HARRISON NEWS-HERALD | AREA
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Saturday, March 16, 2019
Jewett to receive $500,000 from OMEGA reason for the difference in funds is simply OMEGA ran out and that’s what they had left. She also explained after speaking with Bob Allen of E.L. Robinson that bids must be out by April and submitted in May “in order to be eligible for our EPA money.” The village will be needing easements from certain residents as their waterline plans move forward. It was noted there were between 10
By JD LONG
jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
JEWETT – The funds Jewett hoped to receive-$750,000 from OMEGA will not be, according to Treasurer Linda Ager when she informed Jewett’s council at last Wednesday’s meeting. But they will receive $500,000, which will go towards their waterline replacement project. She said the
to 15 but they weren’t sure of the exact number as of yet. Village Solicitor Jenna Hokes said she would expedite the process stating, “It’s a matter of getting people to respond.” She said the last group of letters were sent out last week and said she would begin phoning residents. She further explained that since the new pipelines were not being put back in the same exact spot as the old, is the reason for the new
easements. “And the old, old pipelines, no one ever recorded anything,” she told council, “so now this is all corrective work.” Also, Clerk of Water and Public Affairs Rhonda Harris told council that six residents have yet to pay back taxes. She said Hokes will be sending them letters informing them that the village could “garnish wages and bank
accounts” if payment is not received. Hokes, in regards to the house that had to be raided where animals were taken from the Carmans and housed in Jefferson County, said that probation would be revoked on Catherine Carman since she has not made any more payments and did not show up for a probation appointment.
Police Chief Ron Carter opened the meeting with his usual report informing council that his department is now Taser certified. He said last month was quiet regarding traffic issues but is already picking this month. “We have as many citations this month as we had almost at the end of last month already,” Carter stated.
Cadiz Council discusses grants, water charge forgiveness policy which is being aided by $189,996 grant but still need $354,495 that is expected to come from the 2019 budget. He added that they are working on identifying those funds “in this year’s budget.” Also, with help from the water
By JD LONG
jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
CADIZ – Village Administrator Ted Andrzejewski has asked for an extension from the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC),
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department the village is working on replacing around 100 water meters throughout Cadiz, or reconnecting some as well, he wrote in his report. “These locations have been identified with having water and sewer bills for years at minimum usage and never changing,” Andrzejewski said. “We know that something is incorrect and the Village is not receiving the correct amounts for water and sewer usage from these locations.” He said they’re finding that meters are either old or wires have become disconnected as part of the problem. He said these actions are going to create “some significant additional money” to the water and sewer funds. “So, once we go through that whole list of a hundred there’s going to be a little spike up in the water and sewer money coming in too and rightfully so because, those residents should
be paying the same rates as people that have functioning water meters,” Andrzejewski explained. He also brought up a recent conference call he had with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has led to the village needing to fill out one additional form in order to receive a $950,000 grant. The money will go towards their wastewater sewer projects. Early in the meeting, council member John Vermillion inquired about residents getting credit off their bills for breaks, or other problems but Andrzejewski told him what the village wants to do is help them but we’re not going to forgive their debts. Vermillion countered with an example of one resident who experienced a break and had his sewer charge forgiven but was later told the village would no longer be doing that. Andrzejewski stated that to his understanding that if
someone suffers a break or a leak “we don’t forgive the charges.” “If you do it for one you’re going to have hundreds come in…” he told council. Vermillion, though, asked if the village, since they had forgiven some debts in the past were discontinuing the practice because Andrzejewski was now the administrator. But numerous council members chimed in with comments and what came out of it was Council President Thomas Crawshaw’s example of forgiving a $6,000 bill with McDonald’s but knew of no others that came to mind. Vermillion and Treasurer Amy Ossman both said the McDonald’s situation was under different circumstances. Andrzejewski noted he has gotten together with water department personnel and asked how things have been done and how they would like it now and was told they don’t
forgive breaks or leaks. “And I’m not trying to be hard,” Andrzejewski told them. “Whatever council wants me to do I’ll do but we thought it was the logical thing to do is you need to pay your bill. We feel bad for you so we’ll split it up into payments but we can’t forgive it.” He said people that have come in they have worked with them on their bills and repeated again that they are trying to work with residents, “especially since this was the first few months that they got the higher bills.” Also, Andrzejewski informed council that a letter had been sent to the owner of the Cadiz Laundromat located at 161 West Market Street. He said it was in “horrible” condition and wrote in his report that nearby property owners have been complaining that, “large pieces of the roof are now coming off.” “So maybe we can get that guy off first base,” Andrzejewski said.
Adena police now eligible for needed upgrades By JD LONG
jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
ADENA – Even though the Adena Police Department (APD) didn’t need anyone to tell them they are a small department, the acknowledgment from the Ohio Small Police Department Association (OSPDA) has
brought the APD into them as part of that group and is now eligible for some good things as the result of this connection. Adena Police Chief Paul Carpenter made the announcement at Tuesday’s Adena monthly meeting where he’s also the representative for small towns such as Barnesville and Dillonvale, just to name two others he said that have joined. “It’s to get grants,” he told council as well as for sharing such as training with different departments. “They’ll come here instead of paying OPOTA (Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy) and going up there for seven, eight days and we’re going to share that,” Carpenter explained. He said the dues is $150 per year, which he said Treasurer Bobbie Gaffney already has given him a check for. “It’s a great thing”, he continued, “it’s taken off so we should get some benefits out of that.” He said obtaining cruisers was one benefit that would come out of being affiliated with OSPDA. Some other benefits listed were immediate access to over 230 hours of public safety courses, create your own training, top national instructors and around the clock access to technical support, just
to name a few. Carpenter also addressed Internet in their police cruiser. He explained that he can scan then print out what he needs when pulling people over for violations. He said he was testing, via AT&T with Smithfield and the area “to keep it going.” Also, the new bridge next to the square may soon be getting a new name with it as well. Gaffney said after speaking with some local people that Dale Stock, the Vietnam veteran who was killed in action in 1969, is a name that was preferred. “Dale was the first Vietnam veteran killed over there,” Gaffney said referring to Adena residents. But then she asked how many from the area were killed in other wars but no one knew of any killed who were from Adena. Others she spoke with asked why couldn’t it be named Veteran’s Bridge or Adena Veteran’s Bridge? “This village has a lot of veterans,” Gaffney said in reference to others and who also may have died from later complications related to war. One lifelong resident said the only veteran killed during war that she knows of was Stock. “I just don’t want anybody to get hurt…” Gaffney told council. “I mean that’s up to
you. I don’t have to take the flack you guys do.” Nothing was decided before the meeting ended. Another issue tackled dealt with trucks in town as Village Solicitor Adam Martello told council, “it has to come from you guys,” referring to a directive that needs to come from council for Martello to draw up a Road Use Maintenance Agreement (RUMA). Martello laid out the specifics of exactly where and on what road the RUMA would apply and hours a company is allowed to use it, as well. When Martello was told some trucks even pass in front of the municipal building on their brick roads he said those bricks would not be replaced. “If you want to keep the brick roads then it might be worth considering not letting them travel on it because they’re not going to replace a brick road with more bricks, it’s not going to happen,” Martello told council. “You might be able to get them to tear it up and pave it but they’re not going to replace it with more bricks.” Martello said to let him know what they want and he would make sure those provisions are in the agreement.
NEW ATHENS
was “very interested in seeing what the county could do for New Athens.” Bethel could not comment on anything particular when contacted this week but did confirm that the commissioners would “support New Athens’ efforts to make
their Village better, including financial support.” Also, in last month’s meeting it was revealed that the village had signed an agreement with Ascent Resources for $5,500 with 20 percent royalties for five years.
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meters are obsolete. Giesey said that one of the representatives of ADR did meet with Commissioner Don Bethel and
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