Engineers Present Water Facilities Plan

During a public hearing Tuesday the council listened Tuesday to a brief presentation by Envisors Inc., the city's engineering firm, on a water facility plan and business plan to identify projects eligible for low interest funding from the state.

Steve Elias, vice president of engineering with Envisors, reminded the council that several years ago the city received a $204,000 grant from the state to pay $63,300 to prepare the facilities plan, $10,200 for grant administrative services and $127,500 for the initial project design. This was to prepare a water master plan, he said.

At current rates, the Department of Environmental Protection's State Revolving Fund is offering 2.84 percent loans for project implementation, he added.

Millions of dollars are available, with more anticipated, he told the council. The plan maps the city's existing potable waterlines, wells, and water storage and then attempts to project its future needs by identifying 44 possible projects.

"It's pretty tough to crystal ball, to identify where the future growth areas will be," Elias said.

The city's future water facilities plan covers environmental impact evaluations, over a 10-year planning horizon, using conservative growth projects from two years ago. It covers the needed immediate improvements and those that should happen over a 10-year period.

The first project they identified is Project No. 11; to extend a line up from a community near Lake Huckleberry, up Bassage Road to Sparta Road to connect up with the city's water line north of State Road 66 near Cracker Trail Elementary School.

The cost of the 21,000-feet extension would be about $2 million, but would generate a net income of about $1.63 million for the year 2011, according to the business plan.

"That net income of $1.63 million; I assume that's stepped up by non-city rates?" asked Councilman John Clark.

"Yeah," responded Mike Eastman, city finance director.

Many of the immediate projects identified include replacement of waterlines of various sizes as well as installation of new lines in the city and surrounding areas.

Envisors noted that the first 11 projects on the immediate improvements list would cost about $16.75 million. The remaining 44 improvement projects needed by 2019 would cost about $34 million.

After closing the public hearing, council voted unanimously 3-0 to adopt the plan. Councilwoman Margie Rhoades and Council President Bud Whitlock were absent.

The plan will now be forwarded to DEP for approval. Then the city may begin designing the first phase of the project (funded by the grant) and construction (using the low-interest loan program).