With only one tower reading at present, Greenfield’s water meter reading gateway system is already pinpointing potential issues that have been able to quickly be addressed.
A long time coming, the village received its gateways last month. One is currently set up in a third floor City Building office and has already detected several household leaks and one home where a forgotten spigot was left running. The issues have been remedied without homeowner’s having to wait until they receive their bill generated from the monthly meter read. The system reads meters twice a day and allows for real-time observance of water use.
Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin said at Tuesday’s meeting of the village council that the gateway at the City Building will be placed on the roof, another on the water tower, and another at Mitchell Park. More gateways will be strategically placed throughout the village to make sure all homes can be read.
About 95 percent of all the meters in the village are radio-read meters, which the gateway system will read. Wilkin said residents will not see an increase in their water and sewer bills because of the installation of the system. Additionally, there is nothing for residents to do to be a part of the process.
In other business, Wilkin reported that a newly-installed suggestion box on the third floor of the City Building has yet to receive its first suggestion. He reminded council members, as well as those watching the meeting, that suggestions are welcome and encouraged, especially for the newly-implemented citizen of the month, employee of the month, and the Greenfield Home and Garden awards.
Wilkin said the community was welcome to suggest more ways to recognize village residents and employees, or offer their thoughts on other things like mowing or village spending. Any suggestions may be dropped off anonymously in the suggestion box. It is located just outside the elevator in the third-floor lobby.
The city manager also reminded all that the 2020 Census is still underway. He noted the reporting statistics as follows: nationally, 61.9 percent; state of Ohio, 66.5 percent; Highland County, 61.7 percent; and Greenfield, 61.2 percent.
While there are still a lot of people not reporting, Wilkin stressed the importance of everyone taking the few minutes to fill out their census information so that everyone can be counted since those numbers are reflected in funding for government programs and legislative representation.
Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Quincey Gray was present Tuesday in regard to a proclamation from the village for Edward Lee McClain Day. This year, McClain will be honored for his contribution to Greenfield on July 19 at 1 p.m. Unless pandemic-related guidelines change, the ceremony will be held at the base of the marble staircase and will include the reading of the proclamation, Danny Long portraying McClain, and a reception. Guided tours of the school will also be a part of the event.
Council chair Phil Clyburn said in presenting the finance committee report that the village has been awarded the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant which will pay for 75 percent of the salary for a new, full-time police officer.
Wilkin said the village is looking to create a swing-shift position to work solely on drug cases.
Council member Brenda Losey said she had received resident complaints concerning the length of a traffic light on Seventh Street where it intersects Jefferson Street. Wilkin said the village observed the light earlier in the day for nearly an hour and is looking into what is causing the issue. It is believed that loops embedded in the asphalt that detect metal, or the loop detectors in the boxes, may be malfunctioning and causing the elongated red light.
Wilkin announced that the roofing on the City Building is complete and the protective plywood over lights and doorways should be removed soon. He said work on the clocktower should commence in the next month or so.
Wilkin said that the administration feels comfortable enough with the state of the finances, despite losses due to the pandemic, to proceed with a couple paving projects.
Currently, bid packages are being put together for paving of parts of Spring Street and parts of Lyndon Avenue. Those streets, according to Wilkin, do not have significant inflow and infiltration issues that would require the street to be torn up to get to troubled sewer lines. Additionally, the village has been working to get potholes filled around town.
Councilman Kyle Barr announced that the village’s new website is live. Additions to the site are still being made, but it is up and running and he encouraged residents to check it out. The address is the same as the old website — www.greenfieldohio.net.
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the village of Greenfield.
