Police Department Honored at Council Meeting

0
1299

 

By JOHN BADEN
Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Record Herald; Printed 11.18.12

WEST MILTON – The West Milton Police Department was honored Nov. 13 at the village council meeting. Police Chief Garry Kimpel handed out certificates to police officers for how they handled the homicide case of Don Pepper.
The April 13 incident at 1177 Debron Road was originally described as a lawn mower accident until the police suspected murder due to the injuries of the victim, James Wolf.
Because of this investigation, Police Chief Garry L. Kimpel handed out seven national awards from the American Police Hall of Fame to police officers and sergeants for their hard work and dedication, which resulted in the conviction and the 15-year prison sentence of Donald Pepper on Nov. 1.
Officer Jason Stevens received a General Commendation. Sergeant Tracey Hendricks, Sergeant Randy Shade and Officer Grove received a Criminal Investigation Award. Officers Chase Underwood, Adam Simpson, Michael Morgan and Todd Daley were given the Chief’s Commendations and a Challenge Coin. Special Agents Bryan White and Gary Wilgus of the Ohio Bureau of Investigation & Identification also received the Chief’s Commendations.
After Kimpel finished, Municipal Manager Matt Kline praised Kimpel for his hard work as well.
“It was a team effort, but the team has an excellent leader in Chief Kimpel,” Kline said.
Affinity Program
Council unanimously passed a resolution that endorsed DP&L Energy Resources, Inc., an unregulated affiliate of Dayton Power and Light that provides electric supply service that’s market-based rather than rate-based, as the entire city’s retail electric provider.
The company is offering two mass-market services that will expire in May 31, 2014. According to Bob Stallman, DP&L’s Community Ambassador for the Municipality of West Milton, one service is 6.9 cents per kilowatt hour and will save a customer around $200 annually. The other service is strictly an online offer for 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour, which would save a customer about $230 a year.
Residents can expect a letter in the mail explaining the program, a rate comparison chart, and how to sign up by the end of the year.
Income tax changes
Council also discussed an ordinance that will amend five items in West Milton’s income tax code.
Kline said that the changes had mostly been recommended to them by Vandalia, which will start collecting the city’s taxes in January. Changes are as follows:
• Moving the filing date from April 30 up to April 15.
• Individuals who are currently retired and have no income subject to taxation will only have to file one time after retirement; and operating losses will not be allowed to be carried over.
• Landlords will be required to submit an updated list of all their renters before Oct. 31 of each year, which will help the municipality keep track of residents living in rental properties.
• Finally, there will be a penalty of $25 for people who are late in filing or do not file his or her taxes.
Building updates
The city officially entered a 20-year lease agreement with Milton-Union Schools with a resolution passage that supported using the land on 112 S. Spring St., which was home to Milton-Union’s elementary and middle school buildings. The agreement also includes the five tennis courts on Jay Road.
The city plans to use the lease to promote recreational opportunities for city residents by making the former school grounds into a splash pad or skate park.
With the passage of the Brick House Café expansion earlier this month, West Milton is looking to get the ball rolling in demolishing the former Paul Vance Products building, located at 12 S. Miami St., to make room for more parking in town.
Being funded by the Community Development Block Grant program, Kline said that the county will not get a release of the funds until at least mid-December and will not use any of the money until after the holidays.
As a result, Kline and the municipality will start putting together bid specifications, so the city can go out for bids at the end of January and first couple weeks of February.
With the need for a city council approval of the finalized bid, Kline said that residents won’t see any tear down of the PVP building until March at the earliest.
“Everyone’s anxious, and they want to see things torn down and built and everything,” Kline said. “Unfortunately in government, it just takes time.”
Lower your speed
The police have recently acquired a speed radar trailer, which was placed on Main Street across from the Milton-Union Public Library for a test run on Nov. 13.
According to Kline, the brand new trailer works well and can collect data even if it’s turned off.
It will be used in neighborhoods that often have speeding complaints and when Ben Herron, Supervisor of Streets and Grounds, and his men are working in the street.
“It just has a subconscious effect of slowing down traffic,” Kline said.

 

Photo by John Baden: Officers Todd Daley, Michael Morgan, Chase Underwood and Adam Simpson (shaking hands with Police Chief Garry Kimpel) were some of several West Milton policemen honored Nov. 13.

 

###