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Morrow County approves up to $6,000,005 in bonds to build natural‑gas line for SR‑61/SR‑71 interchange
Summary
On Sept. 25, the Morrow County Board of County Commissioners voted to authorize up to $6,000,005 in general obligation bonds to finance construction of publicly owned natural‑gas infrastructure at the SR‑61/SR‑71 interchange, with TIF revenues designated to repay the debt and a public‑private partnership to manage construction and operations.
Morrow County commissioners on Sept. 25 approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds not to exceed $6,000,005 to acquire and construct publicly owned natural‑gas infrastructure and related site improvements to serve the county’s SR‑61/SR‑71 interchange area.
Director Barker, who led the presentation to the board, said the county has worked with Consolidated Cooperative and the Morrow County Development Authority to form a public‑private partnership to build and manage the line. Barker said the county will own the gas line initially and use a construction management agreement with Consolidated Cooperative; Consolidated would lease the line and make payments that the county can apply toward a buyback over time.
"We're saving the county about $1,000,000 by issuing a general obligation bond instead of a TIF bond," Barker said, adding that the county will designate tax increment financing (TIF) revenues to repay the bond so that general tax dollars are not used to service the debt. He also described two primary payback mechanisms: a tapping fee (described in the presentation as a 20% fee on taps) and ongoing charges tied to gas usage that Consolidated would remit to the county.
Barker told commissioners the project arose after several recent large users at the interchange consumed significant gas capacity and left the county short of the volume needed to support additional manufacturing processes. He described the planned connection as tying into a nearby main transmission line and estimated the construction route at roughly 10–14 miles depending on easements.
Commissioners who spoke during the discussion said the gas line is the remaining utility piece – after water and sewer – needed to make interchange sites attractive to new businesses such as hotels, restaurants and manufacturers. After discussion, a commissioner moved to adopt the bond resolution and a cooperative agreement with the Morrow County Development Authority; the clerk called the roll and Mr. Abraham, Mr. Siegfried and Mr. Mason each answered, "Yes." The motion carried.
The resolution authorizes the county to issue bonds up to the stated cap and delegates work on implementing the public‑private arrangement to the development authority and county staff. Barker said staff will coordinate a public release and provide further details on timing, costs and construction staging as agreements are finalized.
The board also approved several routine consent items during the same session, including minutes, bills, and a lease with the Ohio Department of Health, but the bond authorization was the principal policy action taken at the Sept. 25 meeting.
