LISBON — The Columbiana County Engineer’s Office opened electronic bids this week for the Elkton water/sewer extension project and the Calcutta Smith Ferry Road realignment project, with commissioners referring them to the engineers for review.

Marucci & Gafffney Excavating Co., Youngstown, was the low bidder for the Elkton project with a bid of $2,276,268.

Other bidders included: Yarian Brothers Construction, New Waterford, $2,379,283; S.E.T., Inc., Lowellville, $2,556,859; and Rudzik Excavating, Struthers, $2,441,363.

For the road realignment project, the low bidder was Rudzik Excavating, Struthers, for $1,871,674. Other bidders included: Mike Pusateri Excavating, Inc., East Liverpool, $2,658,899; S.E.T., Inc., Lowellville, $2,788,562; and Shelly & Sands, Inc., North Jackson, $2,260,169.

The idea of extending water and sewer to the Elkton area was discussed more than two years ago when two Elkrun Township residents came to commissioners to ask what surveyors were doing in their area.

That’s when Halleck explained that the company Global Pak on Elkton Road was expanding and he thought they’re going to need water and sewer, so the idea was being explored and was in the preliminary stages through the county engineer’s office at that time.

The water and sewer line extensions will serve Global Pak and a dozen households in the Elkton area.

County Chief Deputy Sanitary Engineer Troy Graft previously said the county received approval to install a utility bridge to bring the water and sewer lines over the Little Beaver Creek, which has the designation of a Wild & Scenic River.

The project will include 2,400 feet of force main for the sewer which will be pumped to the county’s treatment plant near Elkton and a water line extension stretching 6,000 feet from Scroggs Road out to Elkton.

The Calcutta-Smith Ferry Road realignment project is being done in phases. Also known as County Road 430, the road has already had some previous work which included eliminating a curvy section of the road just west of Vernon Dell Tractor, along with widening, curb and gutter improvements, and correcting horizontal and vertical alignments.

In other business, county commissioners accepted a letter of agreement and hand receipt for the transfer of a vehicle from the county Emergency Management Agency to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Association. Commissioners did not request a hearing for a liquor license permit for Due Sorelle Food Imports LLC, Elkrun Township, Lisbon.

Commissioner Roy Paparodis gave an update regarding Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA), saying another application will be made for funding for the state Route 39, East Liverpool road project, saying “maybe we’ll get it this year.”

Commissioner Mike Halleck welcomed Columbiana County Municipal Court Judge Kelly Linger to the meeting and thanked Salem resident Ray Cox for some kind remarks he made on social media, apparently in defense of the 1 % sales tax, which is going back on the ballot in May.

Cox said everyone should band together and work for it. He commented that if people put out misinformation, he’s going to point it out.

“It’s the fairest tax,” Halleck said.

The next meeting of county commissioners will be 9 a.m. Feb. 5 at the downtown courthouse in Lisbon.