Wellington mayor, superintendent report village is in good standing

WELLINGTON — Wellington's schools and village administration remain in good standing, according to the State of the Village presentation Thursday morning. Last year was not without its challenges, however, said Village Manager Jonathan Greever. Those included the sudden death of Water and Wastewater Superintendent Greg Frenk on Feb. 26, 2022, and a fire at the water treatment facility in the fall that destroyed half the plant. The fire started in the early evening of Sept. 26, Greever said, spreading from the basement garage. The fire remains under investigation, he said. But in the hours after the fire was contained, the village was able to resume water supply after only 12 hours, he said. And during those 12 hours down, the village used a water pump trailer to tap into Rural Water. Late in 2022, demolition was completed on the remains of the building, and the remediation costs exceeded $250,000. Projected costs to reconstruct the facility is more than $1 million. But despite those challenges, 2022 was not a total loss. The village's forecast revenue was up by about $200,000 — at $2.6 million compared with the $2.4 million projected. Utility costs also were lower than budgeted. The village also distributed the final half of its American Rescue Plan Act funds: $237,630 allocated to the police department. $102,250 allocated to the Reservoir Sluice Gate replacement project. $72,711 allocated for the Upground Reservoir driveway replacement and widening project. $71,000 allocated to the Line Abandonment project. ARPA funds must be obligated by December 2024 and spent by 2026. The village's general fund cash balance has continued to grow since 2016 — now at about $2.8 million. Greever also touched on ongoing upgrades to Wellington Community Park. Those include a new municipal building under construction to house park equipment and provide storage for youth sports on-site. The building is expected to be completed later this spring. Wellington also partnered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to make improvements to the Upground Reservoir, including tree removal per the state's directive to improve the dam's structural integrity. Village workers are in the process of updating the municipality's wastewater treatment plan's UV disinfection system, which looks to kill microorganisms like E. coli with specific wavelengths of ultraviolet light. Wellington's previous system was obsolete, Greever said, necessitating the upgrades. Workman Industries won the project, bidding about $562,000. The project is set to be completed next month. The village also completed several roadway resurfacing projects, and there are more in the works for 2023. Looking to the future, Mayor Hans Schneider said changes are coming to the downtown district. The old locust trees had overgrown their wells, cracking sidewalks and blocking buildings. It forced their removal about a year ago. Since then, the village had discussed other tree options and settled on the Princeton Sentry gingko, Princess Diana serviceberry, and Autumn Brilliance serviceberry. The three species, 30 trees in total, will be mixed throughout downtown. He also highlighted upgrades to the police station. In 2022, the village issued bonds to cover the costs and broke ground in the spring. The estimated completion is August. Wellington Schools Superintendent Ed Weber said the district has had seven years of steady improvement, and district officials hope to create more robust course offerings in the next four-year plan. The small district hopes to create multiple pathways for its students to walk across the stage at graduation, ready for college or a career. That includes adding a performing arts pathway for students, with academic courses to pair with existing programs at the Patricia Lindley Performing Arts Center. Wellington Schools plans to complete a curriculum audit, outside of its addition of Advanced Placement and career tech programming, to do a more "in depth" study on where the district's offerings stand, Weber said. Treasurer Mark Donnelly said the schools' revenue is up, but Wellington Schools — like other districts — is keeping an eye on Ohio House Bill 1. Now in committee in the Ohio House, HB1 looks to change or eliminate the homestead and property tax rollbacks the state pays, he said. He estimated that would mean a roughly 10 percent increase in local property taxes, and a potential cut to the district's tax revenue. He said the schools have exhausted all Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, which provided for a summer school program, Chromebooks and other expenses. According to Wellington Schools' current five-year forecast submitted to the Ohio Department of Education in the fall, the district is projected to remain fiscally solvent through about 2025, when its expenses are expected to start outpacing its revenue. But spending against its cash balance, the district is still projecting to remain in the black well past 2027. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.