2010 GOALS

1.   Provide useful information for small community leadership for developing, improving and maintaining their environmental infrastructure.

2.  Assist small communities in identifying the most appropriate resources to help them resolve problems associated with environmental infrastructure.

3.   Develop additional technical and financial resources to help small communities resolve problems associated with environmental infrastructure.

 

2010 OBJECTIVES

 

1.   Develop and deliver curriculum to local officials for Drinking Water and Wastewater.

      Curriculum/Training Committee

 

·         Ohio RCAP will deliver at least five Utility Management sessions, five Financial Management sessions, ten Asset Management sessions and ten Applied Asset Management sessions; anticipating training of 20-25 people per session.

·         Ohio RCAP will deliver Project Development Short Courses to each new community that requests Ohio RCAP assistance.

·         Ohio RCAP will complete the Rate Setting Short Course and pilot it on three communities.

·         Ohio RCAP will continue to evaluate their efforts by offering a pre and post-test to participants of each course.

·         Ohio RCAP will survey training course participants to determine what useful information was obtained.

·         Ohio RCAP will update, as appropriate, the financial tools that help the small community to proceed with its water or sewer project.

·         Ohio RCAP will continue to request communities that are receiving their assistance attend training.

 

2.   Promote training opportunities for local officials for Drinking Water and Wastewater.

      Curriculum/Training Committee

 

·         Ohio RCAP will send brochures statewide to advertise availability of training.

·         Ohio RCAP and OSU will post information, via website, to market education/training opportunities.

·         Ohio RCAP and OSU will advertise training utilizing booths at conferences such as AWWA, OTCO, ORWA, Ohio Water Quality and Waste Management Conference, and OOWWA.

·         Ohio RCAP will request all communities to sign an enrollment letter and agree to send a majority of their decision-making body to Utility Board or Financial Management training, in exchange for technical assistance.

·         Ohio EPA will continue to offer supplemental environmental project (SEP) credit for systems willing to complete “Utility Board” and/or “Financial Management” types of training, in lieu of paying a portion of the penalty for violations to systems with technical, managerial and financial concerns. 

·         Ohio EPA will continue to offer points on the project priority list for systems that have at least half of their council or board attend Utility Board training. 

·         Host a “Financial and Technical Assistance Training” session for State Legislative and Congressional staff.

 

3.   Assist fifteen small communities to identify the most appropriate resources to help them resolve their

      problems.  Finance Committee

 

·         Advertise the availability of the SCEIG Finance Committee by holding two information sessions that include presentations by all funding partners, one in Southwestern Ohio and the second in the Northeast.  Invite all systems with less than 10,000 population and engineering firms.  Morning sessions will consist of presentations; afternoon sessions will contain pre-scheduled meetings between the SCEIG Finance Committee and public water systems.

·         Hold four bi-monthly meetings at OWDA.

·         Follow-up on each community approximately eight months after the initial SCEIG Finance Committee meeting.  Continue follow-up until funding is secured or community has lost interest in the project.

·         Survey/Research the 2005-2009 communities that interacted with the Finance Committee to determine appropriate next steps.

 

4.   Continue to implement, with a focus on the prioritized communities, the Appalachia

      Environmental Infrastructure Strategy Workgroup’s Action Plan.  All

 

5.   Review processes and procedures for loan and grant programs, to determine what

      efficiencies may be gained by further coordination for jointly funded projects.

      Coordinating Committee

 

·         Evaluate options for one universal loan application statewide.

·         Continue evaluation of the need for Value Added Engineering in Ohio.

·         Evaluate sustainability and feasibility for infrastructure components.

·         Continue evaluation of options for collecting sewer bills for non-billing communities.

 

6.   OSU (Karen Mancl) will:

·         Continue to provide training for designers and installers of onsite and small community systems
by offering 4 workshops and 1 conference.

·         Publish new and updated teaching manuals; revise 1 and write 2 new manuals.

·         Plan a workshop on food processing waste treatment for Ohio EPA staff.

7.   Continue non-technical assistance to interested parties considering decentralized

      wastewater infrastructure solutions, by providing education, fact sheets, and information

      that promotes decentralized solutions and management options.

      Decentralized Wastewater Work Group

 

·         Schedule training during 3rd quarter of 2010

·         Continue meeting with interested communities

 

8.   Continue to coordinate activities of Ohio's Federal Stimulus Initiative.  All

 

9.   Meet quarterly (March 1, June 7, September 13, and December 6).  All