Greenfield council adopts bond authorization after officials say sewer grant likely covers project

The Village of Greenfield on Feb. 20 adopted a resolution authorizing issuance of a bond of up to $4,438,234 to the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund and heard staff say the village likely received $4,000,000 in principal forgiveness toward a Lafayette sewer replacement project.

The discussion and vote followed a presentation by a staff member, Gary, who said the village submitted an application last August for the EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund and that the village “was given a $4,000,000 loan forgiveness.” He said the award is technically principal forgiveness, meaning the loan still exists but the principal will not require payments, and that combined with other funding the sewer replacement project could be “potentially 100% grant funded.”

Why it matters: Council members were told Lafayette and several adjacent side streets are the primary focus for sewer replacement to address long-standing infiltration and inflow (I&I) identified in a 2019 flow study. Gary said during rain events monitored earlier the village saw spikes of about one million gallons of extra I&I flow; the sewer replacements plus the Jefferson Street project are intended to reduce those flows and avoid an expensive upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant.

Council discussion and details: Council members asked whether it was unusual to get a nearly full grant for a sewer project; Gary replied, “It’s very rare” and described that most projects receive partial funding, but occasionally “the stars line up” and larger principal forgiveness is awarded. When asked about the project scope, Gary said, “It is sewer replacement on Lafayette. For the most part. There's a couple little side streets that come off of there,” and that the work follows a focused SSES (sanitary sewer evaluation survey) the village performed to locate problem areas.

The resolution adopted by the council authorizes the bond sale, execution of related documents and pledging certain wastewater revenues on a subordinated basis to secure payment. Gary and other staff framed the financing as necessary to accept and document funding from the loan program even if principal forgiveness reduces the village’s cash obligation.

What happens next: Staff said a final funding list was still expected to be confirmed by the funding agency; Gary described the current notice as a draft listing and anticipated an official confirmation soon. The council vote adopted the resolution required to proceed with issuance and related steps.

Ending: The council recorded the action as part of the village’s broader capital work on wastewater infrastructure; staff said the sewer work should both reduce flows and free capacity to support future industrial park customers if the village can avoid an expensive plant expansion.