County Commission, BOE vote to end Lake View sewer dispute

LAKE VIEW SEWAGE

Lake View Elementary school can be seen as Lighting Septic Tank Service owner Mark Tomberlin, left, and assistant Kevin Abbott pump raw sewage from a holding tank at Lake View Elementary School in Lake View, Ala. Friday, July 31, 2009. The school will continue having the sewage pumped due to an ongoing issue over the sewage lines. (Dusty Compton / Tuscaloosa News)

The nearly six-year legal battle over sewer service access at Lake View Elementary School is almost at an end.

Separate actions this week by the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education and Tuscaloosa County Commission served to accept a settlement offer from Serma Holdings, the Leeds-based company that originally was contracted to provide sewer service to the school but never did.

On Monday, the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education voted unanimously to accept a reimbursement of $300,000 from Serma Holdings.

And on Wednesday, the County Commission voted unanimously to take ownership of an unused portion of sewer pipeline from the Lake View Public Service Commission, which was one of the terms included in the final settlement offer to the county board.

All that remains before the legal dispute is officially concluded is votes of approval by the Lake View Town Council and the Lake View Public Service Commission board of directors.

"It's finally a conclusion," said Ray Ward, a county board of education attorney who has been involved in the legal dispute since its inception. "Serma paid (the settlement) as partial reimbursement for the cost incurred to the board.

"In addition, they'll give us a portion of the disputed sewer line back, which we paid to install."

J. Michael White, operating manager of Serma Holdings, also said he's glad that the ordeal is almost over.

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County Commission, BOE vote to end Lake View sewer dispute