City OKs Sewer Engineering Agreement
March 4, 2017 at 5:53 a.m.
By David [email protected]
Utility Manager Brian Davison said, “This is the contract with them to start the design as you stated. This keeps us on schedule as we presented at the (city) council (meeting Feb. 21). This is for a 50 percent capacity increase. We do have meetings coming up in the near future to discuss whether to do 50 or 100 percent, but everything that’s done at 50 percent is used in the 100 percent. The 50 percent design will be designed for ultimate build out, so we’d just have to add the additional tank to be 100 percent. This is a not-to-exceed contract.”
At the Feb. 21 meeting, the council was told Warsaw’s wastewater treatment plant capacity is nearing 90 percent, and at the current rate, capacity will be reached by 2020. The current plant is a 3.9 million gallons per day (MGD) rated plant, which is a Class III plant. In Indiana, Class IV is the highest rating. In 2016, the average flow at the Warsaw plant was at 85 percent capacity, but in 2013 it was at 89 percent capacity. At 90 percent capacity, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management can issue an early warning sewer ban. If it reaches 100 percent, IDEM can issue a sewer ban.
The council also heard about anaerobic versus aerobic systems, with Davison telling them the anaerobic was being recommended for the expansion.
At Friday’s meeting, Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “Essentially, this gets the ball rolling on the engineering. You’ve got a timetable to meet in regards to phosphorus permit, which has a drop-dead date from?IDEM on that. This will certainly help meet that schedule. We’re not pushing anything unduly. Lot of these questions that have been asked about design and capacity will actually be answered during the design. This just gives us more information to make better final decisions.”
Under the timetable previously presented, the anticipated completion date for the expansion would be July 2020. New phosphorous removal facilities must be in operation by May 2020.
Thallemer asked if the funds for the agreement were coming out of sewage funds. Davison said, “Currently, it is all appropriated out of waste water. There’s some discussion with (City Planner) Jeremy (Skinner) of doing part of it through the Redevelopment Commission.”
Skinner said it will go before the Redevelopment Commission at its meeting at 4 p.m. Monday. If the commission approves $600,000 of the design cost, it would come out of the Northern Tax Increment Finance District.
Thallemer said, “I know I mentioned we’re being very diligent in looking for funding resources to try and minimize the overall impact to the utility rate. I know with the Redevelopment Commission assisting, that would be helpful. We’ve got reserves that would ease that a bit. We’ve got construction to consider.”
He said looking at the reserves is one pot, and the city will be applying for State Revolving Funds. Thallemer said he’s been talking to Umbaugh & Associates about applying for funds through a federal program, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, as well.
“Anything we can do to keep those ... interest rates on the bonds down, it’ll obviously reduce the impact on our utility users. And this is all a part of that,” Thallemer said.
The Board of Works also approved a purchase agreement with William and Julia Frush for a parcel and an easement at 420 N.?Lake St. for the Buffalo Street redevelopment project for $20,000.
Skinner said the parcel will be the location of a new lift station, and the easement will be the location of the forcemain that will go from the lift station to the sanitary sewer on Lake Street. It will service the Buffalo Street project.
The cost will be paid out of sewage funds. Two appraisals were done on the property, and appraisals aren’t done on easements, Skinner indicated. He said the property parcel appraised for $10,000 with the easement was the balance.
“With the redevelopment of that Buffalo Street project, that whole sewer system was inadequate for what was planned for that area. So that location of that lift station and running the forcemain up to Lake Street is by far the best way to (handle) that,” said Davison.
Skinner said they had American Structurepoint look at the area to come up with the best location and came up with several alternatives, depending on communication with the Frushes, to make sure it would be acceptable to them.
“By far this was the best for the city in terms of sewering and servicing that new development,” Skinner said.
As a side benefit, Davison said the parking will increase for the Nye Youth Cabin. Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer said that will help since there won’t be parking along Buffalo Street.
The other item Skinner presented to the board was a payment application for $13,650.14 to American Structurepoint Inc. for engineering services for the Buffalo Street redevelopment project. He said it will be submitted for payment out of bond proceeds. There is a portion being paid out of sewage funds for the lift station design.
The board approved the payment.
Utility Manager Brian Davison said, “This is the contract with them to start the design as you stated. This keeps us on schedule as we presented at the (city) council (meeting Feb. 21). This is for a 50 percent capacity increase. We do have meetings coming up in the near future to discuss whether to do 50 or 100 percent, but everything that’s done at 50 percent is used in the 100 percent. The 50 percent design will be designed for ultimate build out, so we’d just have to add the additional tank to be 100 percent. This is a not-to-exceed contract.”
At the Feb. 21 meeting, the council was told Warsaw’s wastewater treatment plant capacity is nearing 90 percent, and at the current rate, capacity will be reached by 2020. The current plant is a 3.9 million gallons per day (MGD) rated plant, which is a Class III plant. In Indiana, Class IV is the highest rating. In 2016, the average flow at the Warsaw plant was at 85 percent capacity, but in 2013 it was at 89 percent capacity. At 90 percent capacity, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management can issue an early warning sewer ban. If it reaches 100 percent, IDEM can issue a sewer ban.
The council also heard about anaerobic versus aerobic systems, with Davison telling them the anaerobic was being recommended for the expansion.
At Friday’s meeting, Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “Essentially, this gets the ball rolling on the engineering. You’ve got a timetable to meet in regards to phosphorus permit, which has a drop-dead date from?IDEM on that. This will certainly help meet that schedule. We’re not pushing anything unduly. Lot of these questions that have been asked about design and capacity will actually be answered during the design. This just gives us more information to make better final decisions.”
Under the timetable previously presented, the anticipated completion date for the expansion would be July 2020. New phosphorous removal facilities must be in operation by May 2020.
Thallemer asked if the funds for the agreement were coming out of sewage funds. Davison said, “Currently, it is all appropriated out of waste water. There’s some discussion with (City Planner) Jeremy (Skinner) of doing part of it through the Redevelopment Commission.”
Skinner said it will go before the Redevelopment Commission at its meeting at 4 p.m. Monday. If the commission approves $600,000 of the design cost, it would come out of the Northern Tax Increment Finance District.
Thallemer said, “I know I mentioned we’re being very diligent in looking for funding resources to try and minimize the overall impact to the utility rate. I know with the Redevelopment Commission assisting, that would be helpful. We’ve got reserves that would ease that a bit. We’ve got construction to consider.”
He said looking at the reserves is one pot, and the city will be applying for State Revolving Funds. Thallemer said he’s been talking to Umbaugh & Associates about applying for funds through a federal program, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, as well.
“Anything we can do to keep those ... interest rates on the bonds down, it’ll obviously reduce the impact on our utility users. And this is all a part of that,” Thallemer said.
The Board of Works also approved a purchase agreement with William and Julia Frush for a parcel and an easement at 420 N.?Lake St. for the Buffalo Street redevelopment project for $20,000.
Skinner said the parcel will be the location of a new lift station, and the easement will be the location of the forcemain that will go from the lift station to the sanitary sewer on Lake Street. It will service the Buffalo Street project.
The cost will be paid out of sewage funds. Two appraisals were done on the property, and appraisals aren’t done on easements, Skinner indicated. He said the property parcel appraised for $10,000 with the easement was the balance.
“With the redevelopment of that Buffalo Street project, that whole sewer system was inadequate for what was planned for that area. So that location of that lift station and running the forcemain up to Lake Street is by far the best way to (handle) that,” said Davison.
Skinner said they had American Structurepoint look at the area to come up with the best location and came up with several alternatives, depending on communication with the Frushes, to make sure it would be acceptable to them.
“By far this was the best for the city in terms of sewering and servicing that new development,” Skinner said.
As a side benefit, Davison said the parking will increase for the Nye Youth Cabin. Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer said that will help since there won’t be parking along Buffalo Street.
The other item Skinner presented to the board was a payment application for $13,650.14 to American Structurepoint Inc. for engineering services for the Buffalo Street redevelopment project. He said it will be submitted for payment out of bond proceeds. There is a portion being paid out of sewage funds for the lift station design.
The board approved the payment.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092