Village will now charge $75 for service

SOUTH POINT — The South Point Village Council voted on Tuesday to set a $75 fee for residents to have water service turned off.

According to village administrator Russ McDonald, too many residents had been requesting crews to come out and turn off water to homes for matters such as leaky toilets and sinks.

“It’s become a big problem,” McDonald said.

The council voted 5-0 to set the rate, which Mayor Jeff Gaskin said is still lower than the $150 fee of surrounding water companies.

“This was something we were doing for free, that no one else around us was doing,” Gaskin said.

In other business, the council:

• Voted for Gaskin to begin the application process to try to receive funds from Congressional money set aside to states for transportation enhancement projects. The village is seeking funding to put in sidewalks along Solida Road and Park and Ninth streets.

“It’s well worth it,” council member Bill Patrick said, noting that many walk in the road in those areas. “So far no one’s been killed, but we need to get people off the street.”

• Heard from police chief Chris Mahjer, who discussed the need to raise fines for citations.

Gaskin asked Mahjer to put together a proposal to be considered at next month’s meeting.
Mahjer also said the clerk position in the department has been filled.

• Heard from McDonald, who said the clarifier project on the sewer plant is complete and that work will begin soon on a generator project.

• Heard from fire chief Mark Gooddall, who said no accidents have been reported in the roundabout at the Solida Road interchange since it opened to traffic last week.

He said the department welcomes the opening, as it will cut down response times for crews.

He said his department hopes to acquire a new truck in the coming year and is seeking grants.

• Set the monthly meeting time for 2019 for the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

• Hosted an organizational meeting prior to the regular meeting, in which projects were discussed.

Gaskin again said the council needs to think about the need to replace the village’s aging water lines, which date back to the 1950s.