Water billing takes center stage again at Bolivar Council meeting
Mayor Tim Lang, left, administered the oath of office to Ted Finlayson for a term ending Dec. 31, 2025, at the Feb. 7 Bolivar Council meeting.
At the Feb. 7 meeting of Bolivar Council, village resident George Workman asked council to explain the new water rates and wondered if, once the costs of the meter project were covered, water rates would come down.
The short answer was “no.” Mayor Tim Lang explained if council voted to pass an ordinance, the base rate would be $43 per month for the first 2,000 gallons used or $38 per month for residents who qualify for the county’s homestead property tax exemption. After that, water will be billed at $5.75 per 1,000 gallons used.
“I don’t think it’s fair, the way it’s going,” said Workman, who lives in a two-person household. “If I'm using less water than anybody else, why should I be paying the same rate?”
Councilman Will Bellinger likened the principle to paying for schools and other services through taxes, whether one uses them or not. “We need things in our village like roads, water, schools, things like that,” Bellinger said. “We all have to pay for it, whether we use it or we don't, because it benefits us as a community.”
Lang said the rate was based on what the village needed in order to recoup the costs of the meter project.
Bellinger said, “We've given everybody a cushion of 2,000 gallons to try to reduce the pain of increase. Unfortunately, we have old waterlines out there that are going to need replaced. What we don’t want to have happen is have a waterline problem and not have funds to cover it.”
Later, council did vote to set the rates as described, effective March 1, 2022.
Another resident, Ann Strauss, said she submitted a petition asking ODOT to erect a noise barrier along I-77 but has not received an answer yet.
In other business
Ted Finlayson was sworn in as councilman for a term ending Dec. 31, 2025, at the Feb. 7 meeting of Bolivar Council. Finlayson had been unable to attend the first meeting of the year when three other council members were sworn in.
Council approved ordinances to increase the pay rate for street superintendent Kyle Porter by $1 per hour to $20.38 and set permanent appropriations for 2022.
Council also heard the first reading of an ordinance agreeing to a fire contract between Lawrence Township, Bolivar Volunteer Fire Department, and the villages of Bolivar and Zoar.
Reports to council
Bellinger, finance chair, said the village dump truck used for salting roads is out of commission and being repaired by JTE Express Services. He asked for approval to spend up to $14,000 for repairs; council voted yes.
Bellinger said while the truck is being repaired, the village has had to rent a truck for salting at a rate of $500 per day. So far, the truck has been rented twice. Bellinger asked for approval of up to $3,000 total until the village truck is repaired. Council approved the expense.
Finlayson said a water main break occurred Jan. 26 on Bolivar Street.
Lang said the water main break was the fault of Spano Brothers Construction, the company that installed the water meters, and Spano will be billed for the costs of the repair.
Finlayson also reported that during one of the recent winter storms, a village truck damaged a resident’s fence, which will be repaired at the village’s expense as soon as weather permits.
Dan Oberlin said the Strawberry Festival dates for 2022 have been changed to June 9-11. The reason for the change is because the company that provides the amusement rides was not available for the original dates of June 16-18.
Village administrator Matt Judy said, in working with the county engineer’s office to obtain paving bids, he was able to secure much lower rates than the village has paid for previous paving projects.
“It was just mind-boggling,” said Judy, who reported receiving a bid for $164,000 to complete 2022 street paving including the gravel parking lot off Canal Street.
A paving schedule will be ironed out at the next meeting of the street and alley committee.
Lang said the parking lot may be able to serve as a trailhead for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which could help the village obtain grant funding through the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association.
Lang reported submitting a grant application for funds to pay for four speed-indicator signs. Two signs would be posted on Poplar Street and two on Park Avenue to encourage drivers to slow down. Lang said a grant from PEP Insurance for $1,000 also will go toward the $11,000 purchase of the signs.
Lang thanked all those who pitched in to remove snow during the recent storms. “It reminds me of what I love about our town,” he said.
Lang also asked residents to keep an eye on one another. “Unfortunately, winter also has an impact on people’s mental health,” he said. “Just try to be cognizant and reach out to the people that you know might be struggling.”
The next meeting will be Monday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Town Hall, 108 Canal St. NE, Bolivar.