The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has every reason to have run out of patience with Norton. The city has failed to live up to an agreement it signed two years ago to bring sewers to Nash Heights, a neighborhood where failing septic systems are polluting local waterways. The state agency now wants to know by Dec. 15 when Norton plans to complete the sewer project. The city could face enforcement action, including a lawsuit and civil penalties.
Good. This latest episode of resistance reflects a long pattern of foot-dragging by the city when it comes to sewers, reflecting an anti-growth view that hurts the city’s ability to develop its tax base. In the current situation, members of the Norton City Council must be held accountable for opening the city to the possibility of fines that would add to the cost of bringing sewers to Nash Heights. What’s ultimately inexcusable is the council allowing health-threatening bacteria from home septic systems to contaminate surface water, and, potentially, put at risk surrounding communities.
The failure to move forward on Nash Heights represents a severe blow to regionalism, the growing notion among local governments that they must act together to solve problems.
Early this year, the Nash Heights project became part of a larger agreement among Norton, Barberton and Summit County. Under a memorandum of understanding unanimously approved by the Norton City Council itself and never rescinded, Barberton would acquire all sewer lines in Norton, providing a framework to resolve not only the problem in Nash Heights, but in other areas of the city.
It was well understood from the beginning that the deal made sense for Barberton, which, under the agreement would bring sewers to Nash Heights and gain new customers for its sewer system to help offset increased costs. In the long run, the agreement was about as close to a win-win-win as one can get: Summit County would be out of the sewer business in Norton; Barberton would get new customers to shore up its aging system; and Norton would have a solution to Nash Heights in hand.
Unfortunately, this past summer, Rick Rodgers, the president of the Norton City Council, raised objections to implementing the agreement. New conditions, such as ending plans to tie-in some 1,400 Norton sewer customers during the next 20 years, undercut the foundation of the agreement.
The Ohio EPA, which participated in negotiations leading up to the January sewer agreement and last year granted extensions on the Nash Heights project, has waited long enough for Norton to come to grips with a chronic problem affecting public health and damaging the possibility for sensible growth.
Norton now must fulfill its own promises and obligations on Nash Heights. It should do so by holding to the broader sewer agreement reached in January, which offers a long-term solution for the city.