(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
RIGHT-OF-WAY … Members of the public voiced their concerns to the commissioners regarding the right-of-way permit submitted by the Village of Pioneer.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
During the Williams County Commissioners’ meeting held on Tuesday, March 4, the Williams County Sheriff’s Department requested $32,000 to outfit two vehicles that were not included in the department budget.
Commissioner Scott Lirot suggested that the sheriff come in to discuss the possibility of selling cars that are no longer in use to help cover this expense.
“It seems like all of a sudden we’re bleeding money in the county with JFS problems that they’re having with kids and the fact the sheriff has been in here twice in the first two months of this year asking for money, I just think we need to get a handle on this,” said Commissioner Lirot.
Commissioner Terry Rummel expressed his confusion over the commissioners’ office approving a budget for the year, only to make significant modifications to various budgets throughout the year.
It was proposed that funds from the repair budget could be utilized. County Administrator Vond Hall will review the repair fund situation.
The sheriff’s repair budget is set at $40,000. Hall believes he can reallocate some funds to address the repairs, but he anticipates that there will still be a shortfall by the end of the year.
“If nothing else, this sends the message put down what you got and what you need to spend for the year. We (the commissioners) can scrutinize it, then we only have to deal with it once a year instead of all year long,” said Commissioner Rummel.
Lirot also stated that organizations can allocate their budgets as they see fit. However, when someone repeatedly requests additional funds, the commissioners must determine how the originally budgeted money is being utilized before approving more financial Support.
The commissioners approved an application for funding to replace a sewer plant located near Exit 1 of the Ohio Turnpike.
County Engineer Todd Roth indicated that a replacement of the plant and an increase in its size will be required. He mentioned that he met with representatives from Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s office a few weeks ago to discuss potential funding options.
Requests for appropriations for next year can be submitted, but there is a tight deadline, as the application must be submitted by March 19.
Roth received approval from the commissioners to apply for the funding, and they will also assist in seeking letters of support for the project.
These letters will be requested from State Senator Robert McColley, State Representative James Hoops, and potentially from the Williams County Economic Development Corporation.
Roth stated that the current plant has a capacity of 37,000 gallons per day; however, with the presence of two truck stops in the area, it only averages around 21,000 gallons per day.
One of the issues is effectively treating the food waste that businesses generate, which the plant struggles to manage.
He also mentioned that the lagoons associated with the plant require more frequent pumping now, which has become costly because it must be done by an outside contractor.
Commissioner Rummel emphasized that by making this area grow and flourish, it would benefit all of Williams County.
He also informed Roth that the commissioners would like to start discussions about potentially raising rates for county sewer customers or, at the very least, studying the issue to determine if a rate increase is necessary.
During the meeting, the commissioners engaged in an hour-long discussion with the public about a right-of-way permit applied for by the Village of Pioneer.
This permit is intended to allow work to be conducted in the county right-of-way on the south side of County Road S, near the Village of Pioneer.
The raw water line and discharge line would enable Artesian of Pioneer, owned by Ed Kidston, to supply water to AquaBounty Technologies.
However, the commissioners have rejected the permit three times, stating that the lines do not qualify as a public utility.
The commissioners have approximately 30 more days to appeal the decisions made by both a federal court and a court of appeals, which have sided with the village and AquaBounty.
Several members of the public in attendance urged the commissioners to file an appeal. However, the commissioners noted that the county has lost the last two decisions in court, and there is no guarantee that the Ohio Supreme Court would even accept the case.
Commissioners Lirot and Bart Westfall expressed their disagreement with the court’s decisions. Williams County Engineer Todd Roth advised the commissioners to ensure that a road use maintenance agreement (RUMA) is established if they decide to grant the permit.
This agreement would outline the responsibilities for road repairs—specifically, whether Pioneer or AquaBounty would be accountable for any damage to the road during the project.
There are concerns regarding the right of way, as it is a tight space to work in for this project, especially when installing two lines.
These two lines can be installed close together because they carry raw water, which is not potable; however, maintenance in the future could prove to be challenging.
Another issue is the presence of communication poles located within the proposed work area, as well as at least one electric pole that may need to be relocated.
Roth mentioned that the village would need to coordinate with the utility owners to determine how to address these obstacles.
AquaBounty has recently announced that it is facing financial difficulties and plans to auction equipment intended for the Pioneer plant while exploring other ways to fund the project.
Public concern has been raised regarding how the project will be financed and whether the village will receive any revenue from the sale of water between the two private entities involved.
Pioneer Village Administrator Anthony Burnett mentioned that a maintenance agreement was discussed, but he did not have the details.
Commissioner Rummel mentioned that he believed he had previously seen an agreement indicating that AquaBounty would be responsible for maintaining the lines.
Burnett noted that the village had received concerns about the project from Roth, which the village was addressing at the time the appeals began.
The village has agreed with the RUMA to approve the right-of-way permit, allowing the project to proceed. However, no decision was made during this meeting; Commissioner Westfall was not prepared to vote, and Commissioner Lirot requested additional information and further discussion before a final decision is reached.
Other Business
-Adding security cameras and new door locks at the Williams County Job and Family Services building.
-County Zoom meeting policy will be presented soon.
-Looking at county-wide maintenance for vehicles.
-If the commissioners wanted to make an official stand on solar and wind projects, which was decided that no action would be taken unless requested.
-Bids will be going out soon for the Bryan Senior Center AC Unit.