BRIDGEPORT — Work on a local railroad crossing is on track to begin soon, Bridgeport Mayor David Smith told village council members Tuesday.

Smith said the village has received several complaints about the current condition of the tracks, owned by the Wheeling-Lake Erie Railway, which can cause vehicles to dip and bounce as they cross, causing damage to some vehicles striking the pavement below.

Smith said the village has been in contact with the railway, which intends to work on the problems soon. Smith said that the current plan is for the railway to tear up the tracks at the end of the month or early August, replacing the entire section to help make it smoother for motorists.

During this time, access to Wheeling Island from Bridgeport on U.S. 40 would be shut down for approximately five days to a week for the work.

Smith added that the Ohio Department of Transportation will be helping provide detour signs for the duration of the work.

Smith said that although the delays will be inconvenient, the work is necessary.

“All you need to do is drive over there to know how bad it is,” Smith said.

Council then turned its attention to a proposed partnership with the Southeastern Ohio Building Department, based out of Washington County. At the last council meeting, council members heard from a representative from the department, which is responsible for interpreting and enforcing housing and commercial building codes for Belmont, Monroe, Washington and Noble counties.

The proposal would see Washington County acting as a satellite office for the Ohio Department of Commerce, making it easier for Bridgeport to streamline the process of permitting a new business. The village voted to pass the measure, which will be sent to the Washington County Commission for their approval before going on to the state level for final approval.

Smith added that there is escape language in the agreement if council decides it’s in the village’s best interests to pull out for some reason, but he believes it is worth a shot.

“If it helps one or two businesses in our area get up and running quicker, it’s worth a try,” Smith said.

Smith then introduced council members to the new fiscal officer for the village, Michael Smith, who also serves as finance chair St. Clairsville City Council. The mayor said Smith is still learning a bit, and was getting the hang of understanding how to file purchase orders and pay bills. The rest of the council welcomed Smith, who thanked them for the opportunity.

In other business, Police Chief Andrew Klotz informed council that his department was ready to begin training with the two new Phazzer Enforcers that were donated to the Bridgeport Police Department by the Phazzer company. The less-than-lethal devices can fire Taser-style darts, rubber bullets and “pepper balls” to help incapacitate suspects.

As no one in the county has used such a device yet, Klotz said he is looking to get one officer certified via internet training, who can then teach the rest of the department.

After a brief executive session, council also approved the hiring Jeremy Gardner as a part-time police officer. Garner was once a full time officer for the department. Council also approved an amendment to the contract of Street Supervisor Ronald Dyson, raising his salary from $1,000 a month to $1,250, and increasing the number of hours he must work per month to 24 from the previous 16-20.

They also approved Jim Parsons as a probationary full-time employee of the Street Department.

Bridgeport Village Council meets regularly at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the municipal building.