County sues over sewer plan

By Tim Yovich

County officials say they believe the issue can be resolved through negotiations.

LORDSTOWN — Mayor Michael A. Chaffee says the village is capable of efficiently operating its own sanitary sewage system, despite what Trumbull County commissioners say in a lawsuit.

Chaffee was reacting Tuesday to a lawsuit filed in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court against Lordstown village and Warren city.

The commissioners filed the suit Monday asking the court to stop the village from establishing its own municipal sewer utility until the county completes or abandons all plans to provide sewers in the village, or until the county agrees to convey to the village existing lines.

Warren is named in the lawsuit because it has an agreement to treat the village sewage at its treatment plant.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has approved an $8 million low-interest loan to pay for the extension of sewer lines in the eastern portion of the village to serve about 600 residents.

Construction is scheduled to begin in about two weeks on the $8 million to $9 million project, Chaffee said.

“I’m confused by their actions,” the mayor said, noting that the commissioners have taken the position of getting rid of individual septic systems. He pointed out that the village will be eliminating 600 septic systems at no cost to the county.

The county has no plan to install a sanitary sewer system in the eastern portion of the village, he asserted.

County officials say they are hoping to resolve a lawsuit through negotiations.

Rex Fee, director of the county sanitary engineer’s office, said Tuesday that although village officials have not attended meetings to work out their differences, a solution can be found.

“We’re open to resolving it,” Commissioner Paul Heltzel said. He said in question are the contracts between Lordstown and the county and Warren and the county. Warren treats Lordstown’s sewage from the sanitary sewers, where they exist.

The case has been assigned to Judge John M. Stuard.

Gregory Hicks, Warren’s law director, said he intends to let the county and Lordstown resolve the issues.

The county, Chaffee argues, wants the village to fund the project and construct it — then the county would take it over and keep the revenue it will generate. The county said in the lawsuit that it can provide a lower utility cost than the village will be able to.

“We believe we can run it more efficiently,” Chaffee said.

He explained that the county is concerned that five years from now the village will want the sewer lines the county owns, including those that service the General Motors complex in Lordstown.

Fee said one of the problems in resolving the differences is that village officials have not wanted to meet with those from the county.

Chaffee counters that the village attorney sent James Brutz, an assistant county prosecutor assigned to represent the sanitary engineer’s office, three dates when village officials would be available.

yovich@vindy.com