12-31-02: Coldwater Village Council OKs new street light pact

12-31-02: Coldwater Village Council OKs new street light pact

By BETTY LAWRENCE
The Daily Standard

    COLDWATER - Village council members Monday night approved a new five-year street light agreement between the village and DPL Energy, Dayton.
    The current contract expires today, but the village was granted a one month extension following several months of negotiations between village officials and DPL Energy representatives.
    The point of contention in the agreement was the added-on commitment level expected by the village. The village's prior contract with DPL Energy did not ask the village to maintain or increase the number of DPL Energy full service fixtures through the life of the pact.
    Currently, the village has 308 DPL Energy poles. However, poles associated with the planned East Main Street work may be replaced with poles owned by the village, reducing the number of poles maintained by DPL Energy.
    With the new commitment level, the village would be required to pay for service of 308 poles even if the number drops.
    The village pays DPL Energy between $120 and $275 a year per pole to maintain them.
    "I have had several conversations recently with Joyce Reives and Brian Lyons of Miami Valley Lighting (doing business as DPL Energy) and they are going to allow us to deduct two light poles this year and maybe two or three more later from that amount," village manager/engineer Eric Thomas told councilors. "Basically we didn't want to stay committed to the number of poles they wanted and negotiated a lesser number."
    Currently, there are 324 light poles in the village of which 16 are village-owned and the remaining 308 currently are maintained by DPL Energy.
    "Other than that, the agreement is pretty much the same as the one that just expired," Thomas said.
    The five-year agreement would maintain present rates in 2003 and increase them by the Current Price Index (CPI) in 2004.
    In yearend business, councilors held the first and final reading of Ordinance 1475, establishing appropriation in all funds for 2003. They also held the first and final reading of Ordinance 1474 that adopted the final amended appropriations for 2002.
    Councilors set 2003 total appropriations at $4,632,822. Final appropriations for 2002 were $3,630,893.
    Daryl Siefring was hired for the wastewater treatment plant position, effective Jan. 13, and the Coldwater Police Department has a new man in uniform. Patrolman Pat Crosby, who had been with the Piqua department, was hired to replace Brian Taylor.
    Thomas reminded council several pieces of village equipment will be replaced next year, including one of the village's dump trucks, a van for the water department and a pickup with plow for the street department.
    Mayor Vern Stammen recognized several key community leaders for their dedication to the village of Coldwater.
    Present to receive a plaque and key to the city from Mayor Stammen was Therese Lefeld, widow of Coldwater businessman Dave Lefeld, who died earlier this year. Lefeld was recognized for his dedication and loyalty to the village of Coldwater.
    Also receiving plaques of appreciation were Barb Elking, who has served 10 years on the Memorial Park Board and Norma (Skeet) Wolters for her work as a member of the Coldwater Tree Commission.
    Standing council committees for 2003 are: finance, chairman Woody Wolters, Tom James and Al Boos; transportation, chairman Boos, Rob Fisher and James; public relations, chairman Bob Stelzer, Fisher and Janet Gels; safety, chairman Fisher, Stelzer and Gels; environmental, chairman James, Woody Wolters and Stelzer; and research, chairman Gels, Boos and Woody Wolters.
    In other action, councilors:
    - Adopted Ordinance 1469 that establishes a separate medical insurance fund for the village.
    - Passed as an emergency Ordinance 1470 that ushers in a 3 percent pay increase for village employees in 2003 with no change in benefits. They also agreed to a 3 percent pay increase for the village Law Director David Bruns.
    - Passed as an emergency Resolution 690, opposing any effort to commence collection of municipal income tax by the State of Ohio.
    - Agreed to sell one acre of land in the village's industrial park on Ohio 118 at a price of $9,500 to Randy Gaerke. The acre abuts his company, Mile-X Equipment, Inc., a tire regrooving business.
    - Heard first reading of Ordinance 1473 that establishes umpire pay for the 2003 summer season. Rates are Little League Baseball and Girls Major League Softball, $10 per game; Pony League, boys and girls, $20 per game; registered umpires for ACME, Jr. ACME and Tri County Softball, $45 per game; and non-registered umpires for ACME, Jr. ACME and Tri County Softball, $35 per game.

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