RIPLEY - The Ripley Village Council voted to approve the engineering firm of J.D. Stine for the surveying and engineering work on their new well field project at their regular meeting Tuesday, March 10.

Village Administrator Charles Ashmore said the village received two bids from firms qualified to do the work. Four firms were originally interested, but one firm was not qualified to bid. J.D. Stine submitted a bid of $47,100 for their proposed work on the project while Cincinnati firm Jones and Henry submitted a bid of $53,500.

“Both (firms) have done this type of work before, it’s a relatively routine project,” Ashmore said. “We’ve got experience with both engineering firms…we’ve used both firms numerous times.”

The work includes test drilling and sampling at the two proposed sites for site evaluation and all of the engineering work needed for the wells and the water lines to the water treatment plant.

“What I asked them for is cost options if both sites are ideal for wells,” Ashmore said.

The village has secured a United States Department of Agriculture loan for the project.

The two new wells will be drilled at one of two proposed sites. The first site is near the south end of Elm Street adjacent to the river. The second is behind the Ripley Union Lewis Huntington High School. Each site will require either an easement or a land purchase in order for the village to run a waterline to the property. Ashmore said the village has spoken with the property owners and after those discussions Ashmore said securing the necessary land and or easements would not be a problem.

In December Ashmore said the total cost estimate for the project is about $289,000. Ashmore also said the new wells are necessary because the current wells are aged and could fail at anytime. Ashmore also said construction costs are very low right now and any project under taken now could save the village money in the long run. The new wells would also provide enough water for the new water plant to operate closer to its capacity when the village sells more water.

“We will not abandon our existing wells, they perform fine. This will increase our capacity by another 1,500 gallons a minute,” Ashmore said. “This should position us for another 50 to 100 years.”

Ashmore also gave the council an update on the proposed annexation of land across Eagle Creek and out to Logan’s Gap, but will not continue along Schoffield Road. The annexation would allow the village to run a sewer line out to Logan’s Gap. Ashmore said 66 percent of the residents in that area signed the annexation petition and the petition was submitted to the Brown County Commissioners March 10. Of the remaining 34 percent of land owners in the area, including the federal government and residents who merely owned a right of way through another property, many were difficult to get in contact with according to Ashmore.

In other council news:

• Council unanimously approved Mayor Tom Leonard’s hiring of Richard Scofstall as a new part time police officer. Scofstall had previously served as an auxiliary officer. Council also thanked Chief Harvey Bowman for providing them with a call volume and arrest report for 2008.

• Council member Roberta Sidwell reminded council that the Easy Spirit factory shoe outlet store will be celebrating their 25th year of operation Tuesday, March 17. There will be activities throughout the day with a special luncheon at noon.

• Fiscal Officer Lesley Myers announced that she will be attending UAN training March 17 and 18 with Kim Spiller. The training will be for payroll and cemetery records. Myers said the UAN software system will allow Spiller to organize the village cemetery records and put them into an easily manageable digital format.