A chiropractor and an attorney will be opening Cardington offices soon, Mayor Susie Peyton, announced during village council’s April 17 meeting.

Scott Roberts, doctor of chiropractic, a Shelby resident, will open his office at 117 East Main Street and Mindy Yocum, attorney, will practice from the building fronted by Jeff Youngs Mid-Ohio Insurance Solutions, Inc. at 114 West Main Street.

In other action council approved payment of bills totaling $45,017.08, and learned from Fiscal Officer Deb Fry that the village received more income tax this year than in the past.

Council agreed, by resolution, to accept the recommendation of the mayor and police chief to dispose of the 2010 police cruiser.

Council determined that because it is not needed for public use or is obsolete or unfit for the use for which it was acquired and has no value to the village, it be donated to the Morrow County Court of Common Please Probation Department, according to the resolution.

Gary Goodman, fire chief, said the department has had 69 runs this year.

They also completed the cleaning of the swimming pool.

Village Administrator Danny Wood explained that he had been using a tractor/loader from Bobcat Enterprises on a trial basis. Council will consider the purchase of the tractor at a cost of $48,776.00 from Bobcat Enterprises.

He also described the work to clear tile by Riverview Drive where roots had plugged the drainage tile causing water to flood some basements. Mayor Peyton shared information that was researched at Michigan State University on the issue of water and shared by John Nippert, council president. Because it has been of concern with the Cardington community she felt the information was pertinent.

The information noted that because it is a resource that most consumers take for granted, water is already unaffordable for one of ten U S. households a share that is forecast to triple to more than 30 percent of within five years.

Water and sewer prices have more than doubled between 2000 to 2016 outpacing price increases for other basics such as electricity and gasoline, according to Brookings Institute.

The piece goes on to describe the reasons for the rising prices as being aging infrastructure that’s expensive to repair and climate change. It was explained that water systems are struggling to handle stronger and more frequent storms which add to the cost of water treatment. Drought has also decreased the amount of water available to some municipalities. Finally, it was noted that the nation’s highest water costs are in Atlanta and Seattle, where residents pay an average monthly bill of about $325 and $310, respectively. The average U S annual water bill is $1,686 or about $140 per month.

The mayor said $140 per month is about the average in Cardington- “so we feel as though we’ re the average. We get blamed in leaps and bounds for being ahead of everybody else.” Wood commented “We have less of our water lines to be replaced so we are ahead of the game.” Peyton noted “Cities around us are having trouble paying for infrastructure.”

Nippert said “Nationally this may be an epidemic with the regulations required.”

Wood said the water bill gets blamed for the sewer bill and the sewer is one and half times higher than the water bill but when they get the water bill they look at the bottom line and think it’s all water.” He added “The I and I problem drives up the cost the most – treating water that doesn’t have to be treated but we’re working that out.”

By Evelyn Long

The Sentinel

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