SABINA — Bring on the hot weather. The swimming season is looking brighter in this small town thanks to recent donations from two area organizations and a business.
A $5,000 donation from HealthFirst for Clinton County was announced at Thursday’s session of village council, as was a promise of $3,000 from Sabina 2000. In addition, Kuehn and Tigner, LLC has contributed $1,000.
Those donations totaling $9,000 follow on the heels of a pledge from Clinton County commissioners to provide $2,500, and a $1,000 check received from former resident Lisa Morris Bush.
HealthFirst for Clinton County is a multi-million dollar community foundation which evolved from the former CMH Foundation, which was affiliated with Clinton Memorial Hospital until the public hospital sold to a for-profit private entity in December 2010.
The village’s General Fund has been looking tight so far this year, and the donations will help defray startup and other costs associated with the community pool, owned by the village.
On another matter, Sabina Village Councilman Bill Lewis raised a topic he brought up during his mayoral campaign last fall. In order to “put the message out,” he said, he asked council to pass a resolution that would invite New Sabina Industries to be annexed into the corporation limits of the village. If that were to occur, it would mean employees there would become subject to the village’s earnings tax.
The vote ended in a 3-3 tie, with Mayor Dean Hawk absent and thus unable to unloose the knot. Councilman Dan Osborne, in voting against the resolution, said he preferred having the mayor there for the question. Councilwoman Peggy Sloan said her vote of nay was due to the Richland Township trustees not being agreeable to the proposal.
Sloan, who was acting mayor in Hawk’s absence, suggested village officials find out to what extent Richland Township benefits from having New Sabina Industries within the township. After that, she said, the village could offer Richland Township a better deal.
Lewis said the change is needed because village revenue is “stagnating.”
In other Sabina news:
• Rather than a Neighbhorhood Revitalization Grant, village officials now plan to apply this year for a CDBG Critical Infrastructure Grant. This would enable the village to complete the replacement of the Jefferson Street storm sewer, from the creek side of the houses on West Mound Street to the routes 22/3 highway.
According to Hawk, who submitted a mayor’s report read publicly by Sloan, the project would be a third of a mile of 12-, 18- and 24-inch storm sewer pipe. It would also include boring for a 24-inch line under the railroad.
The village’s grant consultant also intends to apply this year for a grant to do creek cleaning, plus apply for a separate grant for a wheelchair lift in the municipal building, Hawk’s statement said.
• The National Day of Prayer will be observed 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5 near the downtown gazebo next to the municipal building on North Howard Street (State Route 729).
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger.
