Nidec Minster to add 25 jobs

MINSTER - Nidec Minster Corp. officials are seeking an enterprise zone tax abatement agreement for a planned 20,000-square-foot addition to the company's manufacturing facility on the west side of Ohio Street.

Village council members on Tuesday gave first reading of an ordinance authorizing the agreement that would grant Nidec Minster a 43 percent, five-year abatement. The $6.05 million addition would allow for 25 new staff positions and $1.2 million in new payroll.

The agreement is typical for the scope of this expansion, village administrator Donald Harrod said. The difference this time is Nidec Minster officials requested a 43 percent abatement instead of the usual 75 percent to prevent a payment in lieu of taxes to the school district. Under the proposed agreement, the district will continue to receive its normal tax money based on the company's value.

The ordinance will be back for second reading at council's next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20.

Also on Tuesday, councilors accepted bids for portions of the Northwest Electrical Substation as recommended by Mike Kiser of Encompass Engineering. The total project cost, including the power transformer, breakers and the power controller room, was estimated at $1.622 million. The bids accepted came to a total of $1.646 million.

Kiser recommended bids slightly higher than had been estimated because they are of higher quality and should serve the village best. The awarded bids were $639,534 from Delta Star for the transformer, $101,920 from Alstom for the breakers and switchers, $717,000 from Pepco for the power control room and $187,800 from BSP for the 69 KV control room.

Still to be bid out on the project are the concrete work for footers and foundations and the steel and rebar.

In other actions, councilors,

• passed on third and final reading an ordinance banning the discharge of firearms within the village limits. The only exceptions would be for police or National Guard officers on duty; a person discharging a firearm in lawful defense of self, a third party or of property; or someone firing a military salute.

• gave second reading of an ordinance establishing a policy for small-cell (5G) technology in village rights-of-way.

• gave first reading of a resolution to erect a four-way stop at the intersection of Hamilton and Fifth streets. That intersection is a two-way stop for traffic on Fifth Street.

• gave first reading of a resolution declaring it necessary to improve Second Street from Garfield Street to the Miami-Erie Canal with new pavement, curbing, sidewalks, gutters, utilities, driveway approaches and water main. The village intends to assess the property owners who benefit from the improvements. That project is tentatively scheduled for 2019.

• removed Andy Roetgerman from his temporary parks department position and hired him as a full-time employee in the parks department at $16.25 per hour.

• authorized the fiscal officer to request the $5 permissive license plate fee from the Auglaize County Engineer for each plate sold to a village resident.

• voted to pay October invoices of $1.3 million.