Boiling point: Jersey Township accuses Johnstown of 'arrogant actions' about water, sewer

Western Licking County communities have had tense discussions about future water and sanitary sewer service for nearly two years as they prepare for Intel's effect on Licking County. But now that tension has reached a boiling point.

In a strongly worded July 2 letter, Jersey Township alleged the city of Johnstown is interfering with the township’s plans and partnership with the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District as it prepares the area for future development, writing in part that "Johnstown's current path could potentially cause irreparable harm for Jersey Township."

The letter — signed by Jersey Township Trustee Dan Wetzel and sent to Johnstown's council members — accuses Johnstown of being combative and taking adversarial actions when it comes to the township's partnership with the utility district to extend utility lines for economic development.

"Jersey has been working with, and will continue to work with, neighboring entities regarding smart, responsible, comprehensive plan-cohesive development of each respective entity," the letter states. "While we are open to a similar relationship with Johnstown, there must be a significant change of the condescending and arrogant actions of your City's leadership."

Jersey Township not only has revenue-sharing agreements with the utility district, but the district's board also voted June 27 to invite Jersey and Union townships, to join its formal service area and board of trustees.

Johnstown Mayor Donald Barnard said the city wants to have a good, productive relationship with Jersey Township, mainly because residents of townships like Jersey, Liberty and Monroe consider themselves Johnstown residents.

"We're not trying to interfere in what Jersey wants to do. Jersey is a township and has the right to do what they want to do. Our focus solely in Jersey Township has been on making sure that whatever is built in Jersey benefits the Johnstown-Monroe schools," he said. "We just want to make sure that we were able to protect our school."

Johnstown has not formally responded to Jersey Township, but city officials and council members are speaking with Wetzel directly to work through the issues and determine if they can find middle ground, Barnard said, adding the two sides plan to meet in mid-August. Instead of fighting, Barnard wants the two communities to collaborate.

Framework, the 15-jurisdiction, public-private effort to plan for Intel , has taught leaders that communities must work together to better Licking County, Barnard said.

"I think the answer to all this is we have to work together. The water providers have to work together on what's best for the residents of those areas," he said.

Wetzel said the township chose to send the letter, in part, because Johnstown and Granville oppose the Southwest Licking utility's proposed St. Albans Township wastewater treatment plant , which would primarily serve Jersey Township.

Johnstown and Granville, along with Alexandria — which refer to themselves collectively as JAG — have been working on a potential partnership for water and sewer service since fall 2022. The group is looking to serve the unincorporated areas of St. Albans, Liberty, Monroe and Granville townships.

Wetzel said at first the township didn't mind JAG's work, but requesting a July 16 hearing with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency over the proposed treatment plant directly hindered Jersey Township's future development efforts.

"Let them do their thing until which point in time they wanted to have a hearing with the EPA, which is obviously their right to do that, but at the same time with that happening, it's definitely deterring what I'm trying to do in the township," he said. "Because it just prolongs the process for water and sewer, particularly sewer, for development here in the township."

Barnard said western Licking County communities have been on edge since Licking County Commissioners decided in October 2022 to extended the Southwest Licking utility district's service area to include 11,702 acres in Jersey Township, 3,439 in St. Albans Township and 3,041 acres in Monroe Township. Each community, he said, is trying to protect itself. But he added that communities must work more collaboratively.

In an effort to communicate more, Barnard said he has started having high-level talks with a utility district board member about ways Johnstown and the district can work together, and the conversations have gone well.

"A lot of times when people don't know the other side, they kind of paint them in a different light," he said. "By talking to each other, we're opening that up and seeing, OK, maybe we're not so different, maybe we can work together in this way."

Wetzel said the two entities need to keep open lines of communications to ensure both can succeed and develop the way each one wants. "I think we can both achieve that," he said.

Barnard said he wants Johnstown council to create a township liaison committee where council members would regularly talk with officials from the surrounding townships, so Johnstown officials understand what the townships want and are going through and vice versa. That way something like Jersey Township's letter does not happen again, he said.

Barnard said Licking County communities are tied to each other like siblings or cousins within a larger family and that communities need to work better together and communicate with each other.

"Sometimes as families things happen and you don't talk to each other," he said. "Johnstown is 100% ready and willing to talk and work with anybody."

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Boiling point: Jersey Township accuses Johnstown of 'arrogant actions' about water, sewer