COVINGTON — The Covington Council heard from high school student Randy Anthony during its regular meeting Tuesday regarding the completion of Randy’s Eagle Scout service project.
In September of last year, council approved Randy’s request for support of his project idea to put a deck in front of the cabin at the village’s park, along with a ramp to make it handicap accessible.
“I would like to thank all of you for the privilege to work with the Village of Covington,” Randy said. “The project went as well as could be planned until we started digging.”
Randy shared he was not aware the park had once been a rock quarry.
“We found that out very quickly while trying to dig holes,” he said. “There were a lot of rocks that slowed us down to start with and we had to use spud bars and sledgehammers, but once we got that taken care of, it all sped back up and went as planned.”
Randy said a total of 16 volunteers helped with the project, which took 341 hours to complete.
Marias Technology president and CEO Chris Haines gave an update on the Marias building project.
Haines said the final project design is still underway and should be submitted for permit this week.
“We’re trying to revert (the building) to be similar to the way it was constructed in 1910,” he said. “We are going to try to restore as much as we can and build new where we have to.”
Haines requested council review and approve an ordinance approving the replat of several inlots as part of the project. This replat was reviewed and approved at Wednesday’s planning and zoning meeting, as well as by council.
Council later waived the three-reading rule and voted to approve an ordinance amending the final appropriations for the year ending Dec. 31, 2019.
“This is something that we have to do every year,” Administrator Mike Busse said. “We have to look at our financial reports at the end of the year and at what was budgeted for the year; we have to analyze whether or not we took in the amount we budgeted and whether we’re under or over.”
If the budgeted and actual amounts differ by a significant amount, Busse said, council is required to make adjustments.
Reasons for differing budgeted and actual amounts include more or less funds being spent in an area than was anticipated within the beginning-of-the-year budget and more or less revenues coming in than initially expected — whether it be from grants, taxes, or other avenues.
These adjustments are made in order to close out the year with an accurate representation of what was spent and what was brought in throughout the year.
Busse said the pump island canopy installation is underway at the Casey’s site. Equipment has been delivered and pump installation will take place next week. Sidewalk, curb and approach work is continuing, and asphalt patching will follow.
“It’s been a long time coming, but they’re really getting to the end of the project,” Busse said. “It’s looking good.”
Council waived the three-reading rule and voted to approve an ordinance creating a street lighting fund, and authorizing a transfer or $47,237.08 from the general fund to this new fund.
“The $47,237.08 are monies that have been collected for the purpose of providing street lighting in the village,” Busse said. “Because we’re creating this street lighting fund, and those monies were collected for that specific purpose, the auditor wants us to transfer those into this newly-created fund.”
The three-reading rule was waived and council approved the establishment of a permissive tax fund, which will be used for the deposits and disbursements of permissive tax from motor vehicle registration fees, to be used for the specific purpose of planning, constructing, improving, maintaining, and repairing public roads in the village.
The three-reading rule was also was also waived to pass an ordinance approving, adopting and enacting American Legal Publishing’s Ohio Basic Code, 2020 Edition, as the code of ordinances for the municipality of Covington.
Second readings were held on the following items:
• A resolution authorizing the village administrator to enter into a contract with Access Engineering Solutions for engineering, design and bidding services for the Ludlow Street curb, sidewalk and village resurfacing project for 2020, at a cost of $12,500.
• A resolution authorizing the administrator to enter into a contract with Access Engineering Solutions for engineering and design services for the High Street reconstruction project for 2020.
• A resolution declaring the necessity of repairing and/or reconstructing of the sidewalks in the village and declaring the same to be an emergency.
The Government Center will be closed Feb. 17 for Presidents’ Day. The next council meeting will be held Feb. 18. Beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 18, prior to the regular meeting, a council work session will be held to obtain public comments on the proposed Maple Street park plan. Residents are encouraged to attend.
