Village announces food drive and relocation plans as county outlines demolition, Brownfield cleanup projects

A village representative identified in the meeting as Donna told commissioners that the village will host a food drive at the village office and encouraged donations for the Morrow County Food Pantry as federal SNAP administration was disrupted.

"We're gonna need a little extra help this holiday season," Donna said, and she asked donors to make checks payable to the Morrow County Food Pantry or drop off cash in an envelope labeled "mayor's food drive." She said donations are intended to serve the entire county and that the pantry can open for emergency calls outside normal hours.

Donna also asked about a timeline for moving the village into the former engineers building; staff and commissioners said cleaning and renovations are underway, with power washing and cleanup work in progress and an expectation that most space will be cleared by the end of the month and documents signed by December.

County staff provided several updates on demolition and remediation work tied to grant programs. The county photographed 14 sites for a demolition grant, staff said, noting many sites are vacant or trailers that may not qualify as permanent structures; the county expects to submit projects quickly because application turnaround is short. A county representative said the demolition funding discussed is "100% grant funded money," meaning no local match is required, and estimated roughly $200,000 may be available for cleanup, though the speaker characterized that number as probable rather than final.

Staff also discussed Brownfield-related tank remediation at locations including a building behind 'Harkins' and other gas-station properties, and said the county is pursuing remediation funds even where leadership differences exist on specific properties.

The meeting continued with routine business and adjourned after a later return from recess.