By Christopher Selmek, Urbana Daily Citizen - cselmek@aimmediamidwest.com
​The North Lewisburg Village Council voted to begin the process of creating a police department on Tuesday. The council went into executive session to discuss the village’s current policing contract, then returned to public session for the vote. According to Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth, the village will continue to contract with Mechanicsburg until the end of the year.

Following the executive session, council decided to offer the position of police chief to Mechanicsburg Police Capt. Scott Bodey, who had been assigned to the village. Bodey accepted the position, Hollingsworth said.

“We’ve been talking about this for a year, since our separation from the county sheriff’s office, and we always wanted to be more independent,” said Hollingsworth. “We’re very grateful to the Mechanicsburg Police Department for all their good work. I’ve talked with Mayor (Benjamin) Layne and Chief (John) Alexander in Mechanicsburg, and everyone has been very supportive of our decision.”

Council unanimously approved the scheduling of Spring Clean-Up Week from April 25 to May 1. This will coincide with the county’s Scrap Tire Disposal Day and Electronic Waste Day, scheduled for April 25. Council discussed having Dumpsters available, but delayed setting dates due to the absence of village Administrator Andy Yoder.

Council unanimously approved a residential trash contract extension, which Fiscal Officer Jennifer McCombs said had been negotiated by Yoder at a lower price than the village’s current rate. Under the new contract, seniors 65 and older will get a discount of 10% and every resident will get a 96-gallon trash can for free.

Also at this meeting, council unanimously approved changing council meetings from 7 to 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month.

“I was reading the very first minutes to the first council meeting for the village of North Lewisburg, and they decided that they would start the meeting at twilight, and I thought that was the sweetest thing,” said Hollingsworth. “But we have a specific time since we have clocks now.”

By Christopher Selmek - Urbana Daily Citizen
The North Lewisburg Village Council unanimously approved a list of committee assignments suggested by Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth and Administrator Andy Yoder on Tuesday. The council also unanimously authorized the administrator to sit in place of the mayor on the Champaign County Health District Board and Advisory Council.

Committees established for Fiscal Year 2019 include the finance committee (mayor, administrator, Fiscal Officer Jennifer McCombs, council President Ted Murphy, council member Matt Warner and council member John Collier); building, grounds and infrastructure committee (mayor, Collier, council members Robin Street, Gwen Beech and Warner); Champaign County Library Board (mayor and administrator); Northeast Champaign County Fire District board (mayor and administrator); Records Retention (mayor, Law Director Harley Davidson, fiscal officer, Administrative Assistant Jayne Leiter and council member Beech); Streets (administrator, council members Jennifer Watson, Street and Murphy); Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission (mayor and administrator); Park Advisory Board (Water/Wastewater Superintendent Trevor Clark, Community Advisor Karen Holycross, Business Advisor Deanna Summerfield, senior citizen representative Bob Davidson and Triad Junior Baseball Association President John Roberts); Zoning Board of Appeals (Todd Freyhof, Max Coates, Steve Reinhart and Gary Yoder); village Planning Commission (mayor, council President Murphy, Barry First, Rick Bails and council member Gwen Beech); Zoning and Subdivision (council members Collier, Watson, Murphy and Street); Comprehensive Planning (mayor, administrator and Warner).
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Also at this meeting, Will Dhume, youth pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Marysville, thanked village members and the council for their support after his house burned down on Jan. 11. The Dhume family had a residence at the north end of the village and say they plan to rebuild, though they are temporarily renting an apartment in Marysville. According to Dhume, they received many free gifts of clothes, money, blankets and other items they had not asked for, and Cardinal’s Pizza hosted a drop-off location for them to receive donations.

By Christopher Selmek, Urbana Daily Citizen
The North Lewisburg Village Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution declaring the week of May 10-17 to be “Spring Clean Up Week.” Containers for garbage and recyclables will be available for residents during the week.

Free community yard sales will be allowed without a village permit May 10, 11 and 12 during daylight hours.

In response to several complaints, council approved the installation of signs barring parking on the west side of North Gregory Street.
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Also at this meeting, council unanimously approved a mosquito spraying contract with A1-Able for the same cost as last year.