Officials from Plain City and the City of Columbus are asking the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to allow Columbus to expand water and sewer services to the Plain City and to area surrounding the village that could eventually be part of Plain City.
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Plain City is taking steps to move forward with an agreement to have Columbus provide water and sewer to the village.
Plain City Village Administrator Kevin Vaughn said he is hoping to file a petition soon with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, asking the agency to expand Columbus’ service area to include Plain City as well as a portion of Madison and Union counties.
The village administrator told council members that Plain City, Columbus and Madison County have signed the agreement. He said Union County has not signed the agreement yet.
“We are just starting the process of reviewing it,” Union County Commissioner Gary Lee said Tuesday, adding that while some county officials have seen the maps, he hadn’t seen the petition until that morning.
Vaughn told council members the village is trying to “expedite” the process.
County Administrator Tim Hansley said county officials have met with Plain City representatives.
“We agreed to put it on the agenda for next Thursday (March 29) to draft our resolution to support that petition,” Hansley said.
He said county officials have also spoken with officials from Marysville, Dublin and the county engineer’s office.
“None of them feel like they are in opposition,” Hansley said.
He said that County Commissioner Steve Stole was part of the meeting with Plain City and, “I think most of his concerns were addressed.”
For more than two years, Plain City officials have been exploring options for water and sewer service in the village.
In the summer of 2016, Plain City actually approached Marysville about contracting with the city to provide water and sewer.
Plain City conducted a feasibility study, which looked at four options —doing nothing, repairing and remodeling existing facilities to handle current capacity, expanding capabilities at existing facilities and contracting with Marysville.
Eventually, Plain City limited options to building a new facility and contracting with Marysville. Plain City officials said they tried to negotiate with Marysville but were told there was no room for negotiation in rates. Plain City then added the option of contracting with the City of Columbus for water and wastewater service. In the summer of 2017, Plain City made the decision to contract with Columbus for water and sewer service. Vaughn said that over 20 years, there would be millions of dollars swing by partnering with Columbus rather than Marysville. He said Columbus would allow Plain City to keep the one-time capacity fees, which are charges to new customers when they connect to the water and sewer systems. He said Marysville would not allow the village to keep those fees.
Vaughn said that in addition to allowing the village to keep those fees, water and sewer users would also see a savings by using Columbus over Marysville.
Marysville officials argued that while Columbus was initially cheaper for users, Marysville would freeze rates for 10 years and eventually Columbus would be more expensive for customers.
While the EPA petition does not have a spot for Marysville to sign, Lee said the decision will have an impact on the city.
Marysville City Manager Terry Emery said Plain City’s plan is “workable” because, “we don’t see that as moving into our prime service area that has been identified by Union County.”
Emery said he wanted to see the final service map before he made any decisions, but what he has seen proposed so far is, “not a problem for us.”
He said there really shouldn’t be a problem, “as long as they stay primarily in the Plain City boundary area.”
But if the village wants to expand further east, “that would potentially raise some red flags.”
“At that point, we are already servicing that area,” Emery said.
Lee said the decision to allow Columbus to service the area has “a lot of implications to it.”
Plain City and Madison County officials said they have been working to mitigate some of those implications. Vaughn said the decision to endorse the petition includes an agreement that Columbus will not annex any of the included land.
Lee said Union County could have its own concerns.
“I don’t see us granting that without us going through the process to fully vet it,” Lee said.
He added, “I don’t have any kind of opinion anyway or the other at this point,” Lee said. “I am just getting ready to look at what the ask is and look at what it means for all parties involved. You have to remember, a few years back, we went through a very difficult process with the City of Dublin on a service request.”
Vaughn said the village does not need Union County’s approval to petition for the change, but it does make it easier.
“I think we are working to get that signed off on by all the parties so there is a smooth agreement, but nothing in life is guaranteed,” Vaughn said.