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Commission discusses Devola sewer

Devola’s upcoming sewering was debated at Thursday’s meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Devola resident Glenn Pawloski asked the commission if they had talked to the township association that a majority of households in Devola do not support or want to be sewered. The township association had met Wednesday night at the offices of Washington County Engineer Roger Wright.

“Did you inform the township association that merely 161 of 563 Devola households approved the (right of entry) agreements solicited by Heritage Land Services on behalf of the Washington County Commission?” he asked.

Commissioner Jamie Booth said he was at last week’s meeting and they had asked for a letter of support for H20 funding, not as a consent decree or that they have a final permit to install.

“We have a court case that has ruled against the commissioners that we have to sewer Devola,” Booth said. “That is free money that doesn’t cost the residents of Washington County, not just Devola. This affects 1,700 households, not just 550 or 563, whatever the final number is. This is our continuing attempt to lower the cost of this project.”

Pawloski asked Booth to answer the question about informing the township association that the commissioners do not have majority support from Devola households.

Commission President Kevin Ritter spoke up and said he understood Pawloski’s argument.

“I understand that the majority of folks out there are frustrated, you know that I ran for this office because I oppose the sewer. But you also know that a court has ruled,” he explained. “That’s what gives us the authority. In fact, it mandates us to continue to move forward.”

He said it wasn’t a situation where the residents of Devola get to vote, as commissioners have to abide by the court ruling.

Pawloski mentioned a matter going before the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Fourth Appellate District, Washington County, by members of the opposition group Devola Against Sewering Homes. Last year, the group moved to intervene or challenge the enforcement of the 2012 Ohio EPA-Washington County Commissioners Director’s Findings and Orders which required the county to adopt a general plan to install the sewers.

“If there is a court decision that affects this matter, we will certainly abide by it,” Booth said. “But pending any other court action, our hands are tied.”

Wright said in the meantime, the county is left with finding ways to help fund the multi-million dollar project.

“Why can’t the engineer and the county commissioners wait to go after funding until you hear from the fourth district appeals,” Pawloski asked.

Wright said they had a year to get a general plan done and submitted to the Ohio EPA, then they had to get the general plan accepted by the OEPA.

“Basically, you’ve got two years to build the project and get the mains … not get the homes in … but get all the mains installed within two years of the general plan acceptance,” Wright said

He said the general plan was accepted last summer, so they have until the summer of 2023 to get the work done. Wright noted the quick turnaround of the project due to the findings and orderings was the reason for not phasing the project.

Ritter said the plan the county has to follow and the court cases through DASH run parallel.

“I absolutely support what you and DASH are doing, side by side with that is what the county is mandated to do,” Ritter told Pawloski. “These are parallel efforts, we can’t put ours on hold until that one is finished. We just don’t have that option.”

***

Dates to Remember:

¯ County commission meeting, 9 a.m. Thursday, 1115 Gilman Ave.

¯ County home meeting, 11 a.m. April 13, county home.

¯ Finance committee meeting, 10 a.m. April 20, courthouse.

Source: Washington County Commission Clerk.

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