NEW PARIS —The New Paris Village Council approved its 2016 appropriations on Monday, Feb. 1.
The following sums were set aside and appropriated for 2016:
$517,285.31 from the General Fund and $97,415.10 from Street Construction Maintenance and Repair Fund.
$11,127.57 from the State Highway Fund and $1,876.09 from the Drug Law Enforce Police ED Fund.
$275,817.22 from the Police Fund and $412,137.02 from the Water Operating Fund.
$224,832.86 from the Sewer Operating Fund and $129,806.45 from Enterprise Debt Service USDA Fund.
$116,225.51 from the Enterprise Reserve USDA 2043 Fund and 5,468.90 from Sewer ENB/LCNB Fund.
Council passed the ordinance as emergency by waiving the three reading requirements.
In other business:
Council member Neil Hoffman resigned from council with Mayor Rick VanWinkle thanking Hoffman for his years of service to the village. Council accepted and approved Hoffman’s resignation.
Susan Luax of Mote & Associates presented council with a Certificate of Substantial Completion for the Cherry Street Project.
The village will hold a $16,000 retainer from the project until repairs are made in the spring to the end of the street, according to Luax.
VanWinkle and Luax informed council their meeting with Senator Bill Beagle in regard to the possibility of turning the old school grounds into a park, went “very well” and VanWinkle was hopeful the meeting “would bear fruit.”
VanWinkle noted the village’s willingness to put $75,000 toward the project “went a long way.”
Luax also discussed with council the possibility of applying for grants to aid in the repairs and renovation to a bridge on Spring Street. Laux encouraged council to explore a grant that would pay for 95 percent of the project.
Luax said the grant would not pay for right of way engineering, and said worst case scenario, the project would cost $316,000 with the village being responsible for about $80,000. Applications are due March 1, according to Luax.
New Paris Village Council meets on the first Monday of every month. Meetings start at 7 p.m.
