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Leetonia council gives go-ahead for water meters

LEETONIA– Village Council Wednesday night approved two motions moving forward with significant projects.

Council granted permission for Village Administrator Gary Phillips to advertise for bids for the water meter replacement project. Phillips said the project will be advertised when the bid specifications are ready.

Council intends to pay for the project with a low-interest loan through the Ohio Water Development Authority. Jon Vollnogle of Howells and Baird civil engineers said last month once a bid is accepted, council can submit its application for the loan by Feb. 1 and see the funding available by the end of that month. The project can be contracted and started as early as March 1, he noted.

The extensive project calls for replacement of all meters in the village and is expected to cost $425,000 to $450,000, which is a current rough estimate, according to Phillips.

Council in August approved a cooperative agreement with the Ohio Water Development Authority locking in an interest rate of .75 percent for a loan for the project. Council also added in December 2016 a $1 monthly surcharge to the customers’ water bill to go toward capital improvement to help pay for the water meter replacement project.

Village officials expect the new system to more than pay for itself, particularly since the meters will be able to be read from the water office instead of requiring an employee go out into the field to record readings. The water department will also be able to provide better community service since the meters will be able to be read every half hour, meaning the department can pinpoint when the most water usage occurs.

Mayor Kevin Siembida has also noted the village will be able to dedicate more hours to other work other than reading meters, which will save the village several thousand dollars each year.

With the project, the village is expected to experience a 5 to 7 percent increase in income from more accurate meters, but Phillips said he believes it will be more like 10 to 15 percent.

Council also granted permission for Phillips to advertise for construction engineering and environmental services for the Washington Street bridge replacement project.

The project is expected to be completed in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 2020 fiscal year.

Howells and Baird is handling the design engineering, but the village must also hire a construction engineer per ODOT regulations.

The project will replace the single lane bridge over Cherry Valley Run with a two-lane one. The total estimated project cost is $542, 220.87. ODOT has committed $375,777 through the Municipal Bridge Program, while the Columbiana County Engineer’s Office’s will provide $100,000 through the Local Transportation Improvement Program. That leaves the village responsible for $66,443.87; however, Vollnogle said there may be additional funds available through the Ohio Public Works Commission.

In other business, Siembida shared an email from Michele Votaw, transportation director at Leetonia schools, commending and thanking the street department for the hard work and good job the employees are doing in keeping the streets safe for students.

Additionally, councilman Neal Bayless recognized Cheryl Altomare for 17 years as volunteer coordinating facility rentals at Wick Park. He said he is looking to automate the rental process, hopefully offering online reservations.

Also, Phillips thanked residents for complying with the recent parking ban.

A public forum regarding the downtown revitalization project is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Leetonia Community Public Library.

The next regular council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at village hall, preceded by a project update meeting at 6 p.m.

khowell@salemnews.net

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