BARNESVILLE — Village officials last week discussed the scope and possible cost to fix drainage issues around the firehouse.

Fire Chief Tim Hall previously brought up the need to fix what he described as some pretty serious drainage issues around the fire station on Church Street. During the June 30 council meeting, Hall had local contractor Adam Ackerman explain his proposed solution to the problem.

Ackerman said that all the water from a neighboring village employee parking lot and the surrounding area is draining toward the firehouse and that there is practically no slope away from the building, adding that the 15-inch culvert from the alley behind the station runs diagonally beneath the building.

Hall confirmed that investigators had found that pipe to be collapsed when they recently attempted to run a camera through it.

Ackerman’s proposed solution involved a large amount of excavation and concrete replacement to fix the slope issues as well as new pipes and at least three new catch basins, with an estimated cost of $41,800.Ackerman said he had not included some concrete work above the firehouse that Bostic Concrete had estimated at $34,000, with Hall chiming in that they could get by for now without that portion being completed due to budgeting concerns.

Hall expressed concern about serious damage being done to the building, calling the repair a “need not a want.”

Councilman Terry McCort asked about previous issues with a retaining wall behind the building, saying he would be in favor of taking care of everything that needed done at the same time, while Councilman Les Tickhill suggested that some of the problems with water collecting behind the building would be addressed by Ackerman’s plan, which would channel most of the water to the front.

Fiscal Officer Jeannie Hannahs confirmed that funds were not available in the fire department budget to take on this project as it is, but Mayor Jake Hershberger and Village Administrator Roger Deal noted that portions of the work would be treated as a Street Department project.

Hershberger suggested there might be overlap between Bostic’s concrete quote and Ackerman’s proposal and that they could look at it one more time together to get a more definite total cost as well as determine how that cost would be split between the Fire Department and the Street Department.

Meanwhile, Deal thanked Ackerman and Roger Morris for helping the village with a culvert replacement on Leatherwood Road earlier in the day.

Deal and council also discussed their need for a tractor with a boom arm for mowing along roadways, and after a number of possibilities were discussed with costs ranging from $30,000 to $120,000 council discussed contracting Warren Township to do that mowing for the village since it only gets done a few times each year, with Warren Township Trustee Jim Greer saying he would bring it up with the other trustees.

Council approved Deal’s request to enter into an agreement with May Engineering for “the feasibility and reduction planning” in response to the detection of PFAS, commonly referred to as forever chemicals, in the village’s water supply last year, with Deal reminding council that the $70,000 they had borrowed through the Ohio EPA’s Water Supply Revolving Loan Account program was now essentially a grant since being approved for “loan forgiveness.”

Deal also noted that the village’s contract to supply water to the Switzerland of Ohio Water District would not expire until September of 2026 and that he had been in error during the previous meeting when he said it would expire this year.

Councilwoman Robyn Misner, who represents village council on the Memorial Park Board of Directors, said that she thought the steps down the hill to the t-ball fields would eventually be removed and the ground reseeded in a follow up to a discussion about the poor state of those steps during the previous meeting.

Police Chief Rocky Sirianni said that he and Village Solicitor Richard Myser had confirmed that they could add a ninth full time officer without amending the relevant village ordinances.

After Sirianni brought up a revamped golf cart and utility vehicle ordinance that he and Myser had put together, Myser said he would like to wait until the next meeting to present that legislation since the changes made to Ohio’s statute were set to go into effect on July 1.

Myser praised Sirianni for his input on the legislation.

Mayor Hershberger announced mayor’s court figures for the month of June, saying the village had received $1800, the county $21, and the state $584, for a total of $2405.

Sally Johnson addressed council about plans for the upcoming All-Star Grad Alumni Parade on Saturday July 12 and after some discussion it was decided that they should line up on Mulberry Street closer to the Watt Center rather than at the B&O Depot due to the ongoing Rails to Trails and Tunnel Project being centered at that location.

In other business council approved paying bills in the amount of $87,149.79, and approved building permits for Mike Tolewitz to place a foundation and shed at 219 Railroad St., for the West Main Street Church of Christ to install a new LED sign, for Sheri Harris to demolish a garage and fence at 232 S. Broadway, and for Connie Rich to install a new roof and siding at 303 W. Main St.

Concerning the shed on Railroad Street, which had been discussed at the June 16 meeting, Hall said Mr. Tolewitz was complying with the ten foot offset requirement and had said he planned to paint the shed once it was together to make it “more presentable.”

Barnesville’s next scheduled meeting will convene at 5:00 p.m. on Monday July 13 with officials planning to go directly into executive session to hold interviews for village administrator. Regular village business will be conducted at 7:00 p.m as usual.