Sale of Campbell water plant 'not much of a decision,' resident says

CAMPBELL

The city of Campbell is one step closer to selling its water plant — and its 3,000 customer accounts — after a town hall meeting this afternoon.

Residents gathered at the community center in Roosevelt Park to hear a presentation from city Water Superintendent Joe Tovarnak and discuss the potential sale.

Tovarnak explained the city’s situation: EPA regulations that went into effect in October require the water plant to undergo an estimated $14.2 million worth of upgrades in order to remain in compliance. That cost would be passed along to city residents, raising their monthly rates for 4,000 gallons of water from $54.50 to more than $85. Those amounts do not include sewage and trash pickup, which are currently included in the city’s water bills.

Alternatively, the city could sell its water business to an entity like Aqua Ohio or the city of Youngstown, passing along the responsibility of upgrading the system to a larger supplier of water with more customers to share the cost.

After hearing the numbers, Campbell Board of Education Treasurer Bill Valentino summed up the feeling in the crowd well.

“It’s not much of a decision here, guys,” he said.

Read more about the matter in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.