Biden stimulus money may result in new water lines between U.S. 27 and Indiana 44 east of Liberty

By John Estridge

Public water lines may be coming to the area between U.S. 27 and Indiana 44 east of Liberty as a result of the federal stimulus package recently signed into law.

Union County Commissioners discussed ways to spend the almost $1.4 million the county will receive in the next two years as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act money.

Signed into law by President Joe Biden, the $1.9 trillion is being given to local, state and federal government entities as well as schools across the country. Union County will receive $1.38 million while Liberty will get $410,000 in the two years.

Both the county and the town will receive their respective shares in two payments with the first arriving around May 11 or Mar 12, Union County Auditor Cheryl Begley stated.

Commissioners said a committee of local officials met April 6, in order to talk about the situation. The committee was composed of three county council members: president Richard Blank and members Trisha Persinger and Jeff Adams as well as commissioner Tim Williams and Area Plan Director and the county’s IT person Jeff Mathews.

Some of the things the money can be spent on include: broadband, water and sewer.

According to Williams, Mathews said with the latest developments in broadband, private companies will be bringing broadband into the areas that are now not served. Verizon has hot spots and REMC’s plan is on installing high-speed internet over power lines. Eight different private companies are now working on increasing broadband coverage within the county. Mathews believed the county’s money could be better spent on water and sewage upgrades.

Williams said before the pandemic shutdown in spring 2020, he took developers around the county and each one pointed to the property between Ind. 44 and U.S. 27 east of Liberty as the best place for future development.

“They said if you can get water and sewer there – they think like developers – they said that is close to school … that’s your best bet,” Williams said.

Commissioner Paul Wiwi suggested taking the water line out to the golf course north of Liberty. However, commissioner Howard Curry said any expansion of water or sewer lines should have one goal in mind and that is to increase the number of mailboxes. That would also increase the amount of property tax funds coming into the county and the school system.

Also, Curry said Reid Health Systems is going to pay to take an eight-inch water line to its building between Old U.S. 27 and U.S. 27 north of town. That will bring the water line a quarter to a half mile closer to the golf course. And that will make it more appetizing to use private funds to take the water the rest of the way to the golf course and the houses in that area, commissioners said.

“That will probably get you a half million dollar jump,” Curry said.

Williams said there will also be a water hydrant put in that area.

According to Williams, RQAW Corporation, an engineering firm based in Fishers, as well as the committee members previously mentioned along with two Liberty Town Council members, Matt Reuss, Utilities and Street Department supervisor for Liberty and Ted Stubbs, Brookville Lake Regional Waste District director will meet on April 20, to discuss the options and the situation in greater detail.

Williams has asked the engineering firm to tell the gathered officials where they suggest expanding and the generalized costs to be expected.

Wiwi suggested that once a project is visualized, the county seek help from Liberty. Williams said that is his plan also.