The Germantown Village Board has placed a referendum question on the ballot for the November 8, 2022 election.
This question asks members of the Germantown community whether the Village of Germantown should provide water and sanitary sewer service for a fee to customers in the Northeast Corridor of the Village of Richfield located between Interstate 41, Holy Hill Road, Highway 175 and Pleasant Hill Road.
Intergovernmental Agreement
An Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Villages would govern the sale and operation of services. The IGA ensures that the Village of Richfield bears all costs for the expansion of services to customers in Richfield, pays a 20% premium for sewer service and requires Richfield to construct infrastructure in accordance with Germantown specifications. The agreement also sets water service rates for Richfield customers at the same rate as what is paid by Germantown ratepayers, in accordance with Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations.
Richfield shall fund the cost of infrastructure improvements in the Village of Germantown, at an estimated investment of between $7 and $9 million. Richfield shall design and construct all municipal water and sewer system improvements consistent with Germantown’s developer handbook and specifications, and with the approval of Germantown’s engineering department and utilities.
Why is the Village of Richfield Seeking Access to Sewer and Water?
The Village of Richfield is seeking to attract development to the Northeast Corridor, potentially including warehousing and light industrial. This development would require access to municipal water and sanitary sewer service. Based on the Village of Richfield’s analysis, service from the Village of Germantown is the most cost-effective option to provide sewer and water to the Northeast Corridor of Richfield. Any future development proposals in this portion of Richfield would be determined solely by the Village of Richfield.
Background Studies
Germantown and Richfield have commissioned studies from hydrogeologists at Colliers Consulting. Those studies provided insight on the potential impacts and benefits of extending services from Germantown Water and Sewer Utilities to new paying customers in the Village of Richfield. Those studies found:
Germantown may benefit by increasing the customer base for its water and sewer utilities by having non-Germantown property owners help pay some of the capital costs associated with those utilities.
Germantown Sewer Utility has the capacity to serve Richfield’s Northeast Corridor without any negative impacts to Germantown now or with projected future growth.
Additional compatible development planned in Richfield’s Northeast Corridor may drive economic development within Germantown’s Holy Hill Corrido
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up