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MILFORD - Anticipating approximately $89,000 in Economic Development Income Tax funds, the Milford Town Council passed a resolution Monday stating their plans for the money.
Passing a plan does not commit the town, attorney Jay Rigdon said. He also said the plan must encompass at least two years.
Councilman Doug Ruch asked if they accepted the resolution, could they make changes if necessary.
"You are treating it as your goal, not your Bible," Rigdon responded.
Rigdon said the plan had to be in place before Milford could get the money.
"I don't have any trouble in adopting it if you guys don't," Ruch said.
Milford plans to use $50,000 of their share to clean and paint the water tower and the remaining money for the North Main Street sewer separation project, estimated to cost approximately $220,000.
In another matter, town marshal Dave Hobbs reported that he and utilities superintendent Dallas Winchester are still looking at the Main and Emeline and Main and Catherine streets intersection problem.
Hobbs said the county and state highway departments helped them try to find a way to do a traffic count at those intersections, but "we were not able to come up with any devices that would help us in that short stretch." He said the only thing he has seen that would help the town would be to stay away from four-way stops, eliminate eight parking spots and keep the lights they have now.
"The elimination of about eight parking spots would help," said Hobbs, but it's not a total solution.
Winchester said they could eliminate two parking spots on each corner, near the Mail Journal, the doctor's office and the empty building, plus have parallel parking by the bank drive-through on Emeline. At the Catherine and Main intersection, they would eliminate two parking spots in front of the NAPA store.
"You're going to have problems any way you do it," said Hobbs.
Hobbs said there were five accidents at the intersection in six years.
Winchester said they may have to make some parking spaces two-hour parking only.
Councilman Bob Phillips said, "I want to make it clear I don't see a problem, I've never seen a problem." He said he would hate to close off a lot of parking spaces for a problem that doesn't exist.
Ruch and council president John Lehman disagreed. "You're the only one I talked to who said he didn't see a problem," Lehman said.
Ruch made a motion to establish a test procedure Friday by putting two parallel-parked vehicles in front of the doctor's office and two in front of the NAPA store throughout the day for the council to look at. Public input is sought and the council will make a decision on the intersection at a later date. Lehman and Ruch approved the testing of the change in parking while Phillips abstained.
In other business:
• Ruch reported the EMS held an election of officers. Officers are Steve Moore, president; Kevin Enyeart, vice president; Sonya Tinkey, secretary; Deb Mast, treasurer; and George Rogers, vehicle maintenance.
• Winchester said he spoke with the owner of the co-op regarding items on the property since the old elevator is being dismantled. Since he last spoke with the owner, Winchester said, half of it is gone and he will continue to monitor it.
• Monday is the final day for leaf season, Winchester said. After that, residents must box the leaves or put them in a container that is easy to pick up.
• The council approved Winchester and one other water department employee to attend a conference Dec. 4-6.
• The council approved Phil Campbell to hook up to sewer and water on the vacant lot just east of the Shell station on Emeline Street. It will be a possible new commercial site, Winchester said. He said it will use 10,000 gallons of water a day and he doesn't see a problem with it as long as everything is worked out properly.
• Sprint was approved to lay 675 feet of buried telephone cable on the north side of CR 1250N west of Old Road 15 and place approximately 800 feet of buried phone cable on the north side of CR 1250N east of Old Road 15.
• Winchester reported the state submitted to them a checklist to create a combined sewer overflow plan. In the last eight years they had one overflow, he said.
He said he is waiting in the next week or two for the draft. They will have 30 days for review on the permit. Once the permit is in final draft, they have 12 months to complete the technical plan, which will be quite lengthy.
"Putting together the first one is very difficult," said Winchester. And, he said, lots of things will have to be adopted into the town's ordinance.
Members of the town council are Lehman, Ruch and Phillips. They meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month in the Milford town hall.
