BWD approves salary increases for all employees | News, Sports, Jobs

WELLSVILLE — Following an executive session to discuss personnel matters at Thursday’s Buckeye Water District board meeting, trustees voted to give all district employees a raise salary of 4 percent on their base salary as of December 29.

Additionally, the Finance Manager who will now assume Compliance Officer responsibilities and be known as Finance Manager/Compliance Officer will receive a $2 salary increase for the additional responsibilities, also effective on the 29th. December.

Trustee Timothy O’Hara announced Thursday’s meeting was his last meeting with the board.

O’Hara said it was a sad day for him.

“I went to the commissioners and asked them to reappoint me, and I talked to several commissioners, and they seemed hesitant for some reason, I don’t know why, to reappoint me,” » said O’Hara.

O’Hara went on to say that he wrote a letter to explain everything that was going on with the BWD and that he had a lot of new projects coming up and that he had been on the board for 19 years and that he had served faithfully all the time with an unblemished service record.

“I understand that the commissioners named someone from the engineer’s office, which is potentially a conflict of interest and that will likely be questioned and investigated,” » said O’Hara. “I leave the district with one request: Please run the company responsibly and fairly. Do not undo the progress that I and those who came before me have made.

According to a previous news article, commissioners appointed East Liverpool area resident Nicholas Wise to a six-year term on the Buckeye Water District board on Dec. 4, replacing O’Hara d ‘East Liverpool.

Wise serves as Superintendent of Utilities for the Columbiana County Water and Sewer Department through the County Engineer’s Department, managing daily operations and administering, reviewing and inspecting several community expansion and rehabilitation projects. ongoing public services in the county.

He wrote in a letter to commissioners that his experience would prove beneficial to the county and board.

Commissioner Tim Weigle said sometimes it’s good to change board members.

When asked if the appointment of county employee Wise constituted a conflict, he said “To our knowledge, this is not a conflict.”

He acknowledged that the late Roy Dray, who previously worked as chief engineer for the county engineer’s department and the water and sewer department, also served on the BWD board.

District Manager Al DeAngelis told the board in his report that the district will meet with representatives of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to discuss an asset management plan and backflow prevention .

He also said the district had obtained the necessary easements for the Hibbitts Mills water line expansion project and that the district would be relining another filter at the water treatment plant , which will take three to four days once the filter media is received.

DeAngelis said Dallis Dawson and Associates is preparing to submit the PER to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the State Route 39, 10th Street Extension Project, and that RCAP is currently conducting an environmental investigation for the project.

RCAP will begin asset management in early February.

DeAngelis said trustees are scheduled to meet with Yellow Creek Township to discuss what roads they will demolish in the township and how they will rehabilitate them and that he plans to meet with Township Trustee Kenny Biacco .

Also in his report, DeAngelis said the county engineer informed the district that the county would be proceeding with a competitive bidding process for the County Road 430 project, which will involve relocating a portion of the water lines of the district, at no cost to the district. An inspector will be provided by the district during construction for which bids for the project will open on January 29.

The distribution team installed a tap and repaired two leaks.

The Treasurer’s Report, Operations Report and District Director’s Report were approved as presented.

The Buckeye Water District Board of Directors meets the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. in the boardroom at Wellsville Village Hall, 1200 Main St. The next regular meeting is scheduled for January 16.

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(Editor Mary Ann Greier contributed to this story)