The Council of the Village of Riverlea met on the above date at the Old Worthington Library. The following Council members were present: Mayor Dan Schlichting, Jeffrey L. Amick, Charles T. Bell, Jeffrey Mussman, and Emily J. Saving. Also present were Greg Bonk, Web Manager, William Charles, Street Commissioner, Leah Reibel, Solicitor and Joshua C. Mehling, Clerk-Treasurer. Guest of Council was resident Kent Shimeall. At 6:30 p.m., the Mayor called the meeting to order.

New Council Member

The Solicitor swore Jeffrey Mussman in as a member of the Village Council after being elected in November. The Mayor reported that three residents had reached out about filling the remaining open Council seat. The Mayor asked them to submit a CV and cover letter for Council members to review. Interested applicants are also invited to attend the February meeting, at which Council will select the new member.

Election of President Pro Tempore

Mussman nominated Emily Saving as President Pro Tempore of Council for 2026 and Amick seconded the motion. The motion was approved (4-0).

Resolution 2026-01

Resolution 2026-01, A Resolution to Adopt Rules of Council for 2026 and to Provide for Certain Other Organizational Matters was introduced by Amick. Amick moved and Bell seconded the motion to waive the three readings of this resolution in order to have the Council rules in place for the beginning of the year. The motion carried (4-0). Bell moved and Saving seconded the motion to approve the resolution. The motion carried (4-0).

Resolution 2026-02

Resolution 2026-02, A Resolution to Confirm the Interim Appointment of William Charles as Street Commissioner was introduced by Mussman and had its first reading.

Resolution 2026-03

Resolution 2026-03, A Resolution to Re-appoint Bryce Jacob and Paul Collini as Members of the Planning Commission was introduced by Saving. Saving moved and Mussman seconded the motion to waive the three readings of this resolution in order to have the members of the Planning Commission in place in a timely manner. The motion carried (4-0). Bell moved and Saving seconded the motion to approve the resolution. The motion carried (4-0).

Planning Commissioner

The Mayor appointed Bryce Jacob as Planning Commissioner for 2026.

Resolution 2026-04

Resolution 2026-04, A Resolution to Reauthorize the Infrastructure Committee to Support the Work of Village Council and to Appoint Members Thereto, and to Declare an Emergency was introduced by Amick. Amick moved and Bell seconded the motion to waive the three readings of this resolution in order to have the Infrastructure Commission in place in a timely manner. The motion carried (4-0). Saving moved and Mussman seconded the motion to approve the resolution. The motion carried (4-0).

Minutes

The minutes of the regular Council meeting of December 15, 2025 were not read since each member had received a copy. Bell moved and Amick seconded the motion that the minutes be approved as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 3, Amick, Bell, Saving; Nay: None; Abstain: 1, Mussman. The motion carried (3-0-1).

Report of the Clerk-Treasurer

Saving moved and Bell seconded the motion to approve the payment of bills and to accept the financial reports for December 2025 as submitted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 3, Amick, Bell, Saving; Nay: None; Abstain: 1, Mussman. The motion carried (3-0-1).

Report of the Mayor

  1. The Mayor restated that there are three residents who have expressed interest in the remaining open Council seat. They are requested to submit CVs and cover letters explaining their interest and will be invited to the February Council meeting.
  2. The Mayor stated that he had sent a newsletter to residents with information on the open Council seat, the decrease in the infrastructure levy rate, and the search for an apprentice to the Street Commissioner position.
  3. The Mayor reported that he had received an email from the Ohio Municipal League with information on the upcoming seminars for new Council members. The closest session will be on February 21 in Lewis Center. The Mayor forwarded this email to Council members.
  4. The Mayor reported that he had received the December report from the Worthington Fire Department. There were three emergency runs and one gas leak check during the month.
  5. The Mayor stated that he had received the November report on Worthington Police activity within the Village. There were 130 runs and one house check reported during the month.

Report of the Solicitor

  1. The Solicitor reported that she had received a public records request from the Animal Law Center seeking information on any residents who had been charged with animal neglect or cruelty. She forwarded the request to the Worthington Police Department as they would maintain the records of any such charges. She will respond to the request when this information is received.
  2. Bell inquired as to whether there is any follow-up information on the potential Council meeting visit for the Worthington Police Chief. The Solicitor said that she will reach out to the Police Department for a visit at the March meeting.

Report of the Street Commissioner

  1. The Street Commissioner stated that the Village is working to set up a meeting between the contractor for the new build at 5859 Olentangy and the Franklin County Building Department to discuss the need to replace the water line for the property. The County Inspector feels that the line needs to be replaced and the Village and Burgess & Niple feel that it can be repaired.
  2. The Street Commissioner reported that Countryside Electric will be coming out for maintenance on the lift station.
  3. The Street Commissioner reported that the streetlight in the ravine has not yet been repaired. He placed the request with AEP but is working with them on a question of the jurisdiction for the light between Worthington & Riverlea.
  4. Bell reported that on January 7, he had noticed that the sewer access in the Circle Park was damaged. The manhole cover had been removed and flipped over. He temporarily placed the cover back into place and the Street Commissioner will schedule for someone to cut the concrete so the cover fits better.

Report of the Planning Commissioner

There was no report from the Planning Commissioner.

Comments from Residents on Agenda Items

There were no comments from residents on agenda items.

Old Business

  1. Committee on Infrastructure

Schlichting, the Chair of the Committee, reported that the Committee had not met in January.

  1. Web Manager

The Web Manager welcomed Mussman to Council and stated that he is working on updating the website and as part of this, needs a head shot from Mussman and an updated head shot from Bell.

  1. Communications Committee

There was no report from the Communications Committee. The Mayor stated that the Committee would need a new Chair with the expiration of Pyter’s term at the end of December.

  1. Ordinance 04-2025

Ordinance 04-2025 – An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 93.42, Notice to Cut Weeds or Remove Litter for the Village of Riverlea had its second reading.

New Business

  1. Trash Removal

Bell noted that there had been several complaints from residents on the Village Facebook page about Local Waste Services failing to pick up trash from some houses on multiple occasions. Saving stated that her residence had been missed several times. Saving will provide the Solicitor with dates of missed service and the Solicitor will draft a letter of complaint to the company. Mussman also noted that there are residents in the Village who use the open-topped bins for their recycling and this causes items to blow out on windy days. He would like the Village to issue a reminder to residents to monitor this and to suggest the use of bins with lids, which can be rented from Local Waste Services by the year. The Solicitor mentioned that there is time for the Village to incorporate any desired language into the liter ordinance before its upcoming third reading.

  1. Tree Maintenance

Bell inquired if the Village had selected any company for tree maintenance after Council discussed it at a previous meeting.  There had been no further action on this since the meeting. Bell mentioned that there is a dead tree overhanging the road in the ravine and this needs to be dealt with. Saving and Bell will review the quotes that the Village received and decide what needs to be addressed.

  1. Luminary Candles

Saving noted that her candles that she was issued for the Luminary event in December had failed to remain lit and recommended that the Village change vendors for the candles in the future. The Mayor stated that these candles came from a mix of batches and noted that the extreme cold on the night of the event likely contributed to the inability of candles to remain lit. Bell recommended the tea candles from Ikea, as they had worked well in the past.

Expenses

Saving moved and Mussman second the motion to approve the below expenses:

$515.54 – Dan Schlichting – Luminary reimbursement

$100.00 – Ohio Utilities Protection Service – 2026 Assessment

The motion was approved (4-0).

Comments from Residents on Non-Agenda Items

There were no comments from residents on non-agenda items.

Next Meeting Announcement

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Worthington Library.

Adjournment

There being no further business, Mussman moved and Amick seconded the motion to adjourn.  The motion was approved unanimously (4-0). The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m.

 

Joshua C. Mehling, Clerk-Treasurer

Daniel E. Schlichting, Mayor