McDONALD — Mayor Ray Lewis is alerting residents that loud noises they may hear in the next two to three months will be deconstruction and tearing down of the former McDonald Steel plant off Ohio Avenue in the northern part of the village.

Lewis made the announcement at a recent village council meeting, where he said large work equipment is at the location for the deconstruction of the mill.

“There will be loud noises at times which will continue for the next two to three months,” he said.

Lewis said work began a few weeks ago.

The former McDonald Steel plant last summer was acquired by AP McDonald LLC, an affiliate of Applied Partners LLC, a New Jersey-based company that purchases decommissioned industrial properties and redevelops them for future use

The 650,000-square-foot facility was purchased by AP McDonald LLC for $3.2 million from McDonald Industrial Land Company. Lewis said the company plans to redevelop the steel property site to benefit the village for years to come.

Residents who would like a brick from the mill as a souvenir at no cost are asked to submit their name to the municipal building to be placed on a list at 330-530-5472. Bricks will be available in early spring.

Lewis said there will be security at the mill property with no trespassing permitted for safety as the buildings are coming down. He said anyone on the property will be charged with trespassing.

In other business, council gave emergency passage to an ordinance for lateral hiring for the police, fire and road departments to allow new employees who have worked for other communities to keep the vacation time they acquired.

Council President Pro Tem Sean Schmidt said police officers have been working longer hours because of the lack of staff, with hopes that additional hirings soon will help alleviate the issue.

“We hope the new ordinance will allow us to recruit more people for the police and fire departments,” he said.

Schmidt said the lateral hiring policy was implemented to help the village compete with other communities.

Also, the village approved first reading for a contract with RT Vernal for the paving of Utah, Nebraska and Dakota streets this year at $168,570. Lewis has said the village tries to pave a half mile to 2 miles of roads each year.

In another matter, Village Administrator Tom Domitrovich said he is dealing with a waterline break at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Marshall Road near Ianazone’s Pizza.

He said Enbridge Gas needs to first mark off the gas lines before work crews can begin digging into the ground.