The Unified Government commissioners meet this evening, and two big-ticket items will be on the agenda.
The first major item is a partial consent decree between the UG and the federal government, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice. Jeff Miles, the Director of Water Pollution Control for the UG will give a presentation on the terms of the agreement before the vote.
The EPA has charged the UG with overflows of raw sewage into area waterways over a long period of time, and the partial consent decree is a step toward resolving that case.
As Dave Reno, spokesman for the UG’s Public Works department, explained it, “the Consent Decree exists because the Unified Government did not take the necessary steps to protect water quality under the Clean Water Act in the past. This situation did not appear overnight but developed over many decades as the Clean Water Act continued evolving and its requirements became more complex and costly.”
Compliance with the consent decree is expected to cost the UG approximately $1 billion over the next twenty years, and sewer rates for UG residents will increase between 2.5 and 5 percent annually over that period to offset costs.
Reno detailed the requirements in this way, “These measures include operational plan compliance, permit adherence, maintenance performance standards, compliance evaluations (such as engineering, metering, monitoring, and modeling), annual reporting, capital projects,”
Major infrastructure improvements will include modernizing and increasing the capacity of the Jersey Creek and Wolcott treatment facilities, as well as improvements designed to separate the area’s storm water and sewer drainage.
The consent decree is backed by court-enforced penalties from $1,000 to $5,000 per day or occurrence, depending on the type of noncompliance, such as failing to submit timely reports or having a sewer overflow that reaches a controlled waterway.
Because the consent decree does not fully resolve the charges against the UG, other future measures may be needed.
The other major item on the commission’s agenda is approval of an “memorandum of understanding” with LiUNA! Public Service Employees Local Union 1290, which bargains on behalf of UG workers in the Streets, Parks and Recreation, Fleet Maintenance, and Transit departments.
The agreement covers pay increases, safety and seniority rules, as well as working hours and grievance procedures through 2026.
In addition, the commissioners will hear a presentation from the Wyandot Behavioral Health Network on its work providing mental health services in the county and will consider Land Bank and grant approvals.
