FLUSHING — Village officials recently discussed purchasing an excavator to replace a 35-year-old machine.

During a council meeting held May 9 and in response to a question from Councilman Chuck Nucci, Village Administrator Kris Chini said a new 3.5 ton excavator would cost in the $35,000-$40,000 range, while a used one with under 500 hours of use would cost about 25% less. After confirming with Chini that that size would fit the village’s needs, Councilman Tom Bober commented, “We’d be crazy not to buy brand new.”

Chini noted that the hydraulic pump was starting to go bad in the 35-year-old hoe, that it would soon need tires that would cost upwards of $4,000, and that it was difficult to predict how much longer it would last.

Chini agreed there are extra amenities that come with a new machine, while Fiscal Officer Jeryl McGaffick said that using the state’s procurement system is as simple as going through a dealer that participates in that program.

When asked about what brand he would prefer, Chini said they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Nucci asked him to price a number of different ones before the June meeting so council could perhaps move forward with approving the purchase.

During his monthly report, Chini said plans to replace the roof on one of the shelters in the park had been delayed due to a water break repair and other projects crews were working on. He said they had been busy locating village waterlines that lie outside the corporation limit, saying there were practically no records that accurately show where those lines run, and that he had recently found a curb stop in the middle of the woods after receiving a tip from a resident.

When Chini confirmed he had ordered parts needed to eliminate an odor issue coming from one manhole, Nucci suggested he check on a similar issue on Mill Road.

Council discussed the success of Chini and village crews’ efforts in finding and eliminating leaks throughout the village water system, noting that the village’s April water bill from Belmont County was around $13,000, whereas the bills had been as much as $24,000 per month before.

Councilman Chad Sutton, who acts as the village’s water operator of record, confirmed that the 2.7 million gallons used by the village in April was “way down,” also noting that all the required reports had been filed.

McGaffick said that Sutton had prepared the annual water consumer confidence report, which she had uploaded to the Ohio Rural Water Association’s website, ohioruralwater.org, and that water customers were notified of this on their May 1 bills.

Council discussed the implications of the Underground Railroad Museum moving out of the village after being awarded a grant that will be used to relocate the institution to the Black Horse Inn building in Morristown, with the main concern being that the former bank building it currently is housed in not be allowed to fall into disrepair.

Mayor Preston Eberhart noted that the Stratton Flour Mill on Mill Road is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Council also discussed the poor condition of a number of village roadways, including Mill Road, Northwest Street and Kirk Street.

Nucci led the rest of council in thanking Bober for putting up the veteran banners around the village.

Council also discussed recent complaints about chickens getting out and causing damage to neighboring property, with Eberhart saying he believed that would be better handled as a civil case even though there are laws under Ohio Revised Code pertaining to nuisance animals.

Flushing Village Council meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the village offices on High Street.