(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
HICKORY HILLS … Todd Roth discusses options for funding for Hickory Hills with the commissioners, as funding has been an ongoing battle for this major project.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
During the Williams County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, February 11th, the commissioners met with Williams County Engineer Todd Roth to discuss the Hickory Hills project.
Bids for the replacement project were opened last week, but no awards have been made yet due to the need for additional secured funding.
The estimated total cost of the project, including testing and a contingency fund for potential road replacement, is approximately $650,000. The lowest bid received for the project was just over $627,000.
Roth has secured a $175,000 loan with zero percent interest; however, they still need approximately $475,000 to complete the project.
There were discussions about the county providing $400,000, but no official commitment has been made.
The funding was originally intended to come from the American Rescue Plan Act (COVID relief funds), but it has since been incorporated into the general fund due to state-issued guidelines implemented a few years ago.
There were discussions about whether to reject the bid and return it to the drawing board for this project.
However, this option was not favored due to concerns over the possibility of securing additional OPWC funding—if they returned the funds already secured, it might jeopardize any future financial support for the project.
Commissioners Terry Rummel and Scott Lirot expressed their desire to seek funding beyond the general fund. Currently, there are no other grants or low-interest loans available to support the project.
Three funding options were discussed. The first option involved assessing property owners who use the system; however, this was rejected because Rummel was uncomfortable proceeding without notifying the property owners in advance.
The second option proposed that Roth allocate $175,000 from the carryover fund for the sewer district, with the county covering the remaining costs.
The third option suggested increasing the sewer fees for county residents using the system by $5 per month. “We are grossly undercharging our people for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Rummel said.
Roth stated that if the rates remained the same, it would take them 75 years to pay off the debt for this project.
The commissioners asked Roth to send over a spreadsheet with all of this data reflected so they could hopefully make a final decision on this project on Thursday at their next meeting.
Also, during the meeting, Director Sarah Stubblefield of the Williams County Department of Aging held her advisory board meeting in which the commissioners attended.
Stubblefield discussed a new project the department is working on called telephone reassurance services.
The department is seeking 30 volunteers to form three teams that will conduct daily check-in calls with seniors. Each volunteer will be responsible for checking in on 4 to 5 seniors.
Stubblefield mentioned that this initiative could potentially evolve into a senior-to-senior check-in program.
A training session will be held to review ground rules and protocols for situations where a senior does not answer their phone. Commissioner Rummel expressed hope that both the county and local villages will contribute to this service as well.
Other Business
-The commissioners will request Williams County EMS to develop a plan for housing an ambulance in Bryan.
-They heard from a resident who farms near the landfill that trucks are not securing their loads properly, resulting in debris entering his field.
-Discussed the possibility of using volunteer labor from the family court program to demolish some walls at the North Annex building.
-Discussed making the second floor go around the entire building for more space.