By Sue Moore
In addition to everyday items of business, the recent Vicksburg Village Council also dealt with a brew pub license request and a request for the village-owned pavilion to be enclosed.
The council approved a brew pub license request for the Vault Coffee House & Wine Bar from Clint Powell, who needed the council’s approval before turning his request in to the state Liquor Control Commission.
Regarding the pavilion, Richard Barnes asked about enclosing the north and south ends of the top of the pavilion to keep water out of the timbers which he said were already showing decay.
The council had voted not to enclose the ends at its August meeting, and to look for other possible ways to treat the timber, thus no vote was taken on Barnes recommendation.
Highlights of other reports heard at the meeting include:
Houses in Disrepair
The bank that owns a house at 513 W. Prairie has been notified by the building inspector that it needs to be torn down, due to fleas, rodents, and other messes surrounding the building that has been vacant for over a year. Another house on East Prairie has also been issued a citation and the owner has 60 days to clean it up or the process of condemnation will begin, according to Steve Siegwart, owner of MTS, the company which handles the village’s building inspections.
Bonding Update
Jenny McKillop, village treasurer, told the council that the bond issue is going to close very soon, with a favorable interest rate of four percent or possibly better in the offing. A resolution was passed that allowed the underwriter’s percentage not to exceed 1 ½ percent. “Four and a quarter interest rate was estimated; five percent on real money is very good,” said Village President Bill Adams.
There are still questions about deposits and transactions that don’t add up from previous administrations, according to McKillop.
“It didn’t make sense [to me] as to why the tax delinquent notices went out,” she said. “The totals are matching but what’s behind it [totals] is not. I expect to have closure by next month’s council meeting.”
Village Manager’s Report
Ken Schippers, village manager, is still talking with the PulverDryer Company about their purchase of acreage in Leja Park south. They need another 60 feet and he suggested splitting the next lot for them to buy, leaving the village with just one lot of six acres to sell in the park. At the same time, Summit Polymers plans to expand and, thus, needs to move a retention pond that is on the south side of their building and that is also in process.
Trouble with pumps at the golf course will result in some unforeseen expenses, he reported. This will come out of the Angels Crossing budget and not the village’s budget.
Sidewalks that were damaged by the most recent storm have been replaced, and AEP will be in town soon to cut down the remaining trees damaged in the August winds. “We will be replanting trees this fall,” Schippers said.
Water meters will be read for the first time with the new hand-held reader and bills generated by the new method will be going out soon. A replacement policy for water meters has been initiated which means the village will be fixing a few at a time in a fix as we go program.
Cop in the School Program
An agreement has been reached with the Vicksburg Foundation to fund half the cost of putting Officer Mark Peterson, back at the high school, middle school and the three elementary buildings, according to Chief Eric West. The cost will be split with the school district and the Foundation, for the next two years, with the village picking up the hidden costs of hiring someone to take Peterson’s place on the night shift. This agreement assures funding for the program for the next four years. Initially, this endeavor was funded by a federal grant and included one position that expired in 2001. It was then picked up by the school, village and the Foundation but ceased when the village ran into budget constraints. This new agreement is split 50/50 between the school and the Foundation. In the third and fourth years of the agreement, the village will pick up $30,000 of the costs.