STEUBENVILLE — The Wellesley Avenue resurfacing project will likely get under way in mid- to late July, Engineer Mike Dolak reports.

NLS Paving of St. Clairsville was recommended as the contractor, bidding $527,000 for the job — nearly $80,000 under the engineer’s estimate of $604,000. The project entails paving Wellesley from University to Franklin, Franklin to Carnegie and Carnegie to Belleview.

Because grant funding is involved — $299,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission — the work cannot begin until July 1, after the state’s new fiscal year begins.

“We won’t enter into contract until (after) July 1,” Dolak said. “Since there’s OPWC grant funding involved, they work on the fiscal year and their fiscal year doesn’t start until July 1, so they’ll start work after that — it probably won’t be until mid- to late July, weather permitting.”

He said the new surface is much needed.

“Wellesley has reached the end of its useful life, it’s in need of resurfacing,” Dolak said. “It’s a $527,000 project — luckily we received an OPWC grant to cover 48 percent of the cost. It’s needed resurfacing for some time now.”

Funding for the city’s share of the price tag comes from Steubenville’s 0.7 percent income tax revenue. About $500,000 of those funds are allocated for the city’s asphalt resurfacing program.

“That levy is up for renewal this year, it’s critical for us,” Dolak said. “It helps us fund infrastructure projects related to roadways.”

In other business, the city’s new parks and recreation director is tentatively slated to begin work in the next week, a development officials say is timely as City Manager Mike Johnson reports an uptick in vandalism.

“We’ve already had a soap dispenser ripped off the wall at Murphy Field and a faucet ripped apart in Belleview Park,” he said. “When I was on council (years ago), people were using the Pleasant Heights bathroom, sleeping and doing drugs. I’m going to bring up locking (them) again because vandalism is out of control in just one weekend.”

Interviews for police chief “should probably get started in May,” Johnson said. Incumbent Police Chief Ken Anderson will be leaving in July, he said.

Johnson said all four SPD captains could apply if they choose.

“And there may be someone from outside who applies, but my preference is to get someone from within (the department),” he said.

He said a Wintersville man who owns property with a boat sitting in the front yard for eight years has been told to move it or the city will.

“I’ve been told there are animals living inside the boat,” he said, adding the resident was given 15 days to remove it from the property.

Johnson said the boat violates several city ordinances.

“We are going to move forward,” he said. “It is going to cost us some money — obviously we’ll have to tow that boat out. I don’t know where we’re going to put it, but we’ll tow it out, then put a lien on the property” to cover towing costs and employee wages.