WELLSVILLE — The Buckeye Water District (BWD) Board of Trustees approved a resolution during Thursday’s meeting to adopt modifications to the BWD’s fee schedule and designating termination dates.

The fee for non-payment termination/reconnect flat fee will remain at $75, and the fee for non-sufficient fund/returned checks/ACH insufficient funds will remain at $40. The meter tampering fee is set at $250.

Termination dates for 2026 based off bills due on the 20th of each month will be approximately one month after the due date of the unpaid bill. For example, an unpaid bill which was due on Jan. 20 will have a delinquent notice mailed out on Jan. 28 with a due date to avoid termination of Feb. 20. The termination date will be Feb. 24 if not paid.

For bills due on the fifth of each month, an unpaid bill which was due on Jan. 5 will have a delinquent notice mailed out on Jan. 13 with a due date to avoid termination of Feb. 5. The termination date will be Feb. 10 if not paid.

This applies to bills that are 30 days overdue and over $50.

Due dates and termination dates can vary month by month due to holidays or other conflicts.

Charges for termination fees will be assessed when the disconnection is processed and posted on the morning of the scheduled termination date. Even with a tag to pay the bill within 24 hours, the disconnection fee will remain on all accounts not paid prior to the disconnection being posted.

There will not be any extensions or payment plans honored or available on past due accounts and payment plans will not be available for anyone who has defaulted in the past on a payment plan.

A resolution adopting a corrective action plan, approved by the State Auditor’s Office, relative to tax assessments and accounts from the BWD’s utility billing system to more accurately reflect the BWD’s financial statements was also adopted.

The resolution also authorizes and instructs appropriate officers to take action as appropriate to implement and carry out actions set forth in the corrective action plan.

During the public portion of the meeting, a Wellsville resident addressed the board inquiring why she was responsible for paying $800 for a dropbox/meter when the problem was at a neighbor’s house.

Board President David Dawson explains that when work was done at the neighbor’s house it was discovered that the two residences shared a water line and that can’t happen because each property is required to have their own separate water line and meter.

District Manager Al DeAngelis noted that both she and the neighbor were splitting the cost of the installation of separate meters, and they both were being charged the $800, and they would set up a 12-month payment plan for it.

In his report to the board, DeAngelis said the BWD has received correspondence from the Army Corp of Engineers saying they would be issuing the permit for dredging the area of their intakes at the Wellsville Marina within the near future.

He also said the number two filter at the water treatment plant has been realigned, the trees at the Oakmont tank site have been removed, the BWD has met with Arcadis concerning the lead line survey and a list has been compiled of the assessment which will be forwarded to Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and that the BWD has had the river intake, both reservoir intakes and the discharge intake inspected and there were no deficiencies.

DeAngelis said the Ohio State Auditor is still conducting the 2023/20244 audit and the distribution crew repaired four leaks and 1 tap.

Minutes from the previous meeting, the operations, treasurer’s and district manager’s reports were all approved as presented.

There were no bid openings, committee reports or project reports, and no old or new business.

The BWD Personnel Committee will meet on Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Buckeye Water District Water Treatment Plant, 17547 state Route 45, Wellsville, for the purpose of discussing the discipline of a public employee with an executive session to be held.

The Buckeye Water District Board of Trustees meets the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. in council chambers at Wellsville Village Hall, 1200 Main St.. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Dec. 18.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com