ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio – The Belmont County Board of Commissioners approved one of the largest road maintenance projects in Belmont County history Wednesday.
The commissioners held their regular meeting Wednesday morning and awarded SC Construction & Materials $1,435,375.80 for its bid for the Belmont County Engineer’s Project 25-2 2025 Chip Seal program. The company was the low bidder.
Franklin Schaefer, President of the Township Association for Belmont County, was present at Wednesday’s meeting and noted that this was the largest amount the county has ever invested in a chip seal project.
Citizen Richard Horn of Martins Ferry questioned the commissioners about any possible plans to reopen East Ohio Regional Hospital. Commissioner J.P. Dutton said that he and Commissioner Vince Gianangeli recently attended a meeting of the Belmont County Port Authority where officials discussed the matter. Dutton added that local officials are in ongoing conversations about EORH.
Commissioners also addressed personnel and travel matters for county workers.
They approved the hire of Kelsey Flading, full-time Human Resource Administrative Assistant for the Belmont County Commissioners beginning May 5. They noted that this is a replacement postion.
Commissioners approved two Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services workers to travel to San Diego, California from April 30 to May 1.
Commissioner approved a proposal from H.E. Neumann Company for $30,223 work at the Belmont County Jail to cut out the existing main sanitary sewer, which is damaged, and replace it with PVC piping. Workers will also replace floor drains in the men’s restroom and test the replaced sanitary piping before doing backfill.
They also entered into an oil and gas lease agreement with Ascent Resources-Utica LLC effective April 30, 2025 in the amount of $6,500 per net leasehold acre for 1.7315 acres located in Richland Township for a five-year term with a 20 percent royalty. The total payment amount is $11,254.75.
Commissioners will hold their next regular meeting Wednesday, May 7 at 10 a.m. in the Belmont County Courthouse.
