St. Clairsville City Council is hosting a town hall via teleconference Thursday, April 23 to allow citizens to listen in and ask questions about the town’s water system and its potential sale to Aqua Ohio.
The conference will begin at 7 p.m. and residents can call in to listen by phone at (740) 232-9309. Representatives from Aqua Ohio, along with engineer Jeff Vaughan from Vaughn, Coast and Vaughn will be able to answer questions. Vaughn has been instrumental in helping the city prepare a plan to remedy the issues the Ohio Department of Environmental Protection has with the town’s current water system.
Councilwoman Beth Oprisch noted at the April 6 council meeting that Vaughn would be giving his updated report at the town hall meeting, offering more details including potential cost estimates and other figures.
Council is hoping to learn which option works best, whether that be selling the system to Aqua Ohio, or investing some of its own money with the intent of purchasing bulk water off another entity, either Belmont County or potentially Martins Ferry. Members seemed to come to a consensus at the final March meeting that the way to go was to retire the reservoir and surface water system in favor of purchasing ground water in bulk. That was also Vaughan’s recommendation when asked by Councilman John Bukmir.
The Town Hall Process
When dialing in to (740) 232-9309 to join the conference call, listeners will need to enter the code 2794 to get into the meeting. Like council’s previous two regular meetings, the audience portion will be listen-only.
The caveat to that is interested individuals may submit any question they’d like, and those questions will be relayed to both Aqua Ohio representatives and Vaughn, depending on whom said question addresses. Those questions may be submitted between Tuesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 23 at noon to stevenovotney@yahoo.com.
The administration experienced success with its first two teleconference meetings and believes this is the best format for this town hall, given the pandemic and associated adjustments necessitated by it. It will also allow all wishing to be heard to have that opportunity, albeit in a remotely moderated format.
Third-Party Moderator
Steve Novotney, a valley native and well-known journalist across multiple platforms, was tabbed by city officials to be the moderator.
“When I was asked to moderate this town hall, I quickly accepted because this is a generational decision that will impact the lives of St. Clairsville residents for many years,” Novotney said. “Officials with the Ohio EPA have been very clear when offering their opinions concerning systems involving surface water, so the options need to be investigated and fully vetted by the residents so the council members and mayor know how to move forward with the support of the citizens. That is what Mayor Thalman pledged during her campaign and I am pleased to fill a role in that process.”
Novotney has been the leading voice in Ohio Valley radio since joining The Watchdog (98.1 FM WKKX and 97.7 FM WVLY) in April of 2007. Prior to a previous radio stint, Novotney was a professional journalist. Starting in May of 1991, he served as the sports editor at the Wetzel Chronicle, the Ohio Editor for the Wheeling Newspapers and finally editor of the Pirate Report from 1997 until 2004. In addition to his radio duties, Novotney runs LedeNews.com, a digital news outlet serving the Upper Ohio Valley since November.
He also has experience in moderating both meetings and debates, from candidate forums and public hearings to municipal political debates.
Novotney noted there is no limit on the number of questions residents can ask during the town hall, but that he will be observing the submission deadline. Mainly, this is being done in anticipation of an influx of questions, given the attention given to the issue during the 2019 election. After a new regime was selected by the citizens, a move was made to table an ordinance to sell the facilities to Aqua Ohio prior to its third reading.
Questions will be asked in the order they are received and, if some are similar in nature, they will be combined. In that event, every resident asking a that similarly worded question will have his/her name read prior to the question.
“That way, we will be able to search for as many answers possible so the people of St. Clairsville will be fully informed and capable of guiding the council members and the Mayor to make the decision most wanted by the citizens,” Novotney added.
