Guernsey County commissioners will transfer ownership of the two “S” bridges in the county to the Community Development Corporation for future maintenance and repairs, if necessary, to preserve their historical significance.
“The CDC has offered to take the bridges and maintain them,” explained Commissioner Skip Gardner during a meeting with CDC Director Ron Gombeda, Prosecutor Lindsey Angler and Jennifer Zaayer of the prosecutor’s office.
“They are in a position to apply for grants and I think the one near Middlebourne actually does need some work. The one on Peter’s Creek Road is in pretty good shape. This will help us going into the future.”
Gardner advised Angler and Zaayer that commissioners would like to have a reverter clause in the contract with the CDC in the event the agency would cease to exist in the future.
“They’re historical to Guernsey County,” added Gardner. “If the CDC would somehow cease to exist, and we hope it doesn’t but we don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 20, 40 or 50 years, or they would cease to be maintained, they would revert back to the county.”
Gombeda did not object to the request.
Gardner said the Guernsey County Park Board is on board with the decision to transfer ownership of the bridges and surrounding ground.
The CDC currently owns a lot of the ground around both bridges and could be utilized at the Middlebourne location to create a park similar to the Peter’s Creek bridge, according to Gardner.
“We have not done anything with the Middlebourne area yet because we were waiting to see what the decision was (regarding ownership,” said Gombeda. “We have plans to put a park out there like Peter’s Creek.”
Angler said her office will draft an agreement for the transfer and provide it to the county commissioners for final approval.
Gombeda will present a motion to the CDC board at its upcoming meeting for approval to accept ownership of the two bridges.
Both bridges were built in 1828.
Funding for waterline projects
Valley Township trustees met with Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association Executive Director Jeannette Wierzbicki, Guernsey County Water Superintendent Jeff Alfman and commissioners to discuss potential funding options for the installation of waterlines along Cherry Hill and Banner roads.
Trustees Delbert Abrams, Mike Adamik and Jim Conrad advised approximately 28 valley township property owners — 18 on Cherry Hill road and 10 on Banner Road — have expressed interest in county water service.
Issues in the region include repeated demands to haul water due to wells drying up and sulfur-tainted water from wells and ponds impacted by old underground mines.
“You really would need to document the need for the water,” said Wierzbicki. “Document how many people are hauling water. How many people’s wells are impacted by the mining that has occurred.”
Wierzbicki advised the trustees that the first steps toward finding a funding source are completing income surveys for residents who live on the two roads and determining the cost of such a project.
“At some point, sooner rather than later, you are going to need to have an engineer prepare a certified cost estimate,” said Wierzbicki. “That will help us.”
The surveys will require residents place themselves in an accurate income range and list the number of occupants for the household to determine eligibility for grant funding, but will not require them to list the specific amount of income.
Potential funding sources discussed by Wierzbicki included Appalachian Regional Commission/Governor’s Office of Appalachia, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Public Works Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority; United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, and three Community Development Block Grant programs.
She also discussed ways to make an application for funding more competitive.
Any waterline project would need to be facilitated through the commissioner’s office, as trustees are prohibited from extending such lines in their respective townships.
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New business
Representatives of ICR Equipment Rental, Sales & Supply, a new business located on Georgetown Road adjacent to Interstate 70 in Cambridge, met with commissioners and county leaders to introduce themselves and offer their services for future projects.
“We have been in business for a while and we know what it takes,” said ICR General Manager Brandon Howell of the supplier that started in the 1900s as a “mom and pop” hardware store in the Bellaire area.
In addition to industrial, commercial and residential rental equipment, ICR stocks nuts, bolts, fasteners, apparel and other supplies as a complete jobsite outfitter.
Miscellaneous items approved by commissioners included:
- Roadway use and maintenance agreement with Ohio Gathering Company LLC for pipeline construction projects and infrastructure at the Jennings WLS GR pad located on Range Road (County Road 59). The route begins at Leatherwood Road (Ohio 265) and continues 1.59 miles to a temporary access road in Wills Township covering ingress to and egress from the oil and gas site including traffic necessary for the construction, installation, operations and on-going support of the site.
- Roadway use and maintenance agreement with Ohio Gathering Company LLC for pipeline construction projects and infrastructure at the Kroby Lateral pad. The routes include Lodge Road (CR 78) beginning at the intersection with Cadiz Road (U.S. 22) and continuing 0.08 miles to the intersection with the existing access road; Grapevine Road (CR 73) beginning at the intersection with Cadiz Road and continuing 0.25 miles to the pipeline crossing; and Anderson Road (CR 82) beginning at Cadiz Road and continuing 0.24 miles to the pipeline crossing covering ingress to and egress from the oil and gas site including traffic necessary for the construction, installation, operations and on-going support of the site.
- Right-of-way agreement with Ohio Gathering Company for a parcel in Wills Township covering approximately 183.33 acres.
- Mortgage satisfaction for six parcels.
- Division orders for the Beros SW unit operated by Utica Resources Operating LLC in Guernsey County.
- A $40,000 payment to assist the Cassell Station Volunteer Fire Department in purchasing a new ambulance
Guernsey County commissioners meet each Tuesday and Thursday in the County Administration Building at 627 Wheeling Ave. in Cambridge. Call the office, 740-432-9200, for more information or to schedule a meeting.
