Tl File Photo Bellaire Police Chief J.J. Watson says that the police department is down to four full-time officers.

BELLAIRE — Bellaire Police Chief J.J. Watson said the police department is down to four full-time officers.

He told Bellaire Village Council on Thursday that Officer Joe Perry recently resigned and has taken a job at the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office. Watson explained that, due to the diminished ranks, there will only be one officer working per shift.

“If anybody’s off on vacation days, sick days or personal days, our overtime is going to be a lot higher than what we have now,” he said.

Watson said he does not know of any police academy students interested in the position. He said the salary is a major issue. Full-time police officers in Bellaire earn $18 an hour, and part-timers make $15 per hour.

“The only thing that I have is going to the police academy, but it’s kind of hard with the money situation. I can’t go up there and say, ‘Hey, we’re offering you this to come to our department making this amount of money’ when the next department pays four or five more dollars per hour. These kids that come out of the academies can pick and choose where they want to go,” he said.

Mike Doyle, councilman at large, questioned whether council could sponsor a potential police academy student and offer to pay their tuition. Watson said it costs about $5,500 to send a student through the police academy at Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville.

Doyle said the cost is steep, but he would like council to see if the local American Legion post or other organizations could help raise money for the project.

The village is also working to get all street lights replaced with LED bulbs.

Clerk Mary Haglioizou said the old lightbulbs are no longer manufactured. She also said that the new lights will be more energy efficient.

Some lights, including the one in front of the municipal building, have already been replaced.

Haglioizou said she hopes the new lights will make the village safer and save costs.

Haglioizou also read the 2023 annual report from Neffs Fire Department.

The department responded to 1,039 calls in Bellaire and 69 fire calls for a total of 1,108 total responses in Bellaire.

Council also is planning to apply for the NatureWorks grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources again to make improvements to the village park. Village officials plan to discuss the planned improvements more during future meetings.

The village of Bellaire was awarded $13,490 through the program in December to remove dead and diseased trees from Union Park. According to ODNR’s website, removing the trees will make the park safer for visitors and will create more space for recreational activities.

The project is still in progress, and Councilman Jerry Olack previously said the trees will most likely be removed in early spring.

In other news, Vince Gianangeli, a Belmont County commissioner candidate, attended the meeting to voice his support for the village.

The Republican is running against incumbent Josh Meyer. Gianangeli has served as Colerain Township fiscal officer since 2012 and has experience working at the Ohio Auditor’s Office and Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services.

The village safety committee will meet at 10 a.m. Monday in the municipal building.

The next council meeting will be at 6 p.m. March 7 in council chambers.