Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Services Transit Library topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor outlines transit talks as council confronts probable library closure; residents urged to back police levy
Summary
Mayor Linda Goodman said talks with LCATS and Licking County Transit aim for a fixed bus route next year needing a $120,000 annual cost split proposal of $40,000 from Buckeye Lake and Hebron each; the council also discussed the likely closure of the Buckeye Lake library branch and allegations that more than $40,000 in donations meant for the branch were cashed by the county system. Citizens urged support for the police levy on Nov. ballots.
Mayor Linda Goodman told the Oct. 14 council meeting she and Hebron’s mayor met with LCATS and Licking County Transit about creating a fixed bus route between Hebron and Buckeye Lake, with stops planned at employment centers, grocery stores and medical facilities. The route’s annual cost was described as $120,000; Goodman said Buckeye Lake and Hebron were asked to consider $40,000 contributions each and that the transit agencies will inspect proposed stop locations before the route starts, possibly in mid-2025.
Councilors also discussed library services. Mayor Goodman said the Licking County Library system will not maintain the local Buckeye Lake branch and that the branch could close sometime next year. Councilor Deb Julian said estate donations intended for the Buckeye Lake branch — described in the minutes as in excess of $40,000 — were cashed by the county system and expressed strong frustration, saying the village should be "enraged." The minutes record that members of the village’s Friends of the Library board discovered the county had cashed those checks after local fundraising ceased.
Citizens used the public-comment period to press two ballot items. Charlene Hayden read a comment from Casey Clark urging a YES vote on the police levy, and several council members repeatedly encouraged residents to support the levy and charter changes on the November ballot. Arletta Routon described community collection efforts to send donated supplies to hurricane-affected areas in North Carolina and Tennessee and asked residents to drop items at village hall and the fire department.
What happens next: the transit conversations will continue with LCATS and Licking County Transit as agencies assess route feasibility and stop locations; the library status will require further clarification between the village and the county library system and may involve ballot or district-change processes if the village pursues an independent district. The police levy, charter changes and other November ballot items remain on the local calendar for resident action.
