CAMDEN — Council discussed the possibility of uniforms for village workers at the Camden Village Council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Currently, village workers are required to wear the uniform t-shirt, but during winter that t-shirt is not visible. A major issue discussed was workers wearing tennis shoes.

Council Member Melissa Shull broached the topic on behalf of Mayor Lisa Moss, who was absent.

It is a safety hazard to have workers, who handle heavy equipment, not wearing steel toed boots, according to OSHA regulations. Other council members added, wearing sweatpants looks unprofessional and jeans should be worn.

Shull argued that workers should simply be told to wear jeans and boots, but some council members felt, if they were requiring them to wear a certain outfit, it would be easier to require uniforms.

Fiscal Officer Rebecca Wilson pointed out, uniforms may count as a “fringe benefit” and the workers would have to take off the uniform as soon as they clocked out.

Council agreed to look into the existing policy before moving forward.

During his staff report, Village Administrator Nelson McKeever discussed the tearing out of concrete at Camden Town Hall. He reported, Rusty Wilson was attacked by a pit bull while working. He was able to avoid injury by climbing a nearby railing, but the dog did bite his phone in his pocket. The dog then approached another worker. This is not the first time an incident with this dog has occurred. The owner may be cited with a dog at large violation.

Councilman Kelly Doran spoke about zoning regulations. He shared, while he is not a fan of them, it might be something the village needs to consider in the future. Doran used the three Camden trailer parks as a reason zoning might be a necessity. Without zoning, there could soon be four or more trailer parks.

Shull disagreed with Doran and the use of the trailer parks as an example. She saw no reason to not have four trailer parks.

Council member Judy Michael pointed out, another positive of zoning regulations would be the ability to restrict where storage units are placed.

Doran summarized, “My point is, whether it’s a trailer park or a strip and junk and dump site, you are open to anything that anybody wants to put on your door step.”

Council approved a sewer bill adjustment for a Camden citizen. Her house developed a leak in March that went untreated, making her water and sewer bill “astronomical.” After the sewer adjustment, she still owed a large amount on her water bill. She wrote a letter to appeal to Council, due to her not being able to afford her bill.

Council agreed to adjust to the minimum, “in this case only.”

In other news:

•A discussion on the response to RITA regarding legal fees and court costs was tabled for a future meeting.

•Ordinance 1017-2017 regarding Ohio Basic Code 2017 was passed.

The next Camden Village Council meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m.