CROMWELL — After 38 long months, the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District board signed an agreement to end the ongoing debate with the town of Syracuse. During the Monday night meeting, held a week later Feb. 25, the district signed off on a payout to Syracuse as well as a terminate no later than date of Dec. 31 this year.

The board also opted to avoid taking old litigation back to the courts.

The district continues to move forward on the updates to local projects as they add a clarifier tank and improve employee offices. NIBCO and Cornerstone Construction are both working nearly full-time to hit the first progress deadline at the end of March. “We have more pipe in the ground than the city of Goshen,” laughed board vice president Robert Dumford. Local resident Terry Kellogg-Maywhorter questioned the large number of pipes stacked in the area, but was assured by the board that is all part of the same project that has been in process to reverse flow from Syracuse back to the district for treatment.

In the name of getting flow back to the district as quickly as possible, district superintendent Tim Woodward and his crew have installed 145 flow dishes to prevent excess waters from entering the existing manholes. Woodward also noted there are several construction deadlines built into the project to help keep contractors on target. When the board signed the final draft of the agreement Monday evening, they were also signing off on a promise to complete payment to Syracuse within 48 hours and pay a premium for any excess flow between now and the termination date. This portion was just one more piece of the puzzle that makes TCRSD eager to reverse flow before the suggested deadline.

The district is also looking at how to maintain the district’s peak performance as they prepare to transition. Woodward noted he is putting together a presentation regarding current generator usage, age, maintenance, and costs, in order to select which need to be replaced or repaired. He also commended his crew for the long hours during what most in the Midwest refer to as the “polar vortex” during early February. Employees continued to prevent freezing parts and worked outdoors to check manholes.

In a conversation with Andrew Grossnickle, the district’s attorney, the board also decided not to pursue further litigation with local property owners in the case they refer to as “Reed’s dock.” The board had brought litigation against the property owners due to the presence of a variety of portable toilet structures, a direct violation of the usage ordinance. The restrooms were removed and the board will not pursue additional damages.

The district will meet again 7 p.m. Monday, March 18. The district office is located at 4852 N. 1200W, Cromwell.