SABINA — The cost to pay for village employees’ health insurance will increase at a 12 percent rate effective in May.
Village council approved a measure Thursday night to keep Medical Mutual as the employees’ medical insurance provider. The village will continue to pay 80 percent of the cost of an employee’s health premium, while the employee’s share will remain at 20 percent.
Council held a first reading on legislation that will authorize the Village of Sabina to again participate in the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program. For an annual $100 membership fee, the Village can gain access to state contracts for the purchase of a multitude of items, said Sabina Police Chief Keynon Young.
Young said the police department recently attempted to buy a vest and the quote came back really high and he knew the state-contract price was less than that. He made a phone call and was informed the Village was not part of the contracting system for the State of Ohio.
It’s now been learned that the Village has not been a member of the state’s Cooperative Purchasing Program for several years, Young reported.
Sabina’s problems with high water and flooding was a theme at the council meeting. The mayor spoke about the issue in his report to council, and a resident talked about how her backyard has flooded worse than it did before gravel was recently added to a gravel alley beside her property.
Connie Greene of the 00-99 block of Sherman Street said that after the most recent hard rain, there was rainwater 10 inches high in her back yard from the fence to the back door.
“I couldn’t let my dogs out at all for three days; I had that much water,” Greene told village officials.
Village Administrator Rob Dean said the gravel was added because the alley “was getting so muddy and rutted up.”
Dean and other officials said they will try to alleviate Greene’s problem.
On the topic of flood mitigation in general, Sabina Mayor Dean Hawk stated, “At this point we are not optimal, but we are visibly improved. And we have the ‘Jefferson Street Storm Sewer’ — a $339,000 CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] Critical Infrastructure Grant project that is about to go out for bids a second time.”
This project will cross uptown Sabina from south to north. The contracted portion is too deep for village employees to work on as it requires cages, the mayor said.
“We believe this [project] will solve severe water issues under and near the railroad and along the Mound Street corridor,” said Hawk.
The mayor reported the Village also has a project on the county engineer’s drawing board to improve a flooding issue in the Hunt Drive area on Sabina’s east side.
“Finally, we have a project the Village will try to achieve to gain more flow capacity under the bike trail bridge that is waiting for drier weather so we can get equipment down into the creek,” he said.
In other news at council:
• The police chief reported his department recently “served two more search warrants for drug use.” Substances that may be drugs were found at each location but will need crime lab confirmation to be officially identified, Young added.
• Councilwoman Vicki Mongold said the local organization Arms of Hope came through this week for a relative of hers who needed to get back on Suboxone.
• Saturdays April 21 and 28 will be Spring Clean-Up Days when dumpsters will be stationed at the Sabina Community Pool site for residents to utilize.
• Saturday April 28 also is Medication Take-back Day to dispose of old and unused medications. The times are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the entrance way to the IGA grocery store in town. An auxiliary police officer is expected to be there to assist.
• New stop signs are going up around the village, the village administrator reported.
• Clinton County GOP commissioner candidate Mike McCarty spoke to village council about his goals if he’s elected to the board of commissioners.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
