Minster Council Advances Policy Update, Appoints Mayor’s Court Magistrate, and Thanks Mutual Aid Crews

MINSTER — Minster Village Administrator Don Harrod says council has taken steps to bring the village into compliance with state requirements while also recognizing outside communities that helped restore power after recent storm damage.

Harrod said council gave a first reading to a resolution adopting a sales tax reimbursement policy. He said the policy is designed to comply with requirements from the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office.

Under the policy, Harrod said if a village employee purchases goods or services in the name of the village and sales tax is added, that sales tax can be reimbursed by the village as long as the purchase was properly authorized and documented with receipts and related records.

Harrod also said council suspended the rules and passed a resolution appointing Randy Lamar Jr. to serve as magistrate for Minster Mayor’s Court. He said the court is needed to hear disputed cases the mayor cannot hear. Harrod said Lamar is a graduate of Ohio Northern’s law school, works with the Wilson Law Office in St. Marys, and is a certified magistrate for mayor’s court.

He said Lamar will be paid 750 dollars per year, plus 250 dollars per hour to hear disputed cases.

In other business, Harrod said council passed several resolutions expressing gratitude to the Village of New Bremen, the Village of Fort Loramie, the City of Wapakoneta, the City of Piqua, and Vaughn Electric for helping Minster respond to storm damage in March.

Harrod said the village had 19 utility poles down along State Route 119 after the storm. He said mutual aid was brought in to assist Minster’s electric department, with those communities responding by sending crews and equipment. Harrod said work began early Friday morning and was finished by around 6 that evening.

Harrod said Minster could not have completed the work without that outside support.

Council also approved the March 26 income tax report submitted by the City of St. Marys. Harrod said the village received 340,805 dollars and 33 cents in income tax revenue for the month of March, bringing the total for the first three months of the year to 1,075,111 dollars and 44 cents.