Mantua – At a public meeting held at the Village Park, Mayor Linda Clark and Council recently attended an informational meeting with representatives from Portage County Water Resources, a governmental organization that provides public water and wastewater services in order to promote the health and safety of Portage County residents. The purpose of the question and answer session was to provide Council and the Mayor with data regarding management of the Village’s water and wastewater treatment facilities.
It’s important to note that Village officials have been meeting regularly with PC Water Resources regularly over the last year to share details of the systems and to access areas that need updates and improvements. Based on information gleaned from those meetings, the organization has compiled all the information in order to help Village officials weigh their options for plant repairs, maintenance, and improvements. Mayor Clark noted that it could potentially take millions of dollars to update the Village’s aging infrastructure and keep the facilities running effectively.
Council is tasked to determine whether the Village should continue operation of both plants that service the Village’s 500 customers, given that the newly implemented 15% rate increase annually may not generate enough money to maintain the plants, adequately staff them, and cover costs for repairs and updates to water and sewer lines. “Yes, we do have great water,” shared Mayor Clark. “Can we afford to keep it?”
A preliminary report was issued to Council and the Mayor after the special meeting. This document contains over 120 pages, and includes system schematics, spreadsheets, and recommendations through 2025, and will require much consideration. Mayor Clark and Council will review the materials and plan to hold another public meeting sometime in October to discuss the matter further. Although the Village is currently under contract with County, that contract expires at the end of 2018.
The next Village Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 18th at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
