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May 30, 2023

Waterline repair on tap in Barnesville

Aug 28, 2023 BARNESVILLE — Village officials recently sparred with a property owner over who is responsible for repairing a leaking water service line. Valerie Householder addressed council during a

Aug 28, 2023

BARNESVILLE — Village officials recently sparred with a property owner over who is responsible for repairing a leaking water service line.

Valerie Householder addressed council during a meeting held Aug. 14, characterizing the leak as a major safety issue since a hole resulting from the leak has gotten quite deep.

When Councilman Tim McKelvey said Householder had been asked to fix the leak, she responded that she didn’t have an issue with fixing the leak but that it would require digging up an alley which she believed should be done by the village, expressing her dismay that the village was unwilling to work with her to solve the problem.

She also claimed that four years ago Village Administrator Roger Deal had told her that the alley in question would be paved and maintained.

Village Solicitor Adam Myser affirmed that property owners own and are responsible for service lines from the tap to the home. Householder said the distance from the tap, which is on Euclid Avenue, to the house is longer than should be allowed.

McKelvey pointed out that all the water customers in Barnesville are paying for the leak and that if she didn’t fix it, the village would do so and charge her for the repair.

Councilman Steve Hill said he had a problem with the village’s hard-line stance on this situation since the line in question is between 100 and 150 feet in length, while most household service lines are much shorter.

Myser responded that it was a “buyer beware” situation for anyone purchasing a property, and that the village has no right to mess with private lines unless it would declare the leak a nuisance that requires abatement.

McKelvey concluded, “Valery says she’s not going to fix it. As far as I’m concerned we’re going to get a contractor, we’re going to fix it, and we’re going to put it on her bill. If council wants to vote to fix her leak then you’re opening up a pandora’s box and we will be fixing leaks everywhere.”

No further official action was taken concerning the leak

Meanwhile, Deal said that he and officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation recently walked South Chestnut Street, which runs along Ohio 147, in hopes of getting it moved up in the state’s paving schedule.

Deal said it had originally been slated for paving next year, but due to escalating costs had been bumped to 2026.

“They’re saying that they’re pretty sure they can get it into the 2025 budget and they will see if there are any openings for 2024,” said Deal.

Deal also said he had scheduled a meeting with the various entities involved with the long delayed and much beleaguered Rails to Trails and Tunnel project to be held in council chambers at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 prior to the regular council meeting at 7 p.m.

Council approved Deal’s proposal that they move forward with two separate but related projects involving culvert and alley work in the vicinity of East Main and Church streets, with an estimated total cost of $55,000.

Council also authorized Deal to apply for a street paving grant through the Ohio Public Works Commission. Deal said the total to pave the 11 streets was $690,342, with $179,489 of that coming from “local revenues,” a loan of $127,713 to be repaid over 15 years, and $383,140 in grant funding.

Fire Chief Tim Hall announced that the Barnesville Fire Department had been awarded a $215,880 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase all new breathing apparatuses, tanks, masks, as well as all new rescue tools including Jaws of Life, spreaders, and cutters.

“A lot of people had their hands in getting us this, and it was a lot of paperwork. I was very pleased to get it. This equipment will serve the community for many years,” said Hall, who noted that this was the third major grant the department had received this year, the other two being from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Fire Marshal’s office.

Council members thanked and congratulated Hall before voting to amend the budget appropriations to account for the grant money.

Hall also said the recently held Safety Day had once again been a great success and thanked Police Chief Rocky Sirianni and the police department as well as everyone who participated or helped out with the event.

Resident Scott Baker informed council that the Eyes of Freedom traveling service memorial would once again be at Barnesville Middle School during the week of the Pumpkin Festival, and would be escorted into town on Sept. 17.

Brian Majewski of JLC Services informed council about a new eTMS treatment platform that is now available at Barnesville Hospital.

Majewski said that the technology, which is a highly customized application of transcranial magnetic stimulation, has been used to successfully treat post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, and other conditions suffered by veterans, first responders and law enforcement.

Barnesville Village Council meets again at 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building on Arch Street.

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