The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-08-08
FEDERAL AID MAY
GIVE TOWN new
START ON SEWERS
Loan of $4,000, Without Inter
est, Sought to Complete
Plans, Specifications
$250,000 Intercepting System
Considered; Construction
Aid May Be Available

Drafting of final plans and speci-
fications for Bluffton's oft deferred
sewage disposal system to make the
project ready for the start of work
by contractors, appears to be as
sured for completion this summer,
under program made possible by
federal financial assistance.
Decision to proceed with the plan
ming program at an estimated cost
of $4,000, funds for which will be
loaned to the town without interest
by the Federal Works Agency, was
reached Monday night at meeting
of the town council. Application for
the loan was made on Tuesday.
At the same time councilmen were
told that the State Department of
Health, long concerned over Bluff
tons sewage disposal problem, is
urging municipalities to take advant-
age of the federal loan offer, so they
may be in position to start work
Immediately on disposal systems
once materials and labor are avail
able.
$250,00O SYSTEM
Buttons application for funds to
proceed with planning is based on a
$250,000 disposal system. Of this
$146,000 is earmarked for the con-
struction of intercepting sewers
along Big and Little Riley creeks
and $105,000 for erection of a sew
age disposal plant.
Networks of sewers thruout the
town to empty into the interceptors
are not included in present planning,
because of the cost factor, which
means that a completely new system
here must be postponed until later
date.
Explanation of the loans avail
ability was made to the council Mon
day night by Carlton S. Finkbeiner,
of the Toledo engineering firm of
Finkbeiner, Pettis and Strout, which
prepared Buttons preliminary sew
age disposal plans before the out
break of war.
No INTEREST ON LOANS
Federal loans are made available
thru the Federal Works Agency,
without interest, to complete all
planning and specifications, fitting
the project for advertising for bids
and proceeding with construction.
Repayment of the loan is not re-
quired until construction of the sys-
tenn is started, and the money comes
from bonds issued to finance the pro-
ject.
With federal financial assistance
available at this time, it is possible
to eliminate the delay that ordinarily
is involved in preparing complete
plans and specifications for a pro-
ject after bond issue is authorized
by voters. Decision to proceed with
planning at this time will mean that
construction of Buttons system can
be speeded greatly once the "clear
light" is given at the polls.
FEDERAL INTEREST
Federal interest in an early start
on sewage disposal systems for all
baf
empty into Lake Erie stems from a
pact with Canada that pollution of
water going into the lake is to be
entirely eliminated.
Possibility that federal grants may
soon be available to assist munich
palities in financing disposal systems
also was presented to the council by
Finkbeiner.
He pointed out that the Mansfield
Act, now before Congress and which
appears to be favorably regarded by
Legislators, provides for grants of
up to 35 per cent of the cost. Should
the act be passed Bluffton would be
6llRlDlS luI q Skdue VI @catooo W
apply toward total construction cost
of $250,000.
Buttons sewage disposal head
ache broke out in a new form with
in the last month, when it was
learned that property holders in the
newly opened Matter addition on
Harmon road have no sewage outlet.
A request for municipal assistance
in constructing the sewer met with
the fact that since the town has no
municipal system, sewers here are a
private problem, and the town has
no funds to assist property holders
in solving their dilemma.