Mantua – At their November meeting, Council approved an ordinance authorizing an agreement to transfer the ownership and operation of the Village’s Water and Wastewater plants to Portage County. This took place after three readings over as many months, and several meetings and public forums in the months leading up to the introduction of the ordinance at Council meetings. Many Village residents were in attendance at the November meeting to voice their displeasure about Ordinance (2019-49), and afterwards, a petition was circulated calling for a referendum on the issue. As required by law, the Village Clerk delivered the referendum petitions to the County Board of Elections, who certified the validity of the signatures and the sufficiency of the referendum. That action has placed a hold on the previously approved agreement between the Village and the County until voters on the general election ballot can decide the issue in November.
According to Councilman David Sluka, “There is no guarantee that the agreement negotiated between Portage County and Mantua Village will still be on the table in November, so it’s hard to say what, if anything, residents will be voting on” He continued, “My hope is that we can keep the County engaged and interested over the next 11 months and perhaps work toward an agreement that our residents will understand and support.”
In November, if voters in the Village don’t agree to move forward with the County, the Village will be forced to manage and maintain the water and wastewater plants on their own. Similarly, if voters agree to move forward in November but the County is no longer interested, the Village will be in the same situation. Village Council, as well as an ad hoc committee of Village residents, had been in discussions for much of 2019 to solve the issue, since the Village’s agreement with the County to run the Village’s plants expired at the end of 2019.
One of the main sticking points for many residents who oppose the plan was the inclusion of a monthly surcharge of $87 per account. Those funds would be used to fund the ‘needs list’ of maintenance and repairs in both the water and wastewater plants and Village infrastructure. The needs, roughly valued at $12 million, were identified by the EPA, the County, and Village entities. It was noted that as grants and low-interest loans can be secured for the updates, the surcharge would be reduced. It’s important to note that whoever owns the plants, the changes will need to be made.
At a special meeting held in early December, Mayor Clark and Council reviewed some of the factors of the surcharge. She noted that at the last Service Committee meeting, they reviewed the ‘needs list’ and discussed adding the surcharge to residents’ bills. Mayor Clark noted that they were able to reduce the needs list by at least 1 million dollars for debt, because the Village will be paying that out of appropriations in the operating budget. The Committee discussed leaving the water and sewer rates as they are now, but adding a surcharge of $72.16 per month, to account for the reduction in the ‘needs list’.
The Mayor noted that the Village is in the process of repairing the reservoir roof, a project for which the Village received a grant of $300,000, and a loan for $150,000. She noted that the project cost has increased by $65,000, which will have to be funded by the Village. Mayor Clark noted that the Skada system, the alarm system at the plants that allows operation of the pumps independently, has not worked properly for years. She explained that the County was able to keep it running in conjunction with their equipment, but when the County no longer operates Village plants, the Village will be “left the way it was.” She noted that the Council will have to review the needs list and prioritize.
Village Engineer Rich Iafelice said the Village needs $3.5 million for waterline replacements immediately and $1.7 million for cistern repairs. It was noted that the majority of these costs are not in the plants, but in the infrastructure. Mayor Clark broke down the costs as being about 63% water ($6,323,964) and about 37% sewer ($3,683,250). This brings the total needs to $10,007,214, after removing the previously mentioned needs from the list. In reviewing 2020 appropriations, Mayor Clark noted a narrow margin between revenues and expenditures, leaving little left to handle emergencies or capital projects.
Councilwoman Paula Tubalkain noted that there are capital funds established for both water and sewer plants, and that the funds are used for operating and maintenance. She noted that the water capital fund has $4,455 and the sewer capital fund has $1,995. According to Mayor Clark, in lieu of an agreement with the county, the special meeting’s discussion was focused on establishing a surcharge earmarked for the capital improvement funds. She noted that the surcharge would stay indefinitely, as opposed to the County surcharge, which would have been reduced by $7 for every million dollars of needs removed from the list. She explained that since the County was aggressively seeking to get grants in place within the first 5 years of the agreement, completing the necessary projects within ten years, while the Village’s timetable to fund repairs and improvements is unclear at this time.
According to Councilman Sluka, “The best way to stay informed is to be involved and to hear the information firsthand.” He noted that Council meetings are always conducted on the same day and time each month. “Concerned residents need to attend our meetings,” he implored. “Every single resident has the opportunity for their voice to be heard, they just need to put forth the effort to participate in the process.”
The next Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21st at 6:30 pm. As always, residents are encouraged to attend.
