T-L Photo/LENNY WITTENBOOK Barnesville Village Council learned Monday that the pool at Memorial Park is still leaking. The pool underwent a massive reconstruction just last year but has been plagued by water loss that Astro Pool Co., which did the work on the pool, has yet to remedy.

BARNESVILLE — Village Council on Monday learned the pool at Memorial Park is still leaking and that the contractor has agreed to pay for the water being used to diagnose the problem and extend the warranty once the problem is fixed.

Village Administrator Roger Deal made the announcement during Monday’s regular council meeting, saying that the pool had been filled so representatives from Astro Pools could monitor the water loss before pumping it out so that it could be re-caulked and sealed.

Deal read an email from Steve Truax of Astro Pools indicating that the firm would have a crew on site on Monday, but Deal said the workers had not shown up. He noted, though, that the correspondence confirmed that the original warranty would be extended based on when the problem is finally fixed.

Deal also said he had billed Astro Pools $1,030 for the water used to fill the pool for the purpose of finding the leak.

The pool was refurbished last year and accounted for most of a $900,000 park improvement project that was made possible by a $750,000 donation from the estate of Lucille Wittmer.

Meanwhile, Deal said the South Street bridge project “is still coming along very well,” and that the contractor planned to have the walls constructed in time for the “Rails to Trails Run,” which is scheduled to take place on May 18.

He also said the Ohio Department of Transportation had expressed appreciation that the village had taken the steps to remove the old bridge deck and again expressed his appreciation to nearby business and property owners, saying “Everybody around there’s been great.”

Deal said the Ohio 800 paving project has begun at the Monroe County line and that ODOT had been doing patch work on the route in Barnesville in preparation for the paving through the village. He added that he did not have a time table for when the work would be completed through town.

Deal also said that the paving contractor is purchasing water from the village and that the village would continue to work with them going forward.

Deal also expressed his appreciation to the leadership team of Barnesville Hospital for performing a litter pickup on the east end of the village Friday.

Also discussed was a notice from ODOT that a stretch of Ohio 147 near Bailey’s Mills about 4 miles west of Barnesville would be closed for 60 days beginning Saturday while crews put in a concrete wall along the creek to prevent road slippage.

Fire Chief Tim Hall said it is time to replace the heart monitors in the department’s emergency squads and that he would like to replace one now and the other toward the end of the year. Mayor Dale Bunting asked if there were any grants available to help cover the $32,476.28 per unit cost and Hall responded that the department had tried that last year “and nothing flew.”

Councilman Jamie Betts asked if the stated price includes the $5,000 trade-in for the old units, and Hall said the department would wait and trade one in when the second one was purchased and keep the other old one for the backup squad, going on to explain that replacement parts are no longer being made for the old units.

Council voted to approve the purchase.

Hall also asked council if members would support the fire department’s annual fishing tournament to be held June 1 with a $400 donation as they had in the past. Council agreed to do so.

Council acknowledged that, as requested, Village Solicitor Marlin Harper had prepared a “setback ordinance” to help regulate distances at which buildings and other structures must be located relative to other properties, streets and roads, but it was agreed to hold off until the next meeting on May 13 before taking any further action.

In other business, council approved paying bills in the amount of $124,537.07 and approved building permits for Beth Hayes to demolish a building at 215 Hunts Ave., for Christal Warner to construct a new porch at 210 Pike St., for Amanda Burkhart to construct a privacy fence at 404 N. Broadway St., and for Susan Nelson to install a concrete patio. Nelson’s address was not listed on the meeting agenda.

A Water Committee meeting was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today at the request of Council President Brad Hudson.

At the council meeting’s conclusion, Minister Ted Buehl of the First United Methodist Church of Barnesville thanked council and Bunting for his proclamation recognizing the Barnesville area’s celebration of the National Day of Prayer to be held Thursday. Buehl said the Ministerial Association would be assembling at Veterans Plaza at noon that day to pray and invited all to attend, adding that a lunch prepared by Emory Stewart would be served afterward at the fire hall.