Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I believe the Pickerington City Public Information officer, Jeff Krause, is still putting out false information in an effort to prop up his current boss Joyce Bushman. Today in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette the reporter, Tamaria Liddell, reported that Pickerington was going to pass an ordinance this evening that would start work on the Pickerington Sewer plant expansion. This is strictly very poor reporting on her part and it should be noted that it was reported on this site that the Ohio EPA had removed the loan application from consideration this month. The Ohio EPA was also looking for confirmation of how the City of Pickerington would re pay the debt for this waste water expansion.

?“The expansion will cost $11.3 million, funded by the state Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, and will be paid over a 20-year period, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. As part of this process, the city of Pickerington will participate in the Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program, whose goal is to counter projects that jeopardize Ohio's water resources; thus the Hickory Lakes purchase.?”

Lancaster Eagle Gazette December 16, 2003


So how can the above statement be true if the loan is on hold?


?“The interest paid on the expansion loan -- $3.6 million -- will pay for Hickory Lakes.?”
Lancaster Eagle Gazette December 16, 2003

This is some more of Joyce Bushman?’s shell games with dollars and taking liberties with the truth. The City of Pickerington requested a loan of $14,000,000. Please do the math. That is $10,600,000 for the Waste Water Expansion and that leaves $3,400,000 for the Hickory Lakes purchase and we are borrowing money for not only the plant expansion but also the Hickory Lakes purchase. We do get a break in that we will not be paying back this loan?’s interest.

Now please stop and think that if Councilpersons Riggs and Shaver vote against this ordinance it will not be in affect until January 15th and Joyce Bushman will be out of work. Lou Postage will not be Mayor any longer and this ordinance falls flat on its face.

''The (Ohio) EPA praised the city of Pickerington for planning ahead and not getting behind the eight ball,'' Wright said. ''This is a necessary expansion that we've had in plan for more than 10 years.''
Lancaster Eagle Gazette December 16, 2003

Here above is another example of why they were voted out of office. Who really cares if the Ohio EPA ?“Praised?” Pickerington? Who really cares if they have had in their plan this expansion for 10 years? The fact is that it is not needed. It only encourages growth that this community can no longer afford to grow at the rates they have grown over those last 10 years.

Bill listen up. The voters overwhelmingly made their decision on November 4th 2003. Slow the damn growth down and do it now. You are killing our schools, you are killing our roads and you are bankrupting us all.
I hate wishing my life away but I hope we get to the first of the year and soon. These guys just can?’t get it through their collective heads that the voters rejected their policies and that of this City Manager.

non Eagle Gazette viewers need

non Eagle Gazette viewers need to know!

http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/news/stories/20031216/localnews/45779.html

Pickerington Council voting on plant expansion
By TAMARIA L. LIDDELL
The Eagle-Gazette Staff; tliddell@nncogannett.com


If you go
WHAT: Pickerington City Council Meeting
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today
WHERE: City Hall, 100 Lockville Road
PICKERINGTON -- City Council will meet tonight to vote whether to expand its wastewater treatment plant.
If the ordinance passes, the city also will purchase Hickory Lakes, a private park and wetlands.
The expansion will cost $11.3 million, funded by the state Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, and will be paid over a 20-year period, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. As part of this process, the city of Pickerington will participate in the Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program, whose goal is to counter projects that jeopardize Ohio's water resources; thus the Hickory Lakes purchase.
The interest paid on the expansion loan -- $3.6 million -- will pay for Hickory Lakes.
The expansion has been supported by most council members, except for Councilman and Mayor-elect David Shaver and Councilwoman Heidi Riggs.
The expansion isn't needed, Shaver said.
''The whole issue comes down to overcrowding,'' Shaver said. ''One of the difficulties with building the wastewater plant is it commits us to further growth. To have a wastewater plant, you have to have fees to pay for the expansion. Our present plant is sufficient to carry our capacity.''
Shaver, who ran for office on the basis of controlling growth, said the old administration is trying to handcuff the new administration, by pushing this ordinance through.
But expanding the plant is a necessity, council President William W. Wright said.
''Some people are afraid that this is something necessary for us to continue growth without regards to anything,'' Wright said. ''It's about being able to provide services for what's already planned and what's already out there.
''The (Ohio) EPA praised the city of Pickerington for planning ahead and not getting behind the eight ball,'' Wright said. ''This is a necessary expansion that we've had in plan for more than 10 years.''
The expansion is the final phase of a multi-year plan to take place for the wastewater services in Pickerington, said Wright.
''The (Ohio) EPA said it's economically infeasible for any other entity other than Pickerington to build a plant and provide services for this area,'' he said.
Shaver added that the city is already in debt.
''We're already $25 (million) to $27 million in debt; adding another $14 million will put us over -- that's a lot of debt for a small city,'' Shaver said. ''We're still paying off the plant expansion in 1995 and 1996; and infrastructure improvements. After a while it begins to accumulate.''
Currently, Pickerington's wastewater treatment plant receives and treats an average daily flow of 1.1 million gallons per day, or MGD, and it has a capacity of 1.8 MGD. According to the U.S. Census, the city's population was 9,737 in 2000 and is projected to increase to 26,000 over the next 20 years.
The expansion would give the plant a 3.5 MGD capacity. According to the Ohio EPA, ''some level of plant expansion will be needed by 2005 to accommodate any possible scenario for future growth in the city.''
Originally published Tuesday, December 16, 2003


By The article in question

Every thing is on hold

Folks there is nothing going to happen with the waste water plant until the newly elected government takes over in January. Everything that may be passed this evening must wait until January 15th for Mayor Shaver to sign.

I think a veto is needed

I think the legislation can go into effect without the mayor's signature unless he vetoes it.

I came across some legislation that Lee Gray would not sign but it went into effect anyhow because he did not veto it.

Charter readers, what is the process?