FLUSHING — Village leaders recently discussed the costs of water and sewer system projects that they hope to complete this year.

At a February meeting, council President Chuck Nucci asked Village Administrator Kris Chini to come up with possible costs to reroute the sewage to reduce the volume of waste going through a lift station that had overflowed on a number of occasions and infiltrated a nearby pond on the property of Josie Bashline. As the matter had been previously discussed, Chini had already figured out an estimate and said that it would take 600 feet of 4-inch pipe, two manholes and obtaining a right-of-way across at least two properties, concluding, “You’re probably looking at close to $25,000.”

After a brief discussion it was decided that officials needed to speak with the property owners to see how they felt about the right-of-way. Councilman Tom Bober asked Chini to take him out to walk the area being discussed so he could better understand the logistics of the project. Chini confirmed that he and the village crew could complete the reroute without bringing in a contractor.

Nucci asked how much American Rescue Act funding the village had left, and Fiscal Officer Jeryl McGaffick said $87,500, noting that it had to be “encumbered” by the end of this year.

This led to a discussion about using some of those funds to complete a previously discussed project to put hydrants on the west end of the village to correct recurring issues with the water quality in that area, much of which lies outside the corporation limits.

Councilman Chad Sutton, who works for the Belmont County Water and Sewer District and acts as Flushing’s water operator of record, said it would take two hydrants to make flushing the lines being discussed possible, with Chini pointing out that three would be optimal.

Chini said would work on putting together an estimate of what he thought that project would cost.

In his monthly report, Chini said the village’s jetter had been repaired and that while doing that repair a broken valve was found and repaired that should greatly improve the performance of that piece of equipment.

He also said a new sewer rooting machine had been purchased and they were awaiting delivery. He explained that a lot of the issue with village sewer lines is that they are full of tree roots while discussing work they recently done on Marketan Street.

He said that crews had been trying to keep up on filling potholes and said that they had fixed a previously discussed issue on one of the alleys off of Wood Street.

Nucci updated council on his efforts to get clarification as to how a retiree who is in the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System can be elected to and hold a public office without it interfering with their benefits.

“We had this happen to the village several years ago to the point where (George Terry) had to give up his office, and it’s happening again now with (Councilman Bober,)” Nucci said, adding that this was a “hot topic” with a number of other village councils besides theirs.

Nucci said he had contacted the office of Ohio Rep. Ron Ferguson< R-Wintersville, seeking a solution, and that Bober had spoken with OPERS personnel recently about the issue. Mayor Preston Eberhart said he had done some research as well, and the answers he received seemed to at least partially contradict what Bober and Nucci had been told. It was noted that this was an issue that a village solicitor would be able to help them sort out and that they would continue to search for a replacement for former solicitor Chris Gagin, whose resignation they accepted in January. Council approved Eberhart's request to add $35 per month to the village's cellphone plan so he can have his own phone for village business. He explained that the budget had $2,000 earmarked for mayoral office needs that could be used for this expense. Eberhart requested having the phone due to his working as a first responder for a number of departments, saying that having a separate phone for village business would prevent interruptions while he was engaged with emergency situations. Council passed a motion allowing the Flushing Business Association to pursue holding a mini-tractor pull in Schuler Park and agreed that the Carter House sign that is being removed from the Flushing Firehouse property can be placed in Schuler Park. Council members confirmed with Flushing American Legion Post 366 Commander Pat Kovac that they would share in the expense out of their own pockets for signs being made to commemorate the Litten Brothers, seven Flushing natives who served a combined 137 years in the U.S. Air Force. Eberhart announced that J.B. Green Team is holding a community cleanup from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 11 at the depot in Holloway and that Flushing could participate if it provides a couple of volunteers to assist with unloading vehicles. Both Eberhart and Bober said they would volunteer to help so Flushing could participate. Flushing Village Council meets at 6 p.m. the second Thursday of each month in the village offices on High Street.