In other action, council members renewed an agreement with The Peoples Bank Co. Finance director Jason Eyink explained that village money needs to be put into a bank that is qualified to accept public funds. The agreement needs to be renewed every two years.
   Transportation committee chairman Don Ahrens said the committee met Jan. 31 to discuss moving the center line on South Second Street. The change would start at the alley just south of the Eagles lodge and run to the southern corporation line.

Committee members recommended moving the center line four feet to the west, making the northbound lane 16 feet wide and the southbound lane 12 feet wide. This will allow parking on the west side of the street to remain. Parking width will be reduced from 12 feet to 8 feet. Council members approved the recommendation.
   Thomas said he received the application for audible notification signals for the intersections of Main and Second streets and Vine and Second streets included in the Ohio Department of Transportation enhancement grant. A citizen requested the pedestrian cross signals to be retrofitted with audio for those with vision impairment. Thomas will notify council members on the application's outcome.

Council members also learned,

• the new hydro-excavator is in and has been used by village crews.

• trees have been trimmed and hazardous branches removed for the year.

• streets have been swept due to the warmer weather.

• Second Street water line replacement from the Eagles lodge to Buzzard's Glory Bar will begin toward the end of the month.