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STEUBENVILLE -- Water and Sewer District Director Mike Eroshevich submitted his annual listing of delinquent accounts to Jefferson County Commissioners recently.
At Thursday's meeting, Eroshevich said a total of $25,929 is outstanding -- $10,818 on the water side $15,111 overdue from sewer customers. All are what he described as "older" accounts, pointing out the district does between 65 and 70 disconnects every month.
In order to collect on those long overdue accounts, Ohio Revised Code requires the department certify the outstanding amounts to the county auditor. Once the auditor has that information the debt amount is added to their property taxes.
"Over the years we've found that (by then) folks have transferred the property to someone else," Eroshevich said, telling commissioners a lot of the delinquencies are in the Mingo Junction/George's Run area.
"Some of them are very old," he continued. "One of them is like $1,600. We have some folks down in George's Run who've never paid their sewer and by the time it goes to (the auditor)" it's changed hands.
Eroshevich said they've worked out an agreement with Mingo Junction officials "that if they're delinquent on sewage, we can shut off the water."
In other business, commissioners:
• Were informed that Prime Time intends to ask them at a later date to put a replacement levy on the March ballot.
• Awarded the 2023 pavement marking contract to the low bidder, Aerow-Mark Co., for $118.498.96. The engineer's estimate was $136,330.
• Designated Auditor E.J. Conn and Treasurer Ray Agresta to sign all documents related to the termination of three trusts -- McCollough Children's Home Trust, the John Pearce Trust and the Hazel Weber Fund -- as long as Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Blake has no issues with the termination documents.
Commissioners had petitioned the court to terminate the trust in 2019, pointing out, "It was not within the anticipation of William G. McCollough in 1911, John Pearce in 1907 or Hazel Weber in 1952 that there would no longer be orphanages for poor and homeless children." In that petition, commissioners had argued that Jefferson County "is now legally bound to provide funding and services to dependent, neglected or abused children, and the need for private funding to support (them) has dramatically changed as a result."
"I thought this was taken care of long ago, but apparently the money's just sitting there," Maple said, adding that the funds will be segregated and be spent only in approved ways.
• Referred the only bid submitted for the purchase of three new cruisers to Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. for his recommendation. TEAM Automotive quoted a price of $47,165 for 2023 Ford Explorers.
• Will lease a new mail machine from Quadient Leasing USA for roughly $559 a month. The new system comes with e-certify capability, expected to save the county roughly $5,800. The current lease is expiring.
• Will pay Randy McCain Professional Painting $2,800 to paint the outside recreation area at the Juvenile Detention Center and United Electric of Wheeling, $7,780 to furnish and install two uninterruptible power supply units.
• Accepted the resignation of their assistant clerk, Stacy Conaway, and agreed to advertise for her replacement. The job will pay $32,000 a year. Conaway accepted a position at the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District.