Wellman

Labor Day pushed the Wellman City Council’s regular Monday meeting to Tuesday, September 8.

WCRF grant

The council approved an application for a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant to renovate the city’s tennis courts and add two pickleball courts.

City Administrator Kelly Litwiller said the city selected the first proposed option, which would retain the existing tennis court lines while adding striping for pickleball.

“The first option would be to leave the lines in place and add striping, which is what I included in the grant application,” Litwiller said.

The application needed approval because the submission deadline falls before the council’s next meeting. Litwiller said the WCRF will likely decide on the request in November.

The project would also include a new black fence and a larger gate on the east side for equipment access. The area would remain fully enclosed to prevent vehicles from entering the courts.

If the grant is awarded, the city plans to provide matching funds using local option sales tax revenue.

Water main project update

Litwiller reported that the city’s water main project is 91% complete, although an official completion date has not been set.

Crews hoped to connect the remaining service lines and install the meters by the end of the week. Once those connections are completed, crews will return to clean up and repair affected lawns and driveways.

Officials also discussed removing redundant fire hydrants after the old water lines are capped and taken out of service.

The council approved the project’s pay application.

Part-time work for city employee

Public Works employee Jake Sanders requested permission to work part time for Stutzman Lawn Care for six to eight weeks after his regular city hours.

The council did not take a formal vote but agreed that Sanders could accept the additional work as long as his city responsibilities came first.

Other business

The council approved annual fund transfers for debt payments, Compass Memorial, water and bridge projects, senior dining, the skating rink, Parkside activities and future capital-equipment purchases.

Mayor Ryan Miller also provided an update on the Memorial project. “They’re expected to begin landscaping work next Thursday, and hopefully the granite will be installed by the end of the month,” Miller said. No completion date has been set.

Council member Shannon McCain also suggested constructing a sidewalk through the city-owned lot near DJ’s Casual Cafe.

“We discussed possibly adding a sidewalk through that lot and connecting it to the sidewalk across the road near Butterball, which leads to the skating rink,” McCain said. “That would provide a continuous sidewalk and prevent people from having to cross Highway 22 multiple times.”

Next meeting

The next Wellman City Council meeting will be held Monday, September 21, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.