Malvern council cancels FD lease

By Thomas Clapper
CCM Reporter
Malvern Council made the decision to not renew a lease agreement with The Great Trail Fire District for the North Station off Reed Ave. at its Feb. 6 council meeting.
“This lease has been $1 (per year)and we have to pay $270 some in property taxes and we haven’t been paid in a while, frankly,” said Village Administrator Derik Kaltenbaugh.
Council granted the fire department 30 days to get everything out and leave the building. In a split vote, council members Barb Burgess, Craig DeLong, Eunice Thompson, Marci Hubbard and Tom Holmes voted for the action. Councilman Jan Wackerly voted no.
In an unrelated matter, council received an email from Malvern Community Development Fund seeking a new project and asked council for recommendations for an improvement project. Each year the group raises money through the Dancing in the Park event and puts those funds toward a project in the village. Ideas floated around included fencing in front of the playground area, handicap ramp, picnic tables, all in the park. They will send off the ideas for the MCDF to consider.
Council learned Swift Fields LLC is no longer able to manage and organize the Malvern Harvest Market in the park. Council seems against someone else taking it on unless they come forward with a full plan on how the market will be run.
In other business, council:
HEARD Fiscal Officer Ashley Neading inform council the Street Department has called in the remaining 75 tons of salt from the original 150 tons ordered. Kaltenbaugh noted the salt shed has a hole in the roof and they will work on repairing it because replacing it would be tens of thousands of dollars.

-LEARNED Kaltenbaugh has village workers patching holes as often as possible and as weather permits. He noted the Firehouse Grill parking lot has been leveled out and repaired.
-HEARD Wackerly report the Ambulance District has had 110 ambulance calls since the last meeting and Councilman Craig DeLong reported the Great Trail Fire District has had 11 incidents since the last fire meeting.
-PAID the village bills from the appropriate funds for $4,263.03 pre-approved by the finance committee Jan. 31, $1,722.62 paid on Feb. 6; and $9,078.91 paid on Feb. 2.
The next regular council meeting is set for Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.