Galena council hears infrastructure and finance updates; playground grant repayment noted

Council members on Aug. 28 heard several administrative and finance updates covering capital planning, public works progress and recent grant reimbursements.

Mayor Jeff Kinnell reported meetings with Preservation Parks about trails and bridges and said staff are compiling website materials and media for the 2025 budget. Interim Chief Administrator Tom Marshall said he is drafting a five-year Capital Improvement Plan covering roads, sidewalks, facilities, parks, trails and wastewater and noted ongoing coordination with MORPC, the Ohio EPA and Delaware County for 208 facilities planning.

Fiscal Officer Michelle Dearth reported the village received final reimbursement for a playground grant and repaid a $233,835.00 advance to the General Fund. She also said she is training new administrative assistant Lauren Frank and that Ohio Auditor of State fraud training is required by Aug. 31, 2024.

Public works updates in the minutes state that Stover Excavating completed sanitary sewer pipes and structures and is installing waterlines over the next few weeks, and that the contractor is approximately one month ahead of baseline schedule. Maintenance notes said boards on the Walnut Creek Trail Bridge were replaced and routine mowing and trimming continue. The wastewater report from Brian Rammelsberg recorded no violations for the month, no new sewer taps, and that fine screen number 1 was repaired at the wastewater plant.

The minutes record these items as informational reports; no formal policy decision or funding action connected to these updates is recorded in the minutes for the meeting.