WINTERSVILLE — A street entangled in a legal battle a few years ago could become an official roadway for the village.

Wintersville Council Thursday supported the planned dedication of School Street, a 600-foot stretch of roadway that extends from Fernwood Road to Jefferson County Christian School and the former Lifeline Hospital.

The school had filed an injunction against use of the road by Landmark Recovery, a company that had planned to open a drug rehabilitation center in the former hospital.

The motion alleged the street was a private access road to the school and the hospital had never gotten permission to use it.

But Landmark Recovery dropped its plans to use the building, and the issue appeared to be moot.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Village Solicitor Jake Linn said an independent law firm has secured support for the road to become a village street from all owners of property along it or abutting them.

Linn confirmed the consenting property owners include Jefferson County Christian School and the present owner of the former hospital.

It wasn’t clear if the owner is still 200 School Street Owner LLC, a holding company in which the property was named at the time Landmark Recovery had eyed it.

Linn said there are more formalities ahead before the road becomes the village’s.

Mayor Mike Petrella said the village has agreed to accept the road with no conditions though the intention is to maintain it for public use.

In other business, Village Administrator Jesse Kosegi told council he and staff with W.E. Quicksall and Associates, the village’s engineering consultant, met with officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation recently to discuss plans for a $1.9 million project that includes paving Cadiz Road from the intersection state Route 43 to Park Drive and replacement of a main waterline along the mile-long section of highway.

Kosegi noted the village has raised local funds it can contribute to $216,000 and is hopeful it can obtain funds through the Ohio Public Works Commission for the remainder of the project’s cost.

He said Petrella has sought support from state Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta, and state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, while letters of support have been received from other state and local officials.

Kosegi said $400,000 in ODOT funds has been secured by the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission for new sidewalks, with handicap-accessible curbs, on the west and east sides of that section of highway.

The village has allocated $40,000 for that project.

In other business:

• Council recognized members of the Indian Creek High School girls basketball team for an excellent season in which they emerged OVAC champions for the third consecutive year, won the East District championship for their division and Buckeye 8 Championship and were regional qualifiers.

In addition, their coach, Steve Eft, was named East District Co-Coach of the Year, while senior member McKenna Scott was named East District Player of the Year.

• Kosegi confirmed, following the meeting, that council approved, at a special meeting last week, a contract for Muni-link to provide billing software services compatible with the village’s new radio-read water meters.

The contract calls for the Bellwood, Pa., company to receive $17,000, including setup costs, for its first year and $8,000 for each following year.

Plans call for the village to make online billing and payments available to customers through the new system once it’s been implemented.

• Petrella said the village will apply for a grant from the JB Green Team to purchase three picnic tables, one for the Walnut Street Park and two for the new dog park behind the Village Building.

Councilman Carmen DeStefano asked if another table could be obtained for the gazebo at Winters Drive and was told that was possible, but it would require village funds.

Councilman Jason Mattern suggested grants may be available through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for another table.

• Petrella said the Shaheen Law Group of St. Clairsville has indicated a party is interested in leasing village property for natural gas drilling, but he didn’t know which property.

He said the law firm was hired to represent the village in the possible leasing of its property for that purpose.

• Petrella said Deb Carney will be retiring after 31 years at the Village Building, many of them as its water clerk, and will be greatly missed.

Mattern agreed, saying she has been very helpful whenever he needed assistance.

• Kosegi said garbage routes collected on Wednesdays and Fridays will be done a little later because one truck will be assigned to them as a cost-saving measure.