Tnl-News.com - Minerva village officials hope to reopen communications with AluminumOne

By DENISE R. FREELAND

News Leader Staff Writer

Law Director Gary Willen seemed optimistic at Minerva Village Council's meeting, April 22, that lines of communication may reopen with Aluminum-One.

In response to Alumi-numOne General Manager Mike Peebles statement (The News Leader, April 17, 2008) that the company has spent "nearly $500,000 on improvements" during the past year, Dan Jones, representing a concerned-citizens group, questioned council as to which improvements recommended by Larry Boxall, consultant and president of Innova Tech, Inc., have been completed.

"I'm not completely sure what has occurred and what hasn't, because once we started down the health-study path, everything kind of went on hold," Willen said, "and we were in a situation where we weren't really communicating that well with AluminumOne."

Boxall toured the plant in January 2007 and provided the village with a list of suggestions that he believed would allow AluminumOne to operate in a neighborhood-friendly manner. The list included repairs to the roof and exterior sheeting, installation of doors and air curtains, improving duct and hood systems in various areas, boxing in fans with acoustic absorbing panels to contain noise, and establishment of inspection and monitoring systems.

Willen stated that his advice to council was to let Village Administrator David Harp meet with Peebles to verify which improvements have been made, and to "keep attorneys out of it." He added that the Minerva Police Department is investigating the source of aluminum scrap found throughout the neighborhoods around AluminumOne.

Harp said he received an e-mailed "incomplete rough draft" of the health study from J. Mac Crawford, assistant professor with the Ohio State University College of Public Health. Crawford requested the results of the air-quality monitoring done by the EPA in order to finalize his report.

Harp reported that he and the general manager of OhiRail met and examined each of the rail crossings in the village.

"There needs to be a joint effort to fix the crossings in a timely manner," Harp said, noting that the village will patch crossings, beginning with the Valley Street crossing, and bill OhiRail. The company will send a crew in May to replace the broken concrete pad in the Valley Street crossing.

Harp also said he will look into a state program in which a municipality closes a crossing, and the state provides money for a new crossing elsewhere. There is a Bridge Street crossing that is no longer in use and could be paved over, he said.

Service Director Steve Jackson reported the village repaired nine storm-sewer manholes, which were allowing rainwater into the sewer system. He also noted someone is painting graffiti in Municipal Park and asked residents to let the police know if they see anyone defacing buildings or equipment.

Council approved the third reading of an ordinance authorizing the village to purchase, jointly with West and Paris townships, a new 3,000-gallon tanker. The total price, which will be split evenly between the townships, is $221,852 through the state cooperative-purchasing program.

Minerva Volunteer Fire Department Captain Aaron Stoller asked council to waive the 30-day waiting period for the ordinance to take effect, so the purchase could be finalized by May 1, thereby avoiding a price increase. The tanker will not be delivered until February 2009.

In other business, council:

* APPROVED the third reading of an ordinance authorizing Harp to receive bids for the second phase of the Market Street reconstruction project.

* PASSED a motion to hire C.S.P. Inc. for repairs and painting at the Minerva Senior Center at a cost not to exceed $5,300. The supports for the room-divider curtain are loose and are pulling the ceiling down, Harp said. William Palmer will repair and repaint the ceiling.

* AUTHORIZED Harp to enter into an agreement with Aqua Pools, Inc. to paint the Firemen's Pool at a cost not to exceed $14,150.

* AUTHORIZED Harp to purchase equipment to perform fecal coliform testing, at a price not to exceed $7,802.91. Jackson explained the lab currently performing tests for the village is planning to stop testing, and will train village personnel to collect samples and test them.