Posted on October 31, 2023
In attendance at the meeting was John Miller, area director for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development; Al DeAngelis, director of Buckeye Water District; John Blair, Dallis Dawson & Associates (engineers for Buckeye Water District and Village of Wellsville); Linda Weekley and Eddie Murphy, Wellsville Community Foundation; Jeff Cope, village administrator for Wellsville; Hoi Wah Yu, fiscal officer for Wellsville; Dawn Baker, Congressman Bill Johnson’s (R-6th District) office; Evan Scurti, senior development specialist for Omega (Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association); Wellsville Mayor Bob Boley; Columbiana County Commissioners Mike Halleck and Roy Paparodis; and several members of the Wellsville Village Council and River Valley Organizing.
Two specialists from USDA, Danielle Fry and Evan Kohler, joined the meeting online.
The Wellsville administration has been focused on finding a way to dredge the marina as the first step to restoring it to a functional marina.
Miller announced that the dredging, which was going to be the biggest part of the project to restore the marina, will be included in a project to be done by Buckeye Water District.
The district is in the process of applying to USDA Rural Development for a project that will be called the Route 39/10th Street Extension dredging project.
The project, which is being engineered by Dallis Dawson & Associates, will include water line extensions from Route 39 down to Route 7 to close a loop for Buckeye Water, so they have continuous flowing water throughout the system. The project will also include the removal of an old tank and two pump stations, and the clearing of the silt that has built up around the intake.
DeAngelis spoke on the funding for the project and thanked Baker for writing letters regarding funding.
DeAngelis noted as a result of the letters he is getting calls from different funding agencies willing to help out and see what they can do with funding of the project.
“I got a call from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and they are willing to do whatever we need to get that permit revitalized,” DeAngelis said. “They are going to take care of it.”
The district has to do some sampling for the EPA, which DeAngelis said is no big deal and they are just waiting on the sample bottles. Once the bottles come in, they will sample the silt, send the results to the EPA and go from there.
Buckeye Water plans to apply to the USDA and the Army Corps of Engineers for grants to complete the project. A total estimated cost is not yet available for the project. There are other potential funding sources also being looked into.
Funding sources being looked into include national funding, then state funding and then county funding.
In addition to the dredging, the village is looking into infrastructure of the marina with the installation of docks, security features and lighting at the marina. Wah has applied for a grant through the Land and Conservation Fund for this. The village has matching funds of $150,000 from a previous grant they received which can be used to match the funds from the Land and Conservation Fund if the application is approved.
Miller suggested a boardwalk around the marina where people could stop and get something to eat.
Wah noted that part of the plans includes possibly rennovating a concession stand and restroom at the marina.
Dallis Dawson & Associates will be preparing a cost estimate and some exhibits to go along with the applications.
In addition to the marina, attendees at the meeting discussed the strategic plan for the village and what the village considers a priority.
Murphy and Boley both said Main Street is the top priority and making it appealing to those coming into town since that is the first thing people see.
Boley said the marina is right behind that in regard to priority.
Kohler and Miller discussed various potential funding sources that could aid in revitalizing Main Street and bring in new businesses.
These projects are ongoing discussions and with grant application deadlines in February, meetings will continue to take place.
The next community meeting to discuss the marina and Wellsville strategic planning will take place Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. in council chambers in village hall, 1200 Main St., Wellsville.
