COMBINED SEWERS

HdMechanical wrote: VietVet wrote: HdMechanical wrote: VietVet wrote: HdMechanical wrote: VietVet wrote: "The funding has already been ruled unconstitutional and they snub their noses at us" THEN WHY ARE THE SCHOOLS STILL ALLOWED TO PLACE LEVIES ON THE BALLOT? SOMETHING DOESN'T COMPUTE HERE. It stands until another solution is found...............Keep giving them money and there is no reason for them to change. Requires a complete overhaul of the taxing system, something no politician will even attempt ...Would be political suicide.  . SO THE CRITERIA FOR CONTINUING TO IGNORE THE DECREE OF UNCONSTITUTIONALITY AND THE BREAKING OF THE LAW IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER SOLUTION FOR NOW? BIZARRE REASONING AND LOGIC. ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUNDING WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOLISHED. ISN'T THIS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND AS SUCH, THOSE RESPONSIBLE SHOULD BE CHARGED? EXACTLY HOW'S THAT WORK IN THIS CASE? ONCE IT WAS DECIDED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENFORCED. NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON FOR THE POLITICAL SUICIDE RISK. Your government at work................. PUBLIC HANGINGS ARE IN ORDER AT THE FED, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS. I'LL BUY THE ROPE AT THE LOCAL TRACTOR SUPPLY IF SOMEONE HAS A FEW TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY WITH SOME STURDY BRANCHES. NEED A DATE, SEND OUT THE INVITATIONS, CALL THE VENDORS AND ORDER THE SOUNDTRACK OF HANG 'EM HIGH TO PLAY DURING THE CEREMONY ALSO. You would have to go to a National forest to find enough trees.......... Let just hope some scared socialist wannabe doesn't misinterpret your post and you end up spread eagle, cavity searched and home ransacked.  I will not have anyone to chat with...

I wouldn't worry about that happening Hd. I've got guns. Not afraid to use 'em. Got a chip on my shoulder based on what life has dealt me the last 4 + years and really would enjoy someone attempting to knock the chip off. So let 'em try the "spread eagle", "cavity search", "home ransacked" thing. I wish them luck......

HdMechanical wrote: VietVet wrote:   I wouldn't worry about that happening Hd. I've got guns. Not afraid to use 'em. Got a chip on my shoulder based on what life has dealt me the last 4 + years and really would enjoy someone attempting to knock the chip off. So let 'em try the "spread eagle", "cavity search", "home ransacked" thing. I wish them luck...... They are scared of guns , so they sneak in while you are snoring and let your guns watch them rape you.....

It'll be alright. I've learned to sleep with one eye open waiting for any distress from my wife at night. Light sleeper and wake up with any sound. I'll hear 'em. Been years since I actually had a full night's sleep.

Welcome back!

Read the Wed. 3/7/18 afternoon update of Journal News:

Middletown City Council on Tuesday approved the first project as part of the $269 million Long Term Control Plan established by the consent decree with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency to correct the issue, according to a staff report prepared by Scott Tadych, city public works and utilities director.

Council approved a $338,400 professional services contract with Williams Creek Consulting to prepare the construction plans and specifications for the Bulls Run to Sunset Park Green Infrastructure Project.

Comment: This so called Long Term Control Plan is a fool hardy delaying tactic which will continue (after 40 years) to avoid separating the sewers. Likely the EPA has no idea that Middletown (directed by Doug Adkins) has decided to waste more money by virtually applying a bandaid over a severed artery, just to delay complying with the order to separate the sewers. Why?

Tadych said the project is the first identified in the LTCP that will consist of constructing a storm sewer to intercept a portion of the flow from the Bulls Run stream where it enters the combined sewer system near the intersection of Sheldon Road and Santa Fe Drive.

He said the intercepted flow from the drainage area will be redirected to an approximately one-acre regional green infrastructure retention basin located at Sunset Park, reducing storm water loading to the combined sewer system.

Comment: The intercepting storm sewer will combine with the sewer system containing raw sewage to be deposited in the retention basin. Instead of a swimming pool we shall have a cesspool in Sunset Park!

The project is required to be completed by mid-2019 under the terms of the federal consent decree.

In his report, Tadych said that aesthetic landscaping and hardscaping features will be incorporated into the green infrastructure basin to not detract from the overall park character

The existing play equipment may be relocated or replaced to accommodate the basin, the report said. In addition, the storm sewer installation on Sheldon Road will likely necessitate overall road improvements between Kenwood Drive and Santa Fe Drive, including waterline replacement, curb repairs and full width street paving.

Councilwoman Ami Vittori noted there were a number of new families in that area that asked if there were any plans to install new play equipment at Sunset Park or to have a community discussion with the neighborhood. City Manager Doug Adkins said he would look into it.

Has anyone considered the odor that may emanate from the retention basin, because the overflow will contain raw sewage from the combined sewers? No amount of “green space” landscaping is going to cover the stench and growth of bacteria in this proposed cesspool which may create a greater health hazard than our drug epidemic. I personally would not want my children exposed to that environment.

 Glad you noticed this! And I believe you are correct. Sewage might not be included in the storm sewer water flowing into the retention basin.

But, did Adkins guarantee that the size/depth of the basin was adequate to retain especially heavy runoff without overflowing? What would happen in that event? The combined sewers (including sewage) in that neighborhood have been notorious for backing up into basements when heavy rains occurred.

Did he disclose what would eventually happen to any retained basin contents? Will it be released into the combined sewer? How would this be accomplished? This storm sewer is only a short segment, not directly connected by any other path to the river. Therefore, the only drainage path is the combined sewer, so the goal of separating the storm water from sewage is totally lost! It’s only a bandaid fix at an extra cost.

If the water is retained in the basin for any length of time during the spring and summer, the stagnant water will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, may grow a scum of algae, and may attract other undesirables right smack in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood, in what used to be their neighborhood park. Can we trust the city to maintain this monstrosity? This basin has the potential to become a health hazard and a hazardous place for curious children who might try to penetrate its barrier.

Will this basin eventually be eliminated when (if) the “real” sewer separation occurs? If so, what a waste of our money!! Undoing it would, again, cost more money! Of what use would it be if left in place??

 Thanks for the information.

The EPA doesn’t really care precisely how their orders are carried out, but they will periodically test for positive results. They will continue to find non-compliance here because this single basin will only partially alleviate a very small percentage of a city wide problem. And all of the runoff collected will still eventually be dumped into the combined sewers, and sewer overflows containing sewage will continue to regularly be dumped into the river. We won’t have to imagine that this is inadequate. Actually separating the sewers is the only viable solution … so why not do that?

If all the information for constructing this basin is so readily available on the EPA website, doesn’t $338,000 sound exorbitant for only the plans and specifications (no actual construction)? Got any figures on construction cost? Just because it may be offered by EPA as a solution, it doesn’t mean that it is the correct solution for this situation. Have they determined exactly how much sediment will go into the pond from the Bull’s Run stream bed? How will that effect the maintenance? Will the basin eventually fill with sediment? Remember what happened with lake mistake sediment? What other possible problems have not been addressed.

Will we have neighborhood basins pock marking our landscape all over town? Is it ecological? Aesthetically pleasing? Or is it just an expensive side step to avoid making the inevitable correction … separate the sewers.

As to whether the proposed basin would be properly maintained … that’s the $265 million question. Just look at city halls current reputation … all the incomplete, defunct revitalization projects and associated costs. Running a muck is our city hall specialty.   

 The basins that were established when our neighborhoods were taking shape and being built were a necessary almost natural occurrence and in no way resemble the proposed one acre monstrosity that displaces a city park.

And you are right, Mr Adkins has coaxed city council into giving him total control over them, city hall, and therefore, control over what every citizen in Middletown is “allowed” to do according to his rules. He has council and the citizens so blinded that no one even asks any questions about what he is having them vote on or approve. That’s a dictatorship! And dictatorships are notoriously ripe for corruption.

About 10 years ago there was a lively contest for the election of new council and mayor. The insiders and incumbent council candidates successfully watered down the opposition voting capacity by encouraging such numerous candidates from the opposition. Each of those candidates had a following, leaving none of them to garner enough votes to win a seat. So, all of the opposition were defeated.

Adkins , I believe was instrumental in getting a rewriting of the charter to give him all the control

Journal story-December 25th, 2018.....

MIDDLETOWN —
Middletown residents may be seeing a 10 percent sewer rate increase in 2019.

This is the latest rate hike by the city as part of covering the costs of the $269 million Long Term Control Plan consent decree which was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year.

City Council will make a final decision on the proposed rate increase at its Jan. 8 meeting.

This rate increase will cost a typical residential user an additional $3.38 per month based on 600 cubic feet of usage, according to Scott Tadych, city public works and utilities director.

In his report, Tadych said sewer rates are reviewed with council as needed taking into consideration the operational, maintenance, and capital improvement needs of the sewer system. He said the sewer rates were last discussed in 2017 with a rate increase of 15 percent in 2018.

The minimum monthly rate including the first 300 cubic feet is now $17.26. Starting March 1, 2019 that will go up to $18.99 a month.

Over the past several years, the city has incrementally raised rates the past several years to build up the sewer fund for projects to implement the Long Term Control Plan. If council does not or delays a sewer rate increase, it could cause higher annual increases in the future.

The city agreed to a consent decree with the USEPA to address combined sewer overflows. Therefore, sewer rates are being adjusted as needed to implement a Long Term Control Plan. The plan will include combined sewer overflow control projects along with major rehabilitation of the sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. The total cost is expected to be $265 million over the next 25 years.

Middletown’s sewer rates are currently 53rd out of 63 communities surveyed for sewer rates based on the 2018 Oakwood Water and Sewer Rate Survey for southwest Ohio.

Water rates in Middletown are currently 22nd out of 66 communities surveyed for lowest water rates. Water rates will remain the same for 2019. Combining both rates Middletown is 36th out of 63 communities surveyed

So, in 2018 we had a 15% sewer tax added to your monthly water bill. Now, in 2019, we will have another 10% added for a grand total of 25% in the last two years.

Knowing we have a low income community, will this frequency and percentage of taxation be affordable to those in this income level or for most people in the middle income level? Doubtful.

Is leveling yet more taxes on the citizens the only answer for this administration? Is that all they know as to revenue generation? The combined sewer issue has been in play for a long time and the city delayed addressing this issue for years. Money was set aside years ago BEFORE the city started this extra taxation we see here. What happened to that money to cause these current tax increase frequencies? Where did that money go? The game of taxing the hell out of people never ends folks. They start a fund to take care of problems that arise, then suddenly ask for more when they divert and spend that fund money on their own little pet projects. Has happened before many times. Same game. Different day. Why city leaders, are you continually in the people's wallet? The sewer rates now are totally out of control at nearly twice the water rates. Hell, you can't afford to water your dam lawn anymore forcing you to let it burn up in the summer. Noticed people in the Oaks are watering less the last few years using their in ground sprinkler systems and they would be the ones who could most afford the high water bills.

Try it, Bob. Make some signs and run. Please run for council. Please.

And the rest of his slogan could be 'but with your help, it could'.

The increase approved makes Middletown the 8th most expensive of 63 jurisdictions.

The city just approved taking money from the wellfied protection fund to pay for a new well. A new well should be paid for out of water rates, not out of a special assessment on top of the water rates. Not the first time this fund has been misused.