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Covid funds pave way for Columbiana County lift station project

LISBON — With federal money currently available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the county engineer was given permission to begin the bidding process on one project by the Columbiana County Commissioners on Wednesday.

Commissioners authorized County Engineer Bert Dawson to advertise for bids for a county garage sanitary sewer pump lift station, which Dawson said will help connect the county garage to Lisbon’s sewer system.

Wednesday afternoon, Dawson said in order to connect the old building where the county’s trucks are stored, a pump station is needed due to the garage’s location over a hill south of Maple Street. In the future, Dawson also would like to replace a portion of the old garage structure, which is not big enough to house the large trucks used by the county today. It has structural issues with a leaky roof and portions of good equipment forced out into the elements due to their size.

However, the replacement of buildings is not covered by ARPA money and Dawson said he is in the process of looking for other funding sources for that portion of the project. The plans are designed and regardless of when the garage is replaced, the garage will still need to be connected to the sewer system.

With the sewer plant in Elkton handling both the Village of Lisbon and the Elkton Federal Prison, Dawson said there are concerns about the age of the equipment.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Commissioner Mike Halleck said Dawson had asked him to look at the pump station that services the plant and prison, which he pointed out is now 30 years old and it is difficult to get replacement parts when repairs need to be made.

In August, the commissioners had approved a combined $600,000 for the county garage and sanitary sewer lift station project, as well as money for a storm sewer project that goes along with the road realignment project planned on Calcutta Smith Ferry Road. Dawson said that project is about ready for bid as well and while ARPA money cannot be used for the straightening of curves on the St. Clair Township road, it can be used for the part of the project needed to drain the storm water from the new roadway and send it toward a nearby creek.

In other matters before the commissioners on Wednesday:

— Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino took the opportunity to thank the commissioners for approving $60,000 in ARPA funds requests for the modernization of his office, as well as the purchase of the new building down the street for the prosecutor’s office and recent upgrades made at Juvenile Court.

“It’s remarkable what we can do with these older facilities,” Abruzzino said, adding that the facelift was needed. “Thank you very much. It’s truly a partnership. I don’t think people understand how much the commissioners and your staff come into play for making sure justice is done in this county.”

— Commissioners rejected a bid from Barbicas Construction, a re-bid opened last week for the City of East Liverpool Street Improvement Project, which again was more than 10 percent above the engineer’s estimate.

— Commissioners gave permission for Derek Cox to hunt on the County Home Road property.

— Commissioners reappointed Tad Herold to the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance board.

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