Council nixes signs in public rights-of-way

COLDWATER - Signs will be prohibited in public rights-of-way and on public property in the village.

Council members on Monday passed the ordinance after third reading. Signs include any card, banner, handbill, sign, poster, printing, writing, drawing, painting, decoration, pictorial representation, advertising, political sign, publicity or notice of any kind.

Public right-of-way or public property means any area dedicated to or owned by the village or the public, according to the ordinance. This includes any curb, telephone wire, crossbar or pole, utility wire, lamppost, traffic or parking control signs or devices, hydrant, bridge, tree, bus shelter or any other object located within said public right-of-way or public property.

The provisions do not apply to any political signs placed on private property, provided such signs comply with the village zoning ordinance.

Members also passed after third reading an ordinance establishing a vacant building program. The ordinance will establish a program to identify and register vacant buildings, determine the owners' responsibilities and provide incentives to rehabilitate and productively use vacant buildings.

Council members intend to shift the cost or burden of dealing with vacant structures from citizens to the owners.

Village administrator/engineer Eric Thomas told councilors that road patching will begin this week.

"You'll see the orange cones and barrels popping up pretty regularly, at least for a couple of weeks," he added. "We're also working out at the pool, getting that zero entry in."

The Community Picnic Association decided last fall to fund a zero-entrance project at the Coldwater Memorial Park swimming pool.

Thomas also reported the sign installation project is almost complete.

"We're going around now replacing the street signs on top of the stop signs," he said. "All the signs and posts were free."

Butler Township qualified for a grant for safety sign materials. Any kind of regulatory or warning signs were paid for by the state. The Ohio Department of Transportation program provided $50,000 per township. Any village inside the township also qualified for signs.

Thomas said Mercer County crews helped with the project, which enabled village and county crews to install 30-40 posts per day.

"It turned a two- or three-week project into a one-week project," he added.

Finance director Jason Eyink reported that Gov. Mike DeWine had signed House Bill 62 last week. The bill increases the gas tax by 10.5 cents per gallon to 38.5 cents and the diesel tax by 19 cents to 47 cents a gallon effective July 1. The tax will fund state and local highway and street improvements. Eyink received some estimates from ODOT for the road fund.

"We are hoping next year it is going to increase by $100,000 with that bill," he said.

"I would like to publicly thank Susan Manchester, our state representative, for voting for this bill. It was much needed," Thomas added.

Council members gave second reading of a resolution approving the Mercer County Solid Waste Management Plan. The plan provides a fee schedule to generate revenue to cover costs of implementing strategies and programs to meet or exceed minimum state waste-reduction goals and objectives. This is in anticipation of closing the county landfill.

Councilman Don Ahrens also asked about the policy for golf carts driven within village limits. Thomas said, according to state law, they must be licensed, have all necessary safety equipment required by ODOT, and the operator must have a valid driver's license.

It is illegal to drive a golf cart on public property. Examples of public property are Coldwater Memorial Park, playgrounds, schools and any property that is publicly owned.

Council members met in executive session for five minutes to discuss personnel and land. No action was taken afterward.