Scio resident questions early sewer project payments amid ongoing concerns

During the Oct. 22 Scio Village Council meeting, resident Elizabeth Penton voiced frustration over being required to begin payments on the village’s upcoming sewer project by Nov. 15, even though major work is not expected to be completed until 2026.

“Well, the sewer project hasn’t even started, so you’re asking me to pay $4,500 for something that hasn’t even started at this time,” Penton told council members.

Village Administrator Jason Tubaugh clarified that the project is scheduled to begin the first week of November. He said work will likely start on Main Street before progressing to Hilltop Drive. Tubaugh added that blacktop work will pause around mid-November due to weather and resume in the spring, with the overall timeline extending into next year.

Penton also raised long-standing concerns about her water quality, noting that her filters “blow every two weeks” and that rust continues to appear in them. She said she was aware of a pipe on her property that needed replacement and asked when the village planned to replace its water lines.

Tubaugh responded that water line replacement is expected to occur within 36 to 42 months. When Penton asked what would happen if her water issues stemmed from the village’s infrastructure rather than her own, Tubaugh replied, “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Mayor James Clark asked what could be done in that situation, and Tubaugh said flushing hydrants would not be practical during freezing weather. Clark reassured Penton that replacing the lines remains a village priority, though it may be at least three years away.

Tubaugh also noted that all residents affected by the sewer project have received easement agreements valid only for the duration of the project. Once the work is completed, he said, the easements will be lifted.

“We will own the main only and the tap,” Tubaugh said. “The lateral will revert to the ownership of the resident.”

Later in the meeting, Tubaugh informed council that the village’s wastewater treatment plant had been cited for exceeding the E. coli limit.

“We already addressed the issue,” he said. “I don’t think it was on us — I believe it was on the lab. By the time the sample was tested, I think the hold time was exceeded.”