Mayor Sidar, left, and Alderpeople Jim Tilashalski and Teresa Tucker laugh after Tilashalski comments about the post office.
Benld Mayor Gloria Sidar announced during the city’s regular city council meeting Monday evening, May 18, that the United States Post Office scheduled a public hearing for June 15 at 6 p.m. to hear the public’s input about the location, office and hours for the Benld Post Office.
The public hearing is the first step the government subsidiary has taken toward increasing the city’s lease rate for the location that was relocated to the city’s police department building in 2013. The City of Benld settled on the $1 lease rate in 2013 to keep a post office location in the city after the landowner of the post office’s former location on North Main raised the rental rate.
Residents in Benld were without a post office temporarily in 2012 and 2013 when USPS didn’t renew their lease and the current location at the Benld Police Department wasn’t ready for service. It wasn’t until fall of 2013 when the current location on Central Avenue was ready for operation.
The council renewed their lease agreement of $1 with USPS in March of 2015 with a split council decision and final approval from Mayor Sidar. In March, Sidar said she obliged to renew the lease because she is hoping for a permanent solution for the post office. The council is working with a new contact person at USPS and Sidar believes a better lease will be made in the upcoming months.
“The post office has been in touch with me,” Sidar announced Monday. “They would like to start paying [the city] some money and they need a public hearing with public input in regard to the post office and hours. After they get results from the public meeting, we will start negotiating rent prices.”
The public hearing will be held at the Benld City Hall with the city’s regular June meeting following at 7 p.m. “More people here, the better,” Alderman Bernot added.
New and Old Business
City Attorney Rick Verticchio sworn in aldermen Jim Tilashalski, ward 1; Brian Frensko, ward 2 and Peyton Bernot, ward 3 to the city council.
Citywide trash pick-up will be held on Saturday, June 13
Mayor Sidar announced the city will be hosting a citywide trash pick-up on Saturday, June 13 and announced the Memorial Day service will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 26 at the Benld Cemetery. The municipal band will play and the Staunton VFW will perform the color guard duties and 21-gun salute.
The council unanimously approved to list two properties located at the intersection of Walnut and Kentucky and the other located at the intersection of Locust and the railroad for bids. The city owns the declared surplus property and has the authority to reject any and all bids.
Committee Reports
Alderwoman Teresa Tucker asked if the council was going to open the 4th Street dump area again, but maintenance/sewer/water chairman Jim Kelly said the council still has to consider a better decision regarding the dump. Kelly explained people dumped mattresses and a number of other unwanted items when the key to the dump was checked out at the clerk’s office and It caused more work for the maintenance department.
Finance chairman Peyton Bernot reported that the appropriations are ready for review and he understood the council’s main priority was to demolish delinquent properties. “I took that into consideration and upped the budget from 2 houses to 3 houses now,” Bernot said. “We also upped the legal fees appropriation.”
Bernot continued by noting a major improvement in the gaming tax the city is receiving from the gambling machines inside the city limits. “The game tax increase from $11,000 to $21,000 in one year.”
During Jim Kelly’s report for maintenance, sewer and water, he said the permits have been signed for the sewer work for the Shehorn lift station and 2 or 3 other manholes will have to be involved with the construction.
He also added that the maintenance department has two more hydrants installed with only one more hydrant remaining. The department’s main concentration has been working on ditches. “It’s looking good,” Kelly added.
Lastly, Kelly reported bad news to the council saying the motor arm on the backhoe was damaged recently during construction and experts said it has to be replaced. He passed on prices for a new and used arm for the piece of equipment, but endorsed the used machine part of $3,400. The council unanimously approved the purchase of the used part.
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