Jefferson County commissioners deal with sewage backup
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STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County Commissioners are dealing with their second sewage backup at the Justice Center in less than a year, both of them intentional.
This time around, Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles said they were lucky: An employee saw sewage backing up in a sink in the juvenile detention area and sounded the alarm -- otherwise, he said, the damage could have been much worse.
"We got there around 7 p.m. Monday and worked on it until it was open, and everything was cleaned and disinfected by around 11:30 Tuesday morning," he said. "It was a sleeve from an adult suit from the fourth floor. Our maintenance person, along with RotoRooter and myself were able to remove it and then clean the rest of the blockage with a snake. The quick response from the county maintenance department, RotoRooter and James Cooper of Fort Steuben Maintenance prevented a situation that would have been a lot worse."
Boyles said this time around, damage was minimal -- in the $5,000 to $6,000 range, which includes the after-hours assistance from RotoRooter, Fort Steuben Maintenance and Apollo Pro Cleaning and Restoration.
In 2023 an inmate flushed a jumpsuit down a toilet on Memorial Day weekend, flooding the sheriff's department and causing $50,000 and $60,000 in damage, commissioners said.
With a $2,500 insurance deductible currently in effect, commissioners opted to cover the repairs and cleanup out of their emergency fund rather than file a claim.
"Actually, it's infuriating to me that we have to use taxpayer money to pay a bill for just some criminal activity," Commissioner Eric Timmons said. "It's just frustrating to me. We've got to do something so that doesn't happen again, it's expensive."
Commissioners, Dave Maple and Tony Morelli agreed something must be done, and soon.
"We've got to take some corrective action so it doesn't keep happening," Maple said. "I think commissioners can kind of look at the building itself, which is problematic to begin with, but we can also look to see if the department's down there making sure that vandalism and attempts to vandalize are held at a minimum. It wasn't as bad as the first (time) but we've got to find some corrective action we can take."
Morelli said they were lucky it wasn't a repeat of the 2023 sewage backup, "when the sheriff's department, the whole first floor, got flooded."
"We talked about maybe some procedural changes that might help, but it's poor design," Morelli added. "The building's been a loser for the county since it was built -- you have offices down below and you have a lot of restrooms right on top of them. That's about as far as we can go right now, see if some procedural mechanisms can help alleviate it."
Morelli said they were lucky
"What our people did is pretty huge, they stayed all night. And we have some awesome contractors," he added.
Commissioners also signed off on the first labor contract for employees at the School of Bright Promise, who are now represented by Ohio Federation of Teachers/American Federation of Teachers Local 6608. The three-year agreement covers 28 full- and part-time intervention specialists, aides and support professionals and will take effect with the 2023-24 school year.
Developmental Disabilities Director Mike Zinno said there'll be a 3 percent cost of living adjustment in the second and third years of the agreement.
Commissioners also:
• Accepted Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District's annual report, which highlighted several programs and initiatives, including repairing or replacing home septic treatment systems for income-eligible residents, a stream debris removal pilot program, a limited soil testing service for agricultural producers and growers, its urban stormwater/water quality program.
• Approved requests for Memorial Day expenses submitted by Adena American Legion Gilbert Koontz Unit 525 for $500, and the Richmond Community Historical Society for $100.
• Scheduled the second of two public hearings required before the Regional Planning Commission submits its application for Community Development Block Grant funds for 10 a.m. May 30. The grant application is due in June, Regional Planning Director Betty Lou Tarr said.
• Signed off on the planning commission's Program Year 2024 Community Housing Impact Preservation program, contingent on state funding.
• Approved contracts with Jefferson Landmark Inc. of Bloomingdale and Petroleum Traders Corp. Fort Wayne, Ind., for purchase of 87 octane gasoline and No. 2 ultra-low-sulfur (on highway) diesel fuel for the county engineering department.
• Agreed to cover a $44.43 increase in the price of the ARPA-funded body cameras for Jobs and Family Services employees. JFS originally was approved for $50,000 in ARPA funding for the cameras, but submitted a pricing update for $48,150 but the vendor's pricing was updated since the original quote.
• Recognized May as Foster Care Month and Fraud Awareness month. Jobs & Family Services employees said they currently have seven foster families in Jefferson County, with another 10 on the way to certification. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact JFS at (740) 282-0961.