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BELMONT -- Village Council passed a resolution this month authorizing acceptance of a loan through the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office to purchase a property adjacent to the site where the village's new firehouse is to be constructed.
The resolution was approved during a special meeting that was scheduled after not enough council members were present to do so during the regular monthly meeting on the previous Wednesday.
In February it was announced that the village had been awarded $3.4 million in federal funding for the construction of a new firehouse just across the street from the current, 125-year-old facility.
In April council authorized fire department officials to apply for a zero interest, $160,000 loan through the Ohio State Fire Marshal in order to purchase a property adjacent to the build site.
Resident and fire department member Ed Tacosik explained at the time that the architect and civil engineer on the project had suggested that doing so would allow the new building to be constructed on the crown of the hill, thereby reducing the amount of excavation required, with the savings being used to add features to the new station that had been cut from the original plan.
Fire Capt. Kaye Hall had explained that purchasing the property with the federal funds was not an option since it was not in the plan that had been approved for funding.
The owners of the property in question had been vocal in their opposition to the fire department's plans to build so near their home since Chief Bob Mills first announced his desire to do so.
Last Wednesday, Council President Derek Cain made Mills convince him that purchasing the property would benefit the village, with Mills going so far as to call the architect to confirm the purported savings.
Architect Ed McCall said that a civil enineer would be better able to give more precise figures but that the excavation and retaining wall they would be able to eliminate by purchasing the property was "significant" and "could easily be $150,000 to $200,000."
When Mills and Jody Solar, who owns the property being discussed, seemed frustrated with Cain's inquiry, Cain explained that he was fulfilling his obligation to act in the best interest of the taxpayers in the village and that he was not questioning Mills' integrity.
"You're asking us to buy a house for $160,000 which is going to be leveled and it's going to be a parking lot," Cain said to further explain his position.
Mills also said that he needed the resolution to be amended to state that the fire and EMS funds would be used to repay the loan, with the Belmont Fireman's Association making payments should the other funds get below a certain level.
Mills said once the village's new fire truck is paid off this loan could be repaid quickly with funds from the department's contract with Goshen Township.
After some further discussion, Councilwoman Lorie Grob made a motion to adopt the resolution with the amendment requested by Mills. The motion passed with Cain, Grob and Councilwoman Peggy Patterson voting yes while Councilmen John Rigoli and Zach Kalo abstained due to their membership in the fire department. Councilwoman Beverly Yoe was absent from the meeting.
Belmont Village Council's next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 5 in the Stanley Sobel Village Offices on Brown Street.