Westminster council backs effort to reconstitute county sewer authority; study to assess assets and rates

Westminster — The Westminster City Council on Sept. 9 voted to endorse ongoing work by the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority (OJRSA) to reconstitute its governance and consider moving all sewer assets in Oconee County under one new authority, council members heard.

Council members heard a detailed presentation from the city's OJRSA representative outlining five major recommendations from a regional feasibility study funded by a $100,000 Rural Infrastructure Authority grant. The study recommends creating a single countywide sewer authority, conducting a technical and financial valuation of existing sewer assets, drafting a new governance document that would supersede prior agreements, and establishing a reconstitution committee to implement the plan.

The report said the study's committee is considering making Oconee County a member of the new authority to reflect county investments in sewer infrastructure, adding that any change would likely require a change in state law. "We have draft language," the presenter told council members, and staff said they have shared it with state…