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STEUBENVILLE -- Roof leaks in the old city building will have to be addressed soon, City Manager Jim Mavromatis said Tuesday.
Mavromatis said council chambers, which does double duty as the municipal courtroom, the community service office and the police department's camera room all are experiencing problems.
"The problem is we're in the dead of winter," he said after the meeting. "The best we can hope for now is to get some spot repairs done."
Repairs to roofs of other city-owned buildings, like the fire stations and the old water filtration plant, are already on City Council's to-do list, so Mavromatis suggested at least trying to bid them out together in hopes of getting a better price.
In other matters, Mavromatis said the popular First Fridays on Fourth series will resume in 2019.
"They're coming back, absolutely," he said. "We've been contacted by the organization. The event was a huge success last year -- citizens loved it, people who participated loved it and from the city's view, people loved it."
Mavromatis said businesses that stayed open later on First Fridays seemed to be busy."
They were packed," he added. "It's good for the city, good for the citizens and good for the business people.
He said organizers are exploring ways to add to the event, such as a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He said things like that are doable, as long as firetrucks, ambulances and police cars can get through when needed.
Earlier, Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins updated council on the valve and line replacement project.
During a utility committee meeting Jenkins said they've divided the project into two phases -- valve assessments and replacements, and line replacements.
The city is borrowing $7 million through Ohio EPA to cover the work. The loan has a 50 percent forgiveness, meaning Steubenville will be responsible for repaying $3.5 million.
Jenkins said they'll need about $2.1 million for Phase I, the valve work. That money has already been awarded.
He said they'll apply for the balance of the money, a little less than $5 million, in May. Of that amount, Jenkins said they plan to keep about $630,000 back to cover contingencies.
Phase I should be substantially complete in August, with a finish date expected the following month.
Phase II will be much more involved, he noted. It will target areas that have been plagued with a large number of line breaks during the past decade -- the Belleview Transmission main; Braybarton and Linduff/Whitehaven areas; Brady Park Stream; Efts Lane; Starkdale; Lexington Drive connector and Wilshire Boulevard.
While preliminary survey work has already begun for Phase II, he said the line replacements will extend beyond 2019.
"Phase II does not need to be finished in 2019," he said. "But we have to be in agreement with a contractor by June to receive the (OEPA) funding."