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Daviess County hears plan for Westgate tech‑park water tower; officials weigh a $2 million local match
Summary
County officials were briefed on a proposed water tower to serve the Westgate tech park and discussed seeking an Economic Development Administration grant while arranging a roughly $2 million local match and clarifying long‑term ownership and rate responsibilities.
Greg Jones presented a plan to Daviess County commissioners for a water tower to serve the rapidly expanding Westgate tech park, saying federal EDA funds could cover most construction if the county provides a local match.
"We think that's a palatable number," Greg Jones said, referring to a roughly $2 million local match the presenters asked the county to consider. Jones said the tower and associated line extensions would improve fire suppression and support businesses moving into the park.
Jones said engineers are exploring alternative tower siting and routing to reduce the required pipeline by about 4,000 feet and cut costs by more than $1 million. He said the project team is pursuing EDA funding that typically requires a local match and noted that, if awarded, the county would have about 18 months to complete engineering and required federal reviews before drawing funds.
Discussion among commissioners focused on ownership and long‑term rate impacts if the Eastern Heights utility were to own and operate the tower. One commissioner warned that "the more we invest into Eastern Heights, the more we're beholden to Eastern Heights," pressing for safeguards so the county would not be left subsidizing an asset while a partner captured future revenue. Jones and other staff said Eastern Heights has previously taken on utilities under grant arrangements and would typically operate and maintain such assets in perpetuity, but the panel did not resolve repayment or revenue‑sharing terms during the meeting.
Commissioners asked staff to set an industrial/commercial meeting with stakeholders—including county officials, Eastern Heights representatives and economic development staff—within the next several weeks to clarify ownership options, operating arrangements and financing paths. No formal vote or appropriation was taken at the meeting; commissioners indicated willingness to keep the project moving and to consider a requested county contribution near $2 million if follow‑up work identifies a viable structure.
Next steps recorded in the discussion included asking the county engineer to refine costs and alternative alignments, asking staff to convene the stakeholder meeting promptly, and returning to the commission with a recommended funding and ownership model for formal action.
