This story was updated Tuesday evening, Jan. 14 - The Bentley Road realignment will not affect any residences. It will simply make the the approach to Main Street connect directly across from Parkview Drive.

A water meter replacement project involving over 1,400 meter will take place in 2020 by the village.

Announced at Monday’s council meeting, Jesse Blackburn, village administrator, said that village signed an agreement with Choice One to prepare bidding for the project. Bidding preparation is estimated at $5,800. The estimated cost to replace the water meters is approximately $400,000.

In legislation, council instructed Blackburn to advertise for bids for garbage, refuse and recycling for village residents. Sealed bids will be opened at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, in the town hall.

The current village contract is with Republic and it expires May 31. A new contract is anticipated to begin on June 1.

Two planning commission meetings take place in January.

• Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – to consider a presentation of plans for the construction of Phase II of the Parkview Subdivision from 3S Development.

• Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. – to discuss possible reclassification of zoning districts for properties along Jefferson Street between County Line Road and Huber Street, along with properties bordering the Norfolk Southern Railroad between Jefferson and Cherry. 

Village officials will meet with Choice One at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16, to discuss State Route 103 pedestrian pathway options.

Council approved the purchase of two properties in the village following several executive sessions in late 2019 to discuss real estate purchases.

The village will purchase the former Clarence Bigelow property in the Railroad Street area. The purchase price is $2,500. The property is nearly one acre.

Also purchased is a section of property at 615 S. Main St. The property cost is $2,000. The property will be used to eventually straighten Bentley Road’s approach to Main Street south of the Dairy Freeze. Once completed, Bentley will no longer connect to Main at an angle. It will contact directly to Parkview Drive. 

Mayor Richard Johnson and council members Ben Stahl and Joe Sehlhorst were sworn in to their new four-year terms in Bluffton village government at the meeting.

In a reorganization for 2020, council re-elected Jerry Cupples as council president. Council committee appointments will be announced at the Jan. 27 meeting. Mayor Johnson asked council members to review current committee assignments prior to his 2020 appointments.

Council agreed to continue meeting at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of the month in the third floor of the Bluffton town hall.

The council package is attached at the bottom of this story.