HEATHER SMITH

Staff Writer

The Main Street Project is a go-ahead. Middlebourne residents could start seeing construction work being started by mid-July.

Clint Pifer from C and L Pifer and Associates of Parkersburg attended the Middlebourne council meeting on Thursday evening. He brought with him the layouts of the proposed work to be done on the Main Street Project in Middlebourne.

Council members, Doug Doak, Dave Myers and Rodney Miller were on hand to ask questions about the project. One concern council spoke of was the staggered yellow lines at the top of the hill coming into town. Pifer proposes taking out the steps in front of the Dollar General and making the lines all meet which would make a nice even flow through town. Council members voted unanimously to take out the steps and put a retaining wall there. The sidewalks will be standard concrete with bricks laid around them.

Another concern was the type of trees used. Council was concerned with the trees growing too fast and being in the way of the power-lines. Pifer was asked about putting in Crab Apple trees, which are fruitless, so there would be on leaves on the sides of the streets and the sidewalks. They also spoke at lenght about the style of light poles to be installed.

Pifer informed Mayor Gayla Fisher and council members that it will take a couple of weeks to get the bidding started for this project. Once this is done, construction could possibly begin in mid-July.

Pifer informed council that there are three phases to the project. Phase One will start with the corner of the Courthouse, and each phase will be completely finished on both sides of the street before the next phase begins.

In other matters, council members voted to accept the flood plain ordinance discussed at the last meeting. They also voted to elect Dave Smith, Treasurer, to the position of Municipal Court Clerk. Smith will handle all said fines and will be paid $100 a month.

“As my position of Treasurer, it is going to come through me anyway”, said Smith.

Smith spoke about the budget revision concerning retirement as well. He said that the rates have raised from last year and the final revision is due in late March.

He said that the water and sewage bill in Middlebourne will see an increase to be only about $3 extra a month.

Smith also asked the council to approve the purchase of a cover for the pipe frame that holds the cinder spreader. He stressed that it is getting weather worn from the rain and the snow and it would help protect the equipment.

“Since we spent that much on the equipment, let’s help it last a little longer”, said Smith. Council voted to purchase a cover for the pipe frame.

Tyler County residents, Bob Tippins and Mary Thomas, asked the Middlebourne Council to donate money to the Civil War monument to be placed at the Tyler County Courthouse. The donation was approved.

The next regular meeting will be held on March 8, at 7 p.m.