STEUBENVILLE - City officials and the Jefferson County commissioners signed a sewer service agreement Thursday for the treatment of sewerage from Pottery Addition.
City and county officials said the agreement is part of a new teamwork philosophy they hope expands into the sharing and regionalization of other services.
The $2.3 million Pottery Addition sewer project is nearly complete, serving about 110 households and businesses. Shannan Gosbin, county water and sewer department director, said the commissioners next week will be asked to send a letter to Pottery Addition residents informing them they have 90 days to connect their homes to the sewer system.
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SEWER SIGNING — Steubenville City Manager Cathy Davison signed the Pottery Addition sewer service agreement with the county commissioners on Thursday. Jefferson County Commissioners Thomas Graham, left, and David Maple also signed the agreement. - Mark Law
Sewerage from the community north of Steubenville will be pumped into the city's sewer system and treated at the city's plant.
The agreement signed on Thursday calls for the county to pay 10 percent less than city residents because the county will be maintaining the Pottery Addition system.
Steubenville 6th Ward Councilman David Lalich said the cooperation between the city and the county is good and shows signs of progress that both bodies are moving forward together.
County Commissioner Thomas Graham said both sides of Market Street have been talking about regionalization of services.
"This is the first step in that direction. We came to this historic agreement through negotiations," he said.
County Commissioner David Maple said the negotiations were "efficient and collaborative that showed different opinions and concerns." He said both sides worked through those differing opinions to hash out an agreement.
"The more we do this the more successful we can be," he said.
Steubenville City Council 1st Ward Councilman Gerald DiLoreto said he wants the city and county now to explore the possible regionalization of providing water to residents to reduce costs.
"We need to get together and forget the pride. I know it will be tough," DiLoreto said.
Graham said the more the city and the county can do together will benefit the taxpayers.
Graham said the city and county will hold a joint announcement on July 19 to name members to the newly formed port authority.
In other matters, commissioners were informed attorney fees for indigent criminal defendants totaled $37,639 in June. The county auditor's office reported the amount was again higher than normal. The commissioners will be facing placing more money in the indigent client account come September.
Commissioners signed an extension of an agreement between the county Job and Family Services and the Community Action Council to provide worker retraining for former Severstal workers. The contract will be extended through June 2013 to allow 15 workers to complete retraining. Twenty-one workers have completed the program through the CAC.
Commissioners agreed to take $7,500 from the county's computer fund to help pay for making microfiche records in probate court digital. Joseph Colabella, juvenile/probate court administrator, said oil and gas property record researchers are using the old microfiche records and some of the records are getting misplaced. He said the digital images will be sold to the companies doing the gas and oil property research.
Commissioners also:
Agreed to advertise for bids for a bridge replacement on county Road 47 at the request of county Engineer James Branagan. The engineer's estimate is $225,000. Part of the work will be paid through a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission, Branagan said.
Opened one bid for a county engineer's department slip repair project on county Roads 43, 47 and 55. The engineer's estimate was $140,000. Howard Bowers Contracting of Wintersville submitted a bid of $128,284.
Approved appointments and reappointments to the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board. Gerald Anderson and Rebecca Black, both of Adena, and Douglas Knight of Steubenville finished their first, four-year term and were reappointed for another four-year term. Linda Strizak of Mount Pleasant and Tom Timmons of Steubenville were appointed to their first term on the board.
