Bethesda to Negotiate for Portion of Epworth Park Property
Water Rate Hike Under Consideration
Bethesda Village Council this month pondered a water rate increase and authorized its solicitor, along with the fiscal officer and/or mayor, to negotiate to purchase a portion of an Epworth Park lot for the village.
The decision to negotiate the purchase came after a lengthy executive session that members of council and the administration entered to discuss property acquisition and personnel.
According to attorney Diane Senakievich, who attended on behalf of Solicitor Michael Shaheen, Resolution #2026-2 authorizes the negotiations with the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, which owns the property. The village aims to purchase a portion of Parcel #1100161.000 for village use.
There was no discussion about the reason for the purchase, but council members present unanimously approved the resolution. Councilwoman Carol Merritt was absent from the meeting.
At the January meeting, discussion indicated that village leaders want to secure property within the park to protect its interests in improvements it has created, including a paved trail, in the event that other property within the park is sold to another buyer.
Meanwhile, Fiscal Officer Ricky Burkhead briefed council on a water rate study he had conducted and previously discussed with the Finance Committee and Village Administrator Dirk Davis.
“Briefly, we’re losing money,” Burkhead summed up the results. “The last water rate increase was in 2022 for 2023. So we’re four years into no changes.
“The county water rate is going up 3% year over year,” he continued, referring to the price for the village to purchase bulk water from the Belmont County Water & Sewer District. “ … Our water loss average should be somewhere between 15 and 20%. In 2024, our water loss average was over 60%. Last year, it was 23%, but in January and February last year it was almost 60-70%.”
Burkhead said this was due to some leaks that had since been located and repaired. He said the village lost $41,000 in 2024 and lost $28,000 in 2025.
Councilman Jay Van Horn noted the losses are headed in the right direction, down from $74,000 in 2023.
Burkhead said the current water rate is $12 per 1,000 gallons; he said the rate needs to be $13.21/1,000 gallons, based on the last three years’ averages, in order for the village to break even. The sewer rate is also $12, but needs to be $13.78 for the village to break even.
Burkhead said his calculations included the removal of a former employee’s salary and benefits but acknowledged that they did not include the addition of a new water operator, so he may need to “tweak” his final numbers. However, he urged council to proceed with the first reading of a proposed rate increase, recommending rates of $14/1,000 gallons of water and $14/1,000 gallons of sewage.
“And everything else would stay the same – $24 for debt service, $1.50 for sewer replacement,” he added.
Councilwoman Ruth Saffell pointed out that, if the increase is enacted, the average bill would be $53.50 per month.
Council heard the first reading of the proposed rate hike with members Van Horn, Saffell, Shirley Lucas and Colby Rinehart voting in favor, while Councilwoman Jordan Castello voted “no.”
“Standing up for the little man,” Castello said. “I don’t think we should pass the cost on to the residents.”
Davis and Burkhead asked her how the village should pay for those costs instead.
“So at this point, we’ve discovered that we had leaks that were our problem, not the residents’ problem, so we’re working in a positive direction,” she responded. “I think we should wait a little longer and see where we’re at, and then maybe establish costs.”
Two additional public readings of the measure will be required before passage.
In other matters, council also heard from Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan, who is seeking election as a common pleas court judge. If elected, he would replace Judge John Vavra, who has “aged out” of the ability to seek re-election. A resident in the audience asked Flanagan why owners of derelict properties in the village are never prosecuted. Flanagan responded that those violations are a matter for Mayor’s Court that are outside the jurisdiction of his office.
Another resident complained of problems with cats in her Washington Street neighborhood, noting that one neighbor keeps a window open to allow their cats to come and go from their home at will. She said the animals have ruined her outdoor carpet and furniture. Castello encouraged her to take photos of the animals on her property and to file a police report.
Council also heard from Larry Taylor, energy aggregation specialist with Trebel Energy who manages gas and electric aggregation programs for the village. He offered information about what has been driving up electric costs through American Electric Power.
“The biggest factor is what we call capacity,” he said. “Capacity charges are intended to ensure enough power is available during peak demand, and then they’re passed through to the customer. … And there’s less plants now. There’s more demand for electricity. So what they’ve done is the suppliers have started charging outrageous amounts. … There’s nothing that we can do about it. There’s nothing that you can do about it. There is a huge concern that these suppliers can just charge anything they want to charge.”
He said the Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission responded by placing a floor and a ceiling on capacity charges for the next two years. He added that by participating in the aggregation program, which has “locked in” some aspects of electricity costs, village residents are still saving money despite the increased costs.
Finally, Van Horn proposed the formation of a Recreation Committee that would allow residents to volunteer their time to help organize parades, and holiday activities. No action was taken, though Castello pointed out that the same residents tend to help out year after year.
The next meeting of Bethesda Village Council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 11 at the Municipal Building.
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