LISBON — In the last 10 years, more than 48 projects in Columbiana County benefited from the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement Program.

Commissioner Mike Halleck became curious recently about the work done in Columbiana County the last decade on the state’s dime through the program, which is up for renewal this year by voters statewide.

“Quite impressive,” he said after seeing the list.

For all those projects, Halleck said the county paid either nothing or a minuscule amount, noting there were a lot of worthwhile projects done. The list included waterline extensions, sanitary sewer lines and equipment system purchases in various communities and the county and lots of road improvements, including multiple years of the county’s multi-highway paving project.

Besides the long list for the county, there were projects for Buckeye Water District, Columbiana, East Liverpool, Salem, Wellsville, St. Clair Township, Leetonia, Lisbon, New Waterford, Salineville, Washingtonville, Washington Township and Yellow Creek Township.

BWD projects included Old Fredericktown waterline extension Phase 2B and Hibbetts Mill Road waterline replacement. In Columbiana, there was loan assistance for the water treatment system improvement, Southern Avenue and Camelot Drive rehabilitations and West Railroad Street renovations.

For East Liverpool, projects included the East Fourth Street historic preservation, Garfield Street retaining wall, a road slip project and road improvements on Jefferson, Webber, Jackson, Market and Broadway Road. In Salem, road rehabilitation projects included North Union Avenue, East Ninth Street and Eighth Street.

Wellsville projects included the reservoir dam repair and wastewater treatment plant improvements and New Waterford projects included several sanitary sewer replacements, waterline replacements and water plant upgrades.

Other projects in communities included: Columbia Drive and Midland Fredericktown slip repair in St. Clair Township; Leetonia water line improvements, Walnut to Chestnut; Market Street Bridge replacement and state Route 45 and Saltwell Road emergency sewer line repair in Lisbon; state Route 39 slip repair in Salineville, elevated water tank replacement in Washingtonville, Haiti Road slip repair in Washington Township; and Hibbetts Mill Road safety project in Yellow Creek Township.

Under the county, there were multiple street resurfacing and paving projects, along with the Calcutta Smith Ferry Road slip repair, Calcutta and Glenmoor flow meter projects, the bowstring truss bridge rehabilitation, McCoy Avenue pump station upgrade and the Guilford Lake wastewater treatment plant disinfection system replacement and sanitary sewer trunk line rehab.

According to the fact sheet about OPWC State Capital Improvement Program, the state relies on the sale of bonds which are paid off with existing state revenue to fund projects for local governments through grants and loans for infrastructure projects. More than $7 billion was invested for 19,000 projects across the state in all 88 Ohio counties over the 10 years.

The program is up for renewal this year by voters and would permit up to $250 million per year for the next 10 years to support the program.

In other business during the meeting, commissioners awarded the contract for the West Township storm sewer improvements project to H.M Miller Construction Co. of Mogadore for $328,605. The company submitted the low bid out of 11 bids the county had received to construct the project aimed at fixing a drainage issue in the Walker Allotment housing development off of U.S. Route 30 near Minerva.

Other bids included: Wenger Excavating, Inc., Dalton, $352,649; Yarian Brothers Construction, Columbiana, $354,384; Rudzik Excavating, Struthers, $375,995; TK Excavating & Concrete, Warren, $415,617; Ed Wilson Services, LLC, New Springfield, $425,420; DiPietro Excavating Inc., East Canton, $434,513; United Earthworks LLC, Deerfield, $449,583; Allison Contracting LLC, Wellsville, $489,685; J.S. Bova Excavating LLC, Struthers, $570,475; and S.E.T., Inc., Lowellville, $613,382.

Jason McDevitt, a design engineer with the county engineer’s office, said previously that plans call for replacing existing pipe and catch basins in the area, including increasing the size of the pipe. The Walker Allotment is located off of U.S. Route 30 outside of Minerva in West Township and includes several streets.

West Township Trustee Dale Lowmiller said recently that the township had $360,000 set aside that had been saved for the project, along with $50,000 the commissioners awarded the township from American Rescue Plan Act funding.

He said it’s likely the project will get started in the spring.

The commissioners gave county Engineer Bert Dawson permission to advertise for bids to replace guardrail on East Liverpool Road in St. Clair Township, with bids expected to be opened electronically at 9 a.m. March 19.

Commissioners also announced the annual meetings of township trustees, county engineer and commissioners will be held March 10 and 11, with each township given a half-hour time slot to discuss this year’s chip and seal program and other roadway issues.

In other business, commissioners authorized Columbiana County Drug Task Force Director Detective Jesse Smith to sign an application agreement with LexisNexis Risk Solutions for cell phone detail records.

The next meeting of county commissioners will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the downtown courthouse.

mgreier@mojonews.com