Council Delays Decision on SecondControl Plan Study(posted May 20) The Speedway Town Council had little time to do their due diligence to research major expenditures prior to the May 14 meeting. The council was expected to vote on Commonwealth Engineers scope of services contract that could cost up $64,000. The firm's information was based only on a spreadsheet presentation. Councilman Gary Raikes was disappointed with the too little information the firm provided of how they plan to capture and treat the excess wastewater that is required for IDEM's mandatory long-term control plan. "It concerns me," he said. Town Manager John McCurtain explained the information would be very detailed and technical in nature to explain how the process worked, and suggested a special workshop meeting to cover all of the information. That was Raikes' point. Elected officials should take the time to do their due diligence. The council is often busy taking notes in the meetings. They should not totally rely on the town manager or consultant's advice to shape their decision. He did not want to overlook the details. He wanted to know as much as possible since he is responsible with spending taxpayers' dollars. He believed that was his responsibility as an elected official. Commonwealth's overall scope would measure water volume based on computer modeling. Commonwealth expects to complete the report within two months. The long-term control plan is not a quick fix. It will cost tens of millions of dollars to implement the five-year plan. IDEM is not just singling out Speedway's plant. The state agency is mandating all towns implement a long-term control plan to treat excess plant capacity during heavy rains. It was Raikes' cautionary approach to represent the taxpayer that delayed the council from taking the vote. Raikes even persuaded the majority of the council to seek a third opinion from another engineering firm. One of the reasons Commonwealth had an opportunity to make this presentation was because of Raikes' request at a previous meeting urging for a second opinion. Raikes was not comfortable with relying on one engineering firm's plan. HNTB's plan would cost the town $21.3 million. Plant Superintendent Norm Berry said IDEM has expressed some concerns with HNTB's long-term control plan and the numbers it derived from the flow data, but the IDEM's staff never said seek a second opinion. He noted the town's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit is tied to the approval of the long term control plan. He noted the NPDES permit that will be issued September 30th will include a five year time line to implement the plan. The permit includes compliance dates that must be adhered to. IDEM issues NPDES permits to wastewater treatment plants, so they can discharge into the streams. The council did reach an agreement to lease two acres of the wastewater plant's 12-acre site through a request for proposal. The RFP is basically to get the ball rolling for Merrell Brothers' expressed desire to lease the land for what could be as long as 50 years. The site plan calls for building an enclosed septic separator to treat biosolids removed from septic tanks. The septic water extracted the separation process would be treated at the wastewater plant. The Merrell Brothers initially purchased the vacant machine shop on Cossell Road to build on that site, but the town has always expressed a desire for that site as the preferred location to house the street department. The town recently completed a Phase One Study on the property. According to McCurtain, the Merrell Brothers preferred leasing from the town to avoid IDEM's arduous permitting process to build at Cossell Road. The Merrell Brothers decision to lease the land could save the town up to $100,000 a year because the company currently hauls the town's sludge for about $70,000 to $90,000 a year. This hauling fee would be part of the negotiations as well as Merrell Brothers would have to pay a per-gallon charge to send its wastewater through the treatment plant. McCurtain explained HNTB has not reviewed the site plans because the RFP is needed first. McCurtain explained publishing a RFP notice does not guarantee Merrell Brothers will automatically be awarded the leasing agreement. It is open to anyone who wants to submit q market value proposal request. Although the Merrell Brothers' proposal could be eliminated, the council decided to make the firm pay for the town's legal expense to open the two acres to lease. Councilman Dean Farmer wanted more information concerning the site plans. He said he did not receive the information until Friday and again the night of the council meeting. He wanted to see the site plans because of the heavy truck traffic. McCurtain explained this discussion has been ongoing with Merrell Brothers for several months now. McCurtain did not want the council to delay the vote because it takes about three months of legal work to lease public land. Council President Bill Golay thought the proposed septic separator would be a good fit with the wastewater treatment plant rather than placing it on Cossell Road. Councilor Lu Hillmer initially was not comfortable to vote on a lease, but Golay said the vote was approving only in concept to lease. It was the word "concept" that convinced the council it was safe to take the vote, and they would not be committing to Merrell Brothers to do the project. Berry did not have a problem with it conceptually or the location, but he advised that he was not comfortable with agreeing to Merrell Brothers sending the waste until their ammonia levels are known. The ammonia level data is critical to Berry because the plant is experiencing increased ammonia levels due to an uncontrollable moss growth. As a result of the increased ammonia levels, the town is currently in an agreed order with IDEM to lower the ammonia amounts. The $580,000 solution replaces the two layer plastic media where the bacteria grows and upgrades the distribution system to keep the moss flushed out. The plastic media replacement is in the design phase. Berry said the project would have to go out for bids. Berry said the Merrell Brothers' proposed 50-year lease and the potential $100,000 savings to the town is not worth jeopardizing the agreed order with IDEM. McCurtain advised the council to start holding workshop meeting because of the growing complexities of operating a town, so they can learn the technical side of the issues. The council agreed to hold a workshop meeting June 5 at 7 p.m. |
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