Terrace Park’s proposed water agreement would move retail service to Greater Cincinnati Water Works and set a 40-year term for the partnership.
The Terrace Park council agenda listed the authorizing ordinance for Tuesday, Nov. 10. Ordinance 10-1 would allow Mayor Tom Tepe to sign the agreement and, if needed, notify Indian Hill of termination.
The agenda establishes scheduled business, not a vote outcome. A Nov. 10 vote result has not been verified, and the village’s online minutes archive does not yet list minutes for that meeting.
The water agreement posted by Terrace Park sets an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2066. It leaves the authorizing ordinance details for both municipalities blank. A final executed agreement has not been established by that document.
Greater Cincinnati Water Works, or GCWW, would assume water operations and customer billing. The document estimates that service would begin Jan. 1, 2028. Its attached construction schedule is expressly an estimate that can change.
The plan calls for a Wooster Pike connection to begin the service transfer. A second connection beneath the Little Miami River would provide capacity for firefighting. Terrace Park would retain an emergency connection with Indian Hill until the river crossing is operating.
At the start of GCWW service, ownership of the village’s water-system infrastructure would transfer to Cincinnati under the proposed terms.
The agreement separates customer charges. The meter-based service charge would equal 1.25 times the corresponding Cincinnati charge. The water-use charge would also equal 1.25 times Cincinnati’s corresponding rate.
A separate infrastructure charge would equal 1.15 times Cincinnati’s corresponding water-use rate. It would be added to the water-use charge for the first 30 years after service begins. GCWW would track infrastructure costs and revenue separately and share an annual accounting with Terrace Park.
If Terrace Park ends the deal before the transition period concludes, the proposal caps reimbursement of actual, reasonable and documented transition costs at $10 million.
The Village of Indian Hill says it offered to continue water service while taking on Terrace Park’s infrastructure. It says Terrace Park indicated an intent to switch, followed by a first ordinance reading Oct. 26.
Indian Hill’s transition statement says it will coordinate operations, infrastructure and timing with Terrace Park and GCWW. It identifies limiting disruption and impacts on water customers as priorities.
The Village of Terrace Park lists its next council meeting for 6 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Community Building.
