SOUTHINGTON County questions water pact

A petition for water was last circulated in Southington in 1996.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Southington Township trustees and county officials debated Thursday the township's recent agreement with Aqua Ohio Inc. and Warren city to construct and maintain waterlines.
At the table were county Commissioner Daniel Polivka, Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrough and James M. Brutz, an assistant county prosecutor.
Brutz wrote a letter to Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien last week, saying that Warren has the authority to extend waterlines within the city.
"However, the installation of waterlines outside the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Board of Trumbull County commissioners."
In calling for the meeting, Brutz noted the commissioners have had no discussions with either the city or Aqua.
The water would be delivered through pipes from Enterprise Drive at the north end of Warren to the center of Southington.
Southington Trustee Clifford Plott said he doesn't understand why Brutz raised so many questions about the proposal.
Plott said he has personally kept Newbrough informed about the township's plans.
Petition requirement
In the meeting Thursday, Brutz said the county requires that petitions contain signatures representing 80 percent approval of property owners.
Plott said the problem is that in Southington, that is difficult to achieve because the county's requirement is for 80 percent of frontage footage, meaning that property owners with small frontages have less of a say than those with large frontages.
Plott said when a petition was last circulated for water in Southington ending in 1996, only 60 percent was achieved. He said that he thinks it will be difficult to get the 80 percent the county wants, but that he will do what he can to meet those requirements.
Plott said the next step will be for Aqua to begin talking to the county. He said he thought Thursday's meeting enabled the county and township to "clear the air."
runyan@vindy.com