MARIETTA, OH- The Washington County Sewer project has reached a big milestone. Washington County Board of Commissioner President Kevin Ritter announced in a public Q&A that the City of Marietta and the county board of commissioners agreed to settle its dispute over the sewer project in Devola and the county's surrounding areas. The project has been the subject of multiple lawsuits with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
"For the past decade, the City of Marietta and Washington County have been at odds about the Devola Sewer," Ritter said. "I'm pleased to announce that is no longer the case. Just this morning, the board of commissioners met with city administration to bring this period of acrimony to a close."
WHAT WE KNOW:
Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher explained that the agreement requires Washington County to pay the City of Marietta a total $3.3 million dollars with a 500-thousand-dollar lump sum to be paid up front. The remaining 2.8 million dollars will be paid over the next 20 years.
These terms will be laid out through a new Inter Governmental Agreement that will allow for changes to the previous IGA that was signed by the county's former board of commissioners. Full agreement details will be determined over the next several days.
A notable change to the agreement is the removal of Oak Grove township from the project, however; if the Ohio EPA requires Oak Grove to be added, the City of Marietta would then take the sewer flow to its Waste Water Treatment Plant. Additionally, any future sewer agreements for State Route 7 North, State Route 821 and SR 60 would flow to the city as well.
Mayor Schlicher stated, "We believe that the county will sewer Devola by the end of 2023 but if not, the City of Marietta will start receiving payments January 2024 for the projected flow."
Commissioner Schilling added, "One of the things that has been talked about in the past is the potential for any interest rate…with this [agreement] we will pay a zero percent interest rate to the city."
Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher, Marietta Safety Service Director Steve Wetz, Washington County Board of Commissioner President Kevin Ritter, Commissioner Charlie Schilling and Commissioner James Booth are the local officials addressed the public/media at the Washington County Commissioner Office at 1115 Gilman Ave. in Marietta.
The agreement is said to save both city and county taxpayers money. The officials unanimously agreed that this deal will allow the two entities to strengthen its previously strained relationship.
