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Liberty seeks water rate decrease

LIBERTY — Township officials are seeking assistance from the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer’s Office to help some residents pay less for water they get from Girard.

Trustee Jodi Stoyak said at Monday’s meeting, a feasibility study needs to be done by the engineer’s office to determine if the county could buy the portion of Girard’s water system that provides water for 1,456 users in Liberty.

She said this would need to be done before 2020 when the contract between Girard and the county expires.

Stoyak said Liberty residents in the northern parts of the township pay more for water from Girard than residents in other parts of the township who get water from Youngstown.

Residents who get water from Girard’s system pay $17.35 per thousand gallons, while township residents who live near Youngstown and are serviced by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District pay about $7.89 per thousand gallons.

The difference is because each water supplier requires a 40 percent surcharge from its customers for the service and infrastructure it provides.

Stoyak said she has written to Rep. Glenn Holmes, D-Girard, and other state officials on the water situation.

“We hope to see things moving in the best direction for everyone involved. We are coming close to 2020,” she said.

Officials said they are encouraging the county commissioners to go forward with the feasibility study.

Stoyak said if nothing can be done, she recommended bringing consultant John Albers from Columbus to explain other options for Liberty.

Girard Mayor James Melfi said the matter is being reviewed by council’s utilities committee who will likely have a discussion with council on this.

“They may ask to go forward with this or they may say ‘no.’ I do not know what to expect from city council on this,” he said.

Melfi said if council decides to go forward, he would be willing to get involved.

“You don’t see the city of Niles offering to open up negotiations with Girard for what they charge us. You don’t see the city of Youngstown doing this either,” he said.

Melfi said Liberty officials can talk about this all they want, but nothing official has taken place.

“Just because they bring this up doesn’t mean you get what you want,” Melfi said.

He said the water structure in the Mahoning Valley has been in place with Mahoning Valley Sanitary District since 1920s.

“We understand how it works. We in Girard do not like it either. We wish we were in on it, but that is not how the structure has been in place for 90 years,” Melfi said.

The idea was first introduced last summer when Trumbull County Deputy Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrough met with Girard and Liberty officials about the water issues.

If the county purchased a portion of Girard’s water system, it would make a payment to Girard to compensate for its investment in the infrastructure.

However, the county needs Girard’s support for the study to determine the value of the water system.

Girard gets water from Youngstown and Niles, paying a surcharge, and Liberty buys from Girard at a surcharge. Girard also provides water to parts of Weathersfield.

Melfi said the city prices its water as cheaply as possible to Liberty and Weathersfield and it can’t be lowered. He also said Girard has paid to extend waterlines and provide water to northern Liberty residents.

“We have used city funds to improve the water system to Liberty. We have made upgrades that cost money from the Girard water fund,” he said, including waterlines installed this summer on East Drive to improve water pressure.

“My hope is that Girard City Council votes to go forward with the feasibility that Newbrough proposed by the end of the year,” Stoyak said.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com

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