On their own: Georgetown celebrates start of construction on wastewater plant

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Georgetown Town Council President Billy Stewart gives one of several "thank you" gifts to Councilwoman Karla Perkins during a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon for the Georgetown Water Reclamation Facility. Staff photo by Kevin McGloshen
Due to inclement weather Tuesday afternoon the groundbreaking ceremony was moved indoors to a building near the Georgetown Town Hall. Staff photo by Kevin McGloshen

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May 18, 2010

By DANIEL SUDDEATH Daniel.Suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Wed May 19, 2010, 08:07 AM EDT

GEORGETOWN — With legal battles behind the Floyd County town for now, Georgetown celebrated the start of construction on its wastewater treatment facility Tuesday with a dedication ceremony.

Georgetown Town Council attorney D.A. Andrews said the plant should be completed in about a year, as about 1,250 sewer customers will be switched off New Albany’s system once the facility is operational.

Georgetown committed to building the plant in 2006, but several legal holdups — mainly over land acquisition and annexation — delayed the project.

Time was always of the essence, as a deal between New Albany and Georgetown for sewer service expired in 2009. Georgetown received extensions from New Albany, and avoided a $450,000 payment to the city by not having its facility completed by the end of 2010.

Georgetown was on track to build a plant just east of the town’s limits without financial help from the state or Floyd County. But a lawsuit halted annexation and Georgetown was stuck trying to find land to build a plant on while attempting to meet its obligations with New Albany.

In 2008, Floyd County and Georgetown entered into an inter-local agreement. Georgetown would build its plant on a site that matched the county’s land use plan, and Floyd would provide $1.4 million to cover the costs of constructing the facility on different property.

Then a year later, Georgetown was awarded a $3.5 million federal stimulus grant to cover the bulk of construction costs for the facility. Last December, the Floyd County Board of Zoning Appeals agreed to a variance that will allow the plant to be built behind the Georgetown Truss Company along Ind. 64.

Andrews said local, state and federal officials labored endlessly to see the project come to fruition.

“When we come to a day like this, it’s a tremendous milestone. It’s a recognition of a major bit of work for many of the people involved here,” he said.

Town Council President Billy Stewart thanked State Rep. Ed Clere for helping Georgetown secure the grant, and U.S. Rep. Baron Hill for supporting the project.

“We’re here today to celebrate an event that most people didn’t think would ever happen,” Stewart said.

He also credited Georgetown officials for working diligently on the grant application and blueprint for the plant.

Floyd County Commissioner Steve Bush thanked leaders for showing perseverance despite the setbacks.

“Through collaboration you can see what good things can happen,” Bush said.

Hill spokesman Adam Dickey said the Georgetown plant is an example of how the stimulus funds are supposed to benefit Americans.

“We’re taking care of a long-standing problem in our community, we’re putting people to work by constructing this, we’re ultimately displaying what good government is supposed to do,” he said.

Clere presented Stewart with a Distinguished Hoosier Award signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels for his leadership in dealing with the project.

“Georgetown is going to have more control over its own destiny, New Albany is going to have freed up capacity on its system and the entire Southern Indiana community is going to benefit from the economic development and quality of life we’re going to see through this project,” he said.

The Indiana Finance Authority oversees the disbursement of the federal stimulus funds. It also is the agency that signed off recently on a sewer loan to New Albany that lowered the amount of a wastewater rate increase for the city.

Due to the connection, an Indiana Finance Authority official stated recently New Albany could jeopardize the amount of aid it would receive from the state if it pursued payment of the $450,000 penalty that was built-in to its contract with Georgetown.

New Albany Sewer Board member Ed Wilkinson attended the dedication ceremony, and said he’s pleased Georgetown is on the track to self sufficiency as it relates to wastewater treatment.

“Independence in environmental issues, and the business of running your community and having control of your own community is very important,” he said.

“They have some very dedicated people, I’m very impressed.”

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On their own: Georgetown celebrates start of construction on wastewater plant

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