Celina Approves Match Cost In Joint Sewer Project

The Celina board of Aldermen approved its $65,000 match for a sewer line project Tuesday night.

A $500,000 grant will fund the work along with local funding from the city, county and Industrial Development Board. During discussion over the project, Alderman Winton Dillon expressed his concerns to UCDD which is facilitating the project.

“I don’t mean any disrespect for what I am going to say to you, but the last engineers and grant writers done nothing but blow smoke up these people’s rear end for years,” Dillon said. “I’m looking you straight in the eye. You tell me when this project is going to start.”

The city was previously contracted under a different firm that facilitated a headworks projects at the wastewater treatment plant. Mayor Luke Collins admitted that the engineer installed the wrong sewer lines.

“Winton I agree 100 percent with what you said,” Collins said. “We have a new group now. I feel very confident in our current engineering group, and I feel confident in the construction people. The work going on at the sewer plant now appears to be going great and done right. You are right. There are some things in the past that were not done right. As a matter of fact, they found that out. There were some things that was supposed to be eight-inch line at the sewer plant and ended up being like a six-inch.”

UCDD Economic Development Planner Aaron Lay said with the Board’s approval, the project should begin in about three months. Lay said it would increase the system’s capacity by 73 percent and allow for an industrial development.

“The city head already applied for an ARC grant for the headworks project and that Appalachian Regional Commission only allows a community to apply for one grant at a time if you have an open grant,” Lay said. “So the IDB thought it was in the best interest to step up and by the grantee for this.”

That partnership means the local match will be divided among the three bodies. Celina will pay $65,000. The Industrial Development Board will cover about $90,000. The county will pitch in $50,000.

Lay said the project should be completed in 150 days after the contract to proceed is awarded in about three months.