PAVING PROJECT DISCUSSED — On Thursday, Wintersville Council received an update on the Cadiz Road paving and waterline projects. -- Warren Scott

WINTERSVILLE — With state funding approved for the paving of Cadiz Road, village officials are looking forward to that and other improvements, including a major waterline replacement, along the road.

On Thursday, Village Administrator Jesse Kosegi told Wintersville Council he expects to sign documents for the funds on July 1 for the project, which could begin next May or June.

A $1.9 million Ohio Public Works Small Government Grant has been awarded to pave a mile-long section of Cadiz Road from its intersection with state Route 43 near the Wintersville Kroger to Park Drive.

Kosegi said the project also will include the replacement of school zone lights and signs near Indian Creek High School and 10 hydrants along the road.

The Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission also has secured a $400,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to replace sections of sidewalk along the road and create handicap-accessible curbs at each intersection.

The village has committed $40,000 for the local match required of that grant.

For the paving project, the village will contribute about $1.4 million from local funds and low-interest state loans it has secured.

Plans call for the project to coincide with the replacement of a mile-long waterline beneath a westbound lane of the road.

Kosegi said the waterline was installed in the 1950s when the Big Lots plaza hadn’t been developed so businesses there are served by the county, and he’s looking into funding to extend it to them and the village’s corporate boundary at Springdale Avenue.

Mayor Mike Petrella said earlier that paving of Cadiz Road is overdue, and he and other village officials are looking forward to the project’s completion.

He thanked Kosegi for securing the OPW funds and council, local business owners, the Jefferson County Commission, state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville and state Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta; for their support of the grant application.

In other business, council approved $1 increases in the hourly wage for nine members of the public works department and $3 increases in the hourly wage for six patrolmen in the police department.

Ordinances for the increases will be considered at council’s next meeting at 7 p.m. June 5.

Petrella said a five-mill levy for the police department supported by voters last year has ensured there’s money for the increases for the patrolmen.

The move was made at the recommendation of council’s finance committee, which is chaired by Pennie Scarpone.

Councilman Carmen DeStefano said it’s hoped the increased pay will help the village to retain employees.

Councilman Randy Spence noted the increase for the patrolmen will bring the hourly wage for them up to $22.

In related business, Kosegi said the village will purchase about $3,890 in uniforms for its public works staff while reducing the clothing allowance provided previously for clothing and boots to $150 per employee to be applied toward the steel-toed boots required of them.

He said the move will save the village $110 per year.

Also on Thursday:

• Kosegi announced village crews will be patching areas of Main Street between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. next week. He said drivers on the street are asked to proceed with caution and local police may be recruited for traffic control there.

• Petrella said during the summer months, council will reduce its meetings to one per month, with each held at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month unless otherwise announced.