By Sheila McLaughlin
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LOVELAND - Plans to expand development into Warren County, for a boost to city revenues, are on hold while officials tangle over who should pay for up to $300,000 in sewer improvement.

City officials argue that the Metropolitan Sewer District is obligated to increase the size of sewer pipe on Maple Avenue behind city hall because a 1985 agreement with county commissioners says the Hamilton County agency would meet Loveland's needs. Most of Loveland is in Hamilton County, but the city's boundaries extend into Clermont and Warren counties.

They want the district to fix the problem. Now.

"Our feeling is that our taxpayers are not getting their money's worth from MSD," Mayor Brad Greenberg said, adding that the city is looking at options to force sewer improvements. "They keep raising our rates, but their service has not kept pace. They agreed to provide for Loveland's needs and they haven't done that with respect to areas that have been annexed by Loveland."

The district's capital improvement plan through 2008 focuses on installing new sewer lines in western Hamilton County to encourage development and on federally mandated improvements to fix the aging, overloaded system overflowing into streams, culverts and basements.

County residents just absorbed a 14 percent increase in sewer rates, and they will see another 16.5 percent jump by 2006.

Robert Campbell, the sewer district's deputy director, said the agency is making improvements aimed at helping Loveland and surrounding communities.

E-mail smclaughlin@enquirer.com