The City Waste Water Treatment Plant over the years has become overwhelmed with its capacity due to population increases over the years as well as water influx during heavy rain events. It was decided that we construct a new facility with increased capacity to alleviate this problem. We acquired grant money to build this new facility which amounted to $1.8M. Bids were received to accomplish this project, however, these bids came in at $3,8M, nearly $2M over. We found ourselves woefully short with no options to obtain the additional funds. The design engineers came up with a plan that could get our plant back in a condition that could carry us 5/8 years into the future with our current facility by rehabilitating our current waste clarifier to bring it back to original production numbers and adding a new Chlorine contact chamber. After much discussion it was the decision of council that we should take this option with hopes that we may in the near future acquire additional funds through grants to complete the original plans for the new facility. I might add that the rehabbed clarifier and Chlorine contact chamber will be able to be used in the new facility.
Councilman Kenneth Reese