Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Connection Dispute topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges clarity after village says property owner responsible for 6345 Todd Avenue water hookup
Summary
A Lordstown resident asked the board for an explanation and exact costs after being told property owners typically pay for road work and tap connections; board members described the village practice, promised to provide contractor quotes and said unusual work (bores, lane closures) would be charged to the resident.
During public comment at the March 3 Lordstown meeting, resident Roxanna Holton of 3259 Winters raised concerns about the hookup at 6345 Todd Avenue and said she had not heard any follow-up from village staff. Holton pressed the board for an explanation of why property owners must pay to connect to a water main that lies in the middle of the road and asked for an exact dollar figure before proceeding.
Superintendent Darren and other board members responded that the village’s rules and regulations typically make property owners responsible for extraordinary work that goes outside normal taps — for example, bores under the road, lane closures and restoration. Darren said the village had obtained three contractor quotes and that the charges in those contractor bids would be inclusive and that the village would not double-bill tap components included in a contractor’s price. He said if the work is “out of the ordinary” those extra costs would fall to the homeowner.
Board members told Holton the village can supply the contractor quotes and that the customer could select among them; they discussed waiving a separate tap-in fee if the contractor’s price already included the tap and pavement restoration. Holton said she wanted a precise dollar figure before authorizing work and objected to the village’s practice of hiring outside contractors instead of using in-house staff for some repairs.
The board agreed to provide Holton with the quotes so she can decide, and staff said they would clarify what costs the village would absorb and which would be passed on to the property owner. No change to the village’s rules and regulations was made at the meeting; board members said altering who pays would require revisiting the ordinance.
Next steps noted by the board: staff will provide the three contractor quotes to the resident and confirm which tap fees (if any) will be waived or reduced when the contractor price includes the tap and restoration work.
