St. Marys offers Celina possible water solution

ST. MARYS - City officials have reached out to Celina officials regarding a possible joint effort for clean drinking water.

Mayor Patrick McGowan on Monday told city council members he had recently sent a letter to Celina's mayor and council, proposing a water partnership and asking if they would be interested in tying Celina's lines into St. Marys' planned new treatment plant.

The city is trying to be a good neighbor by offering the option, McGowan said. However, he understands Celina may not be able to accept as the cities are located in different watersheds. St. Marys is in the Lake Erie watershed while Celina is in the Ohio River watershed, McGowan said.

"Don't get get too enamored by the offer because it may not even be possible," he said. "There may be so much government red tape that it may not even be worth pursuing."

The Canadian government may also have to approve such a move due to the shared monitoring of the Lake Erie watershed, he added.

McGowan requested Celina officials respond within 30 days so plans for the new plant could proceed. The new facility is projected to be built near the intersection of county Road 66A and Koop Road south of St. Marys.

A response would not necessarily mean a commitment, McGowan noted. St. Marys Law Director Kraig Noble said the offer was made in part because of a recent Daily Standard article stating Celina had received an $8 million grant in which the city could partner with a neighboring entity.

St. Marys gets its water from the ancient underground Teays River while Celina draws from Grand Lake, Noble said. Clean water is a topic that has been discussed multiple times in the past with Celina mayor Jeff Hazel, McGowan added.

City officials must take a wait-and-see approach. A similar plan was discussed several years ago but fell through because of the watershed issue, city council president Jim Harris said.

St. Marys residents use about 2.5 million gallons of water daily, while Celina uses a little more than 3 million gallons daily, McGowan said.

"They may be looking at other sources, and we just don't know that," he said.

In other action, council members heard the first reading of an ordinance approving new fees to continue to use Clemans, Nelson and Associates Inc. of Dublin for employee-relations work.

The city has used the firm since 1985 to help in personnel issues, safety service director Greg Foxhoven said. The firm has a $175 monthly retainer, which stays the same, but other new prices will begin staring June 1, 2017.

Consultant prices will increase from $95 per hour to $100 per hour. Senior consultant prices will increase from $135 per hour to $145 per hour and manager prices will increase from $150 per hour to $160 per hour, Foxhoven said after the meeting. The last increase in service charges was in 2011.

"We try to limit our dependency on them and do some of the things in house, but we don't do that at the cost of making mistakes," Foxhoven said. "We still need to have them on board with us."

Council members also heard first reading of a resolution authorizing officials to create a volunteer peace officer department fund. The resolution would allow officials to move $500 from the general fund to start the new fund.

The fund is to help pay for any possible deaths or disabilities among the city's auxiliary police, Foxhoven said.

The resolution also would create a committee to supervise the money. The committee will consist of two city council members, two members from the police department and one community member who is not a public employee or legislative authority. The initial term for committee members is one year, according to the resolution.

Also on Monday, council members,

• heard Nathaniel McMaster take the oath of office as police officer.

• had a 20-minute executive session discussing pending litigation regarding personnel. No action followed.

• scheduled a finance committee meeting for 5:15 p.m. Monday.