STATE OF THE VILLAGE OF GREENWICH 2012

Council members, Village employees, and residence if the Village of Greenwich as Mayor, I am pleased to review the “State of The Village” with you.

At the beginning of 2011 unemployment in Huron County was above 10%, few jobs were available for the unemployed.Federal assistance and benefits were at an all time high in Huron County.

During the 2011 calendar year the Village had 3 utility workers retire. All these employees had more than 30 plus year of service.This is a tremendous amount of knowledge and work experience leaving the utility department.Virgil Giles was employed to do the electrical work for the Village. Virgil is working to obtain Journeyman Lineman status. The utility department employed Jeff Rowe as general utility worker.

Within the past several weeks a change has occurred within the Village, the present administrator Shawn Pickworth resigned, as of this date Virgil Giles has been appointed the Interim Village Administrator. This leaves the Village short two utility workers. The Village has filled one of the Utility department positions. During this past year the Police department reduced one full time officer, using part-time officers to cover the duties.

As normal the utility department had their share of water line repair, sewer line repairs and electrical line repairs.

The Village electrical system is aging; there is a need for the total system to be rebuilt.This being said, Council will be reviewing a total rebuilding of the present electrical system. Should Council decide the electrical system needs to be rebuilt an outside contractor will be used. The present utility department does not have the expertise nor the man power to undertake this large a project.

During the past summer the Village administrator and the Mayor were summed to Bowling Green to meet with the Northwest District EPA representative to review our “Long Term Control Plan” submitted by the Village. One of the concerns of the EPA is the combined Sewer overflows (CSO) and what the Village is doing to eliminate them.

The village continues to secure grants for project to do sewer and storm water separation. During the January 2012 meeting Council awarded CSO project for New Street, Pleasant Street and County Side Drive to Under Ground Utilities of Monroeville, Ohio for construction.This project is being funded through Ohio Water Development Authority, part low interest loan, some of the loan being forgiven and some funding no interest loan.The Village is not financially able to do these sewer separation and CSO project without the assistance of grants and loans.

Another part of the “Long Term Control Plan” would be to have better control of the effluent that leaves the lagoons that flow into a branch of the Vermilion River. The “long Term Control Plan’ requires that all residences, business and factories have operable septic tank.This is effective 1 September 2011 and have until1 September 2016 to have septic tanks checked and operable or a new tank installed.

With unemployment at a very high level, Village income tax does not generate the revenue of prior years.State and Federal reduction of funds, less income taxbeing collected the Village will have less funds to operate, especial in the general fund appropriations. The replacement levy will only generate an addition $20,000 for the general fund.This will not cover the amount of dollar being deducted by the State and Federal Funds.

There is the question of getting new industry to select this area for operation.To have industry interested in locating in the area, the Village needs to have sites available for such expansion.At the present time there are no land sites for expansion within the village corporation.Many businesses want existing structure that can be leased or purchased. We have none.

The Village web site has been up-dated. Past council minutes and other items of interest will be posted on the web site.

Council members along with the Village Engineer are in the process of developing a comprehensive plan for the Village.This plan will cover a span of several years and many projects. (Reservoir spillway/replacement, dredge the reservoir, street maintenance program, continue the sewer separation project, installing two new pump station for the sewer system, quite zone for the rail road that limit train whistle being blown through the village, water tower maintenance plan, park redesign plan, electrical grid map, water line map and sewer line map, business district revitalization program and a total community plan.)

These are a few items being consider, the funding of these project is another question. The funding of these projects must be developed before Council can move forward with the plans. Funding may include tax increases, grants and loans.

As council is preparing the 2012 budget, funding is a major concern. The general fund will see the major deduction in funding, since the state has reduced funding by 25 percent for 2012 year and 25 percent for 2013 year.

Within the next few weeks construction on the CSO project (New Street, Pleasant and Country Side Drive will get underway.Pre planning and engineering will continue on the Townsend Street Sewer separation project from Seminary Street to the under pass.Pre planning and engineering will start on the Sewer and Strom Sewer project for Townsend Street North of the under pass to the Creek North of the Cemetery.The village engineer will start mapping the sewer line throughout the village.

The goal of the Council is to improve the living condition of the residences of the village. These improvements are not free there is going to be a cost to the residences in the form of higher utility cost and higher tax rate.However, there are several areas that the residence themselves can help. That is take pride in the Village show visitor you are proud to live in the Village of Greenwich. Take pride in your property, clean up the trash around the home, do some landscaping, mow the grass basic up keep of the property, these things are more labor intensive with little expense.

The Village of Greenwich is a nice, pleasant place to live.Your help is needed to continue to make the Village a nice pleasant community.