LISBON — With 2024 winding down and the new year around the corner, Lisbon Mayor Pete Wilson reflected on the progress made in the village.

Wilson addressed council on Tuesday, focusing on both completed and ongoing projects with big price tags that will improve infrastructure in Lisbon.

“We should take pride in what we accomplished this year,” Wilson said. “2024 was a year of multimillion dollar projects.”

Those projects include the construction of the water tower ($4.5 million), the Grant Street bridge replacement ($3.6 million) and the Pritchard Avenue bridge replacement ($1.6 million).

The water tower will improve water pressure in the northern part of the village and Center Township. Wilson said it will go online in 2025. The new 500,000-gallon structure, located off of state Route 45 across from Huntington Bank, replaced the old 75-foot, 300,000-gallon, standpipe.

The new Grant Street bridge is expected to open in May with the second beam placement planned for Jan. 23. The original bridge was built in 1967. Concerns about weight limits and the vibration from traffic constantly damaging the bed of the bridge which was asphalt on top of wood led to its replacement.

The Pritchard Avenue bridge project is proceeding, with council approving both soil sampling and a right-of-way study needed to advance the project in October. The Pritchard Avenue Bridge, located near McKinley Elementary School, was constructed in 1938, with no major work done on it since the 1970s, even after homes crashed into and under it during the Lisbon floods in 2004.

Both bridge projects are covered almost entirely by grant money. The Grant Street Bridge project was funded by $1,465,787 from the federal Municipal Bridge Program administered by Ohio Department of Transportation with assurances that ODOT would fund up to $2 million if necessary for the construction. Other sources include a $125,000 low interest loan from the state, a $103,000 grant from Columbiana County’s American Rescue Plan Act funding and a $245,360 grant from OPWC. In the fall, council learned that ODOT had increased its funding to replace the bridge on Pritchard Avenue, upping the funds to $1.15 million.

Half of the cost of the water tower also came from grants and the other half from loans. The village received about $3.6 million in principal loan forgiveness from the Ohio Department of Environmental Protection and additional grant funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“The village continued to receive grants,” Wilson said. “This year we have been awarded more than $400,000 for basic infrastructure projects, including streets, bridges and water. I especially want to thank the county commissioners who have repeatedly helped us with the projects we’re undertaking.”

All told, the village has raked in a historic amount of funding over the last five years.

“Since 2020, the village has been awarded more than $6 million in grants. That’s a sum which is greater than the previous 50 years,” Wilson said.

Another big undertaking by the village in 2024, Wilson noted, was the decision to rewrite the village zoning code. The rewriting, which is underway, came at a hefty price but was necessary, according to Wilson.

“Yes, the cost of $50,000 was daunting, but our current code is a mishmash of contradictory passages which have created endless problems for the village,” he said. “That should end next year as we complete work on our new code.”

Wilson thanked the council for the implementation of an electric aggregation program. Last January, the village began an aggregation program with Archer Energy, offering a reduced rate on electricity and giving residents the option to opt in to help lower their utility bills. Lisbon did the same with natural gas in April, contracting with Trebel Aggregation. The programs are paying off.

“As of October, the [electricity] program has saved village residents $147,000,” Wilson reported.

Wilson also expressed gratitude to council for approving the creation of an intern program which he called a “win-win” for both the village and the interns, giving the intern the opportunity to learn the inner-workings of government at the local level and the village help with administrative work.

Voting to keep parking free in the village was another notable council action lauded by Wilson as were improvements to “recreational assets” such as the volleyball and pickleball courts at the park. He thanked councilwoman Linda Donnalley for the work at the municipal pool.

“I think sometimes she spent more time at that pool than she did on her own,” Wilson said.

Wilson made it a point to thank the first responders — both fire and police – for working to “tirelessly keep us safe,” as well the water department for working through freezing temperatures to keep water flowing through the winter months and the street department for improving village streets.

“Even down one employee, the street department asphalted seven more times this year than last,” Wilson said.

Financially, Wilson said the village is in “good shape” due to the diligent work of fiscal Officer Tracey Wonner.

“I am estimating our carry over or the surplus in the general fund, including the capital expenditures item, will be near $900,000. To put this in context, our carryover was $50,000 in 2019.”

Wilson expects 2025 to bring even more progress to the village with more projects in the works.

selverd@mojonews.com