SHADYSIDE — The question of who is responsible for cleaning potentially hazardous creeks led a discussion among village leaders this week.

On Monday, Jackie Wach of West 43rd Street visited Shadyside Village Council and brought up the matter of a creek that passes through the community near her property. She said she has contacted the Belmont County Engineer’s Office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and both have told her they are not responsible for the stream. She said she also was told property owners are responsible for cutting trees and weeds on their property.

Councilwoman Melanie Haswell said she viewed the site behind Wach’s house. She said the creek is nearly invisible due to overgrowth.

“It is so covered in debris. Nobody on Wegee Road would have ever thought that little streaming creek would have turned into anything either,” she said in reference to the 1990 “Flood of Tears” in which 26 people along Wegee and Pipe creeks died in flash flooding. “It just looks like it could all back up in a dam. … You can’t even see the creek. It has so much weeds.”

Haswell said she is concerned about flooding.

“We’ve had some pretty deep rains,” she said.

Councilman Nick Ferrelli said he believed the only ones permitted in a creek are the property owners and the Corps of Engineers. Pultney Township Trustees Frank Shaffer and Mark Cervelli said the Corps of Engineers likely would have jurisdiction, since it is capable of fining people for interfering with the creeks.

Shaffer added that the problem is likely universal among creeks in the area.

Wach also said a neighbor has issues with weeds and trees growing into the creek and has not been trimming them. She said officials should take preventive measures.

“What happens if there’s a flood again that washes out houses?” she said, referring to the 1990 flood. “We’re going to wait for another disaster. We’ll put up monuments for the people that lost their lives right out here in front, but we can’t do anything to prevent it?”

Haswell asked if the village had any tree ordinances. She was told no village ordinances cover the case.

Ferrelli said the village has no jurisdiction.

“There’s nothing we can do,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t want to do something, we can’t. We do not have jurisdiction.”

Village Attorney Tom Ryncarz said he did not know all the details, but this could be a civil matter between property owners.

In other matters, Cervelli and Shaffer presented a new proposal to the village to jointly apply for Ohio Public Works Commission funding for paving Central Avenue on the northern end of Shadyside at the I-70 exit, along with several streets in the Avondale section of Pultney Township. Last year, they attempted to apply along with Belmont County. This year, the village and township will apply as a unit, since the county is already submitting projects.

Cervelli said the total project cost is $455,537. The village and township will be asking for a grant of $252,823 as well as a 20-year loan of $84,275 to go toward the local share.

Shadyside’s portion of the local share would be 77.97 percent, or $158,053, and the township’s share is 22.03 percent, or about $44,657.

The deadline to submit is Sept. 1. The county subcommittee will evaluate applications in mid-October before passing selected projects on to the district office in Marietta to make decisions in December. Projects will not begin until the state releases funding in July.

Shaffer said collaborative applications among smaller communities could allow them to submit larger projects to the OPWC that would be more likely to receive funding.

“We’re leading the way for other entities to start doing this. If they start looking at this, they can all come through,” he said. “That’s what I like about this. It’s a joint entity, and that’s what needs to happen in this county to get some things done.”

Council agreed to sign the application.

Council also held a closed-door for about an hour to discuss matters of personnel. No action was taken afterward.