SHILOH – Bryan VerBurg doesn’t live in the Village of Shiloh. But proper execution of the current three-phase water project is his highest priority, he said Tuesday evening.
“A lot of projects in the past haven’t been done right, in my eyes and a lot of others,” VerBurg said. “I’m just trying to get this right, for the people.”
Can’t go back in time
Serving as village administrator since 2021, VerBurg said that when he first took the job, he discovered several things not being done correctly.
“When I came on as administrator, that was one of my biggest goals, to get water meters in this town,” he said. “It’s the thing of Shiloh to just kick the can and I was tired of it.”
Water meter installation is just one task in the overall three-phase project, which also includes fire hydrant and valve replacement, as well as dismantling the old water tower and replacing the Main Street water line.
Water project progress
The $1.5 million needed to fund the project was partially procured through a Ohio Public Works Commission grant ($499,000) and Richland County commissioners ($500,000) via a portion of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act money.
The village entered a water supply revolving loan account (WSRLA) with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to secure remaining funds needed.
At Tuesday’s meeting, VerBerg provided councilmembers with a project progress update.
“Right now, final plans need to be done so we can begin bidding,” he said. “As of right now, that’ll go out in December.”
VerBerg had received a drafted version of the final plans. But he said he found problems with them that still need to be addressed and has sent them back to be corrected.
“As a village administrator, I don’t like to rush into anything,” he said. “In the past, it’s been, hurry up and let’s get this done, but then we’re doing it again down the road.”
Currently, when water line issues occur, VerBerg is frequently faced with the decision that he must cut-off water to entire portions of the village to address the problem.
VerBerg says water must be prioritized
Upon completion of the project, updated water line infrastructure will allow VerBerg to significantly reduce the amount of residents impacted by a temporary water shut-off.
“That’s the whole goal of this, to not have so many people out of water,” he said. “The past is the past and I’m trying to move forward, I’m trying to do good by the residents.”
“My main focus, and I think that this whole council, should be focused on water, electric, sewer and stormwater,” VerBerg said. “Everything else is not a priority, and it’s upsetting to me that they lose focus of that.”
