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Trumbull set to proceed with second big sewer plant upgrade
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Just weeks after the Trumbull County commissioners authorized an engineering contract for a $15 million to $20 million upgrade to its Brookfield wastewater treatment plant, they are prepared to apply for a $25.8 million loan to help pay for a $34.3 million upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant on Anderson Avenue in Howland.
The commissioners are expected to approve the application through the Ohio Pollution Control Loan Fund to help with the cost of planning, design and construction.
The legislation would authorize Dan Polivka, commissioners chairman, to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Water Development Authority and declare that the repayment of the funds will come from monthly charges to customers of the Mosquito Creek Sewer District.
Scott Verner, special projects director and chief design engineer for the county sanitary engineer’s office, said the Howland project is likely to be advertised for bids in January or February. Engineering for the project is being done by CT Consultants.
The engineering contract was mired in controversy in October 2016, when Commissioner Frank Fuda complained that the way CT Consultants and MS Consultants were selected could lead to legal action against the county for being unfair to other bidders.
Fuda said the top managers in the sanitary engineer’s office had ranked other firms ahead of CT and MS, but the commissioners were asked to hire CT and MS as a team, despite none of the other engineering firms being told a team bid was allowable.
The team bid was later thrown out and CT was hired alone. CT later hired MS as a subcontractor to oversee construction and project administration.
In other action, the commissioners are expected to accept the resignation of Gwen Logan as executive Trumbull County dog warden effective Dec. 20. Logan, wife of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Andrew Logan, became executive dog warden in September 2010.
They are also expected to submit a letter of support to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for the Cafaro Co.’s proposed Enterprise Park development on the west side of state Route 46 in Howland near the Sam’s Club store.
And they are expected to approve a modification to the three-year contract awarded in August to Dr. Phillip Malvasi to provided medical services at the county jail.
The revision changes the length of the contract to one year ending Nov. 9, 2019. Sheriff Paul Monroe said recently he plans to seek bids for jail medical services.