Bellville Village Council held its regular meeting Tuesday evening during which they discussed costs of village projects. Prior to the meeting, council met at the wastewater treatment plant for a tour of the completed improvements as well as discussion of pending improvements.
Phase 1 of the wastewater treatment plant improvement has reached substantial completion, though final inspection by codes and permits is yet to be done, noted Village Administrator Chuck Pscholka in his report to council.
Phase 1 included masonry repair as well as work on the tanks including new lights and control boxes, flow meter, and a trash removal system, among other things.
The tour was led by Pscholka, Bellville Village Water/Sewer Superintendent Mike Hoeflich and Water/Sewer Operator Ty Bowers.
Phase 2 of the project will be two parts: 2A and 2B. Phase 2A will include the new BlueInGreen SDOX system, which will oxygenate the tanks, reducing odor and the amount of sludge, or solids, needing to be removed, said Hoeflich. In the current system, he added, 330,000 gallons of sludge are produced annually, but the current tanks can only store 118,000 gallons of sludge. As a result, tanks must be pumped and sludge hauled more than twice a year, he added.
The solids removed from the tanks are land-applied to local fields, but cannot be applied when crops or snow are present.
“That leaves April, a little bit of March, some October and November and that’s it,” Hoeflich said. The sludge must be tested for fecal and metal levels before application, and has always tested well below the maximum levels allowed, noted Hoeflich. “Believe it or not, there’s only 2 percent sludge in that tank. The other 98 percent is just pure water,” he said.
Phase 2B will include additional baffles for secondary clarifiers to help remove solids, tying the SDOX system into the digester as well as a Rota-Mix system and replacement of a lift station, said Pscholka.
Sealed bids are being accepted for Phase 2A until noon, Oct. 31. More information can be found at the website.
All improvements are projected to be completed by early 2016.
After the tour, council returned to the Bellville Police Station for the regular meeting in which costs for the project were discussed. Total estimated project cost for Phase 2B is $387,000, according to Pscholka’s report. He plans to request an Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) grant for $116,130 and an OPWC zero percent loan for $116,130, with the remaining $154,840 through an Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance (DEFA) or Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) loan.
Pscholka also noted he had completed an application for the village’s share of the state Route 97 widening project. The application will be presented by Bellville Mayor Darrell Banks to the Regional Planning Commission.
Among other items discussed, the village noted that Trick-or-Treat will be held Thursday, Oct. 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., to be followed by a Halloween parade along Main Street at 7 p.m.
The Christmas parade was also discussed. The parade will be held Dec. 6 at 11 a.m.
The village is currently seeking a certified police officer for auxiliary and part-time positions. Job description and application are available at the village police department.
The next council meeting will be held Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bellville Police Department 320 Bell Street, Bellville, Ohio. For a list of meetings and other information, visit the website.
