Council OKs funds for line engineering

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by Brent Hovey

Reporter

Aurora -- Despite a 7-1 vote, City Council was not happy about approving spending more money to bring water from Cleveland to Portage County.

At its Oct. 13 meeting, Council approved two separate ordinances for engineering to be done to design a replacement water line on Route 43 north. Replacement of the line will be done in conjunction with the widening of the road.

Mayor Lynn McGill said the 16-inch pipe is 40 years old and has numerous breaks in the main supply line.

"It is apparent that the rate of deterioration due to corrosion is very high and this trend will continue and continuous repair of the line would be extremely costly," said McGill.

The cost of the engineering for the stretch of water line from the north water tank to the end of the Route 43 widening project is $9,188 and will be done by URS.

The second ordinance was in the amount of $24,125 for Richard L. Bowen & Associates to design 935 feet of water line replacement from the end of the Route 43 widening project to a new booster station.

Council members' main objection to the ordinances wasn't that they didn't think the engineering and eventual construction is needed, it was how they found out about the plans and how the city will pay for this and future projects.

Most members of Council said they first learned about the plans via the Oct. 1 edition of the Advocate.

"It's unconscionable on the part of this administration to play out the problem in the Advocate and tell how it's going to be financed without first bringing the issue before the finance committee and City Council," John Kudley said. He was the lone person to vote against the ordinances.

KUDLEY URGED Council not to vote for the ordinances or "approve any additional expenditures dealing with water and sewer services until the administration provides Council with a realistic plan to begin to build up the water and sewer maintenance and expansion funds."

In McGill's plan, as was reported in the Advocate, it was simply a recommendation the money could come from the city's 2008 capital budget and $620,000 from the water expansion and improvement fund.

Total cost of engineering and construction will likely be about $1.3 million.

Tom Dreher said he hopes the city will ask Cleveland and Portage County to help out on the costs.

McGill said he wouldn't ask Cleveland because it is already paying for some of the line and will never use the line.

As for Portage County, the mayor said he asked and county officials said it is a maintenance problem and Aurora's responsibility. Any help from the county would result in a rate increase.

Council agreed the new water line is needed and there will be similar projects and costs in the future.

"I think the Cleveland water line represents progress and there is a cost with progress," said Council President James Fisher.

Kudley warned when Cleveland water is actually turned on, there will be more problems with Aurora's old pipes handling the increased flow and pressure.

"I'm concerned where the money will come from," he said. "We're running out of funds. I've not seen a plan, and I've been asking repeatedly, that will put money back in the water/sewer funds for future projects."

For the Cleveland line project, there will be 7,500 feet of pipe, which McGill said is a long line, but it will serve for all of Aurora and have extra protection surrounding it to prevent corrosion.

E-mail: bhovey@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115