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MCDONALD -- Village officials have secured over $1 million for sidewalk improvements in the community with work to be done in 2028.
Mayor Ray Lewis said the village secured funding from Eastgate Regional Council of Governments for replacement and for new installation of sidewalks in various parts of the community.
He said they will be installed along Ohio Avenue up to the football stadium complex.
Sidewalks also will be added to a section of Second Street where there are no sidewalks to help people get to the school athletic complex. He said Second Street would also be paved.
"These funds will help us replace some of the extremely worn-out sidewalks throughout the village. There will be a lot more talk about sidewalks,'' he said.
Lewis said 80% of the funds for the sidewalk project come from grants with the village to cover a 20% local share.
Village Administrator Thomas Domitrovich said the funds will also be used to help the village repair existing sidewalks in parts of the village. He said the sidewalks will be evaluated for their conditions with the worst ones to be done.
E-BIKES
In another matter, resident Jay Ryan told village officials he is very concerned with children riding e-bikes and electric scooters on streets and not following stop signs,
He told officials that a child riding an e-bike came up behind him and his wife as they were walking and almost hit them.
He said the child was going 25 mph on the road.
Lewis was not pleased to hear of this incident.
"If you are one of the people riding around with your child with no helmets, then shame on you. What kind of an example is that?" he asked.
Lewis said Solicitor Matt Ross and members of council have been discussing having an ordinance in place to provide guidelines and regulations for those who ride e-bikes and scooters.
"We are working on having something in place for the village so there are some actual teeth to punish the parents who buy these items and then do not have their children wear helmets or be safe,'' Lewis said.
He said officials have been looking at what other communities have done to regulate such vehicles.
Resident Debra Fortune said children need to be shown a video of what could happen with no helmet or not stopping at stop signs.
"They need to be shown what could happen if they get hit by a car,'' she said
Fortune said she is very concerned when children do not follow rules and ride the scooters throughout the town.
Lewis said he is very concerned when he has been told by many residents when children are riding on the e-bikes and scooters and they go very fast and do not stop for street signs or at intersections.
Police Chief Ryan Ronghi, who is marking his second year as chief, said police have spoken to students at the elementary school on the importance of being safe when riding bikes and other vehicles and following the rules when riding on a street or sidewalk.
He said there was a summer safety day where children were given helmets.
Ronghi said when the village has its own ordinance, it will help police with enforcement.
Officials asked residents to be careful with children riding on bikes or scooters.
FLOCK CAMERAS
Ronghi also discussed the Flock cameras the village uses to let people know who is driving through the village.
He said four Flock cameras are in the village for a trial period.
"We are looking at the cameras as a tool for the police department,'' he said.
Council President Sean Schmidt said the Flock cameras are not used for recording speeding but only to record a license plate so police know who is traveling through the village.
He said this will help police learn who may have warrants or be wanted by law enforcement.
"The cameras help alert our police to anyone with any type of record in our village. These cameras are to help the police and to protect the village,'' Schmidt said.
He said a notification at the police department alerts them of a driver with warrants or who may be wanted by law enforcement.
He said remodeling work also is scheduled to be done at the police department.
FIRE TRAINING
Fire Chief Fred Marcum said plans call for burning down a house the fire department and others have been practicing at this summer in Weathersfield.
There have been several practice burns throughout the summer at the home.
Marcum said there have been more than 30 firefighters and fire lieutenants from four departments at various training sessions that began late last spring.
Officials said the house off Salt Springs Road is scheduled to be burned down Sept. 27. That burning will be filmed, Marcum said.
"We will film from the point of ignition to when the structure falls'' he said.
In other action, the council scheduled the next meetings for Sept. 9 and 23 and announced the annual Oktoberfest is set for Oct. 10.