Commissioner Jeff Riddell outlines Lorain County sewer plan, denies zoning power shift amid megasite concerns

Mayor Scott Jones and the Village of South Amherst council on March 23 heard a detailed presentation from Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell on county finances, a planned western‑county sewer expansion connected to a proposed megasite and the county's recent $67.4 million All‑Ohio Future Fund award.

Riddell said the county is operating on an austerity posture after voters rejected a sales‑tax renewal and that federal relief (ARPA) funds have ended. He told council that departments submitted funding requests that exceeded projected revenue, thirteen of sixteen elected officials accepted reductions and three objected; one objection has produced a pending lawsuit. He also addressed a recently resolved delayed Sheriff's Department lease payment as a budgetary timing issue.

The bulk of his presentation focused on infrastructure planning. Riddell described the sewer project as primarily an underground force main intended to provide long‑term regional capacity and to preserve options for future development. He said engineering determined a force main was necessary in parts of South Amherst because geological conditions — specifically a rock shelf — make a gravity sewer infeasible. "No individual residence will be required to connect to the force main," Riddell said, explaining that pressurized mains cannot be tapped directly by single homes and that any neighborhood or subdivision seeking service would have to build a lift station to connect.

Riddell emphasized rights‑of‑way would be used where possible and that easements would be acquired where the sewer cannot remain inside public corridors. He noted prior engineering estimates suggested a standalone design phase to sewer parts of South Amherst could cost roughly $4 million and that county policy typically seeks local participation when projects do not benefit the entire county.

On the county's recent effort to obtain an "urban designation," Riddell described it as an administrative funding classification that would allow Lorain County to receive federal urban renewal dollars directly instead of routing them through the State. He said the designation "does not transfer authority, does not alter zoning, and is unrelated to land‑use characteristics such as farmland or industrial development," adding that the funds would be distributed via an application process reviewed by third‑party oversight. Riddell said the award would increase annual funding from roughly $1.6 million to just under $4 million, which could be used for housing rehabilitation, low‑income assistance and infrastructure such as water and sewer lines.

When asked about financing beyond the $67.4 million allotment, Riddell pointed to federal and EPA funding programs and low‑interest loans that the county could pursue once the sewer project is sufficiently advanced; he said the EPA favors larger consolidated treatment facilities and that long‑term debt service would be repaid through system revenues, connection charges or special assessments.

Councilmembers pressed Riddell on communication and transparency. Councilmember Jeanne Maschari said village officials learned about parts of the sewer plan by attending elsewhere and requested earlier notice on projects that affect the village. Riddell acknowledged shortcomings in earlier public outreach, said the county would expand its communications (email newsletter, Facebook) and invited technical questions to be submitted in writing so engineers could respond.

Several residents voiced concern about farmland loss, data‑center rumors and the scope of future development. Trustee Cynthia Breda said New Russia Township leaders were not informed early about the megasite and reported conflicting statements by developers regarding the scale of planned facilities. Riddell denied that county actions would strip townships of zoning authority and said, where annexation or municipal actions are proposed, the county's role is primarily recordkeeping and infrastructure planning.

The meeting included handouts from the county (Exhibits A–C) summarizing the proposed project, environmental benefits of a consolidated wastewater system and the intended use of the $67.4 million state award; the materials reiterated that the funding is for wastewater infrastructure and does not change local zoning authority.

What happens next: Riddell offered to schedule a work session with village officials to review technical details outside of a regular council meeting and encouraged village leaders to pursue state funding applications with their state legislators. He also asked that written technical questions be submitted so county engineers could provide specific responses.

Authorities referenced in the discussion included ORC provisions governing executive sessions cited later in the minutes, the Ohio EPA (regulatory context for wastewater), and the All‑Ohio Future Fund award documentation provided in county exhibits.