HANNAH KUBBINS
News Editor
While Denison is full of its own politics to report, The Denisonian recently thought it would be appropriate to cover the issues affecting Granville as well. The paper will be regularly covering Village Council meetings and presenting the minutes for the campus.
The council meets every first and third Wednesday of the month at 141 E. Broadway at 7:30pm
The council has seven elected citizens who serve four year terms. The current members are as follows: Mayor Melissa Hartfield, Vice Mayor Rob Montgomery, Dan Finkelman, Jeremy Johnson, Michelle Lerner, Matt McGowan and Jacqueline O’Keefe
The council has the power to determine all matters of general policy by ordinance or resolution. It also establishes compensation levels of Village officials and employees, enacts ordinances and resolutions relating to Village services, tax levies, appropriating and borrowing money, licensing and regulating businesses and trades, and other municipal purposes. Additionally, the council elects the Mayor and Vice Mayor for two-year terms.
The mayor serves as the official and ceremonial head of the municipal government and as the presiding officer at meetings of the Council. The vice mayor may perform the same responsibilities in the mayor’s absence.
After approving the agenda at the Oct. 6th meeting, the council opened the floor for citizens comments. According to the minutes, Granville resident David Agosta asked the council if they had developed a plan to reduce speed on East Broadway. Agosta had mentioned this issue before at a meeting in April 2016. He claimed that people drove 40 mph in a 25 mph area and added that he had altercations with drivers while trying to back of out of his driveway on East Broadway. Agosta stated that a traffic study showed there was less than seven percent compliance, and because of this, Agosta feels that traffic control should be the Council’s top concern.
Vice Mayor Montgomery stated that Chief of Police William Caskey proposed and implemented several options for speed issues including enhanced enforcement and radar patrols. Chief Caskey added that the police department already made departmental changes including officers spending a period during each shift monitoring traffic, setting up designated speed check areas and using the speed trailer.
Suggestions then came from council members. Councilmember O’Keefe asked if a stop sign could be installed at North Granger street for East Broadway traffic. Councilman Finkelman suggested that staff explore other possible solutions. A traffic study was recommended by Councilmember Johnson.
No one else had comments after Agosta, so the council moved on to review the Mayor’s report for the month of August since no significant old or new business was discussed at length. The full Mayor’s report can be found online.
Reports on the following committees began: The Granville Community Foundation, The Granville Recreation District, the Planning Commission, Granville Arts Commission, Open Space Committee, Tree and Landscape Commission and the Union Cemetery committee.
An update from The Granville Community Foundation was presented by Councilmember Lerner. Lerner stated that the foundation is looking at developing Wildwood Park as a signature project.The Planning Commission, presented by Montgomery, reported that the commission had another work session with Denison to make progress on the new fine arts center on south quad.
The next meeting for the Granville Village Council will be on Wednesday, Oct. 19.