SOUTH POINT — The South Point Village Council voted Tuesday to authorize Mayor Jeff Gaskin to begin the process of applying for an Ohio Public Works State Capital Improvement grant.

Gaskin said the funds would be used for storm drainage projects in the village, particularly in the Billie Joy Drive area.

He said this would also address the issue of surface water infiltrating the sewer system, which has to be treated by the village.

The council voted 4-0 in approval.

The council also voted to pass the 2019 budget for the village.

Gaskin pointed out that it differed little from the previous year’s budget, with less spent on sewer improvements.

The budget passed unanimously by all present.

In other business, the council:

• Voted to set trick or treat time in the village for 6-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 30.

• Heard from village solicitor Randy Lambert, who said he has been working with council member Mary Cogan on a proposal for dealing with overgrown lawns and other issues.

Lambert gave the council a rough draft of his proposal, based on Ironton’s policy. He said this would allow village workers to cut grass when it got excessive and put the cost on the homeowner’s taxes.

He asked the council to look over the proposal and decide on possible ways to improve it and adapt it for South Point, as well as how to adopt it into law. Members said they would talk about it more at the next meeting.

• Heard from village administrator Russ McDonald, who said work continues on the sewer clarifier replacement project, which he expects to be completed by the end of December.

He said one of the clarifiers is finished and work is set to start on those remaining.

McDonald said the village’s water system treated 20 million gallons of water for the month and that no breaks have been reported.

• Heard from police chief Chris Mahjer, who spoke of two notable cases his department had been involved in.

The first, he said involved a woman who had been receiving threatening calls, made from a burner phone. Mahjer said they were able to serve search warrants to providers and trace the call to an individual who had been using his IP through the phone.

The other call, he said involved a burglary in which a teen was at home and reported someone had entered the household in the night. Mahjer said that, after investigation, the suspect was identified as Michael Hankins, who was recently arrested in a suspected stalking case at Marshall University in Huntington.

• Heard from fire chief Mark Goodall, who reminded those present of the pancake breakfast, set for the fire station at 8 a.m. Saturday to raise funds for the firefighter association. Goodall said these funds help pay for prevention and education efforts in area schools, such as the smoke house, a simulator that teaches children how to evacuate a burning home.

Goodall also advised homeowners to replace filters in furnace systems as cold weather approaches and to keep carbon monoxide detectors up to date.