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To view a map of the areas planned for sewers, click here
To view a presentation regarding the sewering of "Assessment area C", Click here
Sewer system update (as of 10/13/08)
Public Meetings were held on 2/26/08 and 3/5/08 for residents of “Area C” to discuss the third phase of the Sanitary Sewer Program for the City of Willoughby Hills. Residents met with City Engineer Richard Iafelice, P.E., P.S., and Lake County General Health District’s Laura Kuns, R.S.
to discuss the City’s sewer plans and address questions and concerns. The meetings were well attended and all presented concerns were addressed.
On June 9, 2008, residents in “Area C” were sent a letter offering a final chance to receive a discount on the sanitary sewer tap-in fee. Several residents responded, remitting $2,500 as a discounted tap-in fee charge. This amount, stipulated by City Ordinance, pays for capacity in the large sewer line that was built several years ago. It is separate and distinct from the cost
to actually install the sewer lines on the streets. Those costs are borne by each property in the form of an assessment. When further information about the assessment amount is available, residents will be notified.
At the time of construction, various charges will apply to the affected properties. These include a tap-in fee of $300 for the City of
Euclid (our sewer treatment provider) and a $400 charge for inspection of the connections.
The following streets are included in the upcoming phase of the sewer system:
●
White Road, from just east of
Bishop Road to the City’s
westerly corporation limit.
●
Bishop Road, from
White Road north to Euclid Creek
● Tall Tree Trail
●
Lynn Drive
●
Cricket Lane
●
White Road, from
Erich Drive to just west of
Lynn Drive
● Erich Drive
● a portion of
Willow Lane
●
Eddy Road from just east of
Orchard Drive to Rockefeller
●
Rockefeller Road from
Eddy Road to I-90
● Sayle Drive
The City is proceeding with the design and construction of the sanitary sewers in these areas (known as “Area C”) as the final phase of the City’s sanitary sewer improvement program. In early 2009, the City plans to publish the tentative assessment costs for the project. Information about these assessments will be mailed to each property owner to help them plan for these projected expenses. At that time, there will details regarding the procedure to register a formal objection to the Assessment, if desired. Upon completion of the project, each property owner will be issued, and will be responsible for, their portion of the actual costs incurred (the final assessment). The property owner will then have the option of paying the assessment in full, or placing it on their property taxes for payment over a 20-year period.
The system design is underway and the City anticipates that construction may begin sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009 or in the first quarter of 2010. Sewer Service in the project areas is expected to be available by the end of 2010. Upon completion of the construction, property owners will have up to one year to connect to the City sewer.
Residents with questions or concerns about the sewer system should contact the City Engineer, Richard Iafelice, at 440-951-9000.
Financial Assistance - Low Interest Loan
The City of Willoughby Hills has secured assistance through an Ohio EPA program called Linked Deposit. Some highlights of the process are as follows:
1. The applicant notifies the City expressing interest in using the program.
2. The City completes a qualification certification listing the applicant's name, address and description of improvements. Eligible improvements include those improvements from the exterior wall of the home, no interior plumbing so it only applies to the Household Sewage Treatment System (HSTS) abandonment and lateral construction. Eligible users must have a constructed building with an existing HSTS prior to the program start date (targeted for mid-March). The Finance Director signs the certification and then the applicant takes it to the bank.
3. The City will identify those banks that will participate. Previously, Fifth Third in Cleveland has administered linked deposit programs. The applicant may be able to use the banks they use, in an effort to make it convenient. Ohio EPA would contact those banks and discuss the program with their legal counsel to see if it might be possible to start a program there.
4. The bank completes an investment request form that identifies the term and interest rate. The maximum reduction of the market interest rate is 5%. So if the market rate is 7%, the linked deposit interest rate will be 2%. The lowest interest rate that is allowable by OWDA is 1%.
5. The City is obligated to provide quarterly reporting about users of the program and status of implementation and to document the construction.
Please contact the City’s Finance Department at (440) 918-8731 or Finance Director Joseph Mirtel at Finance@willoughbyhills-oh.gov, if you are interested in this program.
For a Certificate of Qualification, click here.
Financial Hardship
Property owners who demonstrate financial hardship can seek assistance through Lake County’s Department of Housing Rehabilitation. Assistance is available for the installation of the sewer connection only. Administrative costs and connection charges are not eligible.
Please contact Cindy Brewster, Lake County Housing Rehabilitation Manager, at (440) 350-2338 for assistance.
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City of Willoughby Hills, Ohio
Euclid Creek Tributary Watershed Sanitary Sewers
Lateral Installation Program |
Background
Willoughby Hills is now in the third and final phase of providing sanitary sewer service for the western portion of the City that is part of the Euclid Sewer District. This District occupies the western side of the City extending south to the City’s corporation line and east to the City Hall complex and Community Center on
Chardon Road.
The City expects construction in 2010 on the following streets:
●
White Road, from just east of
Bishop Road to the City’s
westerly corporation limit.
●
Bishop Road, from
White Road north to Euclid Creek
● Tall Tree Trail
●
Lynn Drive
●
Cricket Lane
●
White Road, from
Erich Drive to just west of
Lynn Drive
● Erich Drive
● a portion of
Willow Lane
●
Eddy Road from just east of
Orchard Drive to Rockefeller
●
Rockefeller Road from
Eddy Road to I-90
● Sayle Drive
Upon the completion of sewer construction, property owners will receive a letter from the Lake County General Health District ordering them to connect to the sewer within one year of acceptance by the City. That connection is accomplished with the installation of an underground pipe that bridges the sewage outlet of the house to the inlet of the sewer through a pipe known as a “lateral.” The installation of this pipe is the responsibility of the homeowner. It can be done by any approved and registered contractor, subject to the specifications and inspections required by the City.
The City is sympathetic of the burden placed upon homeowners by the conversion to sewers. Although it cannot directly participate in contracts between homeowners and their selected lateral contractors, it wishes to assist in this process and therefore developed this “lateral installation program.”
Installation Program
I. In advance of the completion of sewer construction, the City will advertise for contractors that are interested in performing lateral installations for individual homeowners. The advertisement will be an invitation to an informational meeting and will contain general information about the project and its schedule. At the meeting, the interest and willingness of contractors to perform multiple installations and provide lower “group rates” for homeowners will be determined. The contractors will also be informed of the specifications and permitting obligations for the installation process. The City of
Willoughby Hills cannot participate in any negotiations or enter into any contractual obligation with these contractors. Homeowners must assume sole responsibility for this action.
II. The second phase will involve separate meetings with homeowner groups. At these meetings, informational packets will be distributed that will include a “cut-away” sketch of the new lateral to be installed, a copy of the City’s specification sheet, a detailed explanation of the work to be done, and a description of the expected costs. The residents will be informed of the advantages of having work performed as early as possible so that only the final connections will be needed once the sewers are accepted. A list of potential contractors will be distributed and the residents will be notified of the possible savings if they negotiate as a group. It will be up to the neighborhood group to organize efforts beyond these meetings. The City will publish the time, date and location of these meetings.
III. Finally, upon completion of the sewer construction and approved by the City, the Lake County General Health Department will issue a notice of connection that requires connection by homeowners within one year. The property owner must then contract with a registered contractor and post a bond with the City’s Building Department. An application for a sanitary sewer connection must be submitted to the City’s Building Department. All associated fees must be paid before work is permitted to proceed.
Upon completion of the lateral installation, the contractor must request and pass a physical inspection and the City’s Service Department will perform a dye test to verify that only authorized connections to the sanitary sewer exist. Upon approval, the Lake County General Health District and the Lake County Utilities/Billing Department will be notified and sewer service will commence.
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