Commissioners took action Thursday on the county’s and Hecla Water Association’s water line grant, meaning residents in some townships will get new service.

Saturday, November 18, 2000

Commissioners took action Thursday on the county’s and Hecla Water Association’s water line grant, meaning residents in some townships will get new service.

Some of the final paperwork is finished, and work has begun in some areas, such as Sharp’s Creek, commissioners said.

The Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization updated commissioners on the project. Most work will be completed next year, officials said. Commissioners also signed a sub-grant agreement at the request of the CAO.

The county was awarded about $600,000 in grant money last year to match about twice as much from Hecla to expand water lines along Ohio 93, Turkey Fork, Fox Hollow, White Oak, Sharp’s Creek and in other areas to serve more than 200 people who currently rely only on home wells.

The project saw a few delays because of environmental work needing state approval and drought conditions necessitated Hecla’s development of additional wells.

In other action Thursday, commissioners re-approved a bond issuance designed to boost River Valley Health System revenue.

A $500,000 general obligation bond – to be paid back to the county by the hospital – was approved last week but the county’s bond counsel asked commissioners to switch it to a hospital bond, commissioners said.

The commission approved by a 2-0 vote, with commissioner George Patterson dissenting.

"I am not prepared, with no information before, to vote intelligently on this matter," Patterson said. "My statement will suffice for my vote."

Patterson voiced his concern about the bonding decision, which began last week when he was absent from the commission meeting.

The hospital needed to give financial statements and information about how it would make enough money to retire the $500,000 debt so the county would not be held liable, he said, addressing commission president Bruce Trent and commissioner Paul Herrell.

If the county does not have to worry about the debt, then the bond is a good idea, but the county needed more time to decide, Patterson said.

The county’s goal is to help the hospital maintain services because it has suffered revenue decreases due to the Balanced Budget Amendment and other issues, Trent said, adding that the hospital is a county economic development concern.

The county could be held liable for the bond if the hospital’s finances do not improve, but consultants to RVHS assure the county that will not happen, he said.