Wintersville Council was having a dog day
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WINTERSVILLE -- Dogs were a recurring subject at Tuesday's Wintersville Council meeting, with the panel giving its blessing to a new K-9 unit for the police department and moving forward with plans to establish a dog park near the Village Building.
Village Police Chief Lou Vandeborne asked for the public's help with the K-9 unit, adding anyone interested in making a monetary donation for a K-9 unit should call (740) 264-43953 or stop by the Village Building at 200 Grove St.
Following the meeting, Vandeborne said it will cost about $15,000 for the dog alone, with other expenses to include training for the canine and officer and related equipment.
He said plans call for Patrolman Justin Barbetta to be paired with a Belgian Malinois named Rexy, with training through Tri-State Canine Services of Warren eyed for August or September.
Formerly the chief humane agent for the Jefferson County Humane Society, Barbetta had expressed interest in serving in that capacity when he joined the police department in August.
Vandeborne noted the department has employed other K-9 units, with officer Shawn Gegich, former officer Jesse Kosegi (now village administrator) and former Chief Art Fowler each handling police dogs.
He said K-9 units "create a safer environment for citizens and law enforcement alike, helping to preserve peace and deter crime. In the past, K-9 units have helped to intercept large amounts of illegal narcotics, assisted with locating and seizing large amounts of drug money and helped officers discover various illegal firearms used in violent crimes."
He added, "They've assisted in tracking down wanted fugitives and individuals attempting to flee from crimes in progress."
Vandeborne said the unit also will be available to other law enforcement agencies and government entities, including schools, which may benefit from its training in searches for illegal drugs, firearms and explosives.
Also on Tuesday, council approved the allocation of $10,000 in recreational funds from the Jefferson County commissioners to begin work on a dog park behind the Village Building.
Kosegi said the funds are expected to be used for fencing for the park.
Mayor Mike Petrella said with the help of state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, the village has secured $100,000 in state Capital Budget funds for the project.
He said plans call for it to include separate areas for large and smaller dogs, drinking stations, a walking patch and possibly in the future, an obstacle course.
Petrella said water lines for the park will be extended from nearby restrooms.
The restrooms are part of a 13-acre lot occupied by playground equipment donated to the village by the Indian Creek Local School District.
The dog park is seen as the first in a proposed series of improvements to the park, with an amphitheater, pavilion and man-made pond, possibly used for paddle boating and fishing, also eyed for the site.
Petrella said a proposed splash pad has been ruled out at this time because of the expected costs involved.
He said the village continues to work with the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District on its part of an application to the state's Appalachian Community Grant program.
The Jefferson County commissioners have paired representatives of several communities with county agencies to pursue up to $70 million from the program for multiple projects.
On Tuesday, Councilman Jason Mattern expressed his excitement over the projects, which he said were discussed at length during Monday's finance committee meeting.
"Right now, this council is in full-go mode when it comes to enhancing recreational opportunities," he said.
In other business:
— Council approved the use of a $5,000 grant from the JB Green Team to purchase benches. Petrella said the village will purchase several benches, including many for bus stops along routes for Steel Valley Regional Transit.
— Council agreed to expend up to $15,000 for a concrete pad for a planned gasoline tank to fuel the village's vehicles. Village officials said they expect to see a major savings through purchasing gasoline in bulk, as the village does with diesel fuel.
Kosegi said he's preparing to seek bids for the double-walled tank.
— Council accepted a bid of $61,380 from A&A Safety of Cleveland for four portable, solar-powered traffic signals to be used in work zones affecting the flow of vehicles.
Kosegi said the signs will be funded with a $40,000 grant awarded by the state Bureau of Workers' Compensation for expenses supporting worker safety and village funds.
— Petrella welcomed two new businesses to the village: VetEquip, a national supplier of materials used by veterinarians, and Empowered Yoga, a yoga studio run by Amanda Gill.
— It was announced council's next meeting will be moved to 7 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Village Building and its finance committee will meet there at 6 p.m. Aug. 8.