Village Officials Deny Poggemeyer's Claim

Updated on 11/13/08: Poggemeyer Design Group in a written statement to The Granville Press, stated that “PDG informed the Village that the grant request called for Southwest Licking as the primary sewer provider. Several discussions with Don Hollycross [Granville Village Manager] and Constance Barsky [Member of Village Council] as well as Steve Mershon [Member of Village Council] addressed this issue.” In written responses, Don Holycross, Steve Mershon and Mayor Melissa Hartfield denied that they had been informed by Poggemeyer.

Poggemeyer made their claim of “several discussions” with Village officials within the early May time-period of their chronologically arranged document. The clear implication is that Village officials knew about the recommendation to use “Southwest Licking as the primary sewer provider” before Village Manager Don Holycross and Mayor Melissa Hartfield signed a letter of commitment for the Owens Jobs Ready Sites application.

However, Holycross told The Granville Press, “I had no conversations with Poggemeyer about the grant application and was unaware that the application would indicate that Southwest Licking would be the primary sewer provider. At the time of my discussions with the Trustees, it was my understanding that the grant application was still being finalized.”

In his email, Holycross did acknowledge that “Bill [Township Trustee Bill Habig] mentioned that Southwest Licking was also being asked about its ability to serve the site with utilities.”

Councilman Steve Mershon wrote to The Granville Press: “I don’t believe I learned of the proposal for SWL to be a “primary” or preferred sewer provider under that grant proposal until I read, sometime later in June, a copy of the application that was made available through your web site [The Granville Press].”

Mayor Melissa Hartfield, who signed the Village’s commitment letter on May 9, has stated previously that she did not know that Poggemeyer planned to recommend Southwest Licking.

Hartfield wrote to The Granville Press: “I do not recall the exact date that I knew about Southwest or who was the first individual or entity that told me, but I can say for sure, it was not Poggemeyer.”

The Granville Press has also requested comment from Councilperson Constance Barsky and will post her comments when they become available.

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See previous stories about Poggemeyer, Owens, the Township and the Village: