LANCASTER — Lancaster City Council agreed Tuesday night to move forward with plans for a new water plant, contingent upon both Crab Orchard and Garrard County Water Association signing water contracts.
Councilwoman Maggie Mick said she had anticipated receiving word from Paul Reynolds, president of the Garrard water association, regarding concerns the board had with the contract; however, the board met earlier this month and will not meet again until January.
“There may be amendments to the contract ... he has not yet sent me those amendments. It is what it is,” Mick said.
She said City Council members should move forward with a vote, simply because of their shared knowledge of the plans, having sat through various presentations regarding the plant.
“We know the numbers, and we know the process,” Mick said, adding that it will “show even further movement on this project and the city’s commitment to it.”
Another big reason to push the vote forward lies with the grant money Lancaster has received to complete the project. The council secured a $2.5-million grant from the Economic Development Administration, which stipulates the project must be completed by June 2015.
“The grant money is kind of a delicate balance right now,” she said, adding there are many other areas of the country that would love to grab such a large grant.
Some of the money also was handed down from the state level.
“We don’t want to send that back through Frankfort,” Mick said, stressing that the deadlines mean the council needs to push forward with the project in the new year.
The council approved the measure, contingent on the contracts with Crab Orchard and Garrard County.
An amendment to increase water rates for Crab Orchard and Garrard County from $1.94 per thousand gallons to $2.42 per thousand gallons was also given first reading by council.
