Villaget performing inspection of sewage system

SOUTH POINT — Ordinances to give raises to village police and to consolidate rules regarding mobile and modular homes had their third reading at South Point’s village council meeting on Tuesday and have passed.

Mayor Jeff Gaskin said the police raise, which was approved 5-1, will give a $2 an hour raise to officers and a $2.50 raise to supervisors.

Gaskin said this will break down to six patrol officers getting $2 and three supervisors getting $2.50. Police chief Chris Mahjer is not included in this ordinance.

Gaskin said this would make South Point’s police department the highest paid in the county.

The village’s mobile home ordinance came after 8 months of debate and being tabled multiple times. Gaskin said this will consolidate multiple ordinances governing mobile homes into one ordinance.

It passed, 5-1.

Gaskin discussed the water and sewer systems for the village.

He said there were 19 million gallons of water pumped in the past month and 22 million gallons of sewage.

“This is high and twice what we should be using,” he said.

Gaskin said the village, under direction of administrator Russ McDonald, has been using a camera system to inspect the sewage system.

He said they recently found a homeowner in village limits who had water leaking 20 gallons a month into the sewer.

The homeowner was unaware of the leak, he said.

Gaskin said the camera system will allow for mapping of the sewer and will allow workers to use GPS to calculate locations within two inches, making digging and maintenance easier.

He said, in the course of this project, the village had found a buried manhole cover, which was 11 inches below the surface.

Gaskin said the Ohio Department of Environmental Protection had recently inspected the village sewer plant.

“They were very pleased and found no problems,” he said.

Gaskin also gave an update on the village’s purchase of a 1928 fire truck, which was used by South Point in its era. Gaskin said work to restore the truck is proceeding and he expects it will be ready to display by the end of the year.

In other business, the council:

• Voted to give the police department $65,000 to cover payroll, due to back pay raises and overtime.

• Discussed the issue of invasive bamboo on Kitts Lane.

• Heard from the fire department, who received $134,000 from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency in the form of Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

The funds will be used to buy air packs, Gaskin said.

“They have a defined life and, after that, you can’t use them,” Gaskin said. “They can cost from $8,000-10,000.

Gaskin said the village’s fire chief, Mark Goodall, is also serving as chief for the Fayette fire department, who received a similar grant.