According to Plusquellic, the sale could raise as much as 250 million dollars to fund what he's calling the Akron Plan 21st century - an endowment that would pay for the education of every Akron high school student at an Akron college or technical school.
Speaking on 90.3 Tuesday, the mayor said the sale is viable, and would generate sufficient funds for a much-needed program.
Plusquellic: And it was a combination then I guess of some old ideas that I had 10 years ago or so. And this idea of selling off assets for other reasons which mayor Daley and others around the country have gotten into.
Some Akron council members were surprised by Plusquellic's announcement, says Council President Marco Sommerville. He says the group's reaction was mixed, but he supports the idea.
Sommerville: I think it's worth looking into, especially if you can send people who normally can't go to college to college. I think the cost of college is so expensive now.
Any buyer will need deep pockets to keep the system compliant with environmental standards. An Ohio EPA spokesman says about $400 million in repairs is needed to keep sewage from the Akron system from continuing to spill into the Cuyahoga river -- a violation of the federal clean water act.
Mayor Plusquellic says that expense, no matter who takes it on, will likely be passed onto consumers in the form of higher rates.
Kymberli Hagelberg, 90.3.