(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
BIDS … Ron Buda of the Williams County Engineer’s Office opened bids for the Alvordton sewer project before the Williams County Commissioners.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
On Tuesday morning, bids were opened for the Alvordton sewer project in front of The Williams County Commissioners.
The county received two bids for the project, which is estimated to cost $6.7 million. The first bid was $5.2 million, and the other bid was $6.6 million.
The sewer project is expected to be fully funded through grants and forgivable loans. Williams County Engineer Todd Roth said he may have bids later for a maintenance truck, which would be paid for by the funds received.
Alvordton currently does not have a central sewer system. Instead, homes use individual septic systems that are not working well, and they have private wells for water.
The area does not have enough space or the right kind of soil to replace these septic systems to meet current standards.
To fix this, they plan to install about 16,000 feet of sewer pipes under the existing roads to carry the wastewater to a pump station. From there, the wastewater will be pumped to a treatment facility near the village of Kunkle.
In other business, the Commissioners approved the following resolutions this week:
Resolution 24-0330: This resolution approves the Williams County Auditor to create new lines and make supplemental appropriations from the funds as follows:
-Williams County Clerk of Courts: $1,000.00 from Non-Capital Equipment to Contract Services to cover contracts through end of year.
-Williams County Hillside Country Living: $2,060.00 from Unappropriated to Capital Assets/Building Improvements to fund fire alarm system upgrade.
-Williams County Sheriff’s Office: $45,319.00 from Non-Capital Equipment to Capital Assets Equipment for scuba equipment.
$5,200.00 from Education Bonus, $68,161.11 from Salaries (Holidays), $12,750.00 from Salaries (Longevity), and $20,000.00 from Professional Services to Salaries (Employees) to replenish line.
Resolution 24-0331: This resolution approves the Board of Williams County Commissioners to reject all bids submitted and dismiss project 8-2024 in its entirety. The Williams County EMA office requested that all bids be rejected for the project after it was discovered that one of the bid specifications was not available for the requested matter.
Resolution 24-0332: This resolution authorizes the Williams County Commissioners to apply for a WPCLF loan, sign all documents for and enter into a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority for planning, design and/or construction of wastewater facilities on behalf of Williams County, Ohio.
Resolution 24-0333: This resolution approves the Williams County Auditor to create new lines and make supplemental appropriations from the funds as follows:
-Williams County Airport Authority: $564.70 from Unappropriated to Advertising for funds for invitation to bid ad with Aim Media.
-Williams County Common Pleas Court: $710.00 from Non-Cap Equipment to Seminars for funds set aside for equipment now needed for training of new officers.
$23,626.30 from Unappropriated to Salary (Employees) and Magistrate for 2024 budget shortfall from General Fund.
-Williams County Department of Aging: $1,000.00 from Workers Compensation to Repairs (Auto) to cover cost of hotshot services till end of year.
-Williams County Engineer: $1,500.00 from Unappropriated to Repairs (Building) to repair water line at Opdycke Park.
-Williams County Prosecutor’s Office: $2,436.07 from Contract Services to Unemployment to pay quarterly unemployment.
The commissioners met with Williams County Sheriff Tom Kochert to discuss acquiring new patrol vehicles for 2025.
Kochert proposed purchasing three new vehicles for the upcoming year, instead of the originally agreed upon two. The commissioners were open to the idea as the Sheriff’s Department currently has several vehicles with over 100,000 miles on them.
However, they decided to postpone a decision on the new vehicles until the 2025 budget was finalized. Commissioner Lew Hilkert suggested that it would be best to budget for the vehicles next year, as the county’s financial situation beyond 2025 is uncertain, and this may be the last chance to purchase three vehicles for a while.
With nothing further to discuss, the meetings were adjourned.