Solid refuse collection rates may be lower for two years, thanks to removal of fuel adder

By Paula Pyzik Scott

The Village of Ada Council met for a regular session on Tuesday, September 17. (Meeting packet is HERE.)

LEGISLATION
All legislation was passed unanimously, including an ordinance authorizing Mayor David Retterer to assess street lights within the Village of Ada for 2025. Following unsubstantiated and anonymous claims on the 45810 news and info Facebook group that the village was preparing a new tax, councilor Jeff Oestriech and Village Administrator Jamie Hall provided the following background information.

In 1995 AEP began issuing a tariff to cover the cost of operating lights in the village. This does not cover installation or maintenance of street lights, it pays for powering the lights. Using one resident’s property tax bill as illustration, the special assessment cost in 2023 was $44.00.

ZONING ENFORCEMENT
New Code Enforcement Officer Clayton Eichman has issued some 30 new violations since being hired. Eichman is also an Ada Police Officer. He has a separate phone and email for this additional role ( 313-744-2335; [email protected])

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Jamie Hall reviewed a number of projects that are currently underway or beginning in the near future:

• Bluffton Paving has been scheduled to begin the 2024 Maintenance Paving Project the week of September 23. Details are HERE. https://www.adaoh.org/project/notice-village-adas-2024-street-maintenanc...
• The Railroad Park cannon is being cleaned and painted. This should be finished by the Harvest and Herb Festival on Sept 21.
• An October 3 Public Meeting will be held to review plans for Utility Aggregation. The 6:30 p.m. meeting will be held at Community Health Professionals, 200 S. Main St.
• The Tree Commission has begun annual evaluation of right-of-way and private trees. Some 7-12 trees will be removed. There are eight property owners who still need to remove trees identified by last year’s assessment.

The regular meeting adjourned at 7:22, following a 20-minute executive session to discuss employment. No action was taken on the matter.

UTILITY COMMITTEE MEETING

A utility committee meeting of the whole was conducted immediately following the regular session. The council, village administrator and village legal counsel discussed solid refuse rates and Village utility rates.

Jamie Hall reviewed a memo on the need to update the solid refuse ordinance, which will expire on November 30, 2024. The new seven-year contract with Rumpke Waste and Recycling Inc. actually provides room for lowering rates in 2025 and 2026 from the current $20.00/month per residence. Council is expected to vote on this issue on October 1.

Hall also presented a memo on the topic of creating a stabilizing charge for “off accounts” (discontinued utility services). A recent utility rate study for the Village of Ada has shown future need for water and sewer rate increases.

The stabilizing charge was proposed in 2014 but never acted on. Currently there are no shut-off or turn-on fees for customers who periodically turn service off and on, such as rental units and homeowners who head south for the winter.

Hall suggested that these accounts are benefiting from Village storm sewer service and that meter reading continues, without the Village being compensated. 

While the number of off accounts varies greatly from year to year, Hall provided an illustration of 100 accounts x $10 fee x 12 months = $12,000.

Council decided to continue the discussion at a future meeting when Fiscal Officer Patty Navin and Council Member Linda Mason–who were absent–could weigh in on the discussion.