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AG: Trumbull County can’t provide water operator to West Farmington
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Trumbull County commissioners did not have legal authority to provide a licensed water-plant operator to the village of West Farmington when it did so to keep the plant operating, the Ohio Attorney General’s office told the county prosecutor.
The operation of a village water department is governed by a board of trustees of public affairs.
West Farmington Mayor Shirley McIntosh could not be reached to comment.
The result is that county commissioners cannot enter into an agreement with West Farmington “to manage and control the village’s waterworks,” the opinion says.
Commissioner Frank Fuda, when reached Tuesday, said he will be having discussions with Bill Danso, an assistant county prosecutor; Atty. Jim Misocky, projects administrator for the commissioners; and his fellow commissioners regarding the opinion.
He said the opinion apparently means the village will have to find someone on its own to operate the plant.
Fuda said the commissioners and Sanitary Engineer Randy Smith provided an employee of the county sanitary engineer’s office to the village several months ago to operate its water department because the village was unable to provide one on its own.
Gary Newbrough, deputy sanitary engineer, said he thinks the county was able to hire someone easier than the village because it’s a more desirable job to work for the county than a village, especially considering the job with the village would be short term.
Last summer, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency provided a $6 million grant and $6.5 million in zero-percent loans to pay for a $12.5 million project to provide a waterline to serve West Farmington, Braceville, Southington and a small part of Champion Township.
The waterline is expected to be completed sometime in 2018, at which time the West Farmington water plant will be taken out of service.
The waterline is a top priority at the OEPA because of the potential the village’s antiquated treatment plant might fail and no longer be able to provide safe drinking water to the village, state officials said last summer.