Efforts are underway to expand the Rattlesnake Water System in preparation for future development at the Fayette County mega-site.
According to Fayette County Engineer Steve Luebbe, there are currently no issues with the water system, but the county wants wells in reserve that can be used if the demand for water in the area increases.
The Rattlesnake Water System covers the mega-site, the new McKesson facility that will be in operation later this year, and a small residential area located in West Lancaster.
The Fayette County mega-site, according to www.fayette-co-oh.com, is the “premier Mega-Manufacturing site in the State of Ohio and Midwest Region with 1,500+ acres located at the interstate of I-71 and U.S. Route 35.”
Two resolutions were recently passed by the Fayette County Commissioners to assist with locating and preparing more wells.
One resolution authorizes the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the purpose of groundwater investigation to expand the water supply in the Rattlesnake Water System at an estimated cost of $141,487.
In the second resolution, Luebbe was authorized to accept a proposal from National Water Services out of Lancaster to provide drilling options to help evaluate the availability of water for the Rattlesnake Water System at an estimated cost of $99,604.
Currently, there are three production wells — all of which are tied into a treatment plant. All three wells are operating normally.
According to Luebbe, through expansion efforts, two additional wells have already been drilled and tested that can become production wells when needed.
In other news from the Fayette County Commissioners’ office, several resolutions were passed at a recent meeting:
It was authorized to use ARPA funding for the reimbursement of COVID-19 health insurance claims cost in the amount of $53,270.77, for the period of March 2021 through December 2021 as Fayette County is a self-funded county.
Luebbe was authorized to enter into a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Sodium Chloride requirements for the 2022-23 winter season.
Luebbe was also authorized to enter into an agreement with CTL Engineering, Inc. out of Cincinnati for vibration monitoring at Interstate 71 and U.S. 35 for potential future development at the mega-site at a cost of $7,800.
Luebbe was authorized to accept the proposal of Eagon & Associates, Inc. out of Worthington for hydrogeologic services for well field expansion and capacity evaluation at an estimated cost of $41,973.
A purchase through the Ohio Department of Administrative Services Cooperative Purchasing Program for a Kobelco excavator was authorized. The purchase price will be $237,899.
The final resolution authorized the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office to sell surplus inventory through GovDeals, Inc. that is no longer in service or used, including: a 2014 Dodge Charger, three 2012 Dodge Chargers, a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, three Sho-Me LED Deck Light Bars, five Plastic Long Gun Cases, four Sho-Me Grill Lights, one Sharp Microwave Oven, 11 Mossberg Shotgun Pistol Grips, one Magnavox VHS – DVD Player, and three 2012 Charger Cruiser Cages.
As part of the resolution, the following items are to be discarded due to repairs not being feasible or having little to no value: 11 Federal Signal Interceptor 400 siren/light controls – damaged, one Pentax 35mm camera — end of life, one Federal Signal Touchmaster Delto siren/light control – damaged, one Panasonic 12” B&W monitor — end of life, one Federal Signal PA-640 siren/light control – damaged, four MSA SCBA units — end of life, one Code 3 V-con siren/light control – damaged, 50+ Ballistic Kevlar Panels — end of life, eight Galls Traffic Buster siren/light control – damaged, 19 Filing cabinets — end of life, three Havis Radio/Equipment consoles (parts) — end of life, three Jotto Desk Computer mounts — end of life, one Bag Buster Air Bag Deployment Device — unsafe to use/end of life.
There were two contracts entered into:
The first contract was with Maggard’s Nursery to provide labor and materials to treat the lawn at the Fayette County Courthouse with five rounds of fertilization and weed control, including a pre-emergent starting April through October for approximately $425.
The second contract was with Fillmore Construction LLC out of Leesburg for the 2022 Fayette County Chip Seal Program for $195,670.
Bids will be received on April 29 at 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ office for the Lakewood Hills Area Water System Improvement Project. Engineer’s estimate for the project is $1,278,971.
There were two bids received for Fayette County Bridge materials. The first was from Mack Industries out of Mount Vernon for $87,480. The second was from Encore Precast out of Dayton for $93,860. The engineer’s estimate was $60,000. Per the recommendation of Luebbe, the bids were rejected due to both being greater than 10% over the engineer’s estimate.
During the Fayette County Land Bank meeting, the treasurer’s report was shared with a beginning balance of $207,072.16. The first half of a real estate settlement was received in the amount of $45,601.67, making the new balance $252,673.83.
Assistant prosecutor Dan Drake updated the board on the status of gaining access to the properties that the Land Bank is interested in for the Brownfield Remediation Program and the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Programs — the property owners are not inclined to grant access to the properties. Drake will continue talks with property owners.
An agreement is planned to be entered into with Ramboll for services assisting the Land Bank with the identification and initial screening of sites to apply for grant applications. The approximate cost will be $10,000.
Mark Miller and Nathan Zukowitz, attorneys at law, have presented a proposal for consideration to be legal counsel for the Fayette County Land Bank. They would handle foreclosures from start to finish. The cost includes up to 40 foreclosures, any and all staffing needs to manage the foreclosures, attendance at monthly meetings, and advising the Land Bank on legal questions and advice. The cost of those services would be $55,200 annually plus court costs, advertising, exam fees, deed preparation and county recording fees.
April Keaton spoke to the board on the challenges of foreclosure proceedings that are currently completed through the prosecutor’s office.
The proposal for Miller and Zukowitz to provide legal counsel was accepted.
The next Land Bank meeting is scheduled for April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in the County Administration Building, second floor meeting room.
Information in this article was provided by the Fayette County Commissioners’ Office. Stay with the Record-Herald weekly for more updates. The Fayette County Commissioners’ Office is located at 133 S. Main St., suite 401 in Washington Court House, and their office hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can be reached at 740-335-0720. Condensed minutes from the meetings are available on the county website.
Reach journalist Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355.
