The Malvern Village Council met on Jan. 6 to discuss plans for new park posts and address poor attendance within the street department.
Councilwoman Marci Hubbard reported she visited Crowl Lumber to gather information on 4×4 treated fence posts for the park. The posts are available in 10-foot lengths for $14.95 and 12-foot lengths for $17.99. Hubbard noted the price would be adjusted for bulk purchases. She also said treated wood would be easier to paint and maintain.
Councilman Tom Holmes suggested that 12-foot posts could be cut in half to create two posts, with three feet buried in the ground and three feet remaining above ground. Holmes added that council could rent or borrow a 6-inch auger to drill holes or use a post-pounder for installation. An auger could be attached to the back of a tractor.
“I know how this sounds, but they have to be straight holes,” Holmes said. “It would look very bad if any of them were crooked.”
Village Administrator Derik Kaltenbaugh will determine the number of posts needed and their placement before spring.
Council also discussed challenges with street department attendance.
“I’m tired of being nice to everybody, and I’m tired of giving so many chances,” Kaltenbaugh said. “When we start looking forward to mowing season, that’s when we really start having problems.”
Kaltenbaugh suggested offering raises as motivation. Holmes agreed but recommended making raises performance-based, rewarding employees who show up and perform well.
“We could do performance-based raises, or I say we put them back on probation like they just started and have them work to stay,” Holmes said. “We will think about it until the next meeting, but I think they should work a 90-day probation period.”
Councilman Jan Wackerly expressed concern that this approach might lead to resignations if some employees receive raises while others do not.
“If we have two guys who work a lot and two who do not, this is not fair to the guys who work really hard,” Kaltenbaugh said.
Council took no immediate action but will revisit the issue at the next meeting.
“I want this taken care of at the next meeting, if possible,” Kaltenbaugh said. “We need to really consider these raises and what we want to do.”
In Other Business:
Councilwoman Barb Burgess was nominated and unanimously re-elected as board president. Burgess has held this position for several years. Street Department Updates: Kaltenbaugh reported that the department used a significant amount of salt in the past two weeks. He also noted that a dead tree near the park’s Dairy Queen was removed after it was deemed a hazard to the walking track. Employee Insurance Costs: Insurance for village workers is estimated at $8,000 per year for an individual and $24,000 for families. Kaltenbaugh, who researched the rates, said they are the lowest available through partnerships with Carrollton and Stark County. However, council expressed concerns about affordability. Approved Resolutions:2025-1: Authorizes a lease agreement with Brown Local School District for use of Village Park facilities, including baseball and softball fields, a running track, a football field, parking lots, and associated buildings. 2024-21: Adjusts Service Department laborer James Little’s pay to $17 per hour as a full-time employee, with no other changes to his employment terms. 2024-22: Authorizes Kaltenbaugh to contract Lawhon & Associates, Inc. for a waters delineation study required for U.S. Army Corps funding for the Waterline Replacement Project, not to exceed $7,000. Fiscal Update: Fiscal Officer Ashley Neading reported that the village ended 2024 with a balance of $1,432,294.27.
“It has been a really good year. We have done such a nice job building up our balance,” Neading said. “We hit our revenue budget and took care of expenses.” Bill Payments: Council approved village bills of $16,741.15 pre-approved by the Finance Committee on Dec. 31 and $61,677.80 on Dec. 6. Additionally, $7,253.89 in payroll was pre-approved and paid on Jan. 2.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall. The meeting was moved to Wednesday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.