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Village of West Liberty Updates

2023 West Liberty Business Association Annual Dinner

1/20/2023

 
2022 West Liberty Business of the Year: Solomon's Garage (Mayor Jill McKelvey pictured with owners Dave & Katie Neer)
2022 West Liberty Business of the Year: Solomon's Garage (Mayor Jill McKelvey pictured with owners Dave & Katie Neer)
The 2023 West Liberty Business Association Annual Dinner was held on Thursday, January 19th at 6:00 p.m. in the Opera House. Heather Chamberlain, President of the Business Association, welcomed those in attendance and thanked them for being there. JD Harshfield from Ohio Caverns offered a very heartfelt memorial for Eric Evans, the owner of Ohio Caverns, who passed away last week. Musical selections were then performed by some students from West Liberty Salem High School. Dinner was prepared by Peppercorn’s Diner in Urbana.

The speaker for the evening was Todd McCormick from the Logan County Historical Society. Mr. McCormick spoke about not only the history of West Liberty but also many former residents who made history through their accomplishments or inventions. He showcased many of the items that are featured at the museum that have ties back to West Liberty. He brought along many amazing photographs and items from their collection.

​Mayor Jill McKelvey gave some thoughts on her appreciation for the business members in attendance and their importance to the village. In the past year, the West Liberty council has created the Community Reinvestment Areas that include the entire incorporated areas of the Village where property owners can receive tax incentives for investing in real property improvements. The Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Program is a direct incentive property tax exemption program. Jayne Griffith with the West Liberty City Council also spoke about the fundraising they have been doing to raise funds for the West Columbus Street Bridge project. They are currently selling sponsorships for the 2024 West Liberty Calendar. 2023 Calendars are also available through the Village office.

Mayor McKelvey then talked about the Business of the Month distinction that was started a year ago. The Village Council nominates 3 businesses each month then those 3 businesses are emailed out to WLBA members to vote on a winner. The very first Business of the Month was Elle A. Design in April of 2022. The latest Business of the Month was Tami Cox and Country Friends of Ohio in January 2023. Mayor Jill then spoke about getting ready to award the very first Business of the Year. The nominees were the previous year’s Business of the Month winners along with any other businesses nominated by the community. These included Hillside Greenhouse, Ohio Caverns, Jones Country Store, Heaven’s Dew, Theresa’s Gingerbread House, LeVan’s Excavating, Tiffany’s Touch, Elle A. Design, MCC Thrift Store, Thoman’s IGA, Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor, The People’s Savings and Loan, Michael’s Pizza, Solomon’s Garage, Marie’s Candies, and Malia Hughes Powered by Fathom Realty.

The 2022 Business of the Year is Solomon’s Garage. Owners Dave and Katie Neer both grew up in West Liberty and graduated from West Liberty-Salem High School. They opened Solomon’s in the village in 2012. Not only are they outstanding business owners willing to offer support to new entrepreneurs when they opened Neer & Farm but the countless hours they have given to the WLBA through Katie’s work as secretary and Dave and his team of Technicians who provided judging for our first car show during the June Street Market.

All members are encouraged to participate in the monthly meetings as well as any event committees. The next monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, February 9th at 5:30 pm at Mad River Farm Market. If you are interested in joining the West Liberty Business Association, please email wlba@mywestliberty.com for more information.

West Liberty Looking for Female VEts Interested in Sharing Your Story

1/17/2023

 
The Village of West Liberty is looking for women from Logan and Champaign Counties who have served in the military that would be willing to share their stories and be recorded in a small group discussion. These stories will be preserved for future generations. 

​Interested individuals may contact the Village at 937.465.2716 or email mayor.mckelvey@mywestliberty.com .  We would like to set a date for recording these stories in February.

For the past year the Village of West Liberty has been recording stories of veterans that received the Purple Heart Medal, served in Vietnam, during the Cold War, and in the Middle East.  These recordings may be found on our website here.

Notice of Public Hearings

1/11/2023

 
Notice is hereby given that pursuant O.R.C. Section 4928.20 (C) Logan County (West Liberty, Zanesfield, Russells Point) will hold two separate public hearings on the Logan County Electric and Natural Gas Aggregation Plan of Operation and Governance on January 30th, 2023 at 5:30 pm at the Russells Point Municipal Building in Russells Point, Ohio and January 31, 2023 at p.m. at 6:30pm at the Green Hills Foundation Hall in West Liberty, Ohio.
 
The Logan County Electric and Natural Gas Aggregation Plan of Operation and Governance describes the policies and procedures by which Logan County will carry out their electric and natural gas aggregation programs, including those policies and procedures, which relate to rates and customer service.
 
If you have any questions you may call the Logan County Commissioners office at 937-599-7284.

Frequently Asked Utility Aggregation Questions

12/15/2022

 
Utility costs are on everyone’s mind and because the village was able to pass in November 2022 the Aggregation for gas and electric, questions are being asked.  With this in mind here are answers to the most frequently asked questions: 
 
We are required to have two more meetings regarding the aggregation and we will begin these meetings in January/February. 
  1. Aggregation gives us a bigger group in order to get the best rate for gas AND electric 
  2. Residents should be cautious about signing up with a gas or electric provider at this time. The Village should be able to provide a better rate for gas and electric than what door to door salespeople are selling. If you feel confident about the rate, just make sure you may end the contract with no penalty. This would allow you to join the aggregation group without paying any type of fee to that gas or electric company. 
  3. Residents will be able to decide if they would like to opt out of each separately (example:  resident may opt out for electric but stay in the group for gas) at any time even after the opt-out period 
  4. The opt-out letter will only go to folks who are currently directly with the utility.  Other individuals will have to keep an eye out for the price and you can opt-in at any time but be sure to look at your current contract terms and conditions first.  This information will be in the newsletter, on the website, and on the sign at Town Hall. 
  5. Residents may opt out at no cost from the aggregate group; if a resident has an individual agreement with a utilities company, please read your contract to see if there is a penalty for leaving the contract early. 
  6. Small business owners are also included in the aggregation and may also opt out of electric or gas at no costs 
  7. Logan County Commissioners will act as our agent for purchasing and as an aggregator which means they will work with Palmer Energy to find us the lowest rates possible.   
  8. Our goal is to have some rates by early spring.  As more information becomes available you will be notified via the newsletter, mywestliberty.com website and the Town Hall sign 
 
If you have further questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 937.465.2716 or mayor.mckelvey@mywestliberty.com or Bob Snavely from Palmer Energy at bsnavely@palmerenergy.com  
 

Village Veterans Day Event on Nov. 10

10/26/2022

 
On November 10th from 6 pm to 8 pm, we are going to honor and celebrate our Veterans for Veterans Day. This event will be held in the Opera House. The event is open to all veterans and their families AND is open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided for all attendees. We will also be showing a 30 minute compilation of the taping Purple Heart, Vietnam, Cold War, and Persian Gulf veterans’ stories.

Questions? Please call the Village Office at 937.465.2716.

Chicken Ordinance Update

10/14/2022

 
On Tuesday October 12 the West Liberty Village Council held a public meeting regarding the proposed chicken ordinance.  The Council took no action at this meeting and just listened to public comments.  The Council will discuss the proposed ordinance and any changes along with the feedback received from the public (via in person conversations, comments made at the meeting, and email comments sent to them) at the October 24th meeting.  This is the regularly scheduled Council meeting which is at 7 pm.  If after discussion the Council decides to move forward with this proposed ordinance then a first reading will occur.  Then at the November 7th Council meeting the second reading would occur.  The third and final reading would occur at the November 21 Council meeting.  All meeting times are at 7 pm.  At any point in time during this process, Council may decide to change the ordinance or change his or her vote on this proposed ordinance.  All meetings are open to the public and the public will be allowed to comment during public participation at each of these meetings.  Each individual may speak for two minutes during public participation (there is no sharing or yielding time to another individual).  All voting by the Council is in public according to the Sunshine Laws from the Ohio Revised Code.  If you wish to speak at any of the meetings, we ask that you call the Clerk’s Office ahead of time at 937.465.2716.  Thank you.
Chicken Ordinance
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Speed Mitigation with Partners in West Liberty

9/11/2022

 
A quick and fun way to learn how to protect your home from future flood incidents and share information for our 2023 Mitigation Plan update.  The following groups will be sending a representative:  Ohio EMA, Logan County EMA, Logan County Floodplain, Logan County Soil and Water Conservation, Coverlink, Fathom Realty, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, West Liberty Water/Sewer, Logan County Engineer, and Mental Health, Drug, and Alcohol.  This event is open to the West Liberty community.  Please join us on September 20, 2022 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm in the Town Hall Opera House.  

Hiring Contractors

8/29/2022

 
The Village has discussed at a few council meetings the issue of unlicensed and uninsured contractors, paving companies, tree trimmers, etc. in the village.  A few weeks ago, my husband and I found a company from Springfield to do some paving at our home.  We asked for an estimate and the gentleman showed up that afternoon.  He gave us a very reasonable quote and his business card.  After he left, we began to search the company at the Better Business Bureau, the Attorney General and Secretary of State websites but could not find anything about this company.  After reaching out to a few contacts to see if we were missing something, we found no mention of this company anywhere and this raised many red flags.  I also had Chief Oelker reach out to his contacts.  Nothing was found.  So we chose another company to do the work. 

Most of you can do this on your own, but the Village is going to help make this process a bit easier.  Many communities have a registration for all types of these companies so that the municipalities are aware of who is doing business in the city or village.  The Village Council has started the first reading for registering all general building contractors, plumbing, electrical, heating, piping, sewer building, air conditioning or refrigeration contractor, building tradesman, building repairman, tree service, paving contractors, or any other individual offering services for a fee.  This registration will be a one time (lifetime) fee for a company/individual of $25.  The Village office will keep this paperwork on file at the Clerk’s Office.  This will allow a resident to contact the Clerk’s Office to see if the company is registered with the Village and allow the resident to feel confident that the company is actually licensed to do business in the state of Ohio.  Questions regarding may be directed to mayor.mckelvey@mywestliberty.com
 
Here are some tips to help you when hiring a contractor:
1.  Get Multiple Estimates (get written estimates so that you can see if you are comparing apples to apples; look at building materials, work methods, timelines, and be cautious of too low or too high estimates)
 
2.  Hire Local, Licensed Contractors Whenever Possible (local contactors know the building codes for Logan and Champaign Counties and are easier to contact if problems develop)
 
3.  Check Their Past Work (check their references and check with the BBB)
 
4.  Check Their Insurance and Bonding (Ask for a certificate of insurance which should provide the name of the insurance company, policy number, and policy limits; if they aren’t insured, you may be liable for accidents that occur on your property)
 
5.  Take Your Time Making a Sound Decision (be cautious when asked to pay a large deposit up front; read the fine print on all estimates and contracts)

Village of West Liberty hosted Urban Forester

8/18/2022

 
The Village of West Liberty hosted Alistair Reynolds, an Urban Forester with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, today at Lions Park.  The event was attended by the Mayor and Village administrators from St. Paris and Mechanicsburg, Shade Tree Commission from Bellefontaine, and Urbana Street Department along with the West Liberty Street Department and village government officials.  Urban Forester Reynolds shared tips for taking care of trees in the municipalities, pruning and planting strategies.  The event was open to all municipalities in Logan and Champaign Counties. ​

Get your west liberty merch before we sell out!

7/22/2022

 
We have limited sizes left in these soft T's and Hoodies. Get yours before they are gone! They are available at the Town Hall for the following prices: 

Sweatshirts $35
long sleeve shirts $23
Local supporting  $16.00
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    Mayor Jill McKelvey

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West Liberty Business Association
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Website by West Liberty's own:
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  • Events
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    • Neighboring Destinations
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    • Departments
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    • Community
      • Employment
      • Religion
    • WL-S Schools
  • Local Business
    • Business of the Month
    • Business of the Year
    • Directory
    • Business Association
    • Join the WLBA
  • Mayor's Corner
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    • West Liberty Historical Society
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