MOUNT VERNON — Danville’s water line project will cost less than anticipated, if everything checks out.
Knox County commissioners opened bids last week for the $470,000 project.
Driven Excavating of Crestline submitted the lowest bid at $466,121.
Four other companies submitted bids:
•KN Excavation, Utica, $545,897.87
•Grassbaugh LLC, Glenmont, $525,947
•BK Layer, Perrysville, $479,290.50
•Saorsa Construction, New Concord, $563,618
The project includes reconstructing the village’s 76-year-old main water lines, valves and hydrants.
A 2025 $500,000 Community Development Block Grant critical infrastructure grant will fund the project. Thirty thousand of the grant will go to CDC of Ohio for administrative fees.
Jillian Flowers, associate planner with CDC of Ohio, will review bids to ensure they have the required insurance and other documents. CDC of Ohio helps the Knox County Board of Commissioners apply for CDBG grants.
Once she reviews the bids, the Knox County Engineer’s Office will tally the bids and make a recommendation to the commissioners.
Village officials previously said the lines have sustained multiple breaks, some fire hydrants are inoperable and stormwater infiltration is occurring.
911 goes live with Next Gen
Operations Director Rick Lanuzza reported Knox County 911 went live with Next Generation 911 platform on July 30. Knox becomes the 22nd county to transition to the new technology.
NextGen 911 replaces the county’s old copper hard-line system with an internet protocol-based network, giving dispatchers more accurate caller location data and tying Knox County’s system to others across the state.
The upgrade also enables text-to-911 service and allows dispatchers to transfer voice calls and text message threads to neighboring counties on the same network.
However, Lanuzza said texting should not be the first option.
“If you’re deaf or hard of hearing … if you have some sort of speech impairment to where you can’t talk real well, if you made a voice call and that would make it unsafe for you to be there, then texting would be appropriate,” he said.
Lanuzza said Knox County is on pace with last year’s statistics.
Disturbance calls continue a downward trend, as have overdose and drug-related calls. While mental health and attempted suicide calls are trending downward, completed suicide calls remain steady.
Burglary and domestic violence remain consistent.
Two new workstations, costing approximately $80,000 each, are complete and functional. The department now has seven complete stations.
A recent lightning strike damaged a radio tower and knocked out several radio channels, Lanuzza said. The county’s radio vendor, Vasu Communications, is repairing the damage using replacement equipment already on hand.
County Administrator Jason Booth said the lightning strike came into the Knox County Sheriff’s Office through a coaxial cable and damaged a fire panel, some of the locking door mechanisms, and a battery backup and security cameras in the new evidence room.
Cameras capture illegal dump at township site
The Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow Solid Waste District provided motion-activated cameras to each program manager. The cameras take a photo roughly every10 seconds when triggered by motion rather than recording continuous video.
After a woman illegally dumped a load at Miller Township’s bin site, Baugher and Trustee Roger McConnell used the camera footage to identify a license plate.
“Law enforcement tracked down the lead, and we made her go pick it back up,” Recycling & Litter Prevention Manager Matt Baugher said. “… It’s just nice when you go through the trouble of getting a camera put up and it works.”
Baugher said Centerburg has the county’s biggest recycling need. He is working with village leaders to establish a drop-off site on Miller Street and expects the site to be ready late this year or early next year.
Centerburg is also exploring curbside recycling through a single hauler.
“It would really be something if we go from no recycling in Centerburg right now to hopefully getting new bins and hopefully getting curbside options for people,” Baugher said.
Baugher said DKMM resolved problems at the Gambier site by installing a concrete pad and fence to contain debris.
Liberty Township is next in line for upgrades after a resident living near the township’s site reported debris blowing into his yard.
Township trustees submitted quotes for fencing and other improvements. Baugher hopes to have quotes approved in September, with construction beginning in 2027.
Marketing efforts include an ad in Town Money Savers about the river rally and a free nonprofit article in October. The recycling guide will be out once details are finalized about the compost facility.
Upcoming events
•River Rally: Sept. 19. Organizations interested in helping can contact Baugher or Friends of the Kokosing.
•Wild Wings of Ohio: Oct. 25 at Woodlands Park from noon to 4 p.m. A falconry school will bring owls, falcons and a Chilean Blue Eagle. Activities include a raffle where winners will have a bird land on their shoulder, a hike and light refreshments.
