T-L File Photo Mayor Edward Marling said he has been in contact with Amy King, president of The Baldwin Group Inc. in Cleveland that specializes in software and technology for local governments. The company provides software for the village’s court system. King told him the village can charge up to $30 for people who would like to make payments on village fines.

BELLAIRE — Bellaire Village Council is considering a plan to charge residents $25 to allow them to make payments on village fines over a two-month period.

Mayor Edward Marling said he has been in contact with Amy King, president of The Baldwin Group Inc. in Cleveland that specializes in software and technology for local governments. The company provides software for the village’s court system.

King told Marling the village can charge up to $30 for people who would like to make payments on village fines. Councilman Mike Doyle came up with the idea of offering financing at a fee during a previous council meeting.

Doyle said he wanted to make the fee reasonable for people who need financing while also discouraging people who do not need it.

“We want to make it high enough that they don’t want to finance it, so they pay,” he said.

Doyle questioned if the residents would have to pay the $25 upfront.

“Well, sometimes I don’t think we can get it upfront,” Marling said.

Councilwoman Janet Richardson said that the village could charge $25 over the term.

“We have people who have to call in and reestablish a plan because maybe they lost their job or something,” Clerk Mary Haglioizou said.

She noted that she tries to collect fines within four payments.

“It could be a month, or it could be two months. It just depends on how they get paid. If they get paid weekly, it could be a month. If they get paid biweekly, it could be two. It just depends,” Haglioizou said.

After hearing Haglioizou’s remarks, Doyle said that the $25 should cover financing for two months.

“Of course we want them to pay. We don’t want this to be a profit center. We want it to be the carrot to get them to pay and be done,” he said.

Doyle said he would like to discuss the verbiage with solicitor Paul Stecker to make sure that the ordinance is “crystal clear.”

Council planned to discuss the matter further before taking action.

In other news, Marling said that the new bay doors for the firehouse have been ordered, and they should arrive in about one month.

He said the firefighters have to park their fire trucks at an angle because only one door opens properly.

During a previous meeting, council voted to purchase the doors from J. Andrews Doors in East Liverpool for $32,962.

Council also gave an update on the village’s new website. Richardson said she is looking forward to the website being completed.

10T Web Design based in Barnesville will be designing and managing the new website. The company has designed websites for the cities of St. Clairsville and Martins Ferry and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office.

The cost of setting up the website and maintaining it for two years will be $6,000.

Doyle said that 10T has the format for the website all laid out.

“I agreed that the format was good. He (owner of 10T Brock Rogers) said he was supposed to do some stuff on it and follow up,” Councilman Bill Schmitt said.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Dugmore was absent from the meeting.