NEW PARIS — Susan Laux of Mote & Associates attended the New Paris Village Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, and updated council on the many projects currently in planning stages for the village.

•The Village of New Paris received a signed contract from Preble County in regard to an East Cherry Street project. According to Laux, they will be organizing a pre-construction meeting for the last week of January. The construction will begin as soon as the weather breaks in the spring.

•Laux also had a pre-construction meeting with Vectren regarding a gas line they are going to replace on South Washington Street.

•The Spring Street Bridge project is moving along. The feasibility study is being finalized — it has been submitted previously, but changes were required to move forward. The plans will be submitted on May 1. Due to the timing of the soil borings, there was “undesirable” soil found. They will have to do some pile driving, which will increase the cost of the project by $100,000. Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is willing to contribute 95 percent of that cost ($94,355). The village’s additional cost will be $4,955.

With regard to environmental, in February there will be letters sent out to all the residents in the project area informing them of the project and that the road will have to be closed for a period of time. Emergency services and the school district will also have to be notified of the project.

They also have to do an ecological survey of the stream, to identify any endangered species before work is done in the stream.