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Resolution in water lawsuit still unclear
(by Kim Lunsford, Staff Writer - September 02, 2009)
Reynoldsburg City Schools has asked the Franklin County Common Pleas Court to allow the district the right to choose what water and sewer provider to use for two new schools.
In a petition filed with the courts on Aug. 21, the district is leaning on the legal system to give it a choice.
"We want to be able to make a choice on who provides the services for the two new schools," Superintendent Steve Dackin said.
Earlier in the summer, Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewage District sent a letter to the district indicating that the schools had to obtain water and sewer services from the company because of existing lines in the area, Dackin said.
"We don't believe that is the case," Dackin said. "We are asking a judge to make a decision granting us permission to decide who we want to go with."
After making a cost comparison of the services between the city of Reynoldsburg and the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District, the district determined Southwest Licking rates and fee would cost the district about a million more over time.
"A million dollars is a million dollars," Dackin said. The action has nothing to do with the city or Southwest Licking, he said.
"This is purely about the needs of our schools," he said.
Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer General Manager Don Rector said the company was surprised by the lawsuit because its lines are already there and have been since 1995.
"We believe we are the service provider for the area," Rector said.
Rector said the company had requested a meeting with Reynoldsburg City Schools in efforts to come to a resolution, but they never got that far.
"What we were trying to do was sit down so that we could compare apples to apples with what they were getting from the city of Reynoldsburg," Rector said.
Southwest Licking district officials are evaluating their options and working with legal counsel to determine the next step.
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