By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

VERSAILLES — The Versailles Village Council met to discuss the WellField Development funds.

Consideration of an ordinance amending the 2023 Annual Appropriations Ordinance was approved by the council in order to fund the Wellfield Development Project. By agreeing to amend the ordinance, the Finance and Audit Committee can approve legislation to authorize an advance from the General Fund to the Water Fund and then a transfer from the Water Fund to the Wellfield Development Fund.

“The changing of the ordinance is setting up those appropriations to fund the new Wellfield Development Fund. It’s just money we need in that fund to purchase materials and supplies to be running,” Fiscal Officer Kathy Ording said.

She advised this is “like the Villages’ local share to the project.” A transfer of $225,000 will be transferred out of the General Fund, and $15,950 will be transferred out of the cemetery fund.

“That (the $15,950) is for the software that was purchased recently. It was in the ‘22 budget, but we did not get the purchase done. Therefore, it did not get into our appropriations for ‘23, so that is what that is,” Ording said.

From the Water Fund, a total of $325,000 will be transferred, as it is the need for the project. Ording said the Finance and Audit Committee discussed various ways to transfer the money.

“We discussed having a money transfer from the General Fund directly into the Wellfield totaling $225,000, and then $100,000 from the Water Fund,” Ording said. “The transfer would have been a permanent move of money that we would not have to pay back.”

The other option was the previously stated transfer of appropriations from the General Fund to the Water Fund and ultimately to the Wellfield Development Fund. By moving funds in that way, the council will be looking at paying those funds back by the end of the year.

“As we discussed with the rate adjustments in the Water Fund, the consensus was the money will be available in that fund by the end of the year,” Ording said.

Ording said this advance is necessary because the Wellfield Fund does not generate revenue. The council is hopeful they will have an EPA Loan coming in soon and a CDBG Grant.

“Those two pieces, however, are for phase two and three of the construction process,” Ording said.

Village Administrator Mike Busse agreed with Ording and advised the fund transfers will have to be an ongoing task.

“We are going to have to transfer money from the Water Fund into this Wellfield Development Fund. It is going to continue because the Wellfield Development does not have a revenue source of its own,” Busse said.

He said it facilitates the construction and repayment of this project. The council approved the recommendations for the advancements needed for the project in order to continue moving forward.

In Busse’s report, he advised council they have received their PTI from Ohio EPA to proceed with the wellfield development project, and street personnel have begun installing waterline on the west side of the Reed Road wellfield property.

“We will continue this work as the weather allows,” Busse said.

The next Versailles Council meeting will take place Wednesday, April. 12, at 7 p.m., in EMS Building, 320 Baker Road, Versailles.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].