Vote fails to return sewer funds to member cities

Counting cash and investments, the Joint Regional Sewer Authority is holding $9.8 million, but there’s still disagreement over how much of the money should be returned to the JRSA member cities. Much of last night’s board of commissioners meeting was spent in discussions over the costly problem of inflow and infiltration and how to fix it. A motion for the JRSA to keep a maximum cash balance of $5 million and return funds above that amount to Seneca, Walhalla, and Westminster failed 6 to 2, with only Westminster’s Chris Carter and Brian Ramey in favor. When it became evident there would be no solution last night to how the JRSA and the cities will attack their I-and-I problem, there was agreement to refer the matter to a JRSA committee with the hope that a resolution can be reached in one to two months. The JRSA also decided that a committee also should address another issue. That being whether there should be change in how the member cities are billed for treated wastewater.