Rockford agrees to annex 51+ acres

ROCKFORD - A 51.5-acre business park may become part of the village.

Village council members on Tuesday night passed an emergency ordinance to authorize an agreement between Rockford and Dublin Township to annex the acreage into the village.

TWT Farms, Rockford, which owns the acreage, requested the annexation, village fiscal officer Lisa Kuhn said.

"We just had it surveyed and now we're getting the annexation done," Kuhn said. "They're (TWT Farms) going to take it from there."  

A variety of businesses could move into the business park, she said.

"We didn't want to make it just industrial because we don't want it to be just manufacturing," Kuhn said. "It could be a coffee shop, a dog groomer, it could be a small machine shop, it could be someone's art studio or art gallery."

A public meeting to discuss the annexation will be held April 26 at the Dublin Township building at Riverside Cemetery. Kuhn did not have a time for the meeting.

Under other matters, council passed an emergency resolution to create an account in preparation for the proposed $2 million Franklin Street reconstruction project.

Village administrator Aaron Temple had said the village plans to apply for an Ohio Public Works Commission grant in September and a Community Development Block Grant in April 2023 to fund the project. Officials don't yet know how much grant money they will apply for.

"We're just starting to get stuff together to even apply," Kuhn had said.

Kuhn said Franklin Street will be reconstructed, including curbs and sidewalks. She said the project will not include water lines as they recently were replaced.

The project is estimated to be completed between 2024 and 2025, Kuhn said. Before the street reconstruction project begins, the village will replace its water tower, which is expected to cost $1 million, she said.

Temple said the village will pay for the water tower with an $850,000 grant and $114,000 in American Rescue Funds. The remainder of the cost will be paid for with village funds.

Temple said he likely would seek bids in June to replace the village's water tower, which was built in 1931 between Columbia and Front streets. The new water tower is expected to be completed in October 2023.

Temple had said village consultant, Access Engineering, Celina, suggested lower bid prices might be submitted later in the year, considering markets are rattled amid fluctuations and disturbances overseas. Temple also had said he would seek a separate bid to repaint the second water tower behind the Fremont Company.

Council also passed first reading of an ordinance requiring contractors doing business in the village to have a registration application to work in the village and raising the contract fee from $10 to $50.

"The ordinance would make sure contractors working in the village have insurance and worker's compensation and will abide by safety laws and requirements, Kuhn said.

Council members also,

• approved an annual $2,627 ambulance service contract between Mercer County and Rockford.

• agreed to pay bills totaling $17,439.68 and accepted Mayor's Court pay totaling $440.

The next village council meeting is 7:30 p.m. May 3 at the village hall.