Greenfield receives funds for waterline extension project
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Greenfield City Council has received a grant for $205,000, and a $205,000 no-interest loan to be applied toward a waterline extension project at North Street and North Eighth Street.
Nathan Davis of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership addressed council in July regarding funding scenarios for the project. He gave them two funding situations, with various levels of repayment for the city.
The cost of the project, Davis said, is $373,277 for the construction, and $37,327 for "contingency," making the total cost of the project $410,604.
During Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop's report to council during a meeting Feb. 15, she informed council they had chosen the right funding scenario.
According to Bishop, Davis told street department manager Brian Smith that, "You can tell your council they made the right decision to submit an OPWC (Ohio Public Works Commission) application instead of taking the OEPA/DEFA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency/Division of Environmental Funding Assistance) loan forgiveness offer. Look for a letter from OPWC sometime in June acknowledging the award."
Davis told the city, according to Bishop, that he had spoken with Kim Reynolds at the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, and she reported that the city's project had been approved for the OPWC state capital improvement plan for the year.
The first funding scenario regarding the loan from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was a loan that the city had already been approved for. The OEPA loan was a 20-percent "loan forgiveness" that the city did not have the pay, but the city would have had to pay the remaining 80 percent. The loan would have been for $335,949 at 2-percent interest. The 20-percent "loan forgiveness" is worth an estimated $74,655. The annual payment would have been $20,546, at a total cost of debt repayment at $616,366. If the costs were passed on to consumers, it would have added 86 cents to water rates each month, according to Davis.
In the second scenario regarding the grant/loan through the Ohio Public Works Council, the city had no guarantees of receiving the funding. The $205,302 loan is at 0-percent interest, which will be coupled with an OPWC grant in the same amount. The payment will be $6,843, for a cost of total debt repayment at $205,302. If the costs are passed on to consumers, it will add 29 cents to water rates each month, according to Davis.
Council members had expressed concern that the option with the OEPA would cost the city approximately $400,000 more than the OPWC option. Davis said that essentially the city had a choice between guaranteed funds that would cost more, or a cheaper option that is not guaranteed. Davis said that while the OEPS may offer a grant/loan next year, it is not certain.
Council members said that they were glad that their decision resulting in savings for the city.
In other business:
• Council heard the first reading of a resolution adopting amended rules for the Greenfield Civil Service Commission. Commissioner members Tom Morello and John Judkins spoke to council regarding the resolution, saying that it had been yeas since significant changes were made to the commission rules. The proposed changes, according to Morello will, "bring us into the 21st century." Council member Harvey Everhart thanked commission members for the work they did on the rules.
• Bishop reported that verbal quotes have been given for the demolition of the city's old water town in the industrial park, with quotes ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. A bidder then told the city that they would take it down for the materials only, so the city contracted with Lakeside Farms for the tower's removal.
• Council heard the third reading and voted 5-0 to pass an ordinance authorizing the city manager to advertise for bids for agriculture use for 175.70 acres of land located in the Greenfield Industrial Park.
• Council voted to waive three readings and passed 5-0 as an emergency a resolution authorizing the city to enter into a personal services contract with Peggy Beekman for the research, preparation and filing of the city's fiscal year 2011 Community Housing Improvement (CHIP) application.
• Bishop said a permit to install on Phase II of the wastewater treatment plant project had been approved.
• The city has received documentation from the EPA's inspection report of the wastewater treatment plant project. "Some of the minor findings are being addressed," Bishop said. Please take note that by April 22, 2011 we are required to have an operator of record for the sewer collection systems. We are searching to find a contract person to fill this role until our personnel can test in November. Many of these requirements you could never even guess would need to be done. When it happens we have to jump (to try to meet) deadlines. The storm water pollution plan is addressed in the compliance as deficient and we are contracting Woolpert since they did the work on this plan (and it) needs to be done by March 14. An auto dialer alarm at the West Jefferson Street lift station was also mentioned and we are looking into costs for this piece of equipment as well as the installation needs to be done by April 22."
• Bishop said the city was contacted by a group looking to organize a community-wide yard sale the weekend of June 3-4. Council said that they had no problem with it as long as the group would be in charge or organizing it.
Julie Wise of Highland County Community Action Organization, according to Bishop, sent the city information regarding cities that "make youth their number one priority. Earlene Scott has agreed to make the local contacts and do the application process," Bishop said. The program is through the America's Promise Alliance and ING. "I will be supporting these efforts," she said, "and am very impressed in the way the citizens of Greenfield support all the youth programs both school- and volunteer-related."
• Bishop also encouraged area residents to "like" the city of Greenfield's page on Facebook.
• The next regular council meeting will be held March 1.
The Greenfield City Council has received a grant for $205,000, and a $205,000 no-interest loan to be applied toward a waterline extension project at North Street and North Eighth Street.
Nathan Davis of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership addressed council in July regarding funding scenarios for the project. He gave them two funding situations, with various levels of repayment for the city.
The cost of the project, Davis said, is $373,277 for the construction, and $37,327 for "contingency," making the total cost of the project $410,604.
During Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop's report to council during a meeting Feb. 15, she informed council they had chosen the right funding scenario.
According to Bishop, Davis told street department manager Brian Smith that, "You can tell your council they made the right decision to submit an OPWC (Ohio Public Works Commission) application instead of taking the OEPA/DEFA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency/Division of Environmental Funding Assistance) loan forgiveness offer. Look for a letter from OPWC sometime in June acknowledging the award."
Davis told the city, according to Bishop, that he had spoken with Kim Reynolds at the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, and she reported that the city's project had been approved for the OPWC state capital improvement plan for the year.
The first funding scenario regarding the loan from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was a loan that the city had already been approved for. The OEPA loan was a 20-percent "loan forgiveness" that the city did not have the pay, but the city would have had to pay the remaining 80 percent. The loan would have been for $335,949 at 2-percent interest. The 20-percent "loan forgiveness" is worth an estimated $74,655. The annual payment would have been $20,546, at a total cost of debt repayment at $616,366. If the costs were passed on to consumers, it would have added 86 cents to water rates each month, according to Davis.
In the second scenario regarding the grant/loan through the Ohio Public Works Council, the city had no guarantees of receiving the funding. The $205,302 loan is at 0-percent interest, which will be coupled with an OPWC grant in the same amount. The payment will be $6,843, for a cost of total debt repayment at $205,302. If the costs are passed on to consumers, it will add 29 cents to water rates each month, according to Davis.
Council members had expressed concern that the option with the OEPA would cost the city approximately $400,000 more than the OPWC option. Davis said that essentially the city had a choice between guaranteed funds that would cost more, or a cheaper option that is not guaranteed. Davis said that while the OEPS may offer a grant/loan next year, it is not certain.
Council members said that they were glad that their decision resulting in savings for the city.
In other business:
• Council heard the first reading of a resolution adopting amended rules for the Greenfield Civil Service Commission. Commissioner members Tom Morello and John Judkins spoke to council regarding the resolution, saying that it had been yeas since significant changes were made to the commission rules. The proposed changes, according to Morello will, "bring us into the 21st century." Council member Harvey Everhart thanked commission members for the work they did on the rules.
• Bishop reported that verbal quotes have been given for the demolition of the city's old water town in the industrial park, with quotes ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. A bidder then told the city that they would take it down for the materials only, so the city contracted with Lakeside Farms for the tower's removal.
• Council heard the third reading and voted 5-0 to pass an ordinance authorizing the city manager to advertise for bids for agriculture use for 175.70 acres of land located in the Greenfield Industrial Park.
• Council voted to waive three readings and passed 5-0 as an emergency a resolution authorizing the city to enter into a personal services contract with Peggy Beekman for the research, preparation and filing of the city's fiscal year 2011 Community Housing Improvement (CHIP) application.
• Bishop said a permit to install on Phase II of the wastewater treatment plant project had been approved.
• The city has received documentation from the EPA's inspection report of the wastewater treatment plant project. "Some of the minor findings are being addressed," Bishop said. Please take note that by April 22, 2011 we are required to have an operator of record for the sewer collection systems. We are searching to find a contract person to fill this role until our personnel can test in November. Many of these requirements you could never even guess would need to be done. When it happens we have to jump (to try to meet) deadlines. The storm water pollution plan is addressed in the compliance as deficient and we are contracting Woolpert since they did the work on this plan (and it) needs to be done by March 14. An auto dialer alarm at the West Jefferson Street lift station was also mentioned and we are looking into costs for this piece of equipment as well as the installation needs to be done by April 22."
• Bishop said the city was contacted by a group looking to organize a community-wide yard sale the weekend of June 3-4. Council said that they had no problem with it as long as the group would be in charge or organizing it.
Julie Wise of Highland County Community Action Organization, according to Bishop, sent the city information regarding cities that "make youth their number one priority. Earlene Scott has agreed to make the local contacts and do the application process," Bishop said. The program is through the America's Promise Alliance and ING. "I will be supporting these efforts," she said, "and am very impressed in the way the citizens of Greenfield support all the youth programs both school- and volunteer-related."
• Bishop also encouraged area residents to "like" the city of Greenfield's page on Facebook.
• The next regular council meeting will be held March 1.
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