Article: Treatment plant builds bridge between Republicans, Democrats at each level
The Madison Courier - October 3, 2006
Washington,
Oct 3, 2006 -
The Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant demonstrated to local, state and federal government officials what can be done when working together to serve a region of taxpayers and citizens Monday.
"It's one of the greatest things I've ever been involved with," Carrollton Mayor Ann Deatherage said.
The completed treatment plant sits on a 30-acre plot located on Greens Bottom Road in English and will serve four counties and eight cities: Carrollton, Prestonville, Worthville, Sanders, Sparta, Glencoe, Campbellsburg and Ghent. The plant took 13 months to complete and is home to several treatment lagoons and other treatment buildings.
"Regionalization is a big part of the future of the United States and Kentucky," said James Andrew, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. "(The federal government) thinks this is a good investment."
In 2004, the $11.1 million treatment plant's groundbreaking was delayed after the bidding for the project was over budget, but the city was able to rebid the project and move the construction forward because of the work of 25 individuals, both Republicans and Democrats.
"This is a really great day," U.S. Congressman Geoff Davis, R-Hebron, said. "We put aside partisan differences."
Davis said the reason why the treatment plant was able to be completed was because of city and county partnerships.
"This project is one you hope you can find," U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Fort Thomas, said. "It takes cooperation at the local, state and federal levels."
"Cooperation and good policy has brought this forward," said Robbie Rudolph, secretary of Gov. Ernie Fletcher's Executive Cabinet. "Our focus is healthy people in strong communities."
The treatment plant is serving 500 households currently and will be serving 2,500 more households once additional pipelines are installed.
Once all pipelines are installed, the plant is projected to open housing opportunities in the eight communities and places that are undeveloped along the interstate.
"This a great use of our tax dollars," Davis said. "That (the wastewater) is the smell of jobs."
