Salem officials said they hope to reach a new contract with the county.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM — The Salem Utilities Commission has offered an olive branch in its dispute with Columbiana County commissioners over supplying water to the federal prison in Elkton.
The commission has sent a letter to the commissioners asking to meet to iron out a new agreement.
The letter written by Salem utilities Superintendent Don Weingart was sent to commissioners Wednesday and was announced Thursday.
In the letter, Weingart said that he hoped that an agreement could be reached by the time the utilities commission has its monthly meeting Tuesday. Weingart said that the utilities commission wasn't setting a deadline to reach an agreement.
Commissioner Gary Williams said: "I think we already have a contract in place. There's no need to renegotiate."
Commissioners revealed last week there were two contracts involved in the dispute.
When the prison was built, prison officials wanted to work with one entity and chose the commissioners. Salem agreed to sell water to the county, which in turn sold it to the prison. The city waterline serves the prison and the sewer system that serves the prison and the village of Lisbon.
The initial 10-year agreement between the county and the federal General Services Administration has been extended until Sept. 30. It initially expired in June.
But the commissioners said last week that a second contract that says the city will provide water to the county either has no expiration date or is open-ended.
County officials also pointed out that the prison is in a county water district, and the county legally provides water and sewer services in that district.
Williams said, "We'll have to see what happens."
The county plans to run a waterline from Lisbon to the prison sewer plant, and possibly the prison itself. That line would carry water from the Buckeye Water District based near Wellsville in the southern portion of the county.
County officials said that being able to ultimately link the various water and sewer systems would aid economic growth and help in case of emergencies.
Cost
The letter from the utilities commission said it hoped to save taxpayers the estimated $600,000 of running the county water line to the prison.
The city supplied 121 million gallons of water to the prison in 2005 at a cost of $273,332. For the same year, the city supplied another 4.1 million gallons of water to the sewer plant at a cost of $10,495. The city makes a profit off that water. The commissioners add a small surcharge when it resells the water to the prison.
wilkinson@vindy.com
Friday, August 11, 2006
Salem officials said they hope to reach a new contract with the county.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM — The Salem Utilities Commission has offered an olive branch in its dispute with Columbiana County commissioners over supplying water to the federal prison in Elkton.
The commission has sent a letter to the commissioners asking to meet to iron out a new agreement.
The letter written by Salem utilities Superintendent Don Weingart was sent to commissioners Wednesday and was announced Thursday.
In the letter, Weingart said that he hoped that an agreement could be reached by the time the utilities commission has its monthly meeting Tuesday. Weingart said that the utilities commission wasn't setting a deadline to reach an agreement.
Commissioner Gary Williams said: "I think we already have a contract in place. There's no need to renegotiate."
Commissioners revealed last week there were two contracts involved in the dispute.
When the prison was built, prison officials wanted to work with one entity and chose the commissioners. Salem agreed to sell water to the county, which in turn sold it to the prison. The city waterline serves the prison and the sewer system that serves the prison and the village of Lisbon.
The initial 10-year agreement between the county and the federal General Services Administration has been extended until Sept. 30. It initially expired in June.
But the commissioners said last week that a second contract that says the city will provide water to the county either has no expiration date or is open-ended.
County officials also pointed out that the prison is in a county water district, and the county legally provides water and sewer services in that district.
Williams said, "We'll have to see what happens."
The county plans to run a waterline from Lisbon to the prison sewer plant, and possibly the prison itself. That line would carry water from the Buckeye Water District based near Wellsville in the southern portion of the county.
County officials said that being able to ultimately link the various water and sewer systems would aid economic growth and help in case of emergencies.
Cost
The letter from the utilities commission said it hoped to save taxpayers the estimated $600,000 of running the county water line to the prison.
The city supplied 121 million gallons of water to the prison in 2005 at a cost of $273,332. For the same year, the city supplied another 4.1 million gallons of water to the sewer plant at a cost of $10,495. The city makes a profit off that water. The commissioners add a small surcharge when it resells the water to the prison.
wilkinson@vindy.com
Friday, August 11, 2006
The Salem Utilities Commission has offered an olive branch in its dispute with Columbiana County commissioners over...
