LISBON — The Columbiana County Health District recently received a $20,000 mosquito grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Plans call for using half to host a tire collection event later this year and half for education, mosquito dunks, which can be used to kill mosquito larvae in standing water, and screen repair kits, according to district Environmental Director and Public Information Officer Laura Fauss.

“We’re excited about that,” she said.

Fauss talked about the grant during a meeting of the health district board, which accepted the grant.

During her report, she also notified the board that two public springs, one along the bike path and one on state Route 39, both tested unacceptable for bacteria levels. She advised the public should not drink water from the two springs and signs will be posted telling them that. If water is collected from the sites, it should be boiled for at least 5 minutes before being used.

Fauss said that Health Services Administrator Amanda Amato reported there was a bat that tested positive for rabies in the Salineville area. There had been human contact and that person had already started rabies exposure treatment before the test results from the bat were available.

Anytime there’s a possible exposure to a bat, the bat should be tested for rabies. That’s something the health district can do, test the deceased animal. Caution should be used around all wild animals, which should not be kept as pets.

Testing is also available for non-human exposure animals such as road kill or a raccoon acting strange in the yard. Animals must be deceased for testing and the carcasses can be brought to the health district office located in Lisbon.

A rabies vaccination clinic is scheduled next month on July 25, with more details expected soon.

Amato also reported receiving updates from the Ohio Department of Health from the Centers For Disease Control regarding hantavirus, a disease carried by rodents, and on ebola. No cases of either were here.

Fauss reported the health district received a letter notification regarding a plan for a Black Road property to be used for a scrap tire recovery facility. Notification to the health district is part of the EPA approval process.

In matters related to Water Pollution Control Loan Fund contracts, no bids were received for group 5, so the project was put out for bids again, with new bids due on Wednesday, June 16. Fauss updated the board on a previous contract that wasn’t completed as of the meeting date after already being granted an extension. Possible remedies if the project wasn’t done by a new deadline in June included legal action, forfeiture of the performance bond and an assessment of liquid damages for each day the project isn’t completed.

The contractor had four homes to do for septic repairs or replacements, with two in each contract.

In other action, the board issued two board orders, with one issued to Robert Berdine, Maple Drive, East Liverpool for an address on Seventh Avenue, East Liverpool to abate a sewage nuisance from sewage backing up in a basement and surfacing outside. He was ordered to replace the sewage treatment system. The other board order was issued against Melisa Clark and Nathan Nunamaker of Darlington, Pa. for an address on state Route 517, Columbiana, for an unmaintained swimming pool holding stagnant water and for a collapsed septic tank. They must treat or drain the swimming pool and replace the collapsed septic tank. Fauss said this case had already gone to court once, with fines of $100 each issued.

Board members questioned whether there could be any other consequences.

“We’re just following state rules. Everything we cite is state code,” Fauss said.

The board also: renewed the East Liverpool Health Department agreement for services regarding septic and well permits effective June 2026 through Dec. 31, 2029; approved the Tiffany Breast Care (Mahoning Valley Imaging) agreement for ultrasounds and mammograms, for $120 per mammogram and $70 per breast for ultrasound screenings; renewed the lung scan agreement with East Liverpool city hospital through July 31, 2027 at a cost of $203 per lung scan; extended the Great Lakes Community Action agreement through Sept. 30; approved a branding and marketing plan; updated the personnel policy manual; and updated the environmental health policy and procedure manual.

In personnel matters, the board made a hire for an environmental health sanitarian in training to replace Logan Barna, who resigned for another job, but that person decided against taking the job, so Fauss said the department will look at other candidates. The board is also advertising for the job of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator since Donald Schrader III resigned due to moving out of state.

The board’s next meeting is 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.