The village of Batavia will be continuing its financial support of the Main Street Program.
Council voted 5-1 to authorize the third and final $7,000 payment to the Heritage Ohio, the organization which administers the Ohio Main Street program, at it February meeting. The lone dissenting vote was cast by councilwoman Summer Tyler.
The village council had decided three years ago to participate in the Main Street Program, and as part of its commitment to that program, agreed to pay $21,000 in three yearly payments of $7,000.
The $7,000 payments were made in 2005 and 2006, but the payment was questioned this year by councilwomen Summer Tyler and Michelle Gardner.
Gardner and Tyler were not members of council at the time the village decided to participate in the program, and questioned not only whether the village was obligated to pay the $7,000, but whether the village was getting its money’s worth from this investment in the Main Street Program.
A special meeting was held in January to give Karen Adams, Batavia’s Main Street Program Manager, an opportunity to answer questions Tyler and Gardner had about the program. The councilwomen had submitted wide-ranging questions about the program’s financing, goals, and operation in writing to Adams some time before the meeting.
Adams then read the 15 questions submitted by Gardner, the 71 questions submitted by Tyler, and her responses to those questions to council, and fielded questions from council members.