Bluffton council covered lots of ground in Monday's brief 35-minute council session. Water lines, sewer lines, annexation, golf carts and ash trees were among topics discussed.

Water lines

Jamie Mehaffie, village administrator, reported that he met with Choice One Engineering on Aug. 4. The meeting reviewed the preliminary layout plans for the Grove, Lawn and Jackson Street waterline replacement project.

"There are some slight changes to be made on the layout and some field verifications to perform," he said. "Choice One indicated that there were no issues that arose that would greatly alter their previous construction estimate of $650,000.

Concerning the Sunset Drive water line project, Mehaffie told council that he is requesting an updated design proposal that would loop Sunset Drive.

"I am requesting that council approved the engineering agreement for those services at a cost of $9,850," he added. Council, by consensus, approved the costs on Monday.

Golf carts

By emergency, council passed a golf cart ordinance. Police Chief Rick Skilliter said that state law mandates that golf carts must have windshields. He added that all Ohio laws that apply to motor vehicles apply to golf carts. One exception is that there are separate laws governing motorcycles.

The village will post the ordinance on the village website. Once posted, the Icon will link to it.

Annexation hearing set

The Allen County Commissioners set a 10 a.m., Oct. 4, hearing to consider the annexation petition for the properties on North Dixie Highway seeking annexation into the Village of Bluffton.

The hearing will take place in the commissioner's meeting room on the third floor of the Allen County Courthouse. On Monday council passed by emergency a resolution required by the annexation process requirements. The resolution announces the services to be provided to the territory proposed to be annexed. Those services include police protection, zoning and code enforcement, water service among other village services.

Main Street sewer lines

Mehaffie told council that Beaverdam Contracting, Inc., is nearing the end of the installation of the current phase of the sanitary sewer project on South Main Street. The phase is ending slightly past the corporation line so that the project gets off the roadway and ends at a manhole.

Ash tree removal

The village has contracted with Trim-A-Limb of Bluffton to remove 43 ash trees at the Buckeye Park and the village park.

The project is part of an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant received by the village last year. At a cost of $225 per tree, the project will cost $9,675. Once completed, in conjunction with the trees that have been planted or that will be planted soon, the village will have met the grant program requirements.

Airport project

Problems with federal funding of FFA project have trickled down to Bluffton. The village previously was approved for an FAA grant. The grant was to install an AWOS system at the airport. However, with the current absence of funding of that agency, Mehaffie proposed to council to delay moving forward with the bidding on the project.