By Tom Prusha Record-Courier staff writer Ravenna Mayor Paul Jones and Law Director Frank Cimino have reminded the Portage County Commissioners they have until Tuesday to commit $5.75 million as its share for the citys waste water improvement project. The deadline for the application of an EPA loan is on Tuesday. Jones said although the county agreed on July 5, 2001, that it would participate in the financing, it has not yet made the commitment formal with a contract. Commissioner Christopher Smeiles said the issue will be on the agenda for Tuesdays meeting. We have a letter of intent, he said. I suggested that could be forwarded to Columbus. Jones said, There is some urgency involved here. The county has been cooperating all along. They have already paid for half the design, and the value engineering, which will be rolled into their loan. If we are going to meet the deadline to take advantage of this low interest loan it has to be down there on Tuesday. He said the agreement also affects Kent, which has a $1.2 million loan requested for its dam modification, and Geauga Parks, which also has a loan request. Both are riding piggy back on the Ravenna loan. Smiles said there has never been a question of moving forward with the agreement. As soon as we have a contract drafted and agreed to we will get it down to them. I will be happy to facilitate that, he said. But it will not happen overnight. It has to be in concert with auditor, prosecutor and commissioners office. We dont spend $5.75 million very often or very easily. County Auditor Janet Esposito needs to send a fiscal officers certificate to prove the money is available. We cannot proceed with the construction until that is sent, Smeiles said. When I spoke to the prosecutors office they said Denise Smith (the attorney assigned to the commissioners) is on vacation until after the first of the year. The prosecutor is our lawyer and we have to have her prepare our written agreement. We would work out the details. Jones said the contract must be signed to get on the agenda for the January meeting of the EPA. Theres a lot to get done by Tuesday and we are hopeful the county acts by the end of the year so we dont lose out on this money, Jones said. He said the city would have to wait another year before it could get the EPA funding. If we dont have the funding for a low interest loan, then we will be costing our rate payers and the county rate payers a lot more money by making them wait a year and not take advantage of this years loan cycle, Jones said. The improvements to the treatment plant will cost $13 million, up from the estimated $11 million. The contracts were sent to the builders last week. The plant improvements must be finished by June, 2004, Jones said. E-mail: tprusha@recordpub.com Phone: (330) 296-9657
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