By Martha B. Jacob –

Russellville Village Council met in September for its regular meeting with several community members present. Resident Glen Fisher talked briefly to council about a drainage issue on his property. He had previously received a letter indicating the issue was his responsibility to resolve and was not an issue for the village to solve.
Fisher told council that he had begun digging in the area and found that the drain actually curved up toward the street and he wanted the village to reconsider the drainage issue, based on the new information. Mayor Amy Rau asked the village sewer department to revisit the site. Fisher requested council members to also take a look at it.
Residents Terry Fisher and Joann Morgan, speaking for Sandy Hastings asked council for something from the village indicating that a local property (the Hastings property) could not be cut into lots and sold. The pair requested that the property be considered “land-locked and that the alleys are closed and no longer streets.
Council agreed to create a letter under the signature of the mayor indicating the following… “These alleys are not being maintained and therefore the Village of Russellville currently has no plans to improve them.” Council approved the action.”
Council also approved the following actions:
• Accept an ordinance approving the fiscal officer’s residence outside the city limits;
• Approve the minutes from the August meeting, financial reports and to pay all the bills;
• Approve the transfer of $8,1301 to the General Fund;
• After waiving the three reading rules approve a resolution accepting the amounts and rates for property tax receipts;    • Pass a resolution accepting the 2017 Amounts and Rates for Russellville Property Tax Receipts;
• Approved closing by Paula England to close the Fifth Third Bank account;
• Approved appropriating $4600 into Mayor’s Court dues and fees;
• Appropriate $1,500 to begin paying the EMS cell phone bills;
• Appropriate $1,175 to make whole the outstanding August bill for Village Solicitor David Grimes;
• Accept the temporary 2017 budget.
In other actions at the meeting council discussed the status of firefighters, credit card procedures, blighted property that should be considered for tearing down, fire department parking lots improvements.