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County commission seeking stimulus funding
Money to help Union-Rome Sewer District
Published Friday, September 4, 2009
The Lawrence County Commission Thursday agreed to apply for federal stimulus funding to reline sewer lines in four areas within the Union-Rome Sewer District and agreed to ask the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for an extension in paying for the main sewer plant project.
The stimulus funds, through the Ohio EPA would pay for half of a $3-$5million cost of relining sewer lines in the Proctorville, Chesapeake, West Chesapeake and Brentwood lines. Doug Cade, engineer with E.L. Robinson, said bids will likely be advertised Sept. 22 with construction starting in January.
Under the terms of such a loan, the county would finance its part of the project over a 20-year period.
The lines will be coated from the inside with a substance that would adhere to the existing line and harden, thus largely eliminating the need to dig up and replace the existing lines. Cade called the plan “trenchless technology.”
“It will be like a brand new line,” Cade said.
As for the sewer plant itself, Cade said the OEPA has in the past extended by one year the start time for repaying loans on mandated projects.
Lawrence County has gotten a loan from the OEPA to pay off the bulk of the $23 million dollar new sewer plant.
Cade said most extensions are granted because of project delays and Union-Rome has had some delays that may make it eligible for the extension.
He said the extension is a financial necessity: Lawrence County is still paying $585,000 a year on bonds for the original sewer project from the 1980s and is not expected to complete payment on the bonds until 2012.
If the county gets the extension on the new sewer plant project, it will not have to begin paying on its OEPA loans until 2012.
The new plant is expected be fully operational by next month, Cade said.
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Comments
Posted by osu (anonymous) on September 4, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ahhh...this is the plan. To use President Obama's plan to create jobs.
Posted by MasterChef (anonymous) on September 4, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, if we're going to talk about borrowed money, let's consider the county borrowing enough to buy the Ironton BOE's office, conveniently located on the same block as the jail. I'm sure alterations must be made to make it usable as a jail. It can be paid for with the budgeted $300,000 (or more) per year to pay for out-of-county inmate overflow placements. The remainder could come from using some of the new space to house other counties overflow.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on September 4, 2009 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's great to get stimulus monies but how is the County to pay the other $5,000,000 + interest over the next 20 years? Is that in "duh plan." We are broke and instead of hitting the papers with all this ancillary stuff why don't the Commissioners tell us of real cuts they have made (and promised) to balance the budget and save a little cash for projects needed in the future. A new jail, paving, etc....
Posted by barkbeetle (anonymous) on September 4, 2009 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Man we are sinking a ton of money into that project, wonder who is getting their pocket lined out of all this...and wasn't commissioner Stephens all up in arms over not getting stimulus funds? Just like a Republican, be all against a government program but if its passed get in line for the handout. Hopefully the President's people didn't see the article in the paper about how, according to Mr. Stephens, we weren't getting the money because we didn't vote for him. While it shouldn't hurt our chances, I doubt it will help.
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