BELMONT — Village Council accepted the resignation of a member this month and approved an increase in hours for the police department.

During a council meeting held July 5, Mayor Ron Woods announced that Zach Kalo had submitted his resignation from council, with no reason given for his doing so.

After the remaining five members voted to accept Kalo’s resignation, Woods said he would begin the process of posting notices seeking his replacement. Woods noted that there were three years left in the term for the seat Kalo had occupied.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Andrew Miller apologized for not being present at recent council meetings, saying that while he is putting in his time, his busy schedule working with other departments makes it difficult for him to be in the village at 6 p.m. on the Wednesdays when council meets.

Miller gave a report on the department’s activity in June, saying officers had answered 22 calls plus traffic stops and issued 11 citations while assisting with situations outside of town on six occasions.

Miller requested that council approve additional operating hours for the department, pointing out that mayor’s court had been “super busy” so far this year with 60 citations issued through June.

“The most we’ve ever had since I’ve been chief was 72 in a year,” he said.

Miller said he has been receiving numerous complaints about packages being taken off of porches, ATVs operating illegally on village streets, and speeding vehicles.

He said additional time on patrol would better enable him to address these and other concerns.

He went on to explain that with money from the raffle, the police levy, and the uptick in citations, the department has been nearly self-sustaining for the first half of the year.

Councilwoman Lorie Grob stated that members had in the past increased police hours during the summer months. After some further discussion, council voted in favor of the increase in hours from 24 to 30 per week through September, with a plan to reassess the situation at that time.

Miller also received approval from council for a $500 budget to hold a fundraising raffle, saying he was considering getting an assortment of fishing gear to raffle off. He noted the last meat and freezer raffle had netted $1,300.

Woods announced that village wells had produced 80% of the water used in the village last month and that the village water system’s Consumer Confidence Report had been filed and was available through a website link printed on July water bills, villageofbelmont.org/water-and-sewer-info.

Belmont Village Council meets at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month in the Stanley Sobel Village Offices on Brown Street.