Hopedale works to repair alert system, seeks funding for road projects

Mayor Mike Pelegreen brought in a circuit board from the village alert system to show what went wrong, saying the board had become corrupted and diagnostic files indicated where the fault occurred. He said the village rejected a $1,000 repair quote and instead will have three circuit boards refurbished for $675.

Pelegreen said the siren is operating without glitches, but the village plans additional testing with the 911 center to ensure everyone is aligned on procedures.

He also shared a letter from the Ohio Department of Transportation regarding deteriorating sidewalls near the underpass. The agency told the village the repairs are the village’s responsibility. Pelegreen said the project could take up to two years or longer.

Separately, he said two applications were sent to Ohio Public Works for projects on Old Hopedale Road, where storm sewer issues at the railroad tracks have caused frequent flooding. One estimate is $124,525 with a local match of $30,780. The village will seek additional help from the Appalachian Regional Commission and possibly the Harrison County commissioners.

A second estimate for a retaining wall on Carson Street is $219,357 with a local share of $52,223. Pelegreen said he is crossing his fingers that one of the funding requests is approved.

During the discussion, Treasurer Denise Geanangel and Pelegreen attempted to clarify the submission process before Councilmember Willie Luther objected.

“We shouldn’t have selected somebody to submit for us without authorization,” Luther said.

Pelegreen said he contacted engineering firms in consultation with Harrison County Commissioner Paul Prevot. He was told the village needed two quotes from different firms, and the village accepted quotes from Quicksall and Diversified Engineering Inc. of New Philadelphia.

Council later voted to approve submitting the applications for the engineering work and the projects.