Why have you waited decades to fix this problem, Mr. Mayor?

This is just another reason to RECALL Mayor Don. He owns the sewer problem after 22 years in office and what has he done in all that time to fix it? NOTHING except get a Federal lawsuit filed against the city.

Recall the Don !!!

1st phase - Akron will try to flush every other day instead of everyday.

Hmmm, OK first let me say, good for the city hall hero, for suckin' it up and goin' back to the problem at hand and addressin' it.

Now with that said, I'd like to point out that Akronites are goin' to be faced with sewer increases, based on this story. Iff'n the 20 year plan will triple our rates, what will the 30 year plan rate schedule be??? It certainly won't be what it is now. Odd that the city hall hero didn't mention that.

And I question the city hall hero mentionin' the last Presidental administration. The current administration didn't do a reversal and the city hall hero is buddy buddy with Obama, accordin' to the anti recall folks.

The city hall hero, hasn't addressed what it's goin' to cost the taxpayers yet. We are bein' fined daily, by the EPA.

Don will be throwing out every great poject over the next few months and limiting his travel. It's his smoke and mirrors solution on why he shouldn;t be recalled. I am sure we will see the grandest plans of all as Don tries to save himself politically.

First he wants to sell the sewer system and problem under the guise of college scholarship and now he needs to fix it. Maybe the city should of focused on this the last few years vs. their other questionable projects.

why wasn't this part of the stimulus package proposal that the mayor put together? we applied for tree removal & replacement to stop something that hasn't happened yet but not for something that has been going on for years. just a question

@debbinana, the sewers are a complex problem... The combined overflows (from what I've "heard") were funded in large part by the federal government 30 years ago, and now the feds want municipalities to fix them with no monetary help from the feds... I'm thinking the Don is on the right track on this issue! Vote him out in the next scheduled election if you want him out! That's democracy in action!

I'm glad this is finally going to get the attention it deserves. I'm willing to pay a higher price for water if it means I can fish in the Cuyahoga without reeling in a turd.

"Akron is one of 86 Ohio communities with combined sewer overflow problems and eliminating the problem will cost an estimated $6.3 billion."

WWRUND?

WWOMGD?

WWBMD?

Stay at the kids table while the adults discuss some grown-up business.

If it's brown, flush it down...
If it's yellow, let it mellow...
But if it's Don, you may need a plunger.

@ TOJ - I can answer that. I would have fixed the problem with the multitude of sewer rate increases I implimented over the years for that very issue, instead of syphonin' off the money for personal pet projects.

((chucklin')) No need to thank me. I'm happy to straighten y'all out on issues like this that are over y'alls head.

======================
@Debbinana who posted:

Why wasn't this part of the stimulus package proposal that the Mayor put together?
======================

Two possible reasons:

1) Didn't have time to figure out how to turn it into something that could line his pockets and the pockets of his friends and cronies.

or

2) Because that would require leadership, vision, and fiscal responsibility... the things that have not appeared on Mayor Don's list of strengths for at least a decade.

@OldManGrump, your statement is an outright lie.

The city is not moving fast enough on this issue, but they also have not been doing nothing as you state. The article alone highlights one of several actions the city has taken.

@debbinana, how do you know this was not part of the stimulus money proposals? Has the EPA issued stimulus funds yet? I am not sure that they have. The other two projects were funded by government organizations that have nothing to do with sewers. City cannot just move stimulus money from one project to another, and the money must be used under the jurisdiction of the granting agency.

@Overtaxed Voter, can you make up some more things?

You have the logic of a box of rocks. The more likely scenarios is that we do not know that the city did not apply for EPA money. We also do not know if the EPA has issued all its funding.

@Gain Some More Reality...

Why don't you do what your moniker suggests.

"IF" Mayor Don had thought to try to make the sewer project a part of the stimulus package, he would have been the first to be on the stump saying:

"Hey! Look at me! Top of the world, Ma!"

He didn't want to offend his contemporaries from the "League of Mayors" by asking for Federal dollars for this project since the other mayors are able to figure out how to run their cities without having the EPA file a Federal suit and assess hundreds of millions in fines.

By the way "Gain some", which one of the $100,000 per year Deputy Mayors are you?

@Overtaxed Voter, if the EPA and other organizations have not issued the money yet (and many government organizations have not) there is nothing to brag about yet.

@Overtaxed Voter, I do not work for the mayor and I also disagree with many things he has done.

Just because I do not make up stories to support my views like you that does not mean I work for the Mayor.

Rack 40 was a good step towards solving the CSO problem in the Akron area. When I read the article though, talk of "phased approach" and "exploring latest advances in technology" makes me think it is just a stall tactic to avoid the problem at hand. The old technology for dealing with CSOs is fine. What needs to be explored is funding and just how much more we are willing to pay in our monthly water/sewer bills.

Sponge Don's version of "Pass It On".

@GSMR...

Do you have any documentation to show that the City of Akron has bothered to place a request with the EPA for money from the stimulus bill to pay for the dealing with the CSO issue?

The EPA isn't going to grant money to the city if the city doesn't bother to request it.

=================
The ABJ story reported:

Plusquellic said. "That's why we were surprised that at the tail end of the last administration, the Justice Department decided to make Akron a defendant in a federal lawsuit."
=================

Attention Sponge Don...

The Feds got tired of you ignoring the issue.

Obviously it took Washington pulling out its "Big Stick" to finally get your attention.

@Overtaxed Voter, I did not say I had documentation. But I know that the city had not pre-announced any of the funding they applied for. We found out when the government agencies announced the funds.

To say they have not asked for money for the sewers is premature considering all the stimulus funds have not been awarded yet.

The fact is you and others are making statements that are only reality in your own mind and are not based in facts.

"Too much, too little, too late, to try again...."

Recall election. Be there.

I saw the list that Akron groveled for, only 4 cities asked for more. Over a billion dollars worth in 236 projects... looks like sewer and water projects are not deemed that important as they begin to show up down the list begining with item #51 and then show up sporadically the rest of the way. Most look to be partial and predominately water projects.

Uh, wait a minute. Didn't the EPA get after Akron for this same stuff back in the 80s? And when the lawsuit was filed a couple months ago, didn't the mayor protest that he thought he had some kind of agreement with the EPA? If there was an agreement in the works, that would mean that there must have been some warning from the EPA, during the time the mayor was so desperately trying to sell off the sewer problem to some private entity. If the city's known about all this for this long, why didn't they proposed these bright ideas a couple decades ago? Why did the mayor wait so long? Why NOW?

@Exasperated, says "why didn't they proposed these bright ideas a couple decades ago?"

What part of "latest advances in technology" do you think goes back 20 years?

Good for Akron. Finally they are getting their *hit together! You should be proud instead of complaining!

((chucklin')) Uh oh, sum-buddy hasn't had their prozac yet today.

http://recovery.ohio.gov/docs/04_20_09_Submitted_Requests.xls

blkswn,

You're more concerned about where in the list the requests show up as opposed to the amount requested? Seriously?!?

So the fact that approx $100M was requested is trivial because it wasn't in the first few lines????

gain,

I would think that during his speech if the funds where applied for he would of said that... We have applied for money to work on the sewers we just don't know if we will receive them or not.

I am not a recall fan... I do disagree strongly with the mayor and city council for not supporting the police department, I do think he is a rude man but think those things can be handled during a regular election cycle. I just have a question as to why this wasnt included or mentioned by him.

The mayor's idea on the sewer problem is just another delaying tactic. The people on Fountain Street are still waiting after the mayor PROMISED years ago to find another place for the garbage transfer station. Plusquellic cannot bluff his way forever.

rmk, akron

Voinovich said the strict EPA action is creating ''an unfunded mandate.''

Come on Voinovich, the portions of the sewers were funded within the past twelve years and the funds were mispent, laundered and Summit County execs and consultants spent time over that. You were involved in handing that money to them as Governor. I dont beleive giving Akron a chance from 1997 to now to come up with a plan and funds is strict. They are not being sued over just overflows they are being sued for not monitoring and giving OEPA the monthly reports. They legally signed that they would monitor. By the way, why won't Akron test for Beta in the drinking water? I do not think OEPA supports the thirty years as you always try to argue. Your day of being over that agency ended when you were no longer Governor. U.S. EPA is controlling this issue and you might as well start being more workable with Region 5 or local issues may arise. This is your last chance to try and get the problems you helped create fixed before you retire. Do not expect sympathy from me and my family. Maybe you guys should have thought how much YOU GUYS were going to cost the taxpayers in the future because of the sewer problems not being remediated properly while the money was there. Quit blaming U.S. EPA for all of the local downfalls. They were in Chicago, you guys created this problem locally.
CAN YOU SAY PANDORA'S BOX?

Ha! That 'pontias-plusqualic' fella just don't get it, does he? Tell him to go wash his hands somewhere else, eh?

@debbinana, have you heard to mayor say they have applied for funds in other speeches? No, I have not. The reason is it is more of a negative perception if money is not awarded after he brags about applying.

Most organizations are not bragging about applying, because it is the actual award that is important.

Thank you The_Original_Jason.

The link he provided shows the city requested 4 project from $300k-$500k for sewer work, $3.2million for sanitary sewer work, $2.7million for another sanitary sewer project, $1.5million for sewer pump station replacement, another $1million, etc.

I stopped at this point because it was obvious the city was try to get money for the sewers from stimulus money and was not just sitting around like a couple of you keep suggesting.

TOJ,

I believe you are looking at approved projects, not what was originally submitted.

Gain,

That money will replace the stolen manhole covers.

The website indicated they were only submitted, not necessarily approved. I sure hope they are only submitted projects based on some of them that I read. For interesting reading, check out some of our fellow Ohioans' attempts at getting a handout. These aren't only cities and counties, but also private citizens and non-profits and for-profit organizations. I suppose (using a reluctant tone) it never hurts to ask if the money will be spent anyway, but wow!

I am sure it is appalling. It is just a shame that we can not cut the strings and determine our own destiny...

@blkswn, it is very clear on the spreadsheet they are submitted projects. It does not list if they were approved or denied.

Without stepping into the political issues, what technology is proposed in the "phased approach"? This was missing from the article, and I presume it was missing from the mayor's proposal. What good comes from waiting 5 more years to start the process? Unless we plan on beaming future sewage into space, we have had the necessary technology for around 25 years.

I don't know the size of the flows involved, but the two most effective solutions are probably 1) stop inflow and infiltration by repairing existing mains and laterals, and 2) provide more combined flow storage volume, i.e. huge tunnels. Hopefully the city has an ongoing repair schedule to take care of #1. As for #2, it's going to take boatloads of money (mostly federal dollars) and many years. Why delay another 5 years when stimulus money is available now?

Randal and Mary see the article for what it is....just a lot of words. No solution was presented and the only thing waiting for new developments in technology will do is make it some other mayor's problem to deal with 5 years from now.

Sounds like Akron and many other cities are in deep s**t and it's going to take more TAX dollars to fix every bathroom going city slicker.
Yet before we tax ,lets talk to someone that actually works for the sewer dept and knows what the solution is! I prefer to ask the people that start about 7:00am to 3:30 pm because they have the best insight and can bypass the political jargon and wasteful consultant fees that virtually double the cost of any project. Just remember no matter who's Mayor " it's always their fault"

It could never be there's just too much S**t downtown!!!

I don't buy the story that President Obama is a fan of the Mayor. Plusquellic, Strickland,Sommerville were all supporters of Hillary Clinton until it was evident that she could not pull off a win. ( Don't get me wrong, I love Hillary, however voted Obama) I recall Stricklands comments about Obams being re-aired on 93.1 and the governer said (paraphrasing) when asked if he would support Obams, "not now, not ever, never". Mr. Sommerville who typically liters his yard with political signs, did not have an Obama sign in his yard until mid October ( one small sign). Yes I did a 2Xweek ride by to check. With that said, there is a new dynamics in leadership on the rise. "Leading from the heart", not through intimidation and scare tatics. I use to be one of those hesitant to challenge people in power, at 56 my life is half over and I will advocate and fight to my death for what is right.Warner Mendenhall, I applaud your courage.

Mayor Don did nothing except the one detention basin in the previous 17 years despite the city having a commitment with the Ohio EPA to remedy the problem. Now all of a sudden, with a recall election looming, he has a plan. But not for five years! How do you come up with a plan to lease the sewer system in a span of months, but need five more years after having already had 17 years to address a problem that been known for over 20 years. Nice job Mr. Mayor. Nice to know the $700 milion in city debt didn't do anything to fix the sewer infrastructure.

Why do people insist on feeding the trolls? Responding to Overtaxed Voter with facts and truths just makes him/her feel as if he/she matters at all. Just brand him the comment troll he is and call it a day.