BARNESVILLE — More than 30 people including Barnesville residents, officials, students and individuals from outside the community gathered Monday night at the Barnesville Senior Center to listen to and question the Belmont County Commissioners concerning county business and how it might impact local governments, including their own.

Belmont County Commissioners J.P. Dutton, Josh Meyer and Mark Thomas conducted the meeting.

Dutton began with a summary of major ongoing projects to date. These included the recent announcement of an investment of $60.5 million in loan and grant money for the renovation of water infrastructure and a new water plant to benefit the more rural areas, the county’s efforts to seek more money from the state to restore roads in oil and gas producing counties, and agreements with the broadband internet provider Agile Networks to use vertical assets to try to bring internet service to underserved areas.

They agreed that the potential for an ethane cracker plant could bring new prosperity to the county, and the Barnesville area would be highly viable for incoming business.

“It’s always good to be in Barnesville,” Thomas said. “You are not too far out, in the western part of the county.”

“Thank you for having us,” Meyer said, commending the turnout and welcoming the students.

Tim Porter, president of St. Clairsville City Council and St. Clairsville Chamber of Commerce, inquired if the funding for water improvements could benefit local governments. Thomas said 75 percent of the money is a planned loan committed to specified projects, but added that the groundwork of infrastructure must be laid in preparation for future growth.

He said a 24-inch pipe from the new water plant to Barnesville could prove valuable in allowing the county to increase connections to the village should the Environmental Protection Agency encourage a shift away from local reservoirs.

Mike Sulek, business owner, inquired about the operation of the Belmont County Land Reutilization Corporation, commonly called the Land Bank. While the county does not control the Land Bank, two commissioners sit on the board.

The Land Bank remains an autonomous entity funded partly by the state, with the goal of acquiring property fallen into disrepair, demolishing the structures and selling the property to likely developers. While most of the Land Bank’s projects have been along the Ohio River due to higher need, the board has been considering properties in Barnesville including a house of North Chestnut Street as a potential candidate for rehabilitation.

Belmont County Oil and Gas liaison Steve Hill inquired if there have been any results in securing state funds for roads through the severance taxes on oil and gas. Dutton said there have not, but the commissioners would continue to press the new governor’s administration next year, possibly coordinating with other oil and gas producing counties to send word to the state.

“We believe that money, or at least a portion of those funds, should come back to impacted counties,” Dutton said. “We’re probably going to do a more coordinated approach the first of the year.”

Sulek further questioned the commissioners about broadband internet. Dutton said this could cover rural areas where companies such as AT&T and Comcast do not find feasible to provide service.

“Our goal is to have as much of the county covered as possible,” Thomas said. He also noted the growth of the industrial park and credited the village and Warren Township. “Eastern Ohio Regional Industrial Park has made great progress over the last three to four years.”

“When you look at our county and what’s active right now in terms of property being developed, when you’re looking at sites being developed … this part of the county is the most active right now,” Dutton said.

Port Authority Director Larry Merry commended the effort to find imaginative solutions.

The guests included juniors and seniors from Nick Saffield’s Contemporary Issues class at Barnesville High School. The students did not offer comment during the town hall, but expressed excitement regarding issues such as the potential cracker plant. Saffield said the meeting would spark many class discussions.

“These kids out here know the cracker plant’s going to be the biggest thing coming into Belmont County,” Saffield said. “They have to get active in the community. … Our main purpose was to look at the rural water development,” he said. “We wanted to see what the plan was, and the development process.”