Sun staff
Work to replace the village of New Richmond’s boat dock, located where Augusta Street meets the Ohio River, will start next month, and the council will host a town hall meeting in October to talk about the emergency services earnings tax increase that’s set to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The two topics were discussed during the village council meeting on Aug. 23.
On Aug. 16, village officials received two “acceptable” bids from contractors for “finally getting rolling on this boat ramp repair, which has been at least a year-and-a-half, two years in the making,” said Greg Roberts, village administrator.
The project, which entails replacing the ramp and is estimated to cost $132,800, is being funded by a grant that the village received in 2014 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft.
“[The ramp] has deteriorated over the years; it has a really bad drop off,” Roberts described.
The project, which was set to start and finish in fall 2015, was postponed due to flooding as well as a lack of contract bidders.
“When we initially put it out for bids earlier this year, we did not get any bidders,” Roberts said in an email.
This year, the village “basically had to go out and recruit people to bid on the project,” he explained.
The project, which was awarded to Sunesis Construction in West Chester, is slated to get underway next month and has to be completed by the fall, per the grant agreement, Roberts said.
The council went on to cover other items of business.
Village residents can learn more about the proposed emergency services levy during an informational session that will be held during the council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
Currently, the village imposes a 1 percent earnings tax on people who live or work in the village; residents who pay taxes to other municipalities are given a 0.5 percent tax credit.
The proposed ordinance, which the council unanimously sent to the November ballot, would increase the earnings tax to 2 percent and maintain the 0.5 percent tax credit.
The current earnings tax generates approximately $500,000 per year. An increase to 2 percent would generate another $500,000, which will be equally split between the New Richmond Fire and Emergency Services Departments and the New Richmond Police Department.
During the meeting, Police Chief Randy Harvey and Fire and EMS Chief Vince Bee will be on hand to answer questions and “present their case to the public,” according to Roberts. Fiscal Officer Lynn Baird will also present revenue projections.
“We are trying to be available to our constituents,” councilwoman Mary Allen said.
A more detailed agenda is expected to be developed in the next couple of weeks.