Etna Township reappoints water, sewer district rep without interviewing other candidates

Without an application or interview process, the Etna Township Trustees reappointed their representative to the board of the growing area's water and sewer provider.

Trent Stepp, who was first appointed to the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District Board of Trustees in December 2020, was approved for a second term July 18 in a 2-1 vote. Trustee Mark Evans voted against the appointment.

The three-year term runs from Nov. 20, 2023, to Nov. 19, 2026. The 2023 salary for the position is $18,263.82, the district's in-house attorney Nick Eippert said in an email.

Stepped asked to be reappointed as he wrapped up an update to trustees and residents about the utility district and its various projects. He said he has provided leadership and guidance to the district in numerous ways thanks to his professional experience as an executive manager at an engineering firm. As he continues to have important conversations about the district's future, Stepp said the most common question he is asked is whether Etna Township would reappoint him in the fall.

"I have no credibility at the moment," he said. "Everyone out there is watching what happens in Etna Township and I have no credibility as a board member because they have no idea what this board is going to do moving forward."

He asked the Etna trustees to tell him whether they were going to reappoint him or not in order to give him that credibility as he works with other entities.

Evans raised concerns about Stepp's reappointment because it was not on the meeting's agenda, and he objected to the move being done "on the fly," given the salary that comes with the position.

"I've got some concerns, and I think we should discuss it in executive session," Evans said.

Trustee Rozland McKee said in this situation "what matters is being able to sit on a board and educated yourself," which she said Stepp has done during his nearly three years on the utility district board. She said Stepp has provided monthly emailed reports to them and Evans has not raised any concerns before.

"You've never said anything negative expect what you're saying right now," she said.

Evans said he has voiced concerns while attending the utility district's bimonthly meetings. He later shared one of his concerns was related to Stepp's support of hiring former board member Rob Platte as a consultant earlier this year.

The district has historically served Etna and Harrison townships and the former Lima Township, which merged with the then-village of Pataskala in 1997. The utility district has grown in recent years, and last year the Licking County Commissioners more than doubled its service area for the Ohio 161 corridor from 8,769 acres to 18,223 acres. The expanded area includes 11,702 acres in Jersey Township, 3,439 in St. Albans Township and 3,041 acres in Monroe Township.

The utility district continued it's expansion in March when it purchased 92 acres in St. Albans Township for a wastewater treatment center, frustrating officials in St. Albans, the village of Granville and city of Johnstown.

Prior to being on the utility district board, Stepp served on the Etna Township Zoning Commission for 10 years, including seven years as chairman. He also has served on the township's Board of Zoning Appeals for more than seven years and currently serves as chairman, Stepp said in an interview after the meeting.

"I've been a very engaged resident since 2003," he said.

Stepp said his work with the district is different from his full-time job, but it's similar enough that it sparks his professional and technical interest. And he's also gone beyond just being a board member. When problems have arisen, he's gone with staff members and held the flashlight while looking over overflowing sewer.

"I've seen the sights, I've smelled the smells, and I'm intrigued by it. I enjoy it professionally," he said. "I also feel like I'm making a positive impact."

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Etna Township reappoints utility board rep without talking to others