UPDATE SOUGHT — Frank Featner, standing, president of the Combat Support Group of Steubenville, and other local veterans sought an update from the Jefferson County commissioners Thursday on the planned dedication of a bridge in honor of Jerry Jackson, a Vietnam veteran who was killed in action. -- Warren Scott

STEUBENVILLE — The Jefferson County commissioners Thursday received an update on the installation of thousands of new meters for the county’s water customers, opened bids for a slip repair project on county Road 6 and heard from a veteran wishing to honor a fallen Marine.

The commissioners accepted an invoice, in the amount of $917,690, for initial work on a $9 million project involving the replacement of water meters for about 8,000 residential and commercial customers served by the county.

Johnson Controls of Cranberry Township, Pa., is the general contractor for the project.

The county has secured an $8.5 million loan from the Ohio Water Development Authority to replace aging meters currently used to measure customers’ water usage.

Mike Eroshevich, supervisor of the Jefferson County Water and Sewer District, said when the work is done, his staff and customers will be able to access daily readings from the meters online.

The move will eliminate the need for a staff member to perform on-site readings for each customer, a task that consumes about a week, he said.

Eroshevich said the new system is designed to indicate whether water use is the result of everyday household consumption or a possible leak and to expedite connection or disconnection for new or terminated customers.

Eroshevich said customers will have the option of receiving an automated phone call or text whenever service to their area has been interrupted.

He said customers with indoor meters will be contacted so an appointment can be made to replace those.

County Commissioner Jake Kleineke asked what will be done with the old meters.

Eroshevich said many will be scrapped, but some newer ones may be of use to municipal water departments.

He said later that nearly 3,000 of the current meters were no longer functioning.

In related business, Eroshevich said crews have been smoke-testing lines and have found some downspouts are tied into ground sewers.

Noting such connections are illegal because they result in the water treatment system needlessly processing rainwater, he said letters will be sent to customers advising them to remove them.

In other business, commissioners opened two bids for slip repairs along county Road 6 south of township Road 8 and about 2 miles from Adena.

Referred to County Engineer Eric Hilty, the apparent bids were: $122,268 from Ohio-West Virginia Excavating of Powhatan Point and $152,730 from Dennison Bridge of Dennison.

Hilty said the work will involve two slips, each in an area less than 70 feet apart, but one has caused some shifting under the roadway.

The county was awarded about $55,000 by the Ohio Public Works Commission for the project, which is expected to be done this fall.

Commissioners also heard from veterans in the Combat Support Group of Steubenville, who asked about efforts to honor a local Vietnam veteran through the dedication of a bridge on county Road 74 in the Goulds Run area.

Frank Featner, the group’s president, noted they had asked for the span to be named in honor of Jerry Jackson, a 1965 graduate of Wintersville High School who was killed, at age 20, while serving in the Marine Corps.

Aaron Dodds, project manager for the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, advised the commission a sign was ordered for that purpose but its shipment has been delayed.

Dodds said the sign, which will be purchased from a company that uses American-made materials, is expected to arrive in a few months.

Board President Tony Morelli noted the panel has formed a committee to explore honoring other veterans in a similar manner.

Jack Ernest, a member of the veterans group, said it’s willing to pay for the sign.

Morelli said he doesn’t believe that will be necessary because of donations the commission has received, but he will keep that in mind as they move forward.

Ernest told the commission, “We, as veterans of this county, want you to know how much we appreciate you.”

Also on Thursday:

• Commissioners agreed to pay $18,973 to Security Solutions Specialists of New Stanton, Pa., for five new doors for the county courthouse.

Patrick Boyles, the county’s maintenance supervisor, said the doors will have security features compliant with regulations for law enforcement data in the building.

• Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. asked for $25,000 from opioid settlement funds awarded to the county to purchase a vehicle to transport inmates from the county jail for addiction-related treatment.

The question arose as to whether the money could be used to purchase equipment, and the request was tabled.

• Commissioner Eric Timmons said he’s learned of a letter circulating regarding a senior citizens program based at Tiltonsville United Methodist Church that is misleading.

Timmons said the letter states the county commissioners have refused to provide financial support to the program, but the commissioners were advised it wouldn’t be legal for them to do that.