WELLSVILLE — When looking back on 2022, Wellsville Mayor Bob Boley feels that while much was accomplished in the village during his first year as mayor, there is more work to do in 2023.
When asked for last year’s major accomplishments, he listed the completion of the reservoir project; negotiating the razing of a dilapidated Fourth Street building; making progress on getting a Third Street building declared a nuisance; negotiations with Scout Solar on capital improvement projects; and the long overdue paving of the Tenth Street hill.
The reservoir really stood out.
“That was a $1 million project with both ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency),” Boley said. “We had no choice. We were fortunate enough that we were the first and only to have this done and they (ODNR and FEMA) were banking on us to pave the way for them to do more like that.”
The project to ensure the safe breach of the dam on Little Yellow Creek, was completed at no cost to the village. It was fully funded through a Height Hazard Potential Dam grant for $502,000 and an Ohio Public Works grant for $455,998.
The demolition of the building at 400 Main St., is expected to start within the next week with funding help from the Columbiana County Landbank. Crews have begun to bring in heavy equipment and barricade part of the road in preparation to begin work.
According to Boley, the building which was purchased by the village at auction is falling down and a safety risk.
The Third Street building –which is falling in –is approaching nuisance status. Once the building is declared a nuisance by the courts, the village can seek bids on having it torn down.
The installation of solar panels via contract with Scout Solar, of Tempe Ariz, has saved the village money on electric bills, according to Boley. The village will have several capital improvement projects completed at no cost to them through this agreement.
“We will be the first in the state of Ohio to have solar power,” Boley said. “We hope there are going to be a lot of eyes that come to Wellsville from other areas to see what we are doing.”
Boley is hopeful that the panels will also benefit the village by bringing in people from other areas to see how the process works and in turn spend money in the village while they are there.
Solar panels will be installed at the waste sewage plant, city hall and at the current site of the Jim Kenny Center, which will be torn down.
“This is going to be huge for us,” Boley said. “This is free stuff. I have approached them about giving us electric in solar at the cemetery, at the new garage which is still not completely finished.”
The village–through a $50,000, Appalachian Ohio grant –has also hired a consulting firm which is working on studies through surveys to find out what people want to see in the village.
One of the items Boley said he is most proud of is getting the Hometown Heroes military banners hanging through downtown.
Projects completed include the Veterans’ Memorial on Riverside, which was partially funded with grant money, and the cleanup and removal of trees and weeds from the area.
“It’s very attractive when you go back in there now with the picnic area done” Boley said of the riverfront. “There’s new tables in the pavilion and new grills.”
The garbage behind the village garage was hauled away by a local church. Proceeds from that was used to send seven children to church camp, according to Boley.
Work in the cemetery was another project taken on by the village in 2022.
Boley said the project is still a challenge as the work was never completed. But the roads throughout the cemetery were all graveled and the new memorial was completed. Work is ongoing to complete the garage in the cemetery.
The village saw some staff and operation changes in 2022. Boley had only been in officer for a month at the beginning of the year and the previous village administrator resigned and was replaced by Jeff Cope in April.
“He has been a huge plus to me,” Boley said. “He has saved us a ton of money on equipment and he is not afraid to ask for help to get things fixed>”
As for the budget, the village is going into 2023 with a carryover of $2.5 million, which includes the $800,000 in the General Fund.
“We are spending, but we are spending smart,” Boley said.
There were no notable cuts or changes to the budget with the exception of the three levies for police, fire and the reservoir passing resulting in slight positive change.
According to Boley, his goals and projects planned for 2023, include: finding a way to get the unsafe building on Third Street torn down; completion of the gazebo; paving the business section; and stopping the negativity in the village.
Major projects/goals planned for 2023:
Work has started on the downtown gazebo which is undergoing a complete overhaul. It is hoped that it will be completed by Memorial Day.
The village will be receiving grant money for the paving of Main Street from Third Street to the library. Boley would like to see –if the funding can be found –ABOUT possibly paving Main Street from the bridge uptown down to S.R. 39 at the end of 17th Street.
The biggest project that needs to taken on is filling in the holes in the reservoir created by rodents burrowing. The village is currently on the Army Corp of Engineers inactive list until the holes are filled in. What this means is that if the floods, the Army Corp of Engineers will not help the village until the work is done and they are back on the active list.
Boley would also like to see the village cleaned up. He believes cleaning up the dumps, stopping the negativity around the town, securing additional grant and paving Main Street are the beginning steps to attracting new businesses to town.
“It’s been a challenge. I have learned a lot,” Boley said. “The main thing is making Wellsville a safe place and a place that people want to call home.”
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