The village engineer briefed the council on several capital and maintenance projects. An ODOT-hosted scope meeting for Bell Road East is scheduled for Jan. 12; the salt-storage building plans were revised by CMG and the new design keeps the project within the awarded contract with footers and other adjustments. The engineer said construction will begin with footer work in February–March and the building could be completed in May 2026 "depending on weather." The Hemlock Culver project was slated to start Jan. 12 and to be reopened by Jan. 30, with a short detour planned to limit disruption.
Street department operations were discussed: the street commissioner reported spreading about 210 tons of salt in December and another 50 tons in January, with roughly 500 tons on order to replenish the bin. Members also reviewed quotes for replacing garage doors at village facilities, with contractors revising quotes to include hinge and glass upgrades; council asked for the updated quote to be available for action at the Jan. 20 meeting.
Separately, the police chief reported that snow sliding off newly installed solar panels at the police building created a hazardous near-miss, narrowly missing an administrative assistant. Council asked that the public utilities and safety committees consider mitigation options and report back.