STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Commissioners said Thursday they’ll look into a temporary fix that could help rural businesses in the Adena/Mt. Pleasant area dealing with ground wells that have run dry because of prolonged drought conditions, but a long-term solution will be just that — long term — because they already have “eight or nine petitions” for water line extensions on their wish list.

“Obviously we want to help if we can (but) we have lots of areas that want water throughout the county,” Commissioner Tony Morelli said, pointing out line extensions are not cheap “and cost is always a factor.”

County officials said it costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million a mile to extend a water line, depending on the terrain.

“And because the areas are rural, you may only get 10 to 20 customers in that mile,” said Water and Sewer Service Superintendent Mike Eroshevich, who was asked to see if there’s anything they can do to help residents in that area.

Commissioner Jake Kleineke said the terrain in the area where the businesses are located is particularly challenging. “They’re high elevation properties, 1,200-1,300 feet above sea level, and the wells are probably about 300 feet deep,” he said.

Kleineke said there’s not much that can be said or done until Eroshevich has a chance to talk with the affected property owners “to find out what we can do to alleviate the problem.”

“It’s an issue, it’s a bad issue,” Kleineke said. “And even though we’ve gotten a lot of rain this year, our aquifers are taxed due to the drought conditions we’ve had over the last two years, really. We’ve had spring rains but long, dry summers.”

“Hopefully we can come up with a solution,” Commissioner Eric Timmons agreed, saying he feels for any residence grappling with drought-induced water shortages.

“I’m more concerned with a short-term solution for the businesses and residents,” Timmons added. “The list (in need) is long in the county with big price tags.”

Eroshevich said he’ll follow up with the businesses pleading for relief “to see if I can help in any way.”

“But lately there’s been a number of people with wells that have dried up,” he added. “It’s a growing concern.”

Commissioners also:

— Authorized Jobs & Family Services to hire Mr. Rooter to correct clogged sewage pipes at their facility on John Scott Highway. Reno Tarquinio, JFS finance and social services administrator, told commissioners only two companies of the many companies they reached out to responded to their request for price quotes and Mr. Rooter’s quote–just under $24,000–was several thousand dollars lower than the competitor’s.

“There’s a serious blockage in there,” he said.

— Told Eroshevich he could proceed with auctioning off surplus equipment via GovDeals.com, the same online auction site the county engineer previously used.

— Agreed to send a letter of opposition to “any policy that would automatically lower property taxes as a result of fund balances reaching a certain threshold” to state Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta.

Indian Creek School Superintendent T.C. Chappelear, representing a coalition of rural and Appalachian schools, said while Indian Creek “is the healthiest, maybe, it’s ever been,” others aren’t as fortunate.

Chappelear said a proposal has been floated to cap school districts’ cash carryovers at 30 percent of general fund expenditures. While it might reduce millages in one year, he said the next they’d be increased to get the carryover back to that 30 percent level. He also said 30 percent of the general fund balance in actuality “isn’t that much money,” adding that the legislation would punish school districts for being fiscally responsible.

“Such a policy would undermine the autonomy of local governments and ignore the prudent financial planning that many school districts have exercised to prepare for future capital needs, economic uncertainties and fluctuations in state funding,” he wrote. “A one-size-fits-all approach risks penalizing fiscal responsibility and could jeopardize the long-term stability of local educational systems.”

He said he’s not opposed to “transparency and accountability,” however, and would support legislation that requires the county budget commission to conduct an annual review of school district cash balances that exceed 30 percent, saying an annual review “would allow for a more nuanced understanding of local financial conditions and provide a more balanced framework for oversight without stripping local districts of the flexibility they need to serve their communities effectively.”

He said local control is “a long-standing value held by rural Ohio counties,” pointing out the community is best positioned to understand and address those needs. “Imposing state-level mandates that override local decision-making not only erodes trust but also disrupts the careful balance of governance that has long defined Ohio’s commitment to home rule and responsible stewardship.”

“Not only are school districts against this, a lot of people think this is the wrong idea,” Chappelear said. “Everybody agrees something needs to be done about property taxes but this is just not the right way to do it.”

— Were told the engineering department recommends awarding the contract for the township Road 472 bridge repair to Ohio-West Virginia Excavating Company. Bridge Engineer Kara Bernhart, however, pointed out the project is federally funded and the contract cannot be signed until they get federal authorization to proceed.

— Reappointed Kevan Brown, I.B.E.W. Local 246; John Fayak, Dunlope-Shorak Funeral Home; Nicholas Cacciacarro, PNC Bank; Anita Petrella, JB Green Team; Marc Manheim, Opportunities for Ohioans for Disabilities; Karla Martin, Jefferson County Educational Service Center; and Clint Powell, Laborers Local 809 to the Workforce Development Board. Their terms will expire June 30, 2027.

— Gave Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles permission to hire Cattrell Companies, Toronto, to install a solenoid valve and water level sensor to the fountain outside the Tower building on Market Street.

Boyles said the add-ons “will automatically add water to the fountain as the level goes down due to evaporation or from wind.”

Cattrell said it could do the work for $4,600.