MCDONALD — Village council this week took the first step to placing a 4.5-mill, five-year safety services levy on the November general election ballot.

Council gave the initial first reading to place the levy for police, fire and emergency medical service on the ballot.

The levy, if passed, will generate $310,000 annually to benefit the safety services.

Officials plan to give the second reading at the June 17 meeting and the final third reading in July to meet the August deadline for placement on the ballot. Mayor Ray Lewis and members of council have said with the costs of needed equipment for fire and police increasing in recent years, the new levy funds are needed to cover day-to-day operating costs and wages.

In other business, council’s summer homecoming festival committee said the festival will be held June 24-27 at Woodland Park.

Officials said the village is handling most of the events, which will include the annual Run of the Mill race along Ohio Avenue at 5:30 p.m. and the parade at 6 p.m. June 24.

The festival will include rides, games, food, entertainment and bingo.

Also, after some concerns of not having enough park attendants to work the summer months, there were enough applicants from the current McDonald High School senior class and past graduates who are returning to run children’s activities and programs.

Lewis said the park attendants are usually almost all high school seniors, but he would understand if they found other higher-paying jobs for the summer months.

Council decided to reach out to former graduates who would be interested in returning this summer to help as attendants again.

Various programs, activities and the splash pad will be available for local youth from June to early August.

Usually seven or eight park attendants help run the summer youth programs by working with Park Director Heidi Hoffman.

In other matters, Lewis said despite what some residents have placed on social media sites, there is no data center coming to the village.

Lewis has said the former McDonald Steel property has not been sold, but he suspects plans are to sell the former mill property in the future. He said if there is any decision for the property to be sold for any potential business, he will let the public know.

Lewis said officials are looking at zoning restrictions to prepare for what could possibly happen in the future.

Lewis said he has been attending recent building trades group meetings regarding data centers to be as informed as he can be if one were to come to the village.

Council members have said they will look at having some type of data center legislation on the books in the future. Data centers have been discussed in several communities such as Hubbard, Lordstown, Niles and Weathersfield. Several have moratoriums in place on data center permits.

Council will also cut back their two meetings per month to just two in the summer with the next meeting to be June 17.