(Posted April 21, 2020)
By Josephine Birdsell, Staff Writer
The village of West Jefferson and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are looking to construct a second roundabout and bridge at I-70 and State Route 29.
The project is estimated to cost $14.1 million, $4 million of which West Jefferson is committed to paying.
ODOT developed the plans for the project, which aims to alleviate traffic in the village by allowing drivers to continue on I-70 past West Jefferson, instead of driving through town on U.S. Route 40.
The second roundabout will be on the east side of the intersection. Construction will begin in 2021 at the earliest, contingent upon funding.
The village plans to pay its share of the cost through several funding sources. Of the $4 million, $2.8 million will come from impact fees the village has collected from developers in the I-70/29 area. To cover the other $1.2 million of its commitment, the village plans to use tax increment financing funds and hopes to secure an Ohio Public Works Commission grant.
ODOT will cover $2.5 million of the cost using discretionary transportation funding.
Together, the village and ODOT are applying for a federal transportation grant to cover the remaining $7.5 million.
In other business, council approved an addendum to its contract to supply residential and non-residential building inspection services to the village of Mount Sterling.
Mount Sterling requested that the contract also include administrative assistance regarding new development, administration of floodplains, reporting to and advising the mayor or council about building, planning, zoning and development matters, and assisting with general operational matters of the village by request of the mayor or council. Mount Sterling is to pay West Jefferson $25,000 per year for these services.
Mount Sterling council discussed the contract addendum at their April 13 meeting and decided to table it.
West Jefferson council passed several other pieces of legislation at its April 20 meeting:
- appropriation of $150,000 to the capital fund for additional concrete work for this year’s paving program;
- authorization to have Bob’s Flat Work LLC replace curbs and gutters, a handicap accessible ramp, sidewalks and driveway approaches on Kirkwood Avenue at a cost of $110,000;
- adoption of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Policy, which covers all village employees except emergency responders;
- addition of a new chapter to its business regulation code that defines the procedures and requirements to register as a contractor in the village;
- authorization of a $1,000 donation from the village to “Madison County Vets to D.C.,” a program that will transport local military veterans by bus to see the war memorials in Washington D.C.;
- appropriation of two donations from Battelle to the general fund–$2,500 for tactical body bunkers (shields for police officers) and $14,000 for the summer Lunch & Learn program.
