LISTENING — Members of the Mingo Junction Village Council and Mayor Judy Ruckman listened as an individual in the audience spoke, during council’s regular session Tuesday. -- Christopher Dacanay

MINGO JUNCTION — Mayor Judy Ruckman reported Tuesday evening on various efforts to bring grant funds into the village for improvements.

During Village Council’s regular meeting, Ruckman told of the many “balls in the air” she has going on behalf of the village.

One of those efforts is her collaboration with CT Consultants. Recently acquired by Verdantas, the consulting firm is creating a market analysis and redevelopment plan for six Commercial Street parcels.

Ruckman said she and members of council met with officials from CT on Wednesday for a site visit. She added that officials with CT have provided her with legislative wording that, when passed, would authorize her to seek grant funding for the village’s storm/sewer separation project.

The project would see the village’s sewer drains modified to separate sewage and stormwater, preventing unnecessary flow to the village’s sewer plant. Work has already been completed to the west of state Route 7 but remains to be completed on the east side and downtown.

Village Council later passed as emergency legislation an ordinance authorizing Ruckman to “prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement or local transportation Improvement programs and to execute contracts as required.”

Ruckman said also that she’ll be traveling to an event presented by the Mayor’s Partnership for Progress at Ohio University March 6 that would see the village’s employee handbook reviewed and updated by legal professionals for free. Those updates would come before council for approval, Ruckman said.

Additionally, Ruckman said she’ll be in Columbus March 19 for a program at the Statehouse, where municipal leaders will be able to speak with state senators, state representatives or their employees to discuss opportunities.

“There’s a lot of opportunity out there,” Ruckman said. “I’ve just really got to keep working on going forward and obtaining it for us because there is money to be had, but it’s not easy to get. It’s competitive, so I have to stay on my game.”

In other business:

Council approved Village Administrator Darrin Corrigan to purchase a used utility truck for the water department for $4,000, down from the original asking price of $4,500. The vehicle — which has about 70,000 miles on its engine, all-wheel drive and no outstanding issues — would relieve the department, which is limited to a single truck after the other suffered engine failure. Corrigan said later that he’ll investigate possible repairs for the broken truck once the village’s budget has been finalized.

Corrigan said salt stores have been running low, and he’ll be ordering another 200 tons to get through the season, with the remainder rolling into next winter. Former Mayor Domenic Chappano advised the village to stop salting flat streets and focus on slopes in order to save salt and money.

Corrigan reported hiring a full-time mechanic for the service garage who brings a CDL license, expertise in diesel and regular mechanics and experience servicing the village’s generators through previous employment.

Ruckman said she’d contact property owners connected with dirt that council member Mark Baker said has entered South Commercial Street and become a nuisance for nearby residents.

Council member Adam Peeler said that, if residents find a streetlight that should be on but isn’t or is not functioning properly, then they should obtain the pole number and contact a council member, in order to have American Electric Power remedy it.

Council member Pat Cramblett said the village senior center’s recent euchre tournament received more than 16 players. Games will be held at 5 p.m. every Sunday.

Following a question from Councilman Jack Brettell, Ruckman said he village’s codified ordinances and other pertinent information have been turned over to a firm for updating, but the process is expected to take time.

Houston Sexton, owner of local pressure washing business S&S Softwash, offered to wash Aracoma Park’s playground equipment free of charge sometime in the spring or summer — like he did two years ago — and contribute his abilities toward any revitalization efforts in the village. Sexton said his goal is to “save the city some money” and “help revitalize.”