Repairing at least six streets next year at a cost of about $400,000 appears to be the direction Sunbury Village Council wants to take.

The six-member council Wednesday, Sept. 5, authorized Village Engineer Wes Hall to bring a formal resolution for 2013 street repair projects to the Sept. 19 council meeting for a potential vote.

Sunbury officials have until Oct. 5 to submit an application to the Ohio Public Works Commission for a grant and a loan to help pay for street repairs.

The commission usually announces in January which cities and villages qualify for grants and no-interest loans.

Sunbury plans to seek a $200,000 grant and a $50,000 loan. The village would provide $150,000 in matching funds.

Hall told council Sept. 5 he has identified six streets in need of an estimated $388,000 in repairs.

Those streets are Sedwick Avenue, Crowl Drive, South Vernon Street between Granville and Columbus streets, Case Street, McGill Street and Rainbow Avenue east of High Street.

"I would agree that these streets are in pretty bad condition," Hall said.

Sunbury has received about $900,000 in grants from the commission since 2007.

However, it has not seen any state money in the past two years and has spent only $24,000 of village funds on some minor roadwork this year.

Next year would be the first year the village hopes to receive loan money in addition to a grant. Under the 12-step process used by the commission to award state money, potential recipients get more points on a grading scale if they seek loans along with grants.

In addition, applicants who submit a street-repair plan with engineering specifics also get extra points. Hall said he would include specifics with the repair plan for the Sept. 19 meeting.

"I don't want to go another year of being unsuccessful" in getting state money, Mayor Tommy Hatfield said.

Also at last week's meeting, council:

* Unanimously approved the plan to construct an AutoZone retail automobile parts store at Sunbury Mills Plaza.

The 68,000-square-foot store will employ between 15 and 20 workers, an AutoZone representative told council at its Aug. 1 meeting, when a first reading was held on the proposed plan.

No date has been set for groundbreaking on the site at 241 W. Cherry St. It typically takes about four months to build an AutoZone store, the representative said Aug. 1.

* Heard a report from Village Administrator Dave Martin that police are investigating a recent rash of graffiti on playground equipment and elsewhere at JR Smith Park.

"I won't repeat what was in the graffiti ... . It was some pretty disgusting graffiti," Martin said.

He told council members that police have the names of two potential suspects.

"That park is getting a lot of bad rap because of things like this," Hatfield said. "We want to prosecute to the fullest (extent)."

* Discussed purchasing up to four dog-waste stations to place on the Town Square and at two parks. Purchasing the containers, at a cost of $125 each, would be a way to encourage people to clean up after their pets.

Two waste stations could be placed at the Town Square, Councilman Joe Gochenour said, with one each placed at JR Smith Park and Evening Street Park.

Hatfield said if the village goes forward with waste stations, he could act administratively to purchase them.