Tuesday evening, council met to discuss updates to the wastewater treatment plant that would put them in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) guidelines set to take effect in 2023, which requires wastewater overflow to be eliminated by 2023. Council approved a request for Jones & Henry Engineers to update the proposals from the numbers they have from 2014 for the project. Council has been very appreciative of the relationships they have had with all the other agencies involved in this process.

Residents voiced their concern at the possibility of seeing an increase in their utility bill in the upcoming years. Elida will have to build a new sewer plant in the upcoming years to meet EPA guidelines which will cost around $6 million to $8 million. Council expressed that they are being proactive in solving the problem in advance, rather than waiting until they have a problem and having to increase the rates even higher. They have not agreed on the amount of increase as of yet, but residents would like to see better transparency from council.

The Lima Kiwanis Club got an update on a project that is ongoing in Simmons Field. The project is the 13 million gallon storm and wastewater overflow tank that was mandated for the area by the EPA. The tank is designed to help reduce the number of overflows that happen in the Ottawa River after heavy rains. Ground was broken for the project last May, and Lima's utilities director, Mike Caprella, says work has been on time and on budget since then.

State and local agencies are continuing to clean up a diesel spill that occurred last week in Lima. According to the Allen County Emergency Management Agency, a semi truck was filling up but drove away and pulled out the nozzle. 815 gallons of diesel spilled out near the Lost Creek Watershed. Crews have been cleaning up in the area around Lost Creek Blvd. Booms were placed in the water to contain the spill. EMA doesn't believe there is any danger to the surrounding community. The spill was contained before reaching the Ottawa River and there's no visible harm to the wildlife.

A new program through the city of Lima is working to clean up specific abandoned properties that could be holding up development. The "Lima Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Program" is designed to help landowners and developers to get access to available state and federal funding. The funds can be used to clean up contaminated areas of former gas station sites and facilitate redevelopment.

The search is on as area streams, rivers, and ditches are being monitored for pollutants. The work is required by an urban stormwater mandate by the Ohio EPA and is done by Allen Soil and Water Conservation District summer interns. With the dry weather of recent days, waterways have gone back down allowing the investigation of pipes to see if illicit discharge and/or pollutants are reaching the water as outfalls.

It's the largest project that the City of Lima has undertaken and they are midway through it. Lima utilities director Mike Caprella speaking with other public officials about the combined sewer overflow storage tank located just off South Collett Street. The 40-million dollar project was mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the city's consent decree signed in January of 2015.

The Overflow Basin Project off Collett Street has begun a major step of the operation. Lima Utilities Director, Mike Caprella, said crews have begun to assemble the 13 million gallon tank that will be 400 foot by 200 foot by 25 foot deep. 

Mayors from around the country are converging on the nation's capital to develop national urban policy with a united voice. It's the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. and Lima Mayor David Berger is there.

A major thoroughfare in the City of Lima reopens to two way traffic. Northbound of Jameson Avenue has been closed to traffic since November of last year. Crews were working on relining the combined 54-inch sewer line when it collapsed.