Hartville Council approves village health insurance plan
The Repository
Tuesday meeting
KEY ACTION: Approved a renewal of the village’s health insurance coverage plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
DISCUSSION: Mayor Cynthia Billings said the 2021 contract represents a 9% increase over 2020, from $11,871 to $12,937. She added that Fiscal Officer Scott Varney negotiated the rate increase down from a 17% year-to-year increase first proposed by the insurer.
OTHER ACTION:
Approved the village’s participation in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s annual winter road salt bid program.
UP NEXT: Meets for its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. April 20 at Village Hall, 202 W. Maple St. or online at www.facebook.com/VillageofHartville.
Hartville Council approves next phase of new police facility design
The Repository
Tuesday meeting
KEY ACTION: Amended the village’s 2021 budget appropriations, including $46,900 for the design development phase of the planned village police department renovation.
DISCUSSION: In 2020, Council unanimously approved the purchase of a 6,500-square-foot commercial building at 526 S. Prospect Ave.
DS Architecture was selected to design the new village police station. The design development phase is the third of six phases, including the actual construction. Prior to the vote, Councilman Jeff Miller pointed out that this is the final phase of the project before going out to bid for the construction.
Correspondent
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021
KEY ACTION: Discussed a proposed 10-year, 0.25% percent income tax increase for road repairs, paving, and equipment replacement costs in the service department.
DISCUSSION: Mayor Cynthia Billings said village officials have received constant complaints from residents about the condition of village streets. “It will be 16-plus years before all the roads in the village can be repaired and we can’t stop all the other work we must do (in order to) do roads, as some have suggested,” Billings said. “I think a small tax increase is the way to go. Something needs done.”
The income tax would increase the village’s income tax rate from 1% to 1.25% and would generate an estimated $450,000 annually. Billings said the plan would also complete paving citywide within five to seven years.
Correspondent
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020
KEY ACTION: Approved an agreement with the Stark County Commissioners to accept an additional $8,477 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.
DISCUSSION: Fiscal Officer Scott Varney said the funds will be used to pay first responders’ wages. He added that the agreement with the county commissioners is required for the village to receive the funds. Following the unanimous vote, Councilman Jim Sullivan asked that each Council member be provided a copy of the agreement. Council later approved legislation appropriating the funds, which Varney said had to be done by Dec. 18. The appropriation also included $1,500 in previously awarded CARES Act funds. This amount, Varney explained, is part of unspent CARES Act funds returned by various municipalities and then redistributed.
Hartville Council approves $5.3 million 2021 budget
Brian Lisik
Suburbanite correspondent
HARTVILLE Following several finance committee discussions, Hartville Village Council approved the village’s 2021 appropriations budget Dec. 12.
The $5.3 million budget was approved 5-1, with Councilwoman Bev Green voting against.
“The people have spoken; 67 percent said we should live within our budget,” Green said, referring to voters in November who supported reinstating an ordinance waiving the village’s 1 percent income tax for residents who live in Hartville and work in another municipality.
“We have to find a way to cut back,” she said. “With every expenditure we ask, ‘is it in the budget?’ And if it is in the budget, we buy it.”