Council postpones sewer rate increase

The Hillsboro City Council voted Monday to indefinitely freeze a pending increase to the city's sewer rates.

"We have been revisiting this for about four months," council member Dave Shoemaker, who is the chairperson of the utilities committee, told The Highland County Press. "This is the third time we have voted to freeze the increase."

Council voted on the matter during their regular monthly session, held in council chambers in the new Hillsboro Fire and Rescue building.

Council President Lee Koogler asked Shoemaker if the increase could be postponed and the city "still remain fiscally responsible?"

Shoemaker said the city and committee have been unable to compile the exact figures due to administrative assistant Kirby Ellison being out of the office. But after discussing the matter with city auditor Gary Lewis, Shoemaker said, the committee felt that indefinitely freezing the rates is fiscally responsible despite the uncertainty of the numbers. 

The city had been scheduled in September to increase the rates by 28 and a half percent.

"With today's economy, I don't feel the community can stand the increase," Shoemaker said following Monday's meeting.

Council voted 6-0 to indefinitely freeze the increase.

Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt informed council during his report that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has told the city that the method through which sludge is being dispersed and reported at the wastewater treatment plant "does not meet OEPA standards."

Holt said that for 17 years the city has used a truck and manure spreader to disperse the sludge. Holt suggested that the city look into the purchase of a truck equipped with a computer that compiles the tons per acre that are spread. That data would then need to be reported to the OEPA. The truck would cost an estimated$172,000, but could be purchased through RCAP (Rural Community Assistance Partnership) funds, according to Holt.

Koogler put the matter into the utilities committee and finance committee for further review.

Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said that the city has acquired $7.2 million in grant funds toward the construction of the city's wastewater treatment plant, including $200,000 Army Corps of Engineer funds which were reported to council Monday.

Zink said that the city has those grant dollars, along with $11 million in 1-percent interest loans, due to Ellison's efforts, and he praised the work she did on finding the funds for the project.