WELLSVILLE — The village of Wellsville could receive some much-needed help through the federal government as it has been nominated to become a nationally-designated Opportunity Zone.

That announcement was made by Mayor Nancy Murray during Tuesday’s Village Council meeting, as she mentioned the state nominated the village to be awarded the designation, following a notification received from Columbiana County Economic Development Director Tad Herold at the end of March.

Opportunity Zones are community development programs, established last year by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which look into long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities throughout the country. The programs give a tax incentive for businesses, dependent on that community’s census tracts, which in turn allows the businesses to invest in these communities.

Each state nominated communities that would be eligible for these zones, following recommendations made by county officials.

Murray said the village submitted information for the opportunity zones two weeks ago.

“They have selected us, which would be a great opportunity for Wellsville if it comes to pass because it would be a lot of funding for businesses, federal funding and tax breaks,” Murray said.

The village, the mayor said, will find out in the near future if it is receives the zone status.

Meanwhile, village administrator Marcus Dalrymple reported village officials met with county engineer Bert Dawson last week to look at the concrete pads along the truck route at Clark and Aten avenues, which village officials have stated are in bad shape.

Murray said they met with Dawson to see if the village could receive additional funding to replace the route. She said Dalrymple will be looking into applying for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which, if selected, the village would look into replacing the concrete pads.

In other business:

— Wellsville Fire Chief Barry Podwel presented the fire department’s monthly call report, reporting the department handled five calls in March. As of March 31, the department has handled 22 calls in 2018. Those March calls were an alarm drop at Daw Elementary, a structure fire, a car into a pole resulting in wires down, a transformer fire, and a power outage from the transformer fire.

The March 2018 count was one report lower than March 2017, although the department is up in total calls for the year, as 17 calls were handled at this time in 2017.

— Council approved the meeting’s list of invoices, which totaled $5,538. Read by Fiscal Officer Hoi Black, invoices were for Campbell Signs to purchase “$250 fine” signs totaling $66; two invoices from Carquest for two-cycle oil and a case of 10W30 oil ($93) and for a ocket to pull blades off the mower ($16); Dallis Dawson and Associates for a survey of the village marina ($4,170); Law Enforcement Systems for photo line-up folders for the police department ($60); O.S. Hill International for an alternator for the dump truck ($165); Office Depot for cards for evidence for officers’ pictures ($200); Red Diamond for police patches for uniforms ($600); and Sherwin-Williams for paint and supplies for two pump stations ($170).

— Council approved an ordinance establishing the wages and conditions of the police chief and lieutenant, and also repealed a previous ordinance. The repeal falls in line with previous ordinances passed over the past month which also changed the establishment of wages and conditions of police officers, full-time firemen, and other village employees.

The next village council meeting is scheduled 6 p.m. April 17 at Village Hall.