By Portia Williams
NEW BOSTON — The New Boston Village Council gathered Tuesday morning for a special meeting in which items discussed were held to first readings.
The meeting was called to order by Acting Mayor William D. Williams, and the first item discussed was a resolution to authorize Williams to extend the lease of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Driver Exam Station lease. A letter was sent on behalf of the village regarding the requesting increase to the BMV for the use of office space in the New Boston Community Building.
According to the letter, the request would be an increase in the 2015 rental agreement contract between New Boston and BMV in the amount of $400 per month, going from $12,000 annually to $16,800 annually for the 1,200 feet of office space that BMV occupies in the New Boston building.
Succinctly, there would also be an additional $400 increase in the new contract year of 2017, making a total of $5,400 per quarter beginning July 1, 2017, with an annual amount of $21,600. It was also stated in the letter that this was the first time in the 14 years that of the rental agreement between these two entities that a request for an increase in rent had ever been made. Motion was made and carried to accept the first reading of this request.
A first reading was also conducted on a resolution to authorize Williams to be added as an authorized signature on village bank accounts, as well as being authorized to execute any and all necessary documents to effectuate the same. A motion was made, and carried by the council for the first reading of this resolution.
The village council discussed an ordinance transferring and appropriating amounts in the various funds of the village, which was defined as the act of the necessary movement of funds from one account to another whenever needed. The first reading of this item on the agenda was passed.
The first reading was heard of a resolution to authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement with Patrick Consulting Group for the Village of New Boston Cobra Administration. The resolution would authorize Williams to authorized to enter into the agreement with Patrick Consulting Group for Cobra coverage. Patrick Consulting Group-Patrick Benefit Administrators Division is currently the agent for the Village of New Boston HRA (Health Reimbursement Account).
The village also discussed the a letter sent from Senator Scott Oelslage, chairman of the House Bill 64 Conference Committee, on behalf of the Ohio Municipal League. Oelslager states in the letter that the OML Board of Directors and their member municipalities are asking that reconsideration B64, the proposed state operating budget bill.
Henceforth the letter states specifically that two provisions would be included in HB64 that would take more Local Government Revenue (LGF) from service providing municipalities, in which New Boston would be directly impacted.
The provisions include $24 million over the biennium “redirected” from the LGF municipal distribution to townships and small village’s general funds. The second provision discussed was $15 million over the biennium “redirected” from the LGF municipal distribution to the Law Enforcement Assistance Program to increase the required number of hours of police officer training for all police official across the state including State Highway Patrol Troopers, Township Constables, County Sheriff Deputies, Park Rangers and municipal police forces, changes proposed by the Governor’s Police Relations Advisory Commission.
The letter from OML also included two other provisions, and a two-page Summary of Budget Bill Issue for Conference Committee.
Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.
