Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Wasn't today the day the Ohio EPA was going to consider the $14 million loan request that came from the City of Pickerington? Someone told me yesterday that the request has been put on hold. Is this because of the Referendum? Is it because of the letters written to the Ohio EPA from the area citizens?

This is a very important event if the Ohio EPA has actually delayed acting on the loan. Why didn't this site know or do they know yet?

By Just Wondering

Loan application removed

We were notified yesterday that the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA).....WILL NOT.... be considering the City of Pickerington's Water Pollution Control Fund Loan Fund application at the December meeting scheduled for December 11, 2003.

The OWDA board meets monthly and may consider such funding in the future.

No reason was given for this delay in the communique we received. Citizens have actively sought to delay this funding award until the new council is seated and may reconsider the nature of the sewer plant expansion and associated purchase of Hickory Lakes. Rita Ricketts filed a referendum on the ordinace authorizing the city manager to apply for the loan with more than 500 signatures last week.

Great News!

I hate to get too happy about this, because the city always seems to have some trick up their sleeve that is too complicated for a regular person like me to understand, but if this delays the expansion, then whoever caused it did us a great service.

Maybe it was Lisa Ross's letter, Rita Rickett's petition, the public comments...who knows, but whatever the reason, with Bushman's departure and this delay, it's actually feeling like there may be a way to slow this down.

I appreciate whoever did whatever to get this moving in the right direction.

hopefully more to come

Gary,

I have asked the OEPA official that informed us of the loan withdrawal to speak to the reasons why in order to get the truth out about the situation. I will pass this on if in fact he responds.

The newly elected members of the city government participated in a conference call last Monday with Christopher Jones about the situation. After this call the impression from those present, as passed to me, is that the expansion and associated loans to do such, were pretty much a done deal, regardless of the issues that have been brought up to the OEPA so far. This includes the information that the PTI for the expansion was expected to be granted in the short term.

I believe the referendum is probably what stopped this loan consideration, but I may be wrong. Many people wrote letters and commented to the OEPA seeking a delay in the process to allow the new officials to evaluate the situation and possibly take another path.

Keep in mind an expansion will be needed no matter what and in the short term. Many involved in reviewing this project think that solid service area agreements with other service providers, such as Fairfield County and Canal Winchester, should be in place BEFORE any expansion begins. That is not the current situation. These providers have capacity to serve some of the area the city seeks to serve and they are willing to do such providing at no addtional cost to the city or the users of the system unlike city claims to the contrary. Some of the area needing service cannot be served by other providers and would require an expansion of the city plant. The nature and size of the needed expansion may be smaller and cheaper than the proposal as it exists now. We think it is prudent to explore these other options in more detail than what the present city administration has done. That is one reason why there has been such an outcry from citizens.


The OEPA has granted Permits to Install for sewer lines which would direct in excess of two million gallons per day of sewage to the current city plant. (current usable capacity is 1.2 million gallons per day) The question has been asked as to why the OEPA granted PTI's in excess of the plant capacity in the first place, but that has not been answered yet, nor do we expect an answer.

Through this process and in a review of OEPA documents, we did discover that developers had installed City service lines without PTI's for such, as required, by the OEPA, which by the OEPA's own estimates would direct in excess of four million gallons per day to the city plant! This is above even the current requested expansion capacity.


I know the current city officials will try to characterize this whole issue as the manipulation of the citizens will by a large landowner (The Ricketts) to benefit their interests. And they will suggest that a FEW misinformed individuals oppose this plan. I think the results of the last election may have proved them wrong, the few are now the many and the many have not been manipulated or brainwashed in my opinion.

I would not be surprised if Mrs. Bushman states such a position in her resignation speech if she gives one.