BARNESVILLE — An effort to speed through legislation required to proceed with the Rails to Trails and Tunnel Project failed as one councilman remained firm in his stance against the project as planned.

At a Barnesville Village Council meeting held Feb. 26, Village Administrator Roger Deal presented council with legislation “from ODOT” pertaining to the long-in-the-works Rails to Trails and Tunnel Project.

Deal said the legislation was required to keep the project moving forward and that it would authorize him to sign contracts and other documents related to the effort and provide that Barnesville would “continue to do the maintenance as all projects like that are for a period of time.” He asked that council pass the legislation that evening due to a request from the Ohio Department of Transportation to have it in place before the end of February.

Village Solicitor Richard Myser confirmed after a question from Mayor Jake Hershberger that the legislation in question was an ordinance and would require a suspension of the rules requiring that ordinances be publicly read on three occasions before passage.

He added that the suspension of the rule requires the approval of five of the six council members to reach the 3/4 threshold to proceed, and due to the absence of Councilman Terry McCort all five of the councilmen in attendance would have to agree to the suspension.

Councilman Les Tickhill made the motion to suspend the rules, which was seconded by Council President Tony Johnson, but it ultimately failed when Councilman Steve Hill voted “no” while Councilman Brian Yarnall and Councilwoman Robin Misner joined Tickhill and Johnson with “yes” votes.

Hershberger asked Deal what the vote would mean to the project. Deal said he was unsure but that it would certainly delay it.

Myser confirmed Hershnerger’s assertion that this would count as the first reading.

The scope of the $2.9 million project, which is mostly funded through ODOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program along with Belomar Regional Council’s $100,000 commitment from the village, is to convert a portion of the old B&O Railroad bed running through the village into a recreational trail.

It includes much-needed structural fixes to the rail tunnel that runs underneath Main Street.

The project has been beset by delays and controversy since its inception, with council recommitting to the project on a number of occasions despite the delays and public opposition to the planned path of the trail down Railroad Street.

Meanwhile, Deal also asked council to extend a water sales contract agreement with Antero Resources for one year. Deal noted that the rate would remain at $6.50 per 1,000 gallons. He said Antero had purchased about $400,000 worth of water from the village last year, and he believed they could expect a similar number this year.

Council unanimously approved the extension.

Deal also informed council that the Barnesville Fire Department recently purchased a new ATV and trailer and suggested that the village purchase its old ATV and trailer for use by the water and sewer departments.

Deal said he and Fire Chief Tim Hall had negotiated a price of $7,000. Council voted to approve the purchase.

Deal also announced that the annual cemetery cleanup is underway, reminding residents to remove decorations they want to keep by March 15 and to not place any new decorations on gravesites until after that date.

Deal also announced that officials are beginning the process of hiring seasonal help for the spring and summer, saying that applicants have to be at least 16 years old. The village is hiring lifeguards and concession workers for Memorial Park, and Deal emphasized that they had been having trouble getting enough mowing crew members in recent years.

Deal said the administration would love to have some adults apply as well, since youth on summer vacation have a fairly limited window in which they are available while the village would have to start mowing soon.

Deal said the starting pay rate is $12 per hour.

Hill told Deal he was impressed with the water and street departments’ recent work fixing a large hole on East Main Street. Deal pointed out that a relatively inexperienced crew had done very well on that job as well as responding to the sudden snow storm a few weeks prior.

Deal presented council copies of the bid packet that had been approved to advertise to lease 177 acres of village property for gas and oil, and council passed an ordinance to advertise to do the same with the rest of the village’s property that had not been included in the first packet.

Resident and business owner Scott Wolf addressed council, reiterating his insistence that the village’s sidewalk ordinances be enforced equally, saying he had paid his tickets.

Yarnall asked about the ordinance in question, with Hershberger responding that there are some parts of the ordinance that can be enforced better than others due to documentation requirements that he didn’t understand.

He added that Village Myser is helping to update the abatement and citation forms so they can be more effectively enforced.

Police Chief Rocky Sirianni said Wolf had been cited under what is a village and state statute for obstructing a public sidewalk, which allows officers to ticket someone for blocking a sidewalk without getting into the abatement process.

Council approved a request for the use of the village-owned Bohandy Building by the Barnesville State Theatre Co. to hold an antique sale to coincide with its “Reelin’, Rockin’, and Rollin’ in the Ville” event planned for July.

Council also held the first reading of an ordinance restricting the subdivision of lots in the village, approved a new Mayor’s Court bond schedule, and OK’d the placement of a designated handicapped parking place in front of the Elks building on North Chestnut Street.

Barnesville Village Council meets again at 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building on Arch Street.