T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County assistant prosecutor T.J. Schultz informs Belmont County Commissioners of the obstruction at the intersection of Barylak Road and County Road 10.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – The Belmont County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to allow the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office to make sure athe intersection of Barylak Road and County Road 10 remain free of obstructions placed there by a resident.

Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton said that an individual causing the disturbance — who isn’t legally the property owner — is continually putting obstructions in the right of way, which is owned by the county.

“It started off as like a log and then there was a stone or a concrete cinder block at one point, and then it has escalated to the point where he has something literally concreted into the ground and it’s in the right of way, which is obviously illegal,” Dutton said. “This motion is all about the prosecutor’s office taking the necessary steps, basically he’s been warned to a certain extent, but this is going to force him to remove what he put on county property right away.”

According to ORC, any persons, partnerships, or corporations occupying any part of a highway, bridge, or culvert, under and by virtue of a franchise legally granted, shall relocate their properties within the bounds of such highway, bridges, or culverts when in the opinion of the county engineer, they constitute obstructions or interfere with the construction, improvement, maintenance, or repair of such highways, bridges, or culverts, or the use thereof by the traveling public.

“It’s come to our attention that we may have an obstruction in the right of way of County Road 10, and we have an extradited proceeding with that we can proceed with with the opinion of the engineer,” Belmont County assistant prosecutor T.J. Schultz said.

Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively added that his office recently had a local company conduct a surveying at that intersection, and placed right of way markers on County Road 10 at the intersection of Barylak Road and County Road 10.

“I went down there and observed the obstruction myself, and based on the markers that were set and in my opinion, the obstruction is in the right of way of County Road 10,” Lively said. “It’s certainly an immovable object. It’s a railroad rail cemented vertically into the ground, and would present a considerable danger to anybody who went off the road and struck that.”

Dutton replied that there’s been no question that there’s been obstruction for a long time in various forms.

“I think this most recent form, honestly, is the most substantial. But I feel like this is something that’s been going on for 9 to 10 months,” Dutton said. “I’m glad to see us be able to get a resolution for this.”

Commissioner Vince Gianangeli added that he’s seen pictures of the obstruction and has heard multiple vehicles’ tires being blown out from it.

“It’s a no-brainer for me,” Gianangeli said.

Commissioner Jerry Echemann then approved and signed a contract between the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services and the Community Action Commission of Belmont County effective May 1 through September 30 in an amount not to exceed $54,434.

Echemann said that the contract is for the purpose of providing a summer employment program to serve people from Belmont County’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families eligible families.

He added that the cost is being paid by TANF funds.

Echemann then moved to approve and sign the modification to the purchase of performances of services contract between DJFS and the following vendors effective January 1, 2026 until December 31 2026 for the provision of title 19 transportation services, increasing the per loaded mileage reimbursement rate for a trend traditional passenger vehicle to $7 and the per loaded mileage reimbursement rate for all wheelchair transport for non ambulatory patients to $9.50.

“The vendors Barnesville Taxi Service, LLC, the city of Martins Ferry EMS, Green Cab Ltd, DBA Green Cab, I.C. Cab LLC, and the Neff Volunteer Fire Department. The increase is due to the spiking fuel prices,” Echemann said. “This is an annual motion, and these vendors essentially pick up folks and take them to doctors appointments and things like that. So it’s a much needed thing.”

The board then approved the purchase of one hot shot box from Delivery Concepts, Inc. for $37,930. The hot shot box is for Senior Services of Belmont County and is based upon the recommendation of executive director, Lisa Kazmirski.

Echemann said that the hot shot box will be outfitted on a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado truck that was recently purchased from Whitesides’s and will be used for meal deliveries.