STEUBENVILLE — The director of Jefferson County’s Water Service District told commissioners Thursday he’s having trouble locating a responsible party to talk to about $32,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills at Briarwood Place.

Briarwood is an affordable housing complex owned by Columbus-based WODA Cooper Cos. WODA did not respond to calls, messages and e-mails Thursday afternoon, and a woman who answered WODA’s emergency repair number said that line is reserved for complaints about property conditions and hung up, even after being advised that a $32,000 unpaid water bill could lead to a termination of service which would, in fact, constitute an emergency for residents.

JSWSD Director Mike Eroshevich said he’s tried just about everything.

“We have tried going to their office multiple times, calling them, sending notices in the mail,” he said. “They started falling behind in January and haven’t caught up.”

Eroshevich said the complex has “made three payments since January.”

Eroshevich said he reached out to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which directed him to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, but so far has not heard back. He told commissioners he looked into “putting something on their property taxes” but was told he can’t do that until next year.

“Nobody is ever in their office,” he said. “I even left a business card with a maintenance employee once.”

Eroshevich said he’s going to meet with the assistant prosecutor to figure out what recourse they have.

“I don’t know if there’s something the courts can do, if they could put something on,” he said. “I’ll see what he suggests.”

Commissioners say it’s a “tough situation.”

“It sounds like the residents are paying but the business isn’t,” Commissioner Eric Timmons said after the meeting. “Thirty-two thousand dollars isn’t peanuts — hopefully, we can get this resolved without any escalation.”

Officials in other Jefferson County municipalities with WODA properties say they are current on their utility bills.

Commissioners also:

• Emerged from a brief executive session to approve the hiring of Samuel Allison as assistant facility supervisor, effective Tuesday.

• Signed contracts with Shelly & Sands for the contract with Shelly & Sands for the county Road 43 Ohio Public Works resurfacing project for $656,612, and for the county’s Community Development Block Grant resurfacing project for Bergholz and Springfield township for $161,993.

• Agreed to purchase a tranquilizer gun and two gun safes — one for each truck — for the dog warden. Dog Warden Chad Coil said the tranquilizer gun will be “beneficial to capturing dogs in the field,” explaining there were several instances in the past year where having access to one would have “allowed us to capture a dog quicker and safer.” The cost will be roughly $3,761.

• Authorized County Engineer Eric Hilty to proceed with a surplus equipment sale on GovDeals.com, including a 2016 Ford F-150 pickup, a 2014 Superior self-propelled broom, VHF two-way radio equipment, over-the-bucket forks set for a backhoe and a set of four Widelite High-by Lights.

• Tabled action, pending an explanation from the fair board, on a request for payment for work the water and sewer department did at the Jefferson County fairgrounds.