WELLSVILLE – Council President Keith Thorn said during Tuesday’s meeting of the Wellsville Village Council that he believes since there is an ordinance in place on tipping fees the village needs to start enforcing those.

Thorn said he understands that some of the companies donate toward maintaining the roads, but a lot of them do not.

Council Member Bill Taft said there is only one company that does. Thorn responded that it’s not right for one to pay and everyone else to get off free so since the ordinance is there, he feels it’s time for the companies to provide their manifest and send in the payment and if they don’t there will be a $1,000 fine.

Fiscal Officer Hoi Wah said that she checked and discovered she has to request from the county a special revenue fund to impose tipping fees. Council decided to have legislation drafted to give Wah the authorization to apply for the additional revenue fund to deposit collected fees in.

Once the legislation is passed and the fund is created the enforcement of tipping fees will go into effect.

Wellsville Mayor Bob Boley said the dust is bad in that industrial area and that the companies are supposed to be sweeping and watering the roads but several of them don’t and the potholes on those roads are bad.

Bills totaling $792.36 were approved for payment.

There was no legislation to vote on.

Wellsville Fire Chief Barry Podwel said nice weather is coming and noted that the burn ban is now in effect. There is no burning within the village per an ordinance the village has in place and for surrounding areas such as Yellow Creek Township. There is to be no burning between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. This is a statewide ban. Podwel also noted that he was informed in a forestry class he attended recently the area is still in a drought.

Village Administrator Jeff Cope said he realizes the potholes in the village streets are bad, but they have not been able to get patch material. He said he hopes to have some next week and be able to get started on patching the holes.

Boley said there will be no parking on Main Street June 23 as there will be a street sweeping company coming in to sweep the street. He also said that paving on Main Street from the bridge to Third and Main streets will begin in May.

Wah said she completed the February bank reconciliation.

Thorn said he has been in contact with John Gamble, the village solicitor, regarding the building code and Gamble is going through it and has some questions on it. Once it’s done it will be ready to vote on. Then they can begin building inspections.

Council Member Aaron Smith said with the cemetery not making money, the village might want to think about selling it as an option.

Council Member Ryan Burgess said the semi-trucks and large garbage trucks going up and down the alleys could damage the sewage lines under the alley ways and he wants to find a way to put a weight limit on the alley ways or have the trucks go another way.

Council Member Cindy Mick said she, Burgess and Smith toured the sewage plant last week and one of the things she found interesting was a consent order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) years ago. She noted everything on the consent order was complied with except an I&I (Inflow and Infiltration), where rainwater goes into main sewer lines. Mick said she feels the village should see if they can find a company to figure out where it’s leaking into the sewer system and get out from under the EPA’s consent order.

Taft noted there was about $800,000 in the sewer fund and suggested the village get an engineering company to evaluate all the sewers and see what kind of plan they can come up with for fixing the issues.

Thorn said he agrees with that, and the sewers do need fixed starting at one end and work the way through. He also noted it may take a number of years to get it all taken care of. He also said there are some residents that are having sewer problems.

Wah said there are grants that can be applied for to help with this, but a plan would be needed first. She also said anything EPA related they do has a better chance of getting a grant, because it is something that has to be fixed.

Taft also said an engineering study would be needed to get a grant and he believes the village has enough money for an engineering study.

Karen Dash said Eyes on Wellsville will be holding an Easter egg hunt on April 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Hammond Park.

The Wellsville Village Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in council chambers at Wellsville Village Hall, 1200 Main St.. The next regular meeting is scheduled for March 18.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com