Mayor: Well 2 rehab underway, water tower financing in progress; staffing gaps and pond work noted

Mayor Abdella updated council on ongoing infrastructure work, grant activity and staffing.

She said engineering will begin on the Well 2 rehabilitation and that a rate analysis presentation had been completed by EDG to inform next steps. The city is working with RCAP to complete pro formas for financing a water tower; the mayor and clerk indicated the tower is ready to go out for bid but they are waiting on funding.

The mayor reported low completion rates for lead service line surveys and asked council members to help collect responses within their wards; she said a strategy session is planned before Sept. 1 to improve survey participation. On street work, she said ODOT will address surface issues on Rt. 50/7 near the city line and noted a recent tar spill was handled promptly and the area was reseeded.

She also reported several grants: ODOD funds requested/received for the pond ($100,000), an H2O Ohio grant for valve-exercising equipment ($10,000), and a PEP grant for an AED for the council chambers ($1,000). Mayor Abdella said the pond contractor (Dirt Works) completed the pond and the street crew is working to fill it cautiously.

In public comment, Rita Lowe raised concern about funding for two open positions (police and wastewater). The mayor said there is funding for one vacancy and that funding for a second position would require a re-appropriation.

The mayor's updates set a short list of administrative follow-ups including the lead-survey strategy session and continued work on financing options for the water tower.