Council Ponders Engineering Contract

By Bruce Yarnall, Barnesville Area News

(Bruce Yarnall photo)

Barnesville 8^th grader Ladyn Hines was honored by Mayor Jake Hershberger during the April 7 village council meeting.  Hines recently won her 5^th state wrestling title this spring. In making the “Certificate of Recognition” presentation, Hershberger noted, “the village of Barnesville is proud of Ladyn Hines and we congratulate her on this achievement.”

________

Resolution #4011, an amended contract with CTI Engineers, Inc. for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project, was up for its first reading at the April 7 Barnesville Village Council meeting.  

The original contract dates to December 2018 while discussions regarding the needed upgrades dates to 2012 according to councilmember Brad Hudson.

Several members raised concerns the contract would oblige the village to pay $776,000 to the firm, half, or $388,000, for design, and $388,000 for construction. According to Mayor Hershberger approving the contract only obligates the town for the design cost at this time. If, in the future, funding was secured for the actual construction, the second $388,000 would kick in.

“We’re running into problems,” Hudson said.

Village Administrator Roger Deal agreed, “It definitely needs done”, but “we’re not getting fined, or charged for it.”

Back to the contract, several wanted assurances the contract does not obligate the village for construction-related costs of the contract.   

Solicitor Richard Myser said there is time to further consider the contract. There are two more opportunities to read the ordinance before a vote is required.

Councilmember Tim McKelvey said construction could be three to five years down that road. And that is if federal and state funds could be found, a possibility McKelvey felt is rapidly diminishing in the current environment.

At the March 24 meeting, council agreed to seek a zero percent interest loan available through the Ohio EPA to begin engineering work.

Erin Wright of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) was present at that meeting to explain the loan program. 

With no vote taken, a second reading of the ordinance is now set for the April 21 meeting. 

Other Ordinance and Contract Actions

Ordinance #4009 was approved 6-0 following a suspension of the rules. The ordinance increases the statutory spending limit for the village administrator from $25,000 to $50,000, or up to $75,000 for emergencies. The issue was raised and discussed at the March 24 meeting.

Also approved unanimously with a suspension of the rules was Resolution #4010, an agreement with the Washington County Ohio Board of Commissioners to provide commercial plumbing inspections for the village. This possibility was also discussed on March 24. Washington County currently provides other building inspections for the village.      

The council also approved a request by Roger Deal to sign a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to purchase up to 300 tons of rock salt for 2025-26 winter. The administrator said the village currently has 150 tons on hand. He also said the contract obligates the contracting government to purchase at least 85% of the amount or up to 115% of the total requested.  

Depot Roof Project Discussed

Councilmember Tim McKelvey asked a question about current use of the depot and grounds by ODOT and tunnel/trail contractor Cast and Baker.  

Hershberger, who also leads the Barnesville Depot Committee, explained they have the depot rented through October when construction is expected to be completed. They pay $1,000 a month and $300 for utilities.

The funds go to the committee that plans to use them to help pay for the roof project.

Stressing the roof project was an urgent need, McKelvey wants to move forward on the project. Of the $200,000 needed for the project, $80,0000 in grant funds are in hand while the group continues to seek grant funding.

“I’m in favor of getting it done,” McKelvey said calling the depot a “gem” and stating, “when they get all the work done on the tunnel and out Railroad Street, it’s going to become more of an asset”.

Hudson agreed that the depot was an important asset for the community, and he’d like to see it used again while Councilmember Terry McCort expressed concern the Columbus roofing firm that specializes in tile roof work would not guarantee their work.

Roger Deal also questioned how replacement tiles would mix with the current tile colors. The current contract proposal states up to 30 percent of the 110-year-old tile might need to be replaced.

Hershberger and committee member Bruce Yarnall said the group would reach out to the firm for answers on the guarantee and tile color issues.    

McCort, again raised, the idea of replacing the roof with synthetic plastic tile as was done at the Presbyterian Church several years ago. He also questioned why the roof could not be replaced by a metal standing seam product. 

 So far, Hershberger said he’s found no company for the synthetic product cited while Yarnall said the tile roof is the most important distinguishing architectural characteristic of the Spanish Mission Style that the depot embodies. The depot was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.      

Bulk Water Sales Change Planned

Council member Tim McKelvey asked a question about village bulk water sales. Deal responded that

during the drought last year, the coin box at E. Church Street was cleared almost every other day last summer during the drought. Payment may be made by inserting quarters into the machine. 

Last summer, the council authorized, and Deal purchased a machine that also accepts credit cards. He held off installing it during the drought. When it is installed, there will be a couple of days needed to make the change over. Deal said the public would be notified before the installation takes place but did not offer a date for the changeover.                 

“Hometown Heroes” Banner Project

Council member Robyn Misner shared with her fellow members the Barnesville American Legion Riders, Post #168, will install “Hometown Heroes” banners in the downtown and, if needed, throughout the village. With the goal to have them all up by Memorial Day, the Riders are charging $68 per sponsored banner. This is the exact cost of the banner and hardware. 

Misner said the group is thankful that Deal and village employees will install the banners.  

Warren Township Clean Up Day is May 3

Warren Township Trustee Jim Grear said the May 3^rd cleanup day collection will move to the nearby Watt Center this year. The Depot yard is currently occupied for the tunnel/trail project contractors. Grear said more volunteers are needed. Collection hours are 9:00-1:00 that day. 

Reports, Permits and Pay Ordinances

Fire Chief Tim Hall shared March statistics for the department. There were 22 fire calls, 104 emergency calls and one transmission of a patient from Barnesville Hospital to another medical facility.

March Mayor’s Court hearings resulted in total collections of $2,705. Of this, $1,959 was retained by the village, $717.50 was transmitted to the state and $28.50 to Belmont County.

Building permits were approved for 123 N. Chestnut Street (Jefferis Real Estate), new roof; 201 Railroad Street (Melissa Luyster), new wood privacy fence, and 412 Mulberry Street (Michael Muffet, Jr.), a new residence.

A pay ordinance of $103,626.85 was approved.

Executive Session Held to Discuss Property Purchase       

Following the public session, members retired to an executive session to discuss “the purchase of property”, according to Mayor Jake Hershberger. The property in question was not identified. The council did not take any action following the closed-door session.

The next meeting of the council will take place on Monday, April 21. A copy of the agenda will post on the village website by the end of the day Friday.