Property, Equipmnet & Cemetery Committee Meeting

Yestereday there was a Property Committee meeting. The meeting was called mainly to order up legislation to take advantage of the Ohio Nature Works Grant which is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Once the legislation is ready it will be considered by council at a regular council meeting.

This grant is the same that was used by the Tree Board last year for Broadway Park. There is a little over $20,000 available this year for Columbiana County. The deadline for applying for the grant is getting close. This year they intend to use whatever grant money is awarded for the repair, replacement or purchase of new play ground equipment for the 11th & 18th Street play grounds. According to the Nature Works web site the grant is 75% reimbursement.

In attendance at the meeting was Committee Chairman John McMahon and Committee members Don Brown and Joe Soldano. Acting Administrator Rick Williams and Tony Cataldo were there too. It was decided to order up legislation to apply for the grant.

Also discussed was the new lighting for the 18th Street play ground. Tony Cataldo reported that the Wellsville Eagles are making a generous donation to cover the cost of this project. The lights will better enable the police to patrol the play ground. Joe Soldano said there have been some problems with vandalism and people using the park after dark.

Tony Cataldo reported to the Committee that the village have been receiving donations to transform the Boy-In-The Boot area into a small memorial park. The intent there is to make a memorial for victims of 9/11 and especially Cathy Salter, a Wellsville native who lost her life on that tragic day. The mini park will also honor veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. It will be a small park with most of the street being kept around the area.

Seems the contractor for the cancelled contract to install a roof on the salt storage shed suddenly had the roof ready to go. The contract was given out last November with a dead line to have it installed by the end of December. Nothing had been done in all that time. They were told no thanks. As a result of not getting that roof we have lost salt melting with wet weather. The salt that was there got nearly solidified and caused problems with employees trying to break it loose. It cost $1,300 to repair the village front loader for a part that broke when they were trying to load this salt. They are going to look elsewhere for the roof.

Buckeye Water District has advised that sometime this year they will be turning over the reservoir back to the village. The dam at the reservoir is getting close to needing some repair and they are already looking into grants to cover that. It was mentioned that maybe by next year some timber might be ready for another sale. That was a good money maker the last time that was done. Other than that nothing was mentioned on what use is intended for the site.

Soldano also mentioned that maybe by this spring or early summer they might be able to get some work done on the gazebo. There is some rotting wood that has been patched up in the past but it still needs work. Those patches only last so long.

They are also going to look into what progress has been made in the demolition of some of the falling down houses & buildings in the village. This has been mentioned before. Don Brown said that before anything can be done the properties have to go through a title search for any liens and also have an asbestos inspection.

The next regular council meeting is this coming Tuesday. Don't come late. You may miss it.

ole nib