County and city sign water agreement
COSHOCTON – The Wednesday, Aug. 5 commissioners meeting brought to an end a 15-year process of transferring the water and sewer facilities and debt from the county to the city. For years, the county and city have been discussing how to better serve the people of Coshocton, which culminated in signing an agreement between the two government entities during the commissioner’s regular Wednesday session.
The city will now assume the $13 million dollars’ worth of infrastructure, which includes the water and sewer lines previously installed by the county, and $2 million dollars of debt. The debt will be covered via a five year rate structure.
“Today represents how government can come together to provide service to its constituents in the most effective way,” said Mayor Steve Mercer. “It’s a win-win for the city and county and for all residents who are tapped into our system.”
The city may expand water lines in the future and are looking for funding to begin the project.
Tracy Haines of the Coshocton County Transportation Agency asked the commissioners to consider hiring Kim Woods as a full-time scheduling administrator. Woods has been interning at the office for two months and would start her full-time position on Monday, Aug. 10.
“She did very well,” said Haines. “She shadowed everyone in the office and she is an asset to our transportation team.”
The commissioners approved the full-time hiring of Woods.
Dorothy Skowrunski of the Coshocton Port Authority announced that County Road 12 north of Township Road 212 toward New Bedford will be repaved starting next month. She said she approaches the condition of the road not necessarily as a county road issue, but an economic development problem.
“When you get calls from businesses saying their product did not arrive in the same condition as when it left, that’s an economic development issue,” said Skowrunski.
Skowrunski said there are a lot of businesses in that area that contribute to the furniture industry and that furniture was getting damaged in the transportation process. She also announced that the Northeast Coshocton County Infrastructure Fund contributed $100,000 to this project.
The commissioners meeting ended with Jim Eubanks and Karen Casey discussing last-minute agreements between Upper Room Worship Center and the county for use of the court square during Canal Days.
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Government
