County hears from Rocky Fork Lake property owners on new sewer assessments

Steve Canter of Environmental Engineering Services in Lebanon, along with Highland County Commissioners Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer, Auditor Bill Fawley and Prosecutor Anneka Collins, met with Rocky Fork Lake property owners during a Wednesday hearing on the new $18.30 annual assessment for sewerage fees.

Canter provided a history of the Rocky Fork Lake Wastewater District's formation and initial operation in 1999, as well as a breakdown of fees and grants related to the project.

Commissioners have proposed a new resolution for a 20-year assessment of $18.30 per year, beginning in 2015, or a one-time fee of $328.80 per user.

The county's debt payment would begin in 2016.

During a video presentation, Canter showed statistics from the Ohio EPA from 1999 and 2012, which indicate the Rocky Fork Lake residents are paying below the state average in sewerage fees.

In 1999, Canter said, the state average was $343 a year, while Rocky Fork Lake residents were paying $162 per year. In 2012, the numbers were $581 a year for the state average and $426 at the lake.

Several residents in attendance at the Nov. 26 hearing complained that the original sewer assessments from 1999 do not expire until 2019 and that the second assessment is unfair.

Canter explained that the system is 15 years old and in need of upgrades and a new equalization tank.

Fawley explained that the new assessment money is put into a fund for debt only. "None of that is spent on anything else, just debt," Fawley said.

Horst noted that when the original system was set up, commissioners at that time tried to keep the rates as low as possible, but "that was a problem because it was set up without any cushion to keep costs low. It's caught up with us."

The user fees were set at $13.50 per month in 2000 and have been going up. On Dec. 5, 2012, commissioners voted, 3-0, to raise the sewerage fees from $29 per month to $33.50 per month, a 16-percent increase, for 2013.

On Dec. 4, 2013, commissioners voted, 2-1 with Shaffer dissenting, to increase the monthly sewerage fees on the Rocky Fork Lake wastewater treatment facility customers by $1 – to the present $34.50 per month – for 2014.

Then, on Sept. 24 of this year, commissioners announced that residents within the Rocky Fork Lake Wastewater Treatment area will see an additional assessment fee of approximately $18.30 per year, per user.

On Oct. 29, commissioners approved the Nov. 26 public hearing on the Rocky Fork Lake wastewater project and proposed increases in user assessments. A final adoption vote is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Resolution No. 14-255 reads in part: "Whereas, the special assessments to be levied for the purpose of paying the cost of constructing improvements to the Sanitary Sewer Sub district No. 3 (Rocky Fork Lake) have been filed with this Board of County Commissioners and do not exceed the estimated project cost of $949,000 for said improvement."

* * *

• In other action, Fawley also presented the county's latest permissive sales tax revenues for November (for September sales), which totaled $521,259.63. Fawley said it was the highest November total the county has received.

* * *

• Commissioner Horst reported that Highland County Community Action has approximately 800 winter coats available for needy children. Anyone interested in receiving a child's coat should call Ruth at 393-3458.

* * *

• County Clerk Nicole Oberrecht reported on last week's Community Economic Development Academy (CEDA) seminar. She said the county will receive $10,000 additional dollars toward economic development. Oberrecht thanked AEP for funding the county's proposal, which calls for additional marketing and a new website dedicated to potential sites for new industry and business.

In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 2-0 vote:

• A request by the Clerk of Courts for a modification within the Clerk of Courts Budget from Supplies to Telephone in the amount of $200.

• A request by the Sheriff for additional appropriation to Sheriff Budget in the amount of $7,531.30.

• A modification for additional appropriation to Spay & Neuter Budget in the amount of $1,000.

• A modification from County Miscellaneous, Transfers Out to Maintenance & Operations, Supplies in the amount of $2,500.

• A resolution in which the HCDJ&FS CSEA declares inventory items to be surplus property and no longer needed by the County. (A list is available at the commissioners' office.)

• A request by Victim Witness for additional appropriations from unappropriated funds to the following line items in the amount of $900.

• Additional appropriations to Debt Retirement Justice Center from unappropriated funds in the amount of $55,600.

• A request by Probation for additional appropriation to Probation Budget in the amount of $1,800.

• A request by Probation to revise budget for Jail Diversion.

• Highland County Common Pleas Court General and Domestic Division maximum fee for appointed counsel reimbursement shall by the max set by the Ohio Public Defender's Office.

• The acceptance of recommendations for Highland County Juvenile and Probate Court maximum fee for appointed counsel reimbursement.

• The acceptance of the recommendation for the Hillsboro Municipal Court maximum fee for appointed counsel reimbursement for misdemeanors as $750.