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Kurtis Strickland Field Agent/Training Specialist Ohio RCAP/Great Lakes RCAP 942 Slab Hill Road Oak Hill, Ohio 45656 Phone (740) 682-8414 Fax (740) 682-3186 Cell (419) 680-6067 kmstrickland@wsos.org . Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). A national, non-profit organization incorporated in
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1. Ohio Onsite Wastewater AssociationRCAP Assistance and Small Community Wastewater ChallengesDayton, Ohio January 5, 2006
3. Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) A national, non-profit organization incorporated in 1972 that provides technical assistance to help solve water and wastewater problems
Field staff in all 50 states and Puerto Rico
Six regions (Great Lakes RCAP, Northeast RCAP, Southeast RCAP, Southern RCAP, Midwest RCAP, and Western RCAP)
4. Ohio RCAP One of seven states that make-up the Great Lakes RCAP region
Funding for Ohio RCAP comes from EPA, USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
RCAP services are provided free of charge to communities or community projects that serve a population of 10,000 or less
6. Ohio RCAP Services Program Planning
Facility Development
Operation and Maintenance
Management and Finance
Source Water/Wellhead Protection Planning
7. Program Planning (Initial concern to design phase) Assess available financing resources
Review plans for appropriate content for funding agency requirements
Provide information on alternative systems
Conduct income surveys
Conduct community wide surveys on environmental issues
Assist in procuring other professional services
Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community
Write grant/loan applications for funding of planning
Prepare Environmental Reports *Services are provided at no cost unless indicated by *
8. Facility Development (from the design phase onward) Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community
Assist in procuring other professional services
Write grant/loan applications for funding
Conduct appropriate public hearing and meetings
Maintain file depository for all required project records
Package financing for project
Administration of grants *Services are provided at no cost unless indicated by *
9. Operation and Maintenance (after construction and during operation) Assist in meeting NPDES requirements
Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community
Developing and implementing compliance action plans
Developing system policies and procedures
Assist in procuring other professional servicesServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *
10. Management and Finance (financial management of the system) Perform rate studies
Assist in procuring other professional services
Completing financial reports to funder
Assist with bookkeeping and accounting
Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, communityServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *
11. Source Water/Wellhead Protection Planning * Complete Potential Contaminant Source Inventory (PCSI)
Assist and train community volunteers to complete PCSI
Facilitate/coordinate WP planning stake holder’s committee
Assist in development/delivery of public involvement strategies
Prepare public education materials
Present public education information
Complete the management plan
Coordinate activities with OEPA, consultants, community, funders
Assist in procuring other professional servicesServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *
12. Ohio RCAP Leveraged Funds History Program Year Amount1998-1999 $42,129,8241999-2000 $17,612,9572000-2001 $18,432,6372001-2002 $31,791,1702002-2003 $28,368,2992003-2004 $43,010,103
#1 nationally 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004
13. Small Community Wastewater Challenges RCAP is seeing:
#1 Smaller and smaller communities
#2 Existing unsewered communities are
difficult ones
#3 Grant financing is declining
14. Challenge #1 EPA is focusing on smaller communities and unincorporated areas
Small number of customers to spread debt and operation/maintenance costs over
$30,000 annual OMR for 100 customers equals $25 per month before debt
15. Challenge #2 Easy communities have been sewered
Unsewered communities cannot regionalize because of distance
Unsewered communities are located in floodplain or have difficult terrain
Unsewered communities are in
no-growth areas
16. Challenges #3 Grant financing declining
Low interest loans increasing
Financing agencies want to spread their financing over more projects serving more people
17. Sample Project Costs
18. Why Decentralized? Lower project costs
Lower operation/maintenance costs
Less environmental impacts
Easier to operate
19. RCAP Is Leading The Charge For Decentralized Projects In Ohio RCAP organized the Decentralized Wastewater Workgroup (DWWG)
DWWG includes OEPA, Ohio Dept of Health, RCAP, and USDA
Main challenge was permitting
20. Village of Amesville First community identified by DWWG as good candidate for decentralized project
Excellent leadership
Think outside the box
Realize now is better than later
Tight-knit community
21. RCAP Technical Assistance Organized project team
Mayor
RCAP
Local health department
OEPA district & OEPA DEFA
Ohio Department of Health
Local watershed organization
22. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP organized town meetings
Village in charge
OEPA, local health department, watershed organization, and RCAP participate
23. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP assisted with Qualification Based Selection (QBS) of engineer services
Excellent engineer selection committee
Firms responded from Wisconsin, Vermont, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio
24. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP coordinated acquisition of financing for planning, design, construction
99% grant for planning
50% grant for design
73% grant for construction?
25. Other RCAP Resources Ten Tips To Help Communities Hire An Engineer
Ten Tips To Help Communities Plan A successful Water/Wastewater Project
Financing Tools
eBulletin
Board Training
26. Ten Tips to Help CommunitiesHire an Engineer Define your project
Establish qualified selection committee
Develop unique RFQ
Request references from all projects
Insist that firms visit community
Ask project specific questions
Conduct effective interviews
Interview the project manager
Advertise RFQ, send to firms with experience
Negotiate with short-listed firms
27. Ten Tips to Help Communities Plan a Successful Water/Wastewater Project Coordinate with Ohio EPA
Designate local person to review engineering items
Use resources knowledgeable of financing in Ohio
Stay focused on the project originally identified
Make sure costs are based on year the project will bid
Don’t be afraid to question your engineering firm
Keep the public involved
Maintain a project schedule
Be open to new ideas and alternatives
Establish an OMR plan
28. Financing Tools 1. Determining EDU
2. Eligible Applicants
3. Fiscal Year Explanation
4. Funding Sources- Public
5. Funding Sources- Private
6. Financing Scenarios- Existing System
7. Financing Scenarios- New System
8. Amortization Schedule
9. Gallons Per Month And Funding Agencies
10. When Are Utility Rates Affordable
11. Project Schedule
12. Financial Tracking Spreadsheet
29. RCAP eBulletin Free email newsletter (every 3 weeks)
Includes w/ww articles which focus on building capacity
“How to raise your rates and stay alive”
“What can you do to secure your system”
“Straight talk on cross connections”
“What to do when customers don’t pay”
“Water loss, the silent bandit”
Currently >4,000 subscribers nationwide
Go to www.watertrust.org to subscribe
31. Board Training 101- Utility Management for Local Officials Sponsored by OEPA and USDA-RD
TMF aspects of utilities
2005- 184 participants/76 utilities
No cost, Ohio EPA contact hours
Designed in response to statewide need to improve the capacity of Ohio’s smaller rural water and sewer systems
Geared toward those with responsibilities for managing utilities (mayors, clerks, administrators, council members, general managers, board members, operators)
32. Board Training 101- Utility Management for Local Officials September 19, 2005 in Portsmouth, OH
September 20, 2005 in Columbus, OH
October 11, 2005 in Findlay, OH
October 25, 2005 in Lisbon, OH
November 15, 2005 in Wilmington, OH
January 17, 2006 in Lore, OH (Salt Fork SP)
February 15, 2006 in Amherst, OH
To register contact Nadine at (419) 332-2056
33. Board Training 201- Financial Management for Local Officials March 8, 2006 in Troy, OH
April 12, 2006 in Reynoldsburg, OH
April 26, 2006 in Fremont, OH
May 9, 2006 in Massillon, OH
June 13, 2006 in Chillicothe, OH
To register contact Nadine at (419) 332-2056
34. Future Board Training Courses (2006-2007) Board Training 301- Rate Setting & Asset Management for Local Officials
Board Training 401- Asset Management for Local Officials
35. Questions?