CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland has publicly responded to a letter sent last week by White County Board of Commissioners concerning their desire to provide additional water services to Freudenberg-NOK in Cleveland.
During Monday night’s city council meeting, Cleveland Mayor Shan Ash read the letter from the commissioners, that included a statement that didn’t set well with the council: that if the city was unable to provide, or was unwilling to provide, an adequate supply of water county commissioners would ask the White County Water Authority to supply that water need.
After reading the letter, Ash then read several pieces of detailed correspondence between the city, White County and Freudenberg-NOK that the mayor said demonstrates their positive efforts in this matter.
“It is apparent, based on documented communication between the City of Cleveland, NOK and the White County Board of Commissioners, that the City of Cleveland is diligently working to come to a resolution in addressing the needs of NOK,” Ash said.
Phase Three of the Appalachian Parkway, which will run by Freudenberg-NOK, has always been a part of the discussion with this project “to install water lines only to replace them within the following year is not a responsible and efficient use of taxpayer and ratepayer funds,” Ash said.
Ash noted the original planning goal for the project was 2018 through 2020, or 2021, but that has apparently changed, according to the county. He said that change has not been communicated with the city.
During his report, Ash shared several emails from City Administrator Tom O’Bryant to NOK requesting information they needed, but those emails went unanswered.
White County Commissioner Terry Goodger attended the city council meeting and said he was unaware of a lot of the information shared by the mayor and offered the county’s help to facilitate the issue.
“The city wants a resolution as much as you do,” Ash said.
