POINT PLEASANT —There are around seven individuals (10 properties) which have yet to sign right-of-ways for the North Point Pleasant Drainage Project (NPPDP).

This number was reported by City Attorney R.F. Stein to Point Pleasant City Council at its regular council meeting this week. Stein said the city is working with these residents to hopefully obtain a right-of-way agreement. If agreements aren’t made, as a last resort, the city can file a motion to obtain a right-of-way through the local court system to allow the project to be completed. In all, Stein said 88 percent of the right-of-ways had been obtained. April 10 has been set as the date to have 100 percent of the easements recorded.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Agency (WVDEP) has mandated Point Pleasant, along with many other small towns, separate their sanitary sewer from storm water. The project will also help alleviate drainage problems in the Northern end of Point Pleasant. Some residents are concerned the project may affect their property adversely, a worry the project’s engineering firm, Burgess and Niple, dispute.

The NPPDP is estimated to cost between $4.2 and $4.4 million. The WVDEP is providing the financing for the project which will create a channel sloped to drain rainwater into Crooked Creek. The channel will catch and then direct rainwater into another waterway as opposed to letting it pool.

The loan closing with the WVDEP should be on May 21 with a pre-construction meeting on May 22. Finally, construction should begin on May 27 with the 90-day bid hold ending on June 26. At this week’s council meeting, council approved the first reading of a bond ordinance which needs passed as part of the funding package - two more readings are required. The complete ordinance is available for review at the municipal building and a public hearing on the matter will be held in May.

This week, council unanimously approved an amendment to the contract with Burgess and Niple to cover extra work the firm had done adjusting the mapping, and properties affected, by the NPPDP.

In other council news:

The City of Point Pleasant’s participation in West Virginia’s Make It Shine City Wide Cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. - noon on April 13. In addition, the city will offer residents reduced fees on garbage pick up as well with a pickup truck load which normally costs $33 being offered at $25, and a dump truck load which normally costs $47 being offered for $35. These reduced fees are only offered for the week of April 15-19.

Council passed the city’s latest budget with the general fund at $2.7 million, basically the same as last year. The Coal Severance Fund was budgeted at $12,000 for the year.

Council approved renewing the city’s contract to receive updates on its accounting software through Accufund.