Camden wins grants to build walking trail, improve 127 intersection

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CAMDEN — Camden Village Council received grant application updates and bid farewell to two of its members during its final meeting of 2019 Thursday, Dec. 19.

The terms of Mayor Lisa Moss and councilman Ernest Crabtree will officially come to an end when their successors are sworn into office Monday, Dec. 30.

“Thank you, Ms. Mayor, for being mayor, and thank you, Mr. Crabtree, for being a council member,” councilman Kelly Doran said just before council went into executive session to discuss legal matters. “It’s been a fast four years.”

Earlier during Thursday’s meeting, Village Administrator Rusty Wilson informed council the village had received grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

“That’s two big things for us,” council member Debbie Hickman said of the village’s successful pursuit of the two grants.

The $500,000 ODNR grant will pay for construction of a 10-foot-wide asphalt walking path along the northbound side of U.S. 127, between South St and Camden Rd, according to Wilson. The path will bisect a grassy area between the shoulder of Route 127 and the boundary of the village proper, and will also include small bridges spanning creeks and ditches that would otherwise obstruct the route. The project is expected to break ground in the spring and be finished sometime during summer 2020, Wilson said.

The ODOT grant will pay for improvements to the intersection of U.S. 127 and Ohio 725. During its June 6 meeting, council voted unanimously to pay Sidney-based Choice One Engineering $18,500 to conduct a traffic study at the intersection, as well as to solicit grant funds for possible improvements.

Doug Kramer, of Eaton-based civil engineering firm Kramer & Associates, addressed council members concerning several potential street, sidewalk, and drainage improvement projects during their Oct. 17 meeting, meanwhile, including the 127 walking path; paving sections of North Main St and resurfacing nearby alleys; and adding sidewalks at the bottom of a hill on West Central Avenue.

Kramer suggested pursuing a combination of grant and loan funds in order to finance the projects at that time. Council then voted unanimously to move forward with the grant application process.

Camden Village Council meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Camden Town Hall.

Camden council received grants from two state agencies and bid farewell to two of its members during its final meeting of 2019 Thursday, Dec.19.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2019/12/web1_Camden-2-.jpgCamden council received grants from two state agencies and bid farewell to two of its members during its final meeting of 2019 Thursday, Dec.19. Anthony Baker | The Register-Herald

By Anthony Baker

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