A lot has been done in the city of Martins Ferry the last two years, even with the pandemic putting its damper on things.
Progress is being made. Life and business, are moving forward and expanding. But more work is ahead, and while much has been done, there are still issues needing to be rectified.
Sunday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m., residents will be able to gather to hear all about what’s been accomplished and what’s on the docket, as well as have time to air their own concerns.
That’s because Mayor John Davies and city leadership are hosting a town hall meeting that night at the recreation center inside the second-floor gymnasium.
“I want to be able to talk with the citizens, talk about what we’ve done the last two years and what we want to accomplish the next two years,” Davies said. “Plus, I want to receive their input, see if they have any complaints, and if there’s anything that needs to be addressed so we can address it.”
Speaking of the recreation center, things have been going well since the city took ownership of running the facility. Usage is up, as is what’s offered.
“The rec center has been going well,” Davies said. “Most of the updates are complete, and we’re waiting on the second batting cage to come in.
“The YMCA is using it on the weekends for basketball, and a chiropractor has rented a space for his office.”
Davis and Service Director Andy Sutak have been opening up the rec center on Monday evenings for kids of all ages.
They can enjoy a light dinner, and then play dodgeball, kickball, whiffle ball, or some other team sport, together.
“The (police) chief will stop down too and play with us,” Davies said. “It’s open to kids of all ages.”
Davies noted he’s still in talks with a number of non-profit organizations, from Project Forward, the Lions Club, and the Civics about the splash pad for the pool, upgrades to the park itself, and other plans.
The city organizations and city leadership itself are teaming together to keeps these improvements coming.
“We’re getting a lot of support already and I think for others, once they see things really starting to materialize and start happening, they’ll get on board,” Davies said.
Meters, Backorders, and Snow Removal
Last summer the city ordered $649,000 worth of new meters to be installed at the city’s water customers. They are on backorder and have been since the summer. So, the city, and consequently, the city’s water customers wait.
As batteries on the meters have failed, they’ve lost the ability to be remotely read by the meter readers. In response, East Ohio Regional Wastewater Authority, which handles the sewage treatment portion of the customers’ water bills, put on an extra charge.
Davies said that, on top of the previously estimated charge, there’s an additional charge of $6:30 that bumped the amount to $11.38.
“We went down to EORWA and explained our concerns, and we’ve yet to get the official notice, but I was told by one of the board members that they’ve given us until May to rectify the situation.
“Our meters likely won’t be (in) by May, so we’re putting a program in place to make sure the meters get read.”
One, if the customers are able, they are being asked to call in their meter reading. Two, if needed, city workers can come to the customers’ homes and teach them how to read the meter themselves and call in that order.
If that’s not a problem, Martins Ferry city workers will come and read the meters as necessary to alleviate this issue.
“We’re trying to make the best of a bad situation,” Davies said. “If we changed our entire system, that would cost $2 million and I’m not willing to put that burden on the people for that update.
“We will get these meters read, one way or the other. If need be, we will put another shift on, either noon until 8 p.m. or 1-9, whatever is necessary.”
No matter the shift, Davies knows his workforce will be ready to meet the challenge.
A case in point is the previous snowstorm. Martins Ferry city workers got out ahead of the storm, which began with ice and eventually changed to snow, dumping upwards of 10-12 inches on some portions of the Upper Ohio Valley.
Having pretreated the roads prior to the ice, Martins Ferry crews were able to keep up with the increasing accumulation, keeping the roads clear and able to be driven upon.
Some crew members worked 20-straight hours.
“I can’t say enough about our workforce,” Davies said. “Some worked 20 straight, and that’s without a lunch break or anything, to get that done. Nobody complained, and when they finally wore down, we had people from the water department come in and help us out.
“The city came together in our time of need and did what they needed to do.”
