Village Council Early February Meeting

Village Council met Monday evening, where the police department recognized their Officer of the Year, we all learned a little bit about odor control at the wastewater treatment plant, and the Carriage Stone sidewalk plan passed another big milestone.

Quick Hits

  • Jason Fischer is CFPD’s 2024 Officer of the Year
  • Council authorized the administration to put the Evergreen Cemetery Expansion project out to bid
  • At the request of some downwind neighbors, the village will continue working to improve odor control at the Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Council approved all event applications from the Jaycees and United Methodist Church

Carriage Stone Sidewalks

After more than twenty years (!) of off-and-on discussions Carriage Stone sidewalks are one step closer to becoming reality. Council passed a Resolution of Necessity by a vote of 6 - 0 (one council member was absent). Although I was an early proponent of this project the decision to vote in favor of it was not an easy one. The majority of the cost of construction (estimated to be around $10,000 each) will be borne by the neighboring property owners, and support for the project was not unanimous. Earlier this year an anonymous survey was sent to all 35 of those who will be assessed. The survey consisted of a single question: are you in favor of or opposed to building a sidewalk?

Surprisingly, only 23 responses were received. Of those 15 were in favor and 8 opposed, leaving each of us on council to decide how to interpret the other 12. In the end I felt like those folks must have been okay with either outcome and had left their fate up to those who did respond. That – coupled with nearly two years spent on the process and approximately $100,000 spent on legal and engineering fees – was enough reason to proceed.

Construction could start later this year. Property owners will have two weeks to appeal, after which Council can pass an ordinance for improvement. Then it will go out to bid, and as long as the actual cost is not greater than 15% over the estimate the project will move forward.