Plan presented to help sewer district

A plan is on the table to offer financial relief for customers of Jay County Regional Sewer District.

Jay County Commissioner and sewer district president Barry Hudson presented the plan Wednesday to Jay County Council during its regular meeting, which followed a lengthy public hearing regarding a tax abatement for Bitter Ridge Wind Farm (see related story).

Hudson laid out the five-point plan, saying it isn’t perfect and their may be more steps down the road, but that it is the best the commissioners and sewer district board could come up with at this time. It calls for:

•All maintenance issues to be reported to Guy Tressler, who will be contracted to handle them on behalf of the district. Tressler will give a report at each district board meeting.

•All three county commissioners to serve on the seven-member sewer district board, to be appointed as seats become available. Also, that at least one member of county council serve on the board.

•The meter for the north Dunkirk area that is served by the sewer district continue to be monitored. Metered usage in that area has fluctuated wildly, leading to unpredictable bills.

•A review of charges from the cities of Portland and Dunkirk, which the sewer district pays to treat the sewage from the district’s customers.

•County council to subsidize bills for sewer district customers in the Dunkirk area to the tune of $20 per month. That would cost the county $9,600 annually.

It was that last point, subsidizing bills, that drew the most discussion Wednesday, with council member Cindy Newton questioning why some sewer district customers were being recommended for subsidies while others were not. Beyond that, she asked, why should the county help sewer district residents with their bills while not giving financial assistance to those who face the cost of replacing a septic tank?

“I’m not saying there’s not a problem,” said Newton, “I’m just saying I think it needs to be fair for everybody.”

A variety of other questions and possibilities were raised, including the county paying off the bond on the system, ownership of the system and financial impact.

Hudson pushed council members to make a decision, saying sewer district customers are angry, in need of a solution and upset that council has not helped.

Council members rejected that accusation, with Newton pointing out that county council has already given the sewer district $75,000 in the form of three separate $25,000 grants or loans.

Council tabled the issue for further discussion at its Wednesday meeting, which is also slated as its first reading of the 2019 budget.

It also made a couple of budget decisions prior to next week’s first reading, choosing to keep part-time wages at 2018 levels — they had previously been set at the lowest hourly rate for full-time employees, who will receive raises — and setting new pay guidelines for part-time truck drivers. The new system, suggested by highway superintendent Ken Wellman, calls for part-time truck drivers who have a commercial driver’s license to be paid at a higher rate than those without one — $16.07 per hour compared to $13.93.

Council president Jeanne Houchins also noted that she had talked to county coroner Michael Brewster and Jay County Retirement Center director Amanda Cox about questions council had regarding their proposed budgets, adding that both were OK to move forward.

In other business, council:

•Approved an additional appropriation of $10,000 from the health fund to pay for vaccines.

•Made the following transfers: $10,000 to computer maintenance from Public Employees' Retirement Fund in the commissioners’ budget; $1,000 to wages-deputies from training in the coroner’s budget; and a total of $2,000 to for wages from law books and dues/subscriptions in the superior court budget.