Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials continue to hash out a compromise on several hiring and bidding policies related to the Metropolitan Sewer District.
An August 1 deadline has come and gone, meaning a city moratorium on the policies has expired. That led County Commissioners Wednesday to halt the bidding process for an upcoming project.
Commission President Chris Monzel says a city rule requiring contractors to have multi-year apprenticeships seems to be the sticking point. He says the issue needs to be resolved quickly to keep costs from increasing on the multi-billion dollar sewer overhaul.
City Councilman Chris Seelbach says those working on a compromise deal just need a little more time and he's confident they can come up with a solution.
If the two sides can't reach a deal, the issue could wind up in court.
Hamilton County owns the Metropolitan Sewer District, but under a 1960's era agreement, the city runs it.