BARNESVILLE – Village Council recently approved paying to replace the boiler and flue in the historic B&O Depot.

During a council meeting held Dec. 30, Councilman Steve Hill said he was surprised that the fact that the furnace in the depot was not working had not been brought up by Councilman Les Tickhill or Mayor Jake Hershberger, who is currently serving as president of the Depot Committee.

“I think we need to take the money and repair (the furnace) and get it done, because that’s village property and a historical building,” Hill said, confirming with Tickhill and Hershberger that they had an estimate of $18,200 from Rumer Loudin for the needed repairs.

Hershberger said he had since received another quote for the work, but that it was significantly higher than the one from Rumer Loudin. He later said the scope of the work included replacing the flue and the boiler since failure of the flue had allowed water to infiltrate and damage the boiler.

Councilman Terry McCort clarified, with Tickhill confirming, that there was a backup heat source in the ceiling of the building that was working.

After some further discussion, Hill made a motion to have Rumer Loudin replace the boiler and flue at a cost of up to $20,000. It was approved by the rest of council, although McCort bemoaned the fact that they were spending money on the furnace while issues with the roof of the building remain unresolved.

Councilman Brian Yarnall said that as he understood it, $75,000 in grant funding had been secured toward fixing the stucco roof of the depot.

“In the next year we’re going to have to admit that we’re not going to get any more grant money and pony up and fix that roof,” he said.

During a discussion about the depot roof in October 2023, a “ballpark” cost of $150,000 to $200,000 was given for the needed repairs. Council later contracted a grant writer to help seek funding for the project.

Meanwhile, resident Jon Thornton addressed council about the need for additional pickleball facilities in the village, saying that his tournaments regularly draw 50 or more players from within a 100-mile radius of the village and that the courts at Memorial Park were not adequate for large turnouts.

He also said players had been trying to keep up with repairing cracks in the court surface at the park, but that they were starting to need more extensive resurfacing. He suggested paving part of a village-owned lot on Watt Avenue, saying that members of his group would be able to paint lines for the courts if the village would put down the surface.

Hill said the village leased the property on Watt while a variety of other suggestions were made, including making the junior basketball court at the park dual purpose and using some of the available space at the park for the additional courts.

Hershberger suggested that the Park Committee take up the matter and that the Memorial Park Board should be brought in on the discussion as well.

Meanwhile, Roger Johnson, president of the Barnesville State Theatre Company, addressed council concerning the ways in which the village could help the organization achieve its funding goals.

Johnson informed council that more than 4,000 volunteer hours had been devoted to the project and that in the two years since its inception, the group had raised over $370,000. A new roof has been put on the building.

He added that extensive planning by their architect and engineering firms already has been done, with much of the work “pro-bono.” He said addressing some structural issues as well as work to the ceiling and walls remain to be done.

An open council work session to discuss the matter was eventually scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6.

Hershberger announced mayor’s court figures for December, saying the village had received $1,738.50, the state of Ohio $671.50 and Belmont County $25.50 for a total of $2,435.50, and that during 2024 the village had received a total of $17,343.50, the state $6,803 and the county $249, for a cumulative $24,395.50.

Council voted to accept a bid from Grenadier Energy to lease the mineral rights to 10 acres of village-owned property near Reservoir No. 1, and approved Fire Chief Tim Hall’s request to apply for two grants to purchase various equipment and gear.

Council’s first meeting of 2025 will be held at 7 Monday, Jan. 13, in the Municipal Building on Arch Street.