LEWISBURG — Municipal manager Jeff Sewert informed council the decision was made to join the Miami Valley Communications Council’s electric aggregate program in the attempt to secure lower rates for village residents.

“(Chief fiscal officer) Susan (Laux) and I met with the the Miami Valley Communications Council in regards to the electric aggregate program that voters approved last March,” Sewert said.

Sewert said after meeting with the MVCC, located in Centerville, it would be best if the village joined the organization.

Sewert said the village could join with the Preble County Commissioners, who have a partnership with the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.

“Preble County, is a much smaller group. The MVCC is a larger group and we would get a better price than what we would get if we went with somebody else like the Preble County Commissioners. That’s why we opted to go with the Miami Valley Communications Council,” Sewert explained.

Sewert said council will need to approve a resolution to join the MVCC at the May 2 meeting.

“Once we do that and get that approved, it is recommended that two public hearings be held to inform residents the next steps in the process,” Sewert said.

Sewert indicated the public hearings are tentatively scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 16.

“We will do one in the afternoon and we will do one right before the council meeting,” Sewert said.

Sewert said he will provide more information on the public hearings at the May 2 council meeting.

In other business, council approved a resolution to rebid the west side storm drainage project after Sewert announced the project only received one bid and was “10 percent over the bid to accept the bid.”

“Under Ohio law it can only be 10 percent over the bid and it was well over 10 percent,” Sewert said.

In other matters, Sewert advised council he plans to expand the business leaders program in the village that he said has been successful.

“I think what I’m going to do is to provide networking communication on what the village and businesses are doing,” Sewert said.

“I also want to engage our small business community, too, and maybe have bi-monthly meetings with them,” Sewert continued.

“We put a lot of investment in our downtown back in 2017-18 and we want to keep that going,” Sewert noted.

“We also conducted a parking study to determine where we could find additional parking downtown,” Sewert said.

“We need to get back at that with that group and get some ideas and start some discussions again,” Sewert continued.

“I’m going to try to make that happen in the next month or so,” Sewert said.

Council approved a request from Sewert to send a letter in support of a proposed plan by the Ohio Department of Transportation to put a parking lot at the closed rest area on westbound Interstate 70 near the Ohio/Indiana state line.

The parking lot will only be available to semi-truck drivers.

“It’s a really nice-looking area where semi drivers can come in and park overnight,” Sewert said in reference to a drawing of the proposed project he observed.

Sewert also said the parking area is a good idea, but “from an aesthetic standpoint we need to make sure it is nice.”

Sewert told council the Preble County Commissioners also sent a letter of support for the project.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].