BARNESVILLE — Village Council recently approved entering into three contracts as the community seeks possible solutions to a leaking dam.

During a council meeting held May 5, Village Administrator Roger Deal reminded council that the village’s Reservoir No. 1 had been “dewatered” for about a year due to a leak in the dam that forms that reservoir. He submitted three contract proposals to begin the process of dealing with that issue.

The first was in the amount of $44,545 from May Engineering “to put the plans and report together with the assessment and mitigation options,” according to Deal. The second was a $34,979 contract for Hillis-Carnes Engineering for “geotechnical and subsurface exploration,” while the third was for Hammontree and Associates to perform a topographic survey for $5,120.

“So the total cost for this investigation and preparation of the plans and so on to submit to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is $84,644,” Deal concluded, with council approving his request to enter into those contracts.

Deal also expressed his appreciation for village crews’ response to a number of trees that were brought down during recent storms. He thanked Carson Johnson for his help with a tree on Shamrock Drive, where Deal said a couple of Barnesville’s police officers had gone “above and beyond” to help clean up that mess, which allowed other crew to go clear other trees from village roadways.

Deal discussed an upcoming state paving project through the village with Councilman Tom McKelvey saying he had learned from an Ohio Department of Transportation official that it would be starting within the next two weeks. Answering a concern brought up by McKelvey, Deal said the contractor would be working with the village and replacing manhole rings as needed to ensure a level surface when they are finished.

Deal also reported that the refurbishing of the town clock had been completed and thanked Joel Braido and Keith Moore for their excellent work and Jimmy Wells for taking care of maintenance on the clock for “many years.”

Deal informed council that the village would soon begin preparations to open the pool at Barnesville Memorial Park on Memorial Day weekend, and he remarked that they had never had any issues having enough lifeguards since they made a practice of hiring everyone who is certified who applies.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pratap Souri addressed council about the enforcement of property codes within the village, encouraging the use of the Belmont County Land Reutilization Corp., often referred to as the land bank, to help deal with abandoned properties.

Fire Chief Tim Hall, who is one of the designated code enforcement officials in the village, said the village and the land bank had worked together on a number of occasions, but he added that some situations don’t meet the criteria required for the land bank to get involved.

Hall noted that with or without its involvement the legal process takes time to work through, assuring Souri, “We are working at it.”

Police Chief Rocky Sirianni said he had a part-time officer who had expressed tentative interest in working a couple of days a week exclusively on code enforcement in the summer, noting that would allow him and other officers more time to deal with other priorities. Hall and a number of council members agreed to the idea.

Sirianni also informed council that he was advertising to hire a full-time officer due to an officer putting in their two weeks’ notice, and that he would be advertising again for a school resource officer since that position had yet to be filled.

Mayor Jake Hershberger gave mayor’s court figures for the month of April, saying the state had received $291.50, the county $10.50 and the village $933 for a total of $1,235.

Hall reported April’s run totals, saying the fire department had been dispatched 16 times, while the EMS answered 92 calls and performed two transports for WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital.

Council approved building permits for Beverly and Richard Justice to demolish a trailer and barn at 101 Plumly Drive, for Brady Wildes to construct an addition at 210 E. Pike St., for Steven Hill to construct a new fence at 209 Bethesda St., for Donald Wells to install a new metal roof at 190 Bethesda St., for Crystal Drake to install solar panels at 167 Pine Lane, for Heather Crumbaker to install solar panels at 203 Bethesda St., for Austin Kemp to construct a new home at 340 W. Walnut St., for Megan Perko to demolish a garage at 738 E. Main St., and for Jason Fisher to install new siding at 728 E. Main St.

McKelvey remarked how nice it was to see so many residents making improvements to their properties.

Warren Township Trustee Jim Greer expressed his appreciation to all who helped out with the recent Barnesville/Warren Township Cleanup Day held May 3, specifically saying that eight members of the Shamrock football team had assisted with the 129 vehicles that went through the line.

In other business, council approved paying bills in the amount of $144,699.60 and tabled the final reading of a resolution to amend a contract with CTI Engineering concerning the update of plans for a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in order to allow more time to further check into some of the details in that contract.

Barnesville council’s next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building on Arch Street.