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Gambier council extends trash contract, adopts emergency staffing, investment and hazard resolutions
Summary
At its Feb. 2 meeting, Gambier Village Council voted to extend the Rumpke trash contract and approved emergency resolutions authorizing additional on-call staff, adopting an investment policy and signing onto the Knox County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Council also approved several transfers of village funds.
Gambier Village Council voted on multiple administrative and financial measures at its regular meeting on Feb. 2, approving an extension of the village’s residential refuse contract with Rumpke and adopting three resolutions on an emergency basis.
The council voted to activate a one-year extension with its current refuse hauler Rumpke rather than soliciting new bids. Joe Schoffstall of Rumpke had asked the village to renew the contract, which began in 2019. The roll call recorded Phil Brooks, Liz Forman, Alison Furlong, Morgan Giles and Calvin Murphy voting yes; Alec Wood was absent.
Council also approved Resolution 2026-04, which authorizes the Village Administrator to place additional staff into on-call status for emergency situations. Administrator Courtney DeCosky provided the rationale for treating the measure as an emergency, and the council suspended the three-reading rule to approve it by roll call (five yes; one absent).
On finance matters, the council adopted Resolution 2026-05, establishing a formal investment policy for the Village of Gambier to bring village practices into compliance with state requirements. Fiscal Officer Diane Lay had told the council the village had never previously filed a formal policy or exemption with the State Auditor. Council suspended rules and approved the resolution by roll call.
The council also approved Resolution 2026-06 adopting the Knox County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, a step the Administrator said is needed to preserve federal hazard-mitigation funding eligibility. That resolution likewise passed after suspension of the three-reading requirement.
In addition to the resolutions, council approved moving funds from existing accounts into Park National Bank Wealth Management (up to $425,000) and authorized transferring $100,000 from Peoples Bank checking into a 12‑month CD. Fiscal Officer Lay described the transfers as part of a plan to consolidate some investments and increase interest earnings while maintaining liquidity.
Other approvals included selecting DeZign Unlimited for a water-tower base enclosure and authorizing purchase of a Darkhorse cargo trailer for event storage. Council also approved overtime/on-call pay for staff who worked during the January 25 snowstorm.
The meeting closed with scheduling and administrative items; Mayor Leeman Kessler adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m.
