NORTHWEST WATER DISTRICT FACING DIFFICULT DECISION

The North­west Water Dis­trict is fac­ing a dif­fi­cult deci­sion. It may have to return a $496,000 state grant if a water plant con­tin­ues to sit idle. It the plant goes into pro­duc­tion on the other hand, the dis­trict will lose more than $28,000 per year.

The $496,000 came from a state-funded Com­mu­nity Devel­op­ment Block Grant meant to cre­ate 73 new full-time jobs at a Fly­ing J truck plaza north of the Ohio Turn­pike on Ohio 49.

Fly­ing J declared bank­ruptcy in 2009. The plaza was never built and those 73 jobs were never cre­ated.

Three other busi­nesses how­ever, did come to the area. If the dis­trict pro­vides water ser­vice to those busi­nesses, the state will not demand the return of its grant money, but the rev­enue gen­er­ated won’t cover the cost of daily oper­a­tions accord­ing to the Bryan Times.

County offi­cials are work­ing with every­one involved to try to come up with a solution.