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[ PREVIOUS STORIES ]

10-14-03: Sewer project on the move in Burkettsville

By JANIE SOUTHARD
jsouthard@dailystandard.com

ST. HENRY — Bidding may begin next month on the $2.5 million sewer project that will run sewer lines from Burkettsville and New Weston to the St. Henry wastewater treatment plant.
Project Manager Jared Ebbing of Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., Celina, told St. Henry councilors meeting Monday the project could go out for bid as early as late November with the lines completed and ready for pumping by the end of 2004.
The project will provide sewer service for residents in Burkettsville and New Weston, who will no longer use their private septic systems. The Environmental Protection Agency has said many of the septic systems are failing and causing pollution. Therefore, the communities’ waste will be pumped to the St. Henry plant to be treated.
The $2.5 million dollar project will be funded with $1.3 million in grants and the rest with 0 percent loans issued to Burkettsville, which is located on the Mercer/Darke County border, and New Weston, located in Darke County.
“Darke and Mercer counties have passed all necessary resolutions creating sewer districts for each, with Mercer County sewer district in charge of maintenance. We’re now ready for the next step,” Ebbing said at Monday night’s council meeting.
St. Henry council members unanimously passed first reading on an ordinance to proceed to that next step, which authorizes St. Henry Mayor Lavern Schulze to enter into an agreement with Mercer County for the waste treatment.
Ebbing also told councilors the flow to St. Henry will be insignificant.
“Otherwise the EPA would not have approved the project based on St. Henry’s existing equipment,” he said.
While St. Henry will begin accepting and treating waste from the south, the village also may be pumping water to the east to a neighboring facility.
The St. Charles Center has asked St. Henry if it would provide water to the center, which has plans to renovate into a retirement community open to the public.
Village Administrator Don Hess informed council that St. Charles staff will hold an advisory committee meeting this week to “figure out details as to their wants and needs” for a water extension from St. Henry to that facility.
To serve the center, water lines would be extended 20,000 feet east of the village down Kremer Hoying Road and down one side of U.S. 127 into the building.
“It would be premature to speculate on any details at this time,” Hess said of the center’s future plans.
Village resident Amy Tebbe informed council she is concerned with drivers speeding through the intersection of Columbus and Logan streets.
“I have four children and I’m worried. (The drivers) are going through there at 40 to 50 mph,” Tebbe said.
Schulze expressed concern but said, with the limited police force, about all that can be done is to “step up patrols in your area.”
Police Chief Bob Garman said although the police could park in that area, the police would not observe speeding because the drivers would see the patrol first and would slow down.
Schulze reiterated the village will do all that can be done.
Tebbe said she “just wants to be on record with her concerns.”
Council members learned from Hess the sidewalk extension program for the next five years is as follows: in 2004, Eastview and Sunset streets; 2005, Eastern Avenue north to the Shell Station and north to Dave’s Market; 2006, Center, Balcony and Woodland streets; 2007, Westview Drive and Western Avenue; and 2008, west and east edges of Kremer Hoying Road.
In other action, council:
• Passed third reading on the 100 percent, 10-year tax abatement for Jer and Jan Enterprises, St. Henry Medical Building, in the industrial park. Three new positions will be created and another two during the next 12 months in lieu of the company paying taxes.
• Learned leaf pickup will begin this week, possibly Wednesday or Thursday.
• Learned the tennis court paving has been completed and fencing should begin this week. More work is expected next spring in order to ready the courts by early summer.
• Learned cable provider, Adelphia, is in the process of changing its channel packaging as well as pricing. Letters were sent from Adelphia last week to each Adelphia customer.

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