(Ed.note: The following was noted in the Common Council Strategic Planning meeting from October in the Book of minutes.)
"Wastewater Treatment Plant: Wartenweiler and Sauer said we do need some upgrading to address elevated nitrates levels, approaching capacity limits in a 25-year-old treatment plant, and increased regulations to be imposed upon us in the next few years. Instead of doing an interim upgrade (which was done about three years ago and bought us another six years time), we should really upgrade the facility to meet the new capacity for 20 years and design it better to meet these limits. Our compliance schedule states that by the end of 2008 we need to have a design; this means planning within the next few months. The plant will take over a year to build it and it will cost about $1 to 2 million. The upgrade will also help us open up for more economic growth in the city. The City currently has three licensed operators."
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If only minutes were a reliable resource around here.
ReplyDeleteThese same minutes make no reference to the heated debate (or even a friendly discussion)over any possible Lake referendum that Ald. Jacobson reported in the Gazette blog occured at this meeting. Reading the minutes would give the impression all in attendance are on board with the plan as detailed in the minutes!
Yet she blogs: At the 10/13/07 Common Council Strategic Planning Meeting (yes, on a Saturday), Mason and myself discussed having the Lake Leota dredging project go to referendum because of the high costs associated. This spured a heated discussion of which Mayor Decker and Fred Jurgens opposed. They stated that they did not want this to go to referendum, instead wanting "just to get it done" (dredging), and they would then take the heat from the citizens of Evansville after it was completed; even if it would mean they would loose re-election to office on their next terms.
All that we can really take away from the excerpt of the minutes of your post with any certainty is: "something big and costly is wanted for the Wastewater Treatment Plant"
And that Ald Jacobson should start keeping the minutes!
Wow! I don't remember that project being on the five-year capital plan when I was city administrator. Add that to the already long list of big-ticket capital projects on the city's want/need list. Can the city (or its property tax payers) really afford to pack all of these projects into the next few years, after backing many big-ticket projects and acquisitions into the last few years?
ReplyDeleteBill Connors
Maybe if every project certain people brought to the table weren't approved we wouldn't be needing new facilities for waste treatment, outgrowing our school capacity,etc.,etc. Couple that with the sunset on the minimum house size (under pressure from same people) and watch the already ridiculous taxes skyrocket.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing is that when David Sauer of Foth & Van Dyke was interviewed about the future of the wastewater treament plant during the Smart Growth planning process, he said the current plant could handle the increased flow from many new residential subdivisions without any problem. If you look in the section of the Smart Growth plan about the wastewater treament plant, you will read a rosy assessment. But now the tune is different. Perhaps the regulatory landscape changed after the plan was adopted.
ReplyDeleteBill Connors
Former Evansville City Administrator
I think there is a big misunderstanding. With Americans being more obese now than at any other time in American history, that would trigger a cause and effect theory from my perspective. With more demand for consumption, I would reason that the supply side would also increase. A city wide "wastewater" tax would solve all these issues.
ReplyDeleteJust some food for thought.