Minster Council Narrows Right of Way, Sets 2026 Appropriations and Advances Projects

Minster Village Council covered a full agenda Tuesday night, approving a street right of way change, adopting the village’s 2026 appropriations, setting a public hearing on a zoning matter, and moving ahead with several improvement projects.

Village Administrator Don Harrod said council adopted an ordinance narrowing a portion of the right of way on Second Street between Lincoln Drive and Hamilton Street. He said the area had been maintained as a 50 foot right of way, but because that section of street is not likely to be developed in the future, council agreed to reduce it to 15 feet while still allowing the village to maintain the sidewalk there.

Harrod also said council adopted the village’s annual appropriations for 2026 at $38,821,195. He said that total is up about $4 million from 2025, with most of the increase tied to the cost of electricity for the village system, including higher transmission and capacity costs.

Council also passed a resolution setting a public hearing for May 6, 2026, to consider a requested zoning change on Garfield Street from C2 to R1. Harrod said council must hold the hearing before deciding whether to approve the request.

Harrod said council also accepted the February 2026 income tax report received through the City of St. Marys. The village received $396,503 for the month, bringing the total for the first two months of the year to $734,306.

Council also authorized Harrod to seek bids for the Paris Street parking lot renovation project. He said the work would include construction of additional parking space to the north and west of the existing lot, along with renovations to the current parking area. The engineer’s estimate for that project is $460,000.

In addition, Harrod said council approved seeking bids for the 2026 minor street resurfacing program. That work would involve resurfacing several streets and alleys in the village, with an engineer’s estimate of $294,000. Harrod said the hope is to have the work completed this summer.

Finally, Harrod said council approved moving a Minster police officer from introductory status to full time permanent status following the completion of a six month introductory period. The action includes a pay increase to $30.98 per hour.