SHELBY – The city of Shelby is moving forward with a sanitary sewer project for portions of West Main Street, despite mixed opinions from members of council.
Shelby City Council passed a resolution declaring the necessity of the sanitary sewer project with a 3-2 vote. Councilmen Charlie Roub and Steve McLaughlin voted against the measure. The project will address the failing septic systems along West Main Street.
“There are times on council where we have to make a very difficult decision that is not necessarily the greatest decision, but it’s almost the only decision we can make for that particular issue or problem,” said Councilman Nathan Martin. “What we have here is a matter of trying to alleviate a very real problem for quite a few residents out on West Main.”
The sanitary sewer projects affects 24 properties on West Main Street that have septic systems in various stages of failure. According to Project Manager Joe Gies, the entire cost of upgrading the area to a sanitary sewer system, including engineering, property acquisition and the installation of a lift station, totals $528,400.
The resolution passed Monday states the city will be responsible for 27.9 percent of the total project cost, totaling $147,600. The remainder of the cost, approximately $380,800, would be assessed upon the 24 properties affected, to be paid in 20 semi-annual installments over 10 years. The estimated cost to individual property owners is around $15,000.
It is this cost to homeowners that has divided members of council. In past council meetings, Roub protested that the city could be doing more for the homeowners affected by the sewer project.
“We have one homeowner that is one of my constituents that probably doesn’t have a $25,000 a year income,” Roub said on Feb. 20. “I think that $15,000 figure is just a little higher than what I’d like to see it, I’d like to see it come down to make it more affordable for everyone.”
Costs to homeowners will be further assisted through a grant received by Director of Environmental Health Beth Conrad. Conrad explained on Feb. 20 that the city received a $200,000 grant where $100,000 can only be used for homeowners, and the other $100,000 can be put towards the city’s costs.
“For the city, $25,000 can go for engineering, 3 percent is for administrative costs, and all those septic systems would have to be cleaned out and disposed of or crushed, so we’d put out bids for a contractor to do all those things,” Conrad said. “That other $100,000 can be used on those types of items.”
The $100,000 for homeowners would be distributed based on income per household, and each household would have to apply to receive assistance.
“Depending on their income, if some people are very, very low income, they could have 100 percent of that paid,” Conrad said. “Somebody that makes decent money may only have 50 percent of that paid. It’s going to be income-based, and they have to apply for us, we don’t just go out and give it.”
City officials in Shelby have long been in talks about updating the residencies on West Main Street from septic systems to the city’s sanitary sewer system. These talks were further validated by state sewage rules from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that were passed on Jan. 1, 2015 that set a minimum standard for Ohio homeowners with septic systems.
McLaughlin noted that when the sewer project was discussed six months prior, he made calls to all 24 property owners on West Main Street – 14 didn’t want the project, and 10 did. However, thanks to new state rules, Shelbians are not given a choice.
“People need to understand this is not something the city of Shelby wanted to do – the state came to us and said we know you have a health board, take care of this,” said Councilman Derrin Roberts on Feb. 20. “It was thrown on top of us, and now we have to deal with it the best way we can possibly deal with it.”
McLaughlin also noted that the city considered grandfathering in some septic systems, but Ohio Revised Code prevented them from doing so.
“More and more our hands are tied, and we are essentially forced to be almost puppets to what (the state) wants us to do,” said Martin. “I think people feel we can do whatever we want, but the state has the trump card they use to overrule our home rule quite often. Until there is a radical change in philosophy by both political parties, this is going to continue happening.”
