SOUTH POINT — A third and final reading was held last week on a resolution to allow the Village of South Point to vacate streets and alleys that are no longer in use.

The council voted unanimously to pass, with member Brad Adkins absent.

The council also passed a resolution giving the Ohio Department of Transportation consent for widening the Solida Road roundabout.

Gaskin said this is being done to accommodate larger trucks from The Point industrial park and that he has been given assurances that there will not be any closures to the intersection, unlike its lengthy shutdown when the roundabout was constructed.

Gaskin also informed the council that the village has moved early, as soon as Gov. Mike DeWine announced his infrastructure budget.

“Within an hour of the signing, we were on that $250 million,” Gaskin said. We want to be first in line for a shovel-ready project.”

The council also heard from Linda Main, of People for the Point, who thanked the village for the renovations over the spring on the community center.

Main said the first rental for the building since its completion was on June 26 for a family reunion and she said it’s new accessibility helped an elderly family member to be able to enjoy the event.

Village administrator Russ McDonald spoke about the installation of meters on water customers outside of village limits.

“This is not an idea or something that the mayor or council has pushed for,” he said, stating that water usage needs to be curbed. “I’m the one pushing for meters.”
He said he is acting on advice from the state Department of Environmental Protection and that customers need to pay for what they use.

Fire chief Mark Goodall spoke about the Independence Day weekend fireworks, for which the village collaborated with Kenova, West Virginia, as well as the city of Catlettsburg and the Boyd County Fiscal Court in Kentucky.

Fireworks were set off from a barge on the river between the locations.

“You could hear crowds all around from the barge, cheering,” he said. “It was pretty amazing.”

Gaskin commended Goodall and said he was the key person in organizing the event.

Council member Mary Cogan also informed the gathering of an upcoming event with Impact Prevention, which will take place at the village park on July 20.

It is aimed at at-risk children and will teach them about nutrition, health and safety.

Cogan said police and EMS will be on hand to work with children and there would be games, food trucks and other activities.

“Everyone is welcome,” she said.