City council tallies up water tab

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Despite orders from the state of Nebraska and the Environmental Protection Agency, one McCook City Council member continues to insist that the city look at different ways to address the problems with the city's waste water treatment facility.

During Monday night's meeting, Councilman Jim Kenny told the council, the city should look at storing and selling treated water from the plant rather than discharging it into the Republican River.

Thaniel Monaco, professional engineer of Miller & Associates, the company hired to develop the improvements at the waste water treatment facility, told Kenny a lagoon system would be more expensive than the current system.

In August, the city learned the allowable discharge of ammonia into the Republican River had been dropped from about 4 ppm to less than 1 ppm because of the decrease in river flow.

Kenny argued that, should regulatory agencies eventually ban release of any water into the river, the equipment now being developed would be useless. Monaco assured him the new equipment could be used in either type of treatment.

Councilman Phil Lyons told Kenny the city would most likely be subject to tighter restrictions no matter how it treated the waste.

"I don't think there's any winning solution, except to take the decision-making out of the hands of bureaucrats and put it back in the hands of elected officials who are answerable to their constituents," Lyons told Kenny. "I think regardless of what we do it's going to be a short- term solution by your definition."

The exchange came when the council was to hear about the cost and financing of both the sewer treatment plant improvements and the fresh water treatment facility.

The council discussed state revolving loan funds, sales tax income, and an increase in water and sewer rates to begin paying for the projects.

According to engineering estimates, the sewer project will cost the city approximately $3.4 million and the water treatment facility will cost an estimated $13.4 million.

City Manager John Bingham said the initial increase in rates would not cover the estimated $1.8 million annual operating cost of the projects, but only the cost of developing them. The council will have to look at raising rates again when the projects are completed.

The council asked that proposed rate increases be brought back to it at its Nov. 1 meeting.

The council also approved a request from W Design and Jacobson Helgoth to forward the specifications for equipment for the new water treatment facility to regulatory agencies for approval.

Bid specifications were approved for site development at the location chosen for the new 4-million-gallon reservoir, booster station and water treatment plant. The first step in the project will be to place 12 feet of soil on the site and take it off in 60 days to check the amount of settlement that can be expected.

In other action, the council:

* Learned that the $1 million Army Air Base Judgment has been paid in full. The city saved $6,067 by paying the judgment off early.

* Approved the plans and specifications for the East 11th Street improvements and the third phase of the B Street project.

* Authorized City Manager John Bingham to submit an application for hosting the Nebraska State Fly-In in June 2006.

* Approved bid specifications for a new truck for the McCook Airport.

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