Mar. 27—CONNEAUT — City Council took a moment to honor Vietnam-era veterans at a meeting on Monday night.

Council recognized Vietnam Veterans Day, which falls on March 29.

Council member Nic Church provided council with historical information regarding the Vietnam War.

“Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, less than 850,000 are estimated to still be alive,” he said.

Representatives of the Conneaut American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts were presented with proclamations from city council recognizing the day. After the proclamations were read into the record, council invited Vietnam veterans in the audience.

Conneaut Health Commissioner Nichele Blood informed council the department recently received accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board.

“It’s very exciting news,” she said.

The health department was required by a change in state law to receive accreditation, or it could have been forced to merge with a county health department, Blood said.

Council President Terry Moisio congratulated Blood and thanked her for the work.

“It’s a great accomplishment, and you guys should be proud of it,” he said.

Council also recognized Conneaut High School student Chance Loomis as Spartan of the Month, and Herb Kelly was recognized as Employee of the Month.

In other business:

—Council conducted a public hearing on a renewal to the city’s agricultural district, as well as a new application.

The district provides farmers with protections from nuisance lawsuits, defers assessments until the properties in the district is changed to a non-agricultural use and offering state scrutiny to eminent domain in certain cases, according to information from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Recently, council approved a set of renewal applications for the district.

—Interim City Manager Brian Bidwell said geotechnical work has been ongoing on the section of Broad Street that is scheduled for reconstruction in the near future.

Broad Street will be reconstructed from State Street to just north of the railroad underpass.

He said seven entities have requested information regarding the city’s request for qualifications for the remediation of the former Astatic building, located at Jackson and Harbor streets.

The city has heard back from the company that makes the product that was applied to South Ridge Road. Bidwell said the company said there was a sufficient amount of clay in the road, but it is possible the mixture was incorrect. He said the city may need to reincorporate the area and add more of the enzyme into it before a chip seal is applied to the area later this year.

The city has started to receive responses from the lead survey sent out to residents, Bidwell said.

He said no one who has a home built in 1989 or newer will not receive a survey, because they would not have lead service lines.

The survey is mandated by the state, in order to identify where lead pipes may still be located in the city, both in the city’s water system and in homes.

—Bidwell spoke about the Route 20 bridge coming into Conneaut. He said ODOT has examined the bridge, and has found that there is no danger to the bridge.

—Finance Director John Williams explained to council a plan to have the city reimbursed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for a traffic study regarding the viability of placing a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 20 and Thompson Road.

He said the city initially had been informed it would receive $250,000 in grant funding for the study, but ODOT only provided the city with approximately $71,000.

Williams said ODNR is willing to reimburse the balance of the expenditure, but council will be asked to approve a number of ordinances in the future relating to the reimbursement.

—Council unanimously approved an ordinance to rezone property in the city from R-3 residential to a planned unit development.

A public hearing was conducted last month regarding the proposal, which would see a number of homes constructed near the intersection of Mill and Grove streets.

—Council approved accepting a grant for body cameras for the Conneaut Police Department.

Bidwell said the grant is for about $44,000.

—Moisio reminded council members to get their names for proposed charter review committee members to him by the April 1 work session, so the committee can convene and begin its work.