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Council Approves Settling Lawsuits Out Of UA Gas Explosion, Raises Water And Sewer Rates

wnct.com

Columbus City Council last night approved spending 649 thousand dollars to settle eight lawsuits filed by 36 Upper Arlington residents out of the 2015 natural gas explosion that destroyed or damaged 28 homes. 

A Columbus water worker accidentally opened a gas line on Sunningdale Way that the worker thought was a water line, causing the explosion. Assistant City Attorney Brian Shinn:

Columbus maintains Upper Arlington’s water system. Council also approved raising water and sewer rates by 2.5 percent starting in January. The increase will cost the typical city customer an additional 28 dollars a year, and the typical non-city customer 31 dollars more per year. Sponsoring council member Mike Stinziano says assistance is available for low-income and senior customers. 

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The city has been raising water and sewer rates annually since 2007, but has not approved an increase of more than 3.3 percent in the past five years. The money is used for water and sewer system upgrades and mainenance required under consent decrees with environmental regulators. The decrees were reached following multiple sewage spills into local waterways and residential basements. Council also approved a 24.5 million dollar contract for infrastructure work near the State Route 315-North Broadway interchange. The work will benefit the new OhioHealth headquarters. The city gave OhioHealth a six million dollar tax break for the project in 2016 and agreed to spend up to 40 million on infrastructure upgrades. 

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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