Greenfield’s downtown continues to improve with buildings getting the upgrades, enhancements and fixes made possible through the village’s first-round of grants in the facade improvement program.
As previously reported, there were more than a dozen recipients of the 50/50 grant in the first round, and most of them have either completed work or are continuing with improvements.
One of those is the Old Town Pizzeria II at 237 Jefferson St., which has seen a complete facade makeover in recent weeks. The planned parking addition and green space at Paint Creek Veterinary Clinic is also moving along, and work is happening on the facade of Judkins and Hayes Law Office.
Other buildings involved have been painted, received new roofing, paving, improved HVAC systems or made cosmetic changes, and every bit of work performed is making a positive impact in the downtown, it was reported at Tuesday’s special meeting of Greenfield Village Council.
City manager Todd Wilkin, in his report to council, remarked about the ongoing progress and how “this infusion of money into the downtown will not go unrecognized.
“We are happy to assist our local businesses when possible and continue to create a positive atmosphere for the attraction and growth of companies in Greenfield,” Wilkin said.
There were 25 applications for the program totaling approximately $1.1 million. The village is using its $477,000 share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to fund the first round of grants. Also, as part of the facade improvement program, the village has created a revolving loan fund to help enable business owners make improvements to their downtown buildings.
In other business, council had the first reading of the 2022 budget. Since there were a couple changes that needed to be made, next year’s budget will likely come up for a vote at council’s next regular meeting in a couple weeks.
On the related matter of finances, finance director Gary Lewis presented November’s preliminary numbers. Those are: month-to-date revenue, $346,128; month-to-date expense, $290,749; year-to-date revenue, $4.73 million; year-to-date expense, $4.66 million; and a general fund balance as of Nov. 30, of $589,858.
It was noted later in the meeting by council member Eric Borsini that sometimes council members get comments and questions regarding things like village finances and how legislation is passed. He reminded everyone tuning in to the live stream of the meeting that if they have any questions, to contact the village offices and officials for the answers they seek.
To reach the village offices by phone call 937-981-3500. Village officials and council members’ emails can be found on the greenfieldohio.net website in the “Officials/Contact Us” tab. When you mouse over the tab, a drop-down menu appears where you can choose who to contact. And, since the village offices are open again to the public, you can always stop in with your questions between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In other business, Wilkin asked for patience on a couple of matters.
The first was for local businesses who are feeling the effects of supply chain issues and are unable to get things like straws, lids for cups, and even chicken.
The second was for village work this week. Wilkin said there are several employees quarantined at their homes after having been exposed to COVID-19. He said this means that whoever is available, whether that is the chief of police or Wilkin himself, will be taking care of the calls for things like leaf pick-up and water leaks.
Other announcements made included that the Grind House Cafe, located at 1010 Jefferson St., will celebrate its one-year anniversary with an official ribbon-cutting with the Highland County Chamber of Commerce on Friday at 11 a.m. at the business.
Also, representatives from CenterPoint Energy will be making the rounds through Greenfield as the company performs a mandated leak survey on all piping throughout town. If a meter is inside a residence, a technician will need to enter the home to view the meter. While technicians will likely be in personal vehicles, they will have visible picture identification and a company uniform. While the notification regarding this activity has been circulated by the company, Wilkin said the letter will also be posted on the village’s Facebook page and website.
Greenfield Village Council regularly meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers on the third floor of the city building. For updates and information, go to greenfieldohio.net and the village of Greenfield, Ohio Facebook page.
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the village of Greenfield.
