Perrysburg OKs contract to resolve sewer dispute

7/11/2001

Perrysburg council last night approved a contract with the Northwestern Water and Sewer District that is designed to solidify agreements the city made this year with Perrysburg and Middleton townships.

The contract was approved 4-2. Council members Thomas Mackin and Walter Hales voted against the ordinance. Councilman Gary Samples was absent.

The 20-year contract resolves a long-running dispute between the city and the district over providing sewer service to customers in the townships. The contract affirms agreements for service areas that the city approved in separate contracts in March with Perrysburg Township and in April with Middleton Township.

The contract includes provisions for sewer service from a pump station near U.S. 20 that serves Oakmont and Oak Meadows subdivisions to revert to the city in April, 2002. Perrysburg Township will pay the costs of changing the service back to the city.

The city will pay $300,000 of the estimated $700,000 cost to repair the sanitary sewer owned by the water and sewer district on West Boundary Street between Indiana Avenue and West Front Street. The city, water and sewer district, and Perrysburg Township will share equally the $300,000 cost to repair a pump station on Ford Road.

The final draft of the contract was given to council about an hour after the attorney for the townships, a water and sewer district representative, and city officials worked throughout the day to settles their differences on various issues.

“We made the changes in the last minute in the spirit of compromise,” said Phil Dombey, solicitor for Perrysburg and Middleton townships. “The agreement represents a true compromise of everyone's interests. It protects revenue streams for [the water and sewer district and the city].”

Council also approved an ordinance authorizing the city to buy three acres owned by Abbey Etna Machine Co., 11130 Avenue Rd.

The city would like to acquire the land to build an underground water reservoir.