Water, sewer projects and radio request go before Brooke County commissioners
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WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Commission Tuesday approved the transfer of $1,158,500 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for several water and sewer projects in several areas of the county.
County Commissioner Stacey Wise said nine projects pursued by the Brooke County, Hammond and Washington Pike public service districts will be aided with the funds.
"These funds help keep everyone's rates down," she noted.
The Brooke County Public District has received $1 million to extend sewer lines to about 178 customers in the St. John's Road area. Brooke County PSD officials expect to advertise for a contractor later this month and hope for work to begin in August.
Wise said the district has had difficulty in securing easements needed for the extensions. She said it's possible that some property owners are holding out for more money because they expect offers comparable to those made by oil and gas companies.
She said the Brooke County PSD is a nonprofit organization that lacks the resources of those companies and the costs for the needed easements are applied to the project's overall cost and affect the rates all of the district's customers will pay.
The district has secured a $4.4 million, 30-year loan and a $500,000 grant, both from the state Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council, for the project.
Wise said some property owners have provided the easements for nothing because they very much want public sewer lines.
The St. John's Road extensions are a continuation of an earlier sewer project by the district serving more than 600 homes and businesses on Eldersville Road, Mahan Lane and the Cross Creek area, including Brooke High School, and adjacent areas.
About $112,000 from the ARPA funds will be used by the district to improve a pump station that was installed to serve about 50 customers on Mahan Lane as part of that project.
The Brooke County PSD also will receive $60,000 to upgrade a pump station serving the Beech Bottom Industrial Park.
The site of the former Wheeling Corrugating Plant, the complex currently is occupied by Jupiter Aluminum, which has invested more than $12 million into the facility and is slated to add a second paint line.
Brooke County PSD officials noted it also will become home to Pure Watercraft, a company specializing in electric motorboats that's expected to employ 100 people.
The district also will apply $50,000 from the ARPA funds toward its efforts to build a new wastewater plant in Beech Bottom with a greater capacity to serve potential new businesses at the industrial park and others.
The commission also has allocated $517,300 to the Brooke County PSD to extend sewer lines to the Drover's Inn restaurant and about a dozen homes on state Route 27 to address concerns about septic tanks currently serving the area.
Brooke County PSD officials also plan to advertise that project this month.
The commissioners earlier allocated $150,000 from the ARPA funds to replace pumps at two pump stations serving the Washington Pike PSD and $677,000 to the district to inspect, clean and paint water tanks serving the Rabbit Hill Road, Chapman Heights and state Route 88 areas.
About $986,500 also was allocated to the Hammond PSD in support of a project involving the replacement of about 13,900 feet of water lines and refurbishment of the district's four water tanks.
The project also is being funded by a $4.6 million grant from the Army Corps of Engineers.
In other business, the commission:
— Was asked to provide funds for pagers and related equipment for the West Liberty Volunteer Fire Department.
The commissioners agreed to table the request until a quote is received from the department and a procedure is established so the Brooke County Emergency 911 Center may dispatch the department directly.
They said following the meeting the West Liberty department, which is across the county's border in Ohio County, has been invaluable in responding to medical calls and its request for aid has been supported by the Brooke County Firefighters Association.
County Commissioner Tom Diserio said the Brooke County 911 Center is able to communicate with the West Liberty department through the Statewide Interoperable Radio Network but current procedure calls for the Brooke County center to first contact the Ohio County 911 Center if the department's assistance is needed.
Diserio said he'd like to see a protocol by which the Brooke County Center can dispatch the department directly while the Ohio County center would still be aware of it.
— Heard from state Del. Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock, who advised during their most recent session, state legislators considered additional state funding for ambulance services and volunteer fire departments.
He said to support that, a tax on fire insurance and the use of excess lottery funds were considered but failed to receive support before the session's end but he believes the issue will be revived in the future, with the lottery funds a more appealing option.
Zatezalo said he's shared concerns about Pot Road Road with state highway officials.
Last year, the commissioners met with Franklin Community Fire Chief Gerald McClain, who showed them a section of the road that's slipped along the adjacent hillside. The chief said while the state Division of Highways has tarred and patched the road, without permanent supports, it's only a temporary remedy.
Zatezalo said, "I realize that it is a dangerous situation. All it will take is a couple of storms and it will be back, I think, to the way it was."
Zatezalo was accompanied by state Del. Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, whom he applauded for informing other state legislators about the need to support $100 million in funding for an industrial access road for Form Energy.
The road supports plans by the company to build a battery manufacturing plant on former Weirton Steel property at the Weirton's north end.
Zatezalo said while Form intends to build on about 55 acres, the road will lead to another 845 acres that also could be developed and form a link to the also vacant Browns Island.
— The commission approved the promotion of Allison Cowden as part-time assistant Brooke County prosecuting attorney to full-time status in the position at the request of County Prosecutor Joseph Barki.
Bill Cipriani, a full-time assistant prosecutor for the county, has announced he will step down from the position.