Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority members turned thumbs down on a request by the East Ridge City Commission that WWTA work with the town to find a way to prevent raw sewage from flooding into homes along John Ross Road during heavy rains.
East Ridge City Manager William Whitson, who delivered the request from municipal officials, said the town would like to work with WWTA on having a study done to determine the cause of the problem and what can be done to prevent it from recurring.
The problem has existed at least since 2007, he said, and affected property owners have become so used to WWTA doing nothing to solve it that they sometimes don't even bother to report it. "
"They figure what's the use," he explained. "That's the level of frustration they have reached."
But after WWTA Executive Director Cleveland Grimes flatly rejected Mr. Whitson's request, saying such a study "wouldn't show us anything we don't already know," authority members declined to work with the town to solve the problem.
Further, WWTA attorney Mike Carter challenged Mr. Whitson's standing to even appear before the board on this matter.
"Are you aware (sewage overflow victims Ronald and Gail Solomon) have hired an attorney who has contacted us about this problem on their behalf?" Mr. Carter asked the city manager. "Are you representing them now? Who am I supposed to respond to?"
In the end, a livid Mr. Whitson stalked angrily out of the meeting after realizing authority members had no intention of cooperating with the town.
"I don't think the city of East Ridge and its citizens were treated fairly today and I'm pretty upset about it," he said angrily, in response to a reporter's questions.
Back in the meeting, shortly before it ended and more than an hour after Mr. Whitson had left the room, East Ridge representative Tom Card asked fellow WWTA members to reconsider the matter.
"Ï know Mr. Whitson got off on the wrong foot with Cleveland," he said. "But, if possible, I would like for Cleveland and the city manager to meet and hammer out these problems."
WWTA Chairman Phil Smartt also urged the executive director to try to work with Mr. Whitson and other East Ridge officials. "Cleveland, why don't the two of you go to lunch together and look each other in the eye and try to work things out?" he suggested.
If necessary, Mr. Smartt said, he also will attend that luncheon.
Mr. Grimes said he is willing to meet with Mr. Whitson and/or other East Ridge representatives and discuss their problems.
"But my time is limited," he complained. "I'm trying to work out a remediation plan for the entire county, and I'm not going to try to work out one for every individual municipality, too."