COAL GROVE — The current phase of improvements to the water system in Coal Grove is nearing the finish line.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Mayor Larry McDaniel reported that only a few steps remain to be completed in Phase II of the village’s water improvement plan, which began in mid-May.

“There is a high service pump to change in the plant,” McDaniel said, along with a back wash pump and a breaker box to change.

Phase II of the project included replacing 6,000 feet of the existing 8-inch transmission line from the water plant on Riverside Drive to the 500,000-gallon storage tank on the hill near Lane Street. It will also replace the filter media in the iron and manganese removal filters, replacing a backwash pump and motor, replacing various valves in the plant and adding HVAC ventilation and exhaust fan work.

McDaniel said the new line has been in service for about six weeks. He also reported to council that there is a two-week window to file for another grant if more improvements are to be made. He suggested building a new water tank if approved.

Also at the meeting, Phil Roush announced that he wanted to quit his position of village zoning officer, which is a mayor-appointed position. Council accepted the resignation and McDanial thanked him for his service.

Roush declined to comment on why he quit. Roush held the position for nearly two years.

In other business of the village:

• Councilman Randy Wise made a motion for the clerk to again record the meetings using a tape recorder and that the tapes should be kept at least two years. Wise did not vote to approve the minutes at the beginning of the meeting.

“I feel we ought to have a tape recorder to have something to fall back on,” Wise said. The motion died for lack of a second.

Wise made the same motion at the previous meeting, but it died for lack of a second.

“There is as much or more detail in the minutes since she stopped recording (using a device),” said councilwoman Juelda Collins.

Village clerk Debbie Fields added that council gets the minutes in advance of the meetings and are able to review them for errors, which can be amended at the meetings.

Solicitor Mark McCown said that taped recordings are not official minutes, but what is approved at the meetings are the official record.

• Coal Grove Police Chief Eric Spurlock reported that for the month of September, there were 20 reports taken, three vehicle crashes, 74 tickets issued and three vehicles towed.

He also said that it would become mandatory that there would be no tobacco use allowed in police cruisers.

• Council went into an executive session citing an imminent lawsuit.

When council readjourned no action was taken.